Every gym bro’s favorite exercise in the gym is the bench press. The bench press is one of the big three lifts, along with squats and deadlifts , and it’s a good indication of one’s overall strength. And you use your chest muscles to push most of the load in this movement.  Although the bench press is a crucial component of building a chiseled chest , there are a variety of chest exercises that will develop and strengthen your chest. Plus, they’ll improve your bench press. The problem is choosing the correct movements and omitting the rest. This article will cover the 9 best chest exercises to build a chest like Thor. 

The barbell bench press is the most popular chest exercise. It’s part of the “big three”–along with squats and deadlifts–and it’s a good indicator of one’s overall strength. The barbell will let you load up on a lot of weight to vastly improve your chest and strength size compared to other exercises like the dumbbell fly ( 1 ). Plus, the shoulder-width grip will balance the weight of the barbell, further enabling you to use heavier weights. You’ll also target your shoulders and triceps as secondary muscles. 

You’ll load a barbell with plates on either side. Then, you’ll lie flat on a bench and grasp a barbell shoulder-width apart. Next, lift the barbell and lower it to mid-chest level. Once the barbell touches your chest, press it back up. 

The wide grip bench press is similar to the barbell bench press with a medium grip (shoulder-width); however, as the name suggests, you’ll grab the barbell with a wider grip. A wider grip will engage more of your chest muscles. You’ll also bring the barbell through less range of motion and increase shoulder stability . 

Lie on your back on a flat bench and set your eyes to look directly at a fixed barbell. Grab the barbell wider than shoulder-width and lift it off (starting position). Lower the barbell to your mid-chest, then press it back to the starting position. 

The decline barbell bench press is done with a medium grip but with a bench set at a decline. This decline will target your lower chest muscles. Also, the angle of the bench allows lifters to press more weight than the standard barbell flat bench press. Moreover, the downward slope of this exercise places less strain on your shoulders. 

Secure your feet into the decline bench set up and lie flat back on a bench at a decline. You’ll  then grab the barbell with a medium grip and lower the load to your sternum. Next, press the barbell up without locking out your elbows. 

The incline dumbbell fly is performed with dumbbells at an incline. The incline will engage your upper pecs, and the biomechanics of the movement will isolate your chest muscles. It’s great for adding additional volume to your pectoralis major (pecs). 

Set a bench to an incline to a 30-45 degree angle. Then, grab dumbbells and sit them on your thighs. Next, lie flat and lay your shoulder blades against the bench with your head resting on the seat, and straighten your arms to put the dumbbells overhead. Keep your feet balanced on the floor and lower your arms in an arc angle until you feel a stretch in your chest, then bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows to reduce tension in your shoulders. 

The incline barbell bench press is between a standard barbell bench press and a military press. As the name implies, you’ll bench press a barbell at an incline. The heavy load of the barbell at an incline will strengthen your upper pectoralis major (largest chest muscle). Also, the incline will be more taxing for your shoulders. 

The barbell incline bench press is performed the same way as the flat bench press, except at an incline. First, find a barbell rack with a bench set at a 45-degree angle. Next, unload the weight, bring the barbell down in a controlled manner to your upper chest and then push the load up. 

The incline dumbbell bench press is performed just as the barbell incline bench press is done, except you’ll replace the barbell with dumbbells. Dumbbells will allow you to correct any muscular imbalances and challenge your stability muscles and core more. Again, as with the incline barbell bench press, this exercise activates your upper chest muscles. 

Fix a flat bench to a 45-degree angle and grab two dumbbells (one in each hand). Lie supine on a bench and raise the dumbbells above your upper chest. Next, lower them down below your clavicle until the dumbbells are just above your chest on the outside. Then, press the dumbbells up toward the center of your chest. 

The dumbbell fly is an accessory chest exercise that increases your chest definition, core strength , and muscular balance. It’s a chest opener movement, so it may reduce back pain  and improve your thoracic range of motion. Also, it will activate your biceps ( 2 ). 

Find a flat bench and sit on it while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Then lie down supine and extend your arms, almost parallel to the ground. Engage your chest muscles to bring the dumbbells above the center of your chest in an arc motion. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows. 

The dumbbell bench press is the barbell flat bench press with dumbbells instead of a barbell. So like the barbell bench press, this compound exercise targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. However, dumbbells will activate your stabilizers and core more and require more balance and coordination. Moreover, this 2021 study found that it can produce similar strength gains compared to the barbell bench press ( 3 ). 

The weight will be heavier with a dumbbell bench press than with dumbbell flyers, so once you sit down on a bench with the dumbbells held in each hand. Place them perpendicularly on your thighs , then kick back one leg at a time while falling back to lay flat on the bench. Next, bring the dumbbells to your side without flaring your elbows. Lastly, press the weight up. 

The cable crossover is an exercise that squeezes your chest muscles together. Since it’s done on cables, it keeps tension on your pecs throughout the movement. Plus, it increases your range of motion. And the motion will hit your lower pecs more. 

Fix two cable pulleys at the top. Grab the pulley on either side and keep your arms straight, with a slight bend in your elbows. Then, in a downward arc motion, bring the weight down until your hands meet in the middle and you feel your chest squeeze together. 

The chest (pectoralis) muscle comprises four muscles: pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, and subclavius. The pectoralis major is the dominant fan-shaped muscle of your chest that stretches from your armpit to your collarbone and connects with your sternum. It’s responsible for moving your shoulder joint and attaching your arms to your body. 

Specific movements will target different parts of your chest muscles more than others. For example, the barbell bench press will target your mid-chest the most, the barbell decline bench press will hit your lower chest the most, and the barbell incline bench press emphasizes your upper chest. In addition, a barbell will let you load your chest with more weight, and dumbbells will fix lagging chest muscles and activate your core and stabilizers more. 

It depends on your fitness level and goal when looking for ways to progress your pecs muscles. A beginner should start slow and keep the volume and intensity low. Advanced lifters can increase the volume and intensity as they continue a chest workout program. In general, it’s essential to increase the weight, volume, or reps to keep your chest growing and getting stronger. 

Whether you’re doing a full-body workout or a split routine will determine how many chest exercises you do in a day. For example, a beginner may have three separate full-body workouts spread out throughout the week and only perform one chest exercise per workout. In contrast, an advanced lifter may have a particular chest day and perform 4-5 sets of 5-6 movements. 

When performing chest workouts, it’s essential to pay extra caution to protect your shoulders. That’s because your shoulders are involved in pushing/chest movements. Also, your shoulders are one of the most mobile joints in your body. And the more mobile your joints are, the more likely you are to get injured. 

A proper warm-up will increase the weight you’ll be able to lift on your chest exercises and protect your chest, triceps, and shoulders from getting injured. Start with light cardio for five minutes on a cardio machine of choice, e.g., elliptical, treadmill , etc. Then, perform 2-3 warm-up sets of the first exercise of your chest workout with a lighter weight. 

Flaring out your elbows during chest movements will increase your risk of injuring your shoulders. Therefore, when performing chest presses, such as barbell bench press and dumbbell bench press, it is crucial to utilize elbow sleeves for bodybuilding and powerlifting. keep your elbows in and don’t let them flare too far out. Keep in mind that the more inward they are, the more the exercise targets your triceps and the less it’s targeting your chest. 

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