Best Chest Exercise

The Anatomy Of The Chest

When we talk about "building chest muscles", we're primarily thinking of pectoralis major. That's the big Kahuna covering the front part of the chest, running from under the deltoids (shoulders) where it attaches to the upper arm bone, to the center of your sternum and up along the edge of the clavicle.

This fan shape makes it a little special in that you can and should hit it from different angles for best effect. Unlike the biceps, which are pretty much set in their range of motion, pec major can be used to push down, forward and up, simply by involving different parts of the muscle. That opens the door to challenges and opportunities, which we'll exploit in this workout.

Also note that there is a pectoralis minor, a helper muscle tucked in under pec major near the armpit, which is not readily visible but often get involved too. The same goes for anterior deltoids, the front part of the shoulders. It is hard to isolate one without involving the others, so for practical purposes we'll treat it all as a single muscle group in this article.

The Best Chest Exercises

So, let's look at the three different portions of the muscle in turn, starting with the middle portion.

Middle Chest

This is the basic, catch-all area that involves a little of everything. Most people get this one fairly well, since it's the spot you hit with regular bench presses and most machines by default.

Bench Presses can be done with barbells, but there's actually some benefit to be had from using dumbbells. You may not be able to use quite the same poundage, but instead you involve a slew of balancing support muscles. While not bulky in and by themselves, growing these stronger can boost core strength as well as prevent injuries down the road.

Push Ups are so basic many gym trainers ignore them completely. Why go old school when there's a gleaming, scientifically perfected $10,000 machine standing right there? Nothing wrong with the machines, but incorporating push ups into your regular routine is a great way to shake things up (just because it doesn't have a scientifically perfected resistance curve), and it also serves as a nice reality check -- you can't cheat or pull a fast one; you either do X push ups, or you don't.

Upper Chest

Often neglected and thus creating a somewhat off-balance look, upper chest focuses on the portion tying into the clavicles.

Incline Dumbbell Chest Presses is just like the flat-bench bench press, except you tilt the back up about 30 degrees. This also puts a fair deal of stress on the front shoulders, so make sure to purposefully pull your shoulders down and pull your scapulas together against the pad; thrusting your shoulders forward in this position is an invitation to injury.

Isolateral Incline Machine Presses Isolateral means that the sides work independently of one another. This is a good thing, since most people have one side slightly stronger than the other. Machines where both handles are attached to the same bar allows you to shift more work onto one side, thus aggravating the imbalance and making the problem worse. For best results, pick a machine that has the handles wider at the bottom position, but comes closer together as you push up/away from you.

Lower Chest

This is the part you train to get the right "Arnold hang" look for the pecs.

Dips is another old-timer exercise many choose to ignore in favor of newer machines. Big mistake; few exercise hits the lower portion of the pecs as well as dips do. Just remember not to overstretch the shoulder joint at the bottom, as it is very vulnerable in this position. Make a smooth but distinct turn as soon as your upper arms are parallel to the floor.

Cable Crossover Flyes can be made even better by bending your elbows so that your forearms are parallel to the cables. This allows you to use more weight in a more controlled arc of movement, making this exercise like a pseudo-dip only with a brand-new angle -- a sure way to rustle the muscle from its slumber. Good luck!