The best chest exercises in the gym

Chest exercises are among the most common ones we do when we go to the gym. But, as with other physical routines, we must do them correctly and, above all, choose the most suitable ones to achieve our goals.

Building muscle mass is not the same as losing fat in the chest area. Furthermore, it's essential to know the appropriate intensity to avoid injury. Therefore, we're going to show you some of the best chest exercises you can do at the gym . But first, we want to explain their purpose and other related aspects.

Benefits of chest exercises

As we just mentioned, this exercise routine is done for various reasons. But in all cases, it provides numerous benefits. The most important is that it improves your cardiovascular health . It's an anaerobic exercise , meaning it's high-intensity and short-duration. This means it's not as good for the respiratory and cardiac systems as aerobic exercise, but it still contributes to heart health.

Because it's intense, the chest muscles need to pump more blood, and more efficiently. And, in doing so, they become stronger. But for this same reason, if you have any cardiovascular disease , it's best to consult your doctor about whether chest exercises are appropriate for you.

Furthermore, this gym routine also improves your endurance and muscle strength . Regarding endurance, it will allow you to perform more tasks without getting tired. And, as for strength, by working muscles like the deltoids and biceps, you'll be able to lift heavier objects. Similarly, chest exercises optimize your flexibility . Thanks to this, you'll achieve better posture and eliminate stiffness.

Finally, you'll reduce your risk of shoulder injuries . Your chest muscles are primarily responsible for stabilizing that part of your body. And, being more developed and stronger, they'll perform their function better.

Five of the best chest exercises

Now that we've explained the benefits of this gym routine, we're going to suggest five types of chest exercises that are easy to do and highly recommended . With them, you can achieve well-developed pectoral muscles, if you wish, but you'll also reap the aforementioned benefits.

In any case, if you're not used to doing them, it's best to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity of your routines. And always try to do it with the supervision and advice of an expert . Any gym instructor will help you with this.

Press bench with bar

We'll start with the most well-known and common chest exercise. As its name suggests, it's performed by supporting your back and glutes on a bench and using a barbell . Your feet should be flat on the floor and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

Regarding the grip, your palms should face forward and be wider than shoulder-width apart. Your upper arm and forearm should form a 90-degree angle . That is, you should bend your elbow so the bar rests on your chest. Then, simply raise and lower your arms slowly, coordinating your breathing with your breath.

This exercise works your pectoral muscles, biceps and triceps, anterior deltoid, serratus anterior, and coracobrachialis . There are also many variations of this routine. For example, you can do it on an inclined bench with your back against an oblique support, or with dumbbells instead of a barbell. The technique is essentially the same.

Crosses with low pulley

They are also among the most common chest exercises. In every gym there is a pulley machine. However, you can also do this exercise using your feet (holding the rope you are going to stretch with them).

In any case, low pulley crossovers will work muscles like the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, and biceps brachii . It involves gripping the ends of the pulley with your palms facing forward and then raising and lowering your arms.

Alternatively, you can choose another variation of this routine: cable crossovers . In this case, the cable is held overhead, and the exercise consists of bringing the hands holding the pulleys down to your chest and then back up. Generally, the muscles worked with this variation are the same, but especially the upper portion of the pectoralis major.

Openings with contractor, another of the most frequent chest exercises

As the name suggests, this routine is done on the chest press machine . If you're not familiar with it, it's the machine that allows you to sit and move two levers in different directions. Therefore, to perform this exercise, once seated, you need to grasp the vertical handles and pull them forward to return to the starting position.

This exercise will work your pectoralis major muscles , both upper and lower, your biceps brachii, and your serratus anterior . It's also important to keep your back straight and avoid raising your shoulders to prevent injury.

Pullover with dumbbells

There are also a variety of chest exercises you can do with dumbbells . But we recommend the pullover because it's the best exercise you can do with free weights. Plus, it's very simple. Just lie on your back on a bench with the dumbbells in your hands. Then, raise your arms above your chest and return to the starting position.

This will work even more muscles than in the previous cases. You'll activate the lower pectoralis major, the triceps brachii, the latissimus dorsi, and the posterior deltoid.

Push-up with or without dumbbells

We've saved this routine, which is among the easiest, for last. It consists of performing the popular "plank ." That is, you have to lie face down on the floor and hold yourself up with both hands. Then you simply extend and contract your arms without touching the surface. If you want to make it a little more challenging, you can hold dumbbells in your hands.

Another variation is the archer push-up . This involves extending one arm while shifting all your weight onto the other, then switching arms. This way, you'll work not only your chest muscles, but also your shoulders and abs.

In conclusion, we've suggested five chest exercises that will help you develop your chest muscles. Combine them with other exercises and a proper diet , and you'll see how you achieve a stronger, more muscular physique . Give it a try!