5 Best Chest Exercises, According To Fitness Experts
1. Traditional Pushups
Equipment needed: none
Start on your hands and knees, with your knees spread a few inches apart and your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Straighten your arms and legs so your knees are no longer on the floor, bringing you into a high plank position. Slowly lower your body, keeping your head, neck, shoulders, back and legs in a straight line, until your chest is hovering a few inches off the floor. Use your chest and arms to push yourself back to the starting position. Repeat this motion eight to 10 times for two or three sets.
To modify a pushup, place your knees on the floor and navigate the same movement in the upper body.
“Pushups are one of the best bodyweight exercises, and you don’t need any equipment,” says Lampa. Pushups not only engage the chest muscles, but also the core, upper back and shoulders, which is key.
2. Scapular Pushups
Equipment needed: none
For this pushup variation, start in a high plank position, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your feet a few inches apart. While keeping your back and arms straight, squeeze your shoulder blades slowly toward one another and then release them. The body should only move up and down slightly—less than during a traditional pushup. Do two to three sets of eight to 10 scapular pushups.
You can modify this exercise by placing your knees on the floor.
“Scapular pushups are great for hitting the serratus anterior (muscle),” says Croce.
3. Wide Grip Chest Press
Equipment needed: Dumbbells, weight bench (optional)
Lie with your back flat on the floor or on a weight bench. Place your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Place your arms in a cactus formation, so each arm is at a 90-degree angle with your hands about 3 inches wider than your shoulders. Start with your elbows bent. As you exhale, press the dumbbells straight above your chest. Inhale as you bring both dumbbells down in a controlled motion to the starting position. Complete two to three sets of 10 reps.
To modify this exercise, alternate lifting the dumbbells instead of lifting them simultaneously.
A wide-grip chest press engages the pectorals major, shoulders and triceps muscles. It can be done using a barbell, but Croce recommends starting with dumbbells that are a comfortable weight for your fitness level and strength.
4. Narrow Grip Chest Press
Equipment needed: Dumbbells, weight bench (optional)
A narrow-grip chest press engages slightly different muscles than the wide-grip chest press by targeting the lower chest and shoulders. It’s performed the same way as a wide-grip chest press, except the hands should be shoulder-width apart and no further.
Similar to the wide-grip chest press, lie with your back flat on the floor or on a weight bench with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. This time, instead of holding your hands wider than your shoulders, keep them shoulder-width apart. Hold the weights just above your chest. Start with your elbows bent, and exhale as you push the dumbbells up above your chest. Inhale as you bring both dumbbells down in a controlled motion, holding them directly over the chest. Complete two to three sets of 10 reps.
As with the wide-grip chest press, you can modify this move by alternating lifting the dumbbells instead of lifting them simultaneously.
5. Incline Bench Press
Equipment needed: Weight bench, barbell (or dumbbells, to modify the move)
i.e. back on a weight bench at a 30-degree incline. Place your hands on the barbell with your palms facing up. Extend your arms, lifting the bar until it’s above your shoulders. Slowly bring the bar back to your chest. Complete 10 to 15 reps of this exercise for two to three sets.
To modify this exercise, use dumbbells of a weight you can lift comfortably, placing one dumbbell in each hand and moving through the exercise in the same way.
“This exercise works the pectorals major,” says Lampa. “It’s another great exercise for strengthening your upper chest.”
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