6 Best Chest Exercises And Workouts Of All Time

Are you on a body transformation journey and your goal is to make a physique that looks amazing? Do you want to feel great and be able to  perform several daily life tasks with ease? Without a properly sculptured chest, the goal will always be incomplete. There are plenty of exercises, workouts, and even many Chest Workout machines to help you on the journey. Chest exercises and strength training have plenty of practical benefits for the human body on top of shaping it. 

The largest muscle in our chest is called the ‘pectoral muscle’, commonly referred to as the ‘pecs’. While working out the chest, you need to concentrate primarily on this muscle and protein calculator. Besides, there are many other small muscles that support the pecs, such as the latissimus dorsi muscles (lats) and the trapezius muscle on the sides of the chest and the shoulders, respectively.

Six Best Exercises and Workouts of all time for Your Chest

1) Barbell Bench Press

• Lie down with your back completely flat on a bench, and the feet firmly rested on the ground.
• Hold the barbell with the palms of your hand at the front and the thumb wrapping around the bar. Now move the bar to the beginning position. You can take help if needed at this point.
• Place the bar exactly over your chest or your chin while keeping your wrist and elbows straight.
• Start lowering the bar till it touches the chest. Keep inhaling during this process.
• Now exhale slowly and push the bar upwards. Remember to keep the back flat on the bench and wrist straight.

2) Pec Deck

Firstly, you should avoid this exercise if you have any shoulder injury. And if you have newly started working out, it is better to avoid adding any extra weight to reduce the risk of any injury.

• Sit down with the feet flat (shoulder-width apart) on the floor.
• Put your back firmly against the seat and put your arms up to your shoulder level. Place your palms on the wings of the machine.
• Now start pulling the wings forward until they touch each other with a languid and smooth movement.
• Now slowly reverse them back again to the starting position.

3) Bent forward Cable Crossover

• For this Chest Workout, first, stand with your feet firmly placed on the floor hip-width apart or in a walking position with one foot placed forward from the other, whatever you feel comfortable with.
• Hold on to the pulley handles with your hands straight. Make sure your arms are below your shoulder level. Now pull the handles straight, facing inwards with your elbows bent slightly.
• Make every movement slowly with complete control. Avoid any jerking at the time when bringing the hands together and extending them backward. To gain more resistance and a more sweeping arc, try pulling the handles downwards first and then bringing them towards each other and making them cross over.
• Finally, after performing the prescribed reps, bring your arms slowly to the starting position. Do not let your arms go beyond your shoulders.

4) Chest Press

• Place your body flat on a bench with your knees bent and feet firmly placed on the floor.
• Now grasp the handles of the dumbbells and push them away from your body until your arms are stretched straight out. Exhale while pushing the dumbbells.
• Now pull the bars inwards slowly with controlled motion as you keep inhaling. Do not let the weight touch down.

5) Incline Dumbbell Flyes

• Take the dumbbells in each of your hands and place your back on a bench and feet on the ground.
• Press your back, shoulders, buttocks, and head onto the bench. Now, place the dumbbells near the armpit over your chest. Remember to keep the wrists firm and straight, facing your palms inwards.
• Now exhale and pull your stomach in. Slowly start pushing the dumbbells above your chest with the elbows straight (do not lock them). Try keeping the distance between the arms at shoulder-width apart.
• Lower the dumbbells in a relaxed manner yet with full control, in a broad arc (or in an open-hand way) up to your chest level. Make sure the dumbbells are parallel.
• Now repeat the process in a ‘flying’ manner by taking your arms up and down.

6) Dips

• Hold the dip bars parallel to the ground firmly.
• Keeps your head consistent with the body, the arms consistent with the wrists, and the elbows straight.
• Cross your legs with one another to make the lower part of your body stable and suck in your abs.
• Bend your elbows and lower the body while exhaling slowly. Avoid swinging or tilting the body and the legs.
• Lower the body until your elbows create a 90-degree angle; the upper arms come parallel to the floor keeping the wrists straight.
• Pause for a moment and then again push the bars to straighten the elbows and get back to the first vertical position.

If you find this exercise too hard, you can consult your trainer and find a Chest Workout machine supporting similar benefits.

Benefits of Chest Workouts

Chest exercises and workouts or strength training have plenty of practical benefits for the human body apart from shaping your body, including improved heart health, reduced-fat, boosted mobility and flexibility, controlled blood-sugar level, etc. Here are some most common benefits of these exercises anyone can achieve with a little patience and perseverance.

1. Improved posture: The largest muscle in our upper body, the pecs, plays a vital role in keeping up a proper posture of our body. Thus, working out these muscles supports the back and stabilizes the shoulder joint.
2. Better breathing: These exercises promote deeper breathing by lengthening and strengthening the chest muscles. 
3. Daily perks: We do not realize, but our chest muscles play a vital role in a lot of our daily chores that involve holding, lifting, pushing, or squeezing.

The Bottom Line

Every human body has different resistance and fitness levels. Thus, any exercise, including the Chest Workout, should have a personalized goal and intensity that suits the requirements and capability of every individual. If this is not followed, there will remain a significant possibility that you will not reach your desired goal according to the plan. If you overdo the process, you may get yourself hurt, and on the other hand, if you do not work yourself up to your potential, you will not get the expected results.