13 Best Exercises To Do On Chest Day
It’s your lucky day…Chest Day! And we have thirteen great training exercises that are all about building the chest.
Sure, a strong chest helps provide excellent upper body strength. A broad, strong chest also looks stronger. And, sexier. But the pecs are among the hardest muscles to train. It’ll help to change it up as you go, so here’s how to keep your Chest Day from getting stale, boring, and repetitive. Consider adding any of these 13 best exercises in combination and power up your Chest Day routine!
Barbell Presses
Hold the barbell at chest height. Keeping your arms bent and your hands shoulder-width apart, press the barbell up and then slowly lower it back to the starting position. For variation, try Incline Dumbbell Presses and Barbell Incline Presses.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Lying on a flat bench and with your arms straight, hold dumbbells above your shoulders. Bend your arms and lower the dumbbells to the ground until they’re in-line with your chest. Then, raise them back to the starting position.
Push-ups
Push-ups are great because they burn calories while working your core and entire body. To perform a proper push-up, keep your body straight and resist the urge to arch your back and body. Place your hands firmly on the ground, so you don’t hurt your wrists. Keep your butt down and your core engaged. To add variety, you can perform push-ups with a wide grip or with resistance bands.
Dips
These primarily train the triceps. Start with your arms straight down and your shoulders directly above your hands. Lower your body to a 90-degree angle at the elbows. Keep your arms close to your body, lift your body up, returning to the starting position. Lower your body down with your elbows straight back. Adding weight to your dips will make them more challenging.
Dumbbell High Pulls
Work both your lats and traps, together. Start with dumbbells on the ground. (Or, as close to the ground as possible.) With your legs straight and arms shoulder-width apart, pull the weights straight up, bending your arms as they near your chin.
Bench Press
This is the most effective upper body exercise, since it works your chest, shoulders, and triceps. You’re also able to lift the most weight doing it, and helps you gain muscle and strength.
According to Stronglifts.com, here’s how to Bench Press with proper form:
- Lie on the bench with your eyes centered below the bar.
- Grab the bar with a medium grip-width (thumbs around the bar!)
- Unrack the bar by straightening your arms.
- Lower the bar to your mid-chest.
- Press the bar back up, until your arms are straight.
Also, look into the simple variations of the bench press: The Barbell Bench Press, Dumbbell Bench Press Dumbbell Single-Arm Bench Press, and Decline Bench Press.
Face Pulls
Sounds interesting…and it is! Stand in front of a medium-height rotating pulley, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab a side of the rope attachment in each hand. Bending your knees, pull your arms toward your face.
Lateral Pulldowns
These are one of the best back and chest exercise, ever! Find a lat pulldown station. Sit down and grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. Pull down until your hands get to shoulder height.
Lying Overhead Pullovers with Dumbbell
Barbell Pullovers are great. They work the back, chest, arms, and abs. Just lie on a bench with your upper back perpendicular. Bend your elbows slightly while lowering the bar behind your head. Continue until your arms are fully flexed and parallel to your torso.
Alternating Dumbbell Press to Full Press
The Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press increases the strength in your shoulders while maintaining symmetrical balance to both sides of the body. The seated position is best for isolating your shoulders. For more in-depth step-by-step instructions, go to MuscleandFitness.com.
Kettlebell Flyes on Bench or Med Ball
Lay down on an incline bench with a kettlebell in each hand, arms straight and palms facing forwards. Keep your back against the bench, your chest up and your elbows behind the bench. Then, curl the weights up to shoulder height.
Bent-Over BB Rows
These work your back, hips, and arms. When you do these exercises, you’ll get a stronger, muscular back and bigger biceps.
Start by holding a barbell with your palms facing down. Slightly bend your knees while bringing your torso forward. Keep your back straight and your head up while you pull the barbell up.
What you put into your body matters, too!
Focusing on these exercises above will help you get chest gains quickly. And you’ve read this far, so we know that you’re serious about working out. Equally serious are the things you put into your body: Eating the right foods, drinking low-calorie drinks, and even adding a supplement or protein powder to your daily routine. You can learn about all your bodybuilding and fitness options at gatsport.com.
