5 Best Barbell Chest Exercises For Size and Strength

When’s the final time somebody requested you the way a lot you squat or lat pulldown? Probably by no means, however you have most likely been requested a number of occasions, “How a lot do you bench press?” Let’s face it – the barbell flat bench press is the king for chest workout routines and constructing upper-body muscle mass. Monday is called “Worldwide Chest Day” as a result of the barbell bench press is the most typical train and heart level of a chest exercise.

Whereas the bench press is among the greatest chest workout routines for muscle progress, different chest workout routines ought to be used to maximise chest hypertrophy. On this article, we’ll present you the perfect chest workout routines, together with two pattern chest exercises, that can assist you take your chest exercises to the subsequent degree.

Desk of Contents

• 5 Finest Barbell Chest Workout routines
• Bonus Chest Workout routines
• Anatomy Of The Chest
• Programming Ideas
• Pattern Chest Exercise Routine
• Different Chest Workout routines

5 Finest Barbell Chest Workout routines

Beneath are the perfect barbell workout routines you need to embrace on chest day to extend muscle mass.

1. Barbell Bench Press

The flat bench press is the holy grail and ought to be the cornerstone of any chest exercise. The bench press is a compound train, as it really works a number of muscle mass within the higher physique. The usual bench press primarily targets the pectoralis main. It additionally works:

• Triceps brachii: Any “push” motion, like a chest press, prompts the triceps to assist lengthen the elbow joint. You may really feel the triceps muscle activation on the prime of the press because the arms are locked. Shut-grip bench presses focus straight on the triceps.
• Anterior deltoids: The entrance a part of the shoulder is used in the course of the urgent movement.
• Serratus anterior: The serratus anterior is a muscle on the facet of the chest that helps stabilize the shoulder blades in the course of the bench press.

Directions:

1. Lay down along with your again flat on the bench and ft flat on the bottom, roughly shoulder width aside. Your eyes ought to be straight beneath the bar.
2. Seize the barbell with an overhand grip, barely wider than shoulder-width aside.
3. Preserve your shoulder blades pulled again and planted on the bench as you raise the bar off the rack. Maintain the bar above your chest along with your arms totally prolonged. That is the beginning place.
4. Breathe in and decrease the bar in a managed method till it gently touches your chest or simply above. Preserve your elbows at a 90-degree angle, and keep away from bending your wrists. Don’t bounce the bar off your chest, which creates momentum and might trigger damage.
5. Concentrate on utilizing your chest muscle mass to push the bar upward to return to the beginning place, locking out your arms. Exhale your breath as you are pushing up. 
6. Repeat for reps.

For these coaching for aggressive sports activities or lifting heavy weights, it is acceptable to have a slight bend in your again when lifting, however make sure you keep away from over-arching the again.

2. Barbell Incline Bench Press

The barbell incline bench press is a variation of the usual bench designed to focus on the higher chest particularly. Incline bench presses additionally work the anterior deltoids, triceps brachii, and serratus anterior. The higher pecs are arguably crucial to constructing a whole chest muscle and growing chest dimension as a result of they assist the chest come out extra.

Directions:

1. Alter the bench to a 30-degree angle to maximise higher chest activation.¹
2. Lay down on the bench along with your ft flat on the bottom and a slight decrease again arch. Your eyes ought to be straight beneath the barbell.
3. Seize the bar with an overhand grip, along with your fingers a bit of greater than shoulder-width aside. Carry the bar off the rack, holding the load straight above your chest with prolonged arms, however don’t lock out your elbows.
4. Slowly decrease the bar down till it gently grazes your chest or simply above your chest. Be certain to not bounce the bar off your chest. Breathe in and preserve your core tight as you decrease the load.
5. Along with your shoulder blades squeezed towards the bench, use your higher chest muscle mass to push the load upward, returning to the beginning place along with your arms totally prolonged above your chest. Exhale as you raise upward.
6. Repeat for reps.

3. Decline Bench Press

The decline bench press is arguably the third most vital chest press after the flat and incline bench. The decrease portion of the chest is far smaller than the center and higher chest, nevertheless it’s nonetheless vital to coach it. The decline bench press primarily targets the pectoralis main, nevertheless it focuses on the decrease portion of the chest. Like the opposite chest press workout routines, the decline bench press makes use of the triceps, anterior deltoids, and serratus anterior.

