Chest Exercises
Chest exercises target the muscles of the chest responsible for pushing movements and upper-body strength. A strong chest improves performance in pressing exercises, supports shoulder health, and helps build a balanced, powerful upper body.
Single-Arm Push Up
Begin laying prone on the ground. Move yourself into a position supporting your weight on your toes and one arm. Your...
Single-Arm Cable Crossover
Begin by moving the pulleys to the high position, select the resistance to be used, and take a handle in each hand. S...
Pushups (Close and Wide Hand Positions)
Lie on the floor face down and body straight with your toes on the floor and the hands wider than shoulder width for ...
Pushups
Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart while holding your torso up at arms length. Nex...
Push Up to Side Plank
Get into pushup position on the toes with your hands just outside of shoulder width. Perform a pushup by allowing the...
Push Up With Feet On An Exercise Ball
Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart from each other holding your torso up at arms l...
Push Up With Feet Elevated
Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart from each other holding your torso up at arms l...
Push Up Wide
With your hands wide apart, support your body on your toes and hands in a plank position. Your elbows should be exten...
Plyo Push Up
Move into a prone position on the floor, supporting your weight on your hands and toes. Your arms should be fully ext...
Plyo Kettlebell Pushups
Place a kettlebell on the floor. Place yourself in a pushup position, on your toes with one hand on the ground and on...
How to Train the Chest Effectively
The chest muscles play a key role in pushing movements and upper-body power. They are heavily involved in exercises like presses, push-ups, and dips, and they assist in stabilizing the shoulders during many compound lifts. Weak or undertrained chest muscles can limit strength progress and place extra stress on the shoulders.
To train the chest effectively, use a combination of compound and isolation exercises. Focus on controlled repetitions, a full range of motion, and proper shoulder positioning. Varying angles—flat, incline, and decline—helps ensure balanced chest development and reduces muscular imbalances.
A well-rounded chest workout often includes:
- Compound presses: bench press, incline press, push-ups
- Isolation movements: chest flyes, cable flyes, pec deck
- Bodyweight work: dips and push-up variations
Form Tips for Chest Training
- Keep your shoulders pulled back and down during presses.
- Control the lowering phase to increase muscle activation.
- Avoid excessive elbow flare to protect the shoulders.
- Train through a full, comfortable range of motion.
Common Questions
How often should chest be trained?
Most people benefit from training chest 1–2 times per week, allowing enough recovery between sessions.
Do chest exercises also work arms?
Yes. Chest exercises heavily involve the triceps and shoulders, especially during pressing movements.