Chest Exercises
84 chest exercises with photo demos and step-by-step instructions.
Effective chest training combines a heavy horizontal press (bench press, dumbbell press, push-ups) with a mid-rep-range isolation movement (flyes, cable crossovers). Most lifters benefit from 12-20 working sets per week split across 2 sessions, with a 2:1 ratio of compound to isolation work. The exercises below are catalogued so you can build a session that matches your level and available equipment.
How often should you train chest?
Most lifters benefit from 2 chest sessions per week, with 48-72 hours between them. 12-20 working sets per week is the sweet spot — split roughly 60% horizontal pressing (bench, dumbbell press, push-ups) and 40% isolation (flyes, cable crossovers, pec deck).
Common chest training mistakes
- Bouncing the bar off the chest — this robs the lower-pec stretch reflex and shifts load to the front delts. Pause briefly at chest level.
- Flaring elbows to 90° — keep them at ~60-70° relative to the torso to spare the rotator cuff.
- Only training flat bench — ignoring the upper chest leaves a visible imbalance. Include incline pressing 2× per week.
Frequently asked questions about chest training
How often should I train chest?
2 sessions per week is optimal for most lifters, with 48-72 hours of recovery between sessions. Advanced lifters can push to 3 sessions/week with careful volume management.
What is the best chest exercise for size?
The flat or incline barbell bench press combined with a dumbbell variation gives the best mechanical stretch and overload. Add cable flyes or pec deck for peak contraction and metabolic stress.
How many sets per week for chest growth?
12-20 working sets per week is well-supported by research. Beginners thrive at the low end; intermediate-to-advanced lifters often need 16-20 sets to keep progressing.
Why is my upper chest lagging?
Most lifters do too much flat pressing and not enough incline work. Prioritize incline barbell or dumbbell press at the start of one session per week and dedicate 6-10 sets weekly to incline angles.
Are push-ups enough for chest growth?
For beginners, yes — push-ups progressed to deficit, weighted, and decline variations can drive substantial growth. Intermediate-plus lifters need external load (barbell, dumbbells, machines) to keep mechanical tension high.
All Chest Exercises
- Alternating Floor Press
- Around The Worlds
- Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip
- Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
- Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip
- Behind Head Chest Stretch
- Bench Press - With Bands
- Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover
- Bodyweight Flyes
- Butterfly
- Cable Chest Press
- Cable Crossover
- Cable Iron Cross
- Chain Press
- Chest And Front Of Shoulder Stretch
- Chest Push (multiple response)
- Chest Push (single response)
- Chest Push from 3 point stance
- Chest Push with Run Release
- Chest Stretch on Stability Ball
- Clock Push-Up
- Cross Over - With Bands
- Decline Barbell Bench Press
- Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
- Decline Dumbbell Flyes
- Decline Push-Up
- Decline Smith Press
- Dips - Chest Version
- Drop Push
- Dumbbell Bench Press
- Dumbbell Bench Press with Neutral Grip
- Dumbbell Flyes
- Dynamic Chest Stretch
- Elbows Back
- Extended Range One-Arm Kettlebell Floor Press
- Flat Bench Cable Flyes
- Forward Drag with Press
- Front Raise And Pullover
- Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
- Heavy Bag Thrust
- Incline Cable Chest Press
- Incline Cable Flye
- Incline Dumbbell Bench With Palms Facing In
- Incline Dumbbell Flyes
- Incline Dumbbell Flyes - With A Twist
- Incline Dumbbell Press
- Incline Push-Up
- Incline Push-Up Depth Jump
- Incline Push-Up Medium
- Incline Push-Up Reverse Grip
- Incline Push-Up Wide
- Isometric Chest Squeezes
- Isometric Wipers
- Leg-Over Floor Press
- Leverage Chest Press
- Leverage Decline Chest Press
- Leverage Incline Chest Press
- Low Cable Crossover
- Machine Bench Press
- Medicine Ball Chest Pass
- Neck Press
- One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
- One-Arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
- One-Arm Kettlebell Floor Press
- Plyo Kettlebell Pushups
- Plyo Push-up
- Push Up to Side Plank
- Push-Up Wide
- Push-Ups With Feet Elevated
- Push-Ups With Feet On An Exercise Ball
- Pushups
- Pushups (Close and Wide Hand Positions)
- Single-Arm Cable Crossover
- Single-Arm Push-Up
- Smith Machine Bench Press
- Smith Machine Decline Press
- Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
- Standing Cable Chest Press
- Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover
- Suspended Push-Up
- Svend Press
- Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press
- Wide-Grip Decline Barbell Bench Press
- Wide-Grip Decline Barbell Pullover
Related push exercises
Shoulders exercises · Triceps exercises