Directions:

1. Lie on the decline bench, or regulate the bench to -15°or -30°. Be sure that your ft are safely planted beneath the help bars. Your eyes ought to be straight beneath the bar. Your head and higher physique ought to be under your hips.
2. Seize the bar with an overhand grip, fingers barely wider than shoulder-width aside. Preserve your shoulder blades pulled again on the bench for stability. 
3. Carry the bar off the rack, extending the load above your decrease chest along with your arms.
4. Slowly decrease the bar till it reaches your decrease chest or simply above. Preserve your elbows at a 90-degree angle. Breathe in and preserve your core tight as you decrease the bar.
5. Press the barbell upward utilizing your decrease chest muscle mass till your arms are totally prolonged with out locking your elbows.
6. Repeat for reps.

Your decline bench set ought to be carried out after a flat or incline press as a result of the decline is the simplest. The decline bench is less complicated as a result of it has a shorter vary of movement, locations extra stress on the decrease chest somewhat than the shoulders, and places the physique in a greater leverage place.

4. Reverse Grip Bench Press

The reverse grip bench press is equivalent to the common bench press, besides the grip is reversed right into a supinated grip, and your elbows are at a special angle. Though it is a minor tweak of the unique, it targets the chest in several areas. In comparison with the common bench, the reverse grip bench has a couple of key variations: 

• The reverse grip bench press targets the higher and internal chest extra considerably than the standard bench.
• The common bench primarily works the lateral head of the triceps, whereas the reverse grip emphasizes the lengthy head of the triceps. 
• The reversed grip prompts the biceps and forearms considerably greater than the common bench. 
• The reverse grip places extra strain on the anterior deltoids, which may be tough for folks with dangerous shoulders.  

Directions:

1. Lay on the bench within the regular place, along with your eyes straight beneath the bar. 
2. Seize the barbell with a supinated grip so your palms face you. Your fingers ought to be barely wider than shoulder width.
3. Preserve your ft planted on the bottom. Lay flat on the bench, however a slight pure curve is okay. 
4. Carry the bar off the rack and maintain it in entrance of your chest with prolonged arms.
5. Inhale as you slowly decrease the bar till it grazes your chest flippantly or simply above it. Preserve your elbows tucked alongside your physique at a 45-degree angle. 
6. Press the bar upwards to return to the beginning place, exhaling as you attain the highest. 
7. Repeat for reps. 

The reverse bench press is rather more tough than the common bench press, so begin with a lighter weight. It is a a lot much less pure motion, so make sure you go sluggish and use a spotter when you’re utilizing heavy weights.

5. Smith Machine Flooring Press:

The Smith Machine is usually a useful gizmo for particular workout routines or for individuals who aren’t uncomfortable or skilled with the movement. Considered one of these workout routines is the Smith Machine flooring press, a variation of a bench press carried out mendacity on the ground. Doing the bench press whereas on the ground provides stability to the again and limits the vary of movement to attenuate the stress on the shoulders. It barely works the triceps greater than an everyday bench as a result of the physique is restricted from producing chest momentum. 

Directions:

1. Rack the Smith Machine and set the bar in the direction of the underside of the rack so you’ll be able to attain it whereas mendacity on the bottom. 
2. Lay on the ground and set your physique barely above a traditional bench press so your eyes are simply above the bar somewhat than in line. 
3. Carry the bar upwards alongside the Smith Machine rails along with your arms totally prolonged. 
4. Slowly decrease the bar till your elbows flippantly contact the bottom. All through the raise, preserve your forearms perpendicular to the bottom. 
5. Press the load upwards to return to the beginning place.
6. Repeat for reps.

The Smith Machine flooring press is a good different for folks getting back from an damage or somebody with shoulder issues due to the shorter urgent movement. Touching the bottom makes positive you do not cheat on any reps. It additionally helps construct lockout energy as your physique presses the load from a locked place.

Bonus Dumbbell Workout routines:

1. Dumbbell Bench Press

The dumbbell bench press is a twist on the basic train, merely swapping the bar for dumbbells. It’s a nice different for individuals who battle with the common bench because of shoulder or elbow ache. Dumbbell bench presses additionally give customers a larger vary of movement as a result of they will get a far larger stretch, whereas the barbell limits vary of movement. Resulting from this, many individuals imagine that the dumbbell bench press isolates the chest muscle higher, whereas barbell presses are extra of a compound train.

Directions:

1. Sit on a flat bench, holding one dumbbell (of equal weight) in every hand, resting on every thigh.
2. Along with your ft planted firmly on the bottom, slowly lay backward and convey the dumbbells to your shoulder blades, palms going through upward.
3. Attempt to preserve your again flat towards the bench, however a slight pure arch is okay so long as it is not extreme.
4. Slowly press the dumbbells up utilizing your chest muscle mass somewhat than the higher arms. Preserve your wrists straight and exhale as you press.

5. Absolutely lengthen your arms above your chest, returning to the beginning place.

• To hit the internal chest, press the dumbbells up and inward, bringing them collectively on the prime of the raise. Be sure you do not bang the weights collectively and deal with squeezing the internal chest muscle mass on the prime.

Utilizing dumbbells provides versatility {that a} barbell does not have, like elevated vary of movement and altering the grip, arm angle, or raise movement. Utilizing dumbbells helps keep away from muscle imbalances. In addition they activate stabilizer muscle mass that barbells do not require.

2. Dumbbell Fly

The dumbbell chest fly is among the greatest isolation workout routines for sculpting totally different components of the chest. The dumbbell chest fly could be very totally different from any chest presses, that are multi-joint, compound workout routines. The chest fly primarily targets one muscle group (pec main) and solely entails the motion of the shoulder joint. The anterior deltoids and serratus anterior stabilizer muscle mass are secondary muscle mass.

Directions:

1. Lay on a bench with one dumbbell in every hand. Preserve your shoulder blades pulled again on the bench and ft flat for stability.
2. Holding the dumbbells, lengthen your arms into the air with a slight elbow bend. Maintain the weights utilizing a impartial grip so your palms face one another.
3. Slowly decrease the weights to your facet, along with your arms barely bent, till your arms are in step with your chest, or barely under if attainable.
4. Concentrate on feeling the muscle fibers stretch so far as attainable with out hurting your shoulder joints.
5. Squeeze the chest muscle mass and deal with the contraction as you slowly elevate the dumbbells collectively, returning to the beginning place.
6. Repeat for reps, normally within the 10-15 vary.

Be sure you do not use heavy weights for the chest fly as a result of it locations you liable to damage. Use a lighter weight and deal with feeling the chest muscle contraction somewhat than utilizing arm and grip muscle mass to raise the weights.

Anatomy Of The Chest

The pectoral muscle (chest) is a muscle group within the higher physique that connects the chest to the shoulder and higher arm bone. Your pectoral muscle mass are answerable for transferring your arms and any pushing motion, like opening a door. The pectoral muscle is split into two teams: the key and minor.

Pectoralis Main

The pec main is a fan-shaped muscle comprising the center and higher chest. The pectoralis main is fabricated from three heads:

• Clavicular head: That is the higher portion of the chest, answerable for flexion and adduction of the shoulder.
• Sternal head: The sternal head is the underside a part of the pectoralis main and is vital for adduction and medial rotation of the arms.
• Stomach head (costal head): The belly head is the bottom a part of the decrease chest, beginning on the belly muscle mass. 

The first function of the pectoralis main is to flex, lengthen, stabilize, and rotate the chest muscle mass to the humerus. It additionally supplies stability to the shoulder joint, the scapula (shoulder blade), and the chest.

Pectoralis Minor

The pectoralis minor is a small, triangular-shaped muscle under the pectoralis main. It begins from the third, fourth, and fifth rib and inserts into the coracoid means of the scapula. Along with supporting the scapula, it performs a significant position in downward rotational actions and protraction of the scapula (shoulder blades).

Programming Ideas

1. Use Different Angles

The chest has a number of components, so it is vital to make use of totally different angles to have a whole chest. One research in contrast the bench press at 5 totally different angles (0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60°) to see how the angle impacts totally different components of the chest muscle mass (higher, center, and decrease), triceps, and anterior deltoids. An electromyograph (EMG) measures the muscle mass’ electrical exercise ranges, indicating muscle energy and contractions. The outcomes confirmed the very best EMG ranges for the higher chest at 30°, whereas each center chest and decrease chest at 0°, or the flat bench. Anterior deltoids (entrance shoulder) confirmed the very best ranges at 60°, whereas the triceps had comparable EMG ranges throughout all 5 angles.² Primarily based on this research, you need to set your bench at a 30° angle to maximise higher chest activation. It’s best to keep away from going past a forty five° angle to maintain the deal with the higher chest somewhat than the shoulder muscle mass. Use a flat bench for the center portion of the chest and decline angles to hit the decrease chest.

2. Presses First

Research have proven that doing a big muscle group first and progressing to smaller muscle teams ends in the best anabolic response.³ So, in case you are doing one other muscle group with the chest, just like the triceps, you need to do the bigger muscle group (chest) first. It’s best to at all times do a compound train, just like the bench press, first whereas your muscle mass have probably the most power. This fashion, it is possible for you to to raise probably the most weight on the extra vital lifts.

3. Save Machines For Final

After your barbell workout routines, isolation workout routines and machine lifts ought to be achieved in the direction of the top of the exercise. The machine press ought to be carried out along with barbell presses, not instead. The cable machine is arguably the perfect “machine” for chest isolation as a result of it has nice versatility. You should utilize a cable machine to do chest presses and cable crossovers by utilizing quite a lot of grips and angles. This is applicable to body weight workout routines additionally, like push-ups. Many individuals like to finish a exercise with a burn-out set to failure utilizing a body weight train.

Pattern Chest Exercise Routine

We mixed all the greatest workout routines to create two pattern chest exercise routines: a lean-muscle builder for these going for the aesthetic look and a mass-builder for these wanting so as to add energy and dimension.

Lean Muscle Chest Exercise

• Barbell bench press: 3 units x 8-12 reps*
• Dumbbell incline bench press: 3 units x 8-12 reps*
• Excessive Cable Crossover: 3 units x 12-15 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 3 units x 12-15 reps
• Push-ups: 2 units x 15+/to failure

Heavy Mass Builder Chest Exercise

• Flat bench press: 3 units x 5-8 reps*
• Decline bench press: 3 units x 5-8 reps*
• Barbell incline bench press: 3 units x 5-8 reps*
• Flat bench dumbbell flyes: 3 units x 10 reps
• Chest dips: 3 units x 10 reps

*For every of the bench presses, relaxation 90-180 seconds; 60-90 seconds relaxation on isolation workout routines.

Different Chest Workout routines

Different nice chest workout routines embrace:

• Cable machine crossover/fly
• Low cable crossover for higher chest
• Excessive cable cross for decrease chest
• Pec Dec Machine
• Machine chest press
• Dumbbell flooring press
• Svend press

It’s also possible to do body weight chest workout routines akin to push-ups and chest dips.

• A daily push-up targets the center and decrease pecs.
• Elevated/incline push-ups goal the decrease chest muscle fibers.
• Decline push-ups goal the higher chest muscle fibers.
• The broader out you place your fingers, the larger emphasis on the chest and fewer on the arms and shoulders. Attempt to place your fingers roughly double shoulder width.
• To get the chest muscle mass engaged with dips, merely lean your torso barely ahead throughout set-up versus an upright place to deal with the triceps.

Outro

In terms of chest coaching, the bench press and its variations ought to be the staple of your routine. One of the best chest workout routines for muscle progress are the barbell bench press, incline bench press, decline bench press, dumbbell bench press, and the dumbbell fly. Higher chest workout routines embrace incline presses, incline flyes, and low cable crossovers. Decline presses, decline flyes, and excessive cable crossovers work the decrease chest. Do not be afraid to strive totally different angles or grip positions to focus on totally different components of the chest. For extra info, try our article, Bench Press Grip Guide.

References

1. Rodríguez-Ridao, David, et al. “Impact of 5 Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Exercise of the Pectoralis Main, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii in the course of the Bench Press Train.” Worldwide Journal of Environmental Analysis and Public Well being, vol. 17, no. 19, 8 Oct. 2020, p. 7339, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197339.
2. Rodríguez-Ridao, David, et al. “Impact of 5 Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Exercise of the Pectoralis Main, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii in the course of the Bench Press Train.” Worldwide Journal of Environmental Analysis and Public Well being, vol. 17, no. 19, 8 Oct. 2020, p. 7339, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197339.
3. Sheikholeslami-Vatani, Dariush, et al. “Comparability of the Results of Resistance Train Orders on Variety of Repetitions, Serum IGF-1, Testosterone and Cortisol Ranges in Regular-Weight and Overweight Males.” Asian Journal of Sports activities Medication, vol. 7, no. 1, 1 Mar. 2016, https://doi.org/10.5812/asjsm.30503.