Chest Exercises

Exercising and developing the chest muscles are not only essential for many sports and physical activities but also for building self-confidence as well. Many individuals enjoy working their chest muscles as the chest is visible when wearing wearing a tank top or while at the beach.

In addition, exercising the chest muscles are an excellent way for women to lift and support their breast area. The chest muscles are responsible for, or assist, with many of the everyday movements and activities that take place throughout the day and provide a large portion of an individuals overall upper body strength.

There are a variety of different chest exercises that can be performed. Below, we have divided the chest exercises by exercise type for ease in browsing. Once you have chosen the chest exercise type to perform you can then view all of the chest exercises under that exercise type. Each specific chest exercise includes a brief description of the exercise, the benefits of the exercise, equipment needed to perform the exercise, and step-by-step instructions on how to correctly perform the exercise.

Body Weight Exercises

Declined Pushups

A workbench or any other sturdy surface is required to perform this exercise. This exercise focuses on the chest muscles and is moderately difficult to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Dips

This exercise requires a set of parallel bars and is fairly difficult to perform. This exercise focuses on working the entire chest area. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Pushups

This exercise requires no equipment to perform and is of moderate difficulty. However, the knees can be lowered to the floor to reduce the level of difficulty. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Elastic Band Exercises

Standing Chest Press

This exercise targets the pectoral muscles and requires an elastic band and a pole. This exercise is of moderate difficulty and can be varied by standing further from the pole. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to four times per week.

Exercise Ball Exercises

Barbell Chest Press

This exercise targets the pectorals region and uses an exercise ball and a barbell. This exercise varies in difficulty based on the weight used with the barbell. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise one to three times per week.

Chest Press w/Elastic Band

This exercise works the pectorals area and uses an exercise ball and an elastic band. This exercise varies in difficulty based on the tension of the elastic band. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise one to three times per week.

Exercise Ball Inclined Pushups

This exercise works the entire pectorals region and is fairly difficult to perform. This exercise requires the use of an exercise ball. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Exercise Ball Pushups

This exercise is fairly difficult to perform and targets the entire pectorals area. This exercise is performed using an exercise ball. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Isometric Chest Presses

This exercise works the center-line of the pectorals area and is fairly easy to perform. This exercise requires an exercise ball to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Kettlebell Exercises

Chest Flyes

This exercise targets the pectorals muscles and provides a low cardio benefit. This exercise requires two kettlebells to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Chest Press

Chest Press Alternating

Chest Press With One Arm

This exercise targets the pectorals muscles and provides a low cardio benefit. This exercise requires one kettlebell to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Kettlebell Pushups

This exercise targets the pectorals muscles and provides a moderate cardio benefit. This exercise requires two kettlebells to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Medicine Ball Exercises

Chest Pass

This exercise targets the pectorals muscles and is fairly easy to perform. This exercise requires a medicine ball and a sturdy wall or training partner to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to five times per week.

Medicine Ball One Arm Pushups

This exercise targets the pectorals muscles and is of moderate difficulty to perform. This exercise requires a medicine ball to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise one to five times per week.

Stretching Exercises

Behind Back Chest Stretch

This exercise focuses on stretching the entire chest area and the shoulders as well. This exercise requires no equipment and is easy to perform. Recommended frequency: this exercise can be performed daily.

T Stretch

This exercise is easy to perform and is designed to stretch the muscles of the chest. This exercise requires no equipment to perform. Recommended frequency: this exercise can be performed daily.

Weight Training-Lower Chest Exercises

Decline Barbell Bench Press

This exercise targets the lower chest muscles and is moderately easy to perform. This exercise requires the use of a decline bench press machine and a barbell. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

This exercise is fairly easy to perform and works the lower chest muscles. This exercise requires a decline bench press machine and a pair of dumbbells. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise one to three times per week.

Decline Dumbbell Flyes

This exercise works the lower chest muscles and is fairly easy to perform. This exercise requires a decline bench press machine and a pair of dumbbells. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise one to three times per week.

Exercise Ball Pushups

This exercise is moderately difficult to perform and targets the lower chest muscles. This exercise is performed using an exercise ball. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Wide Grip Decline Barbell Bench Press

This exercise works the lower chest muscles and is fairly easy to perform. This exercise requires a decline bench press machine and a barbell. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Weight Training-Middle Chest Exercises

Barbell Pullovers

This exercise is fairly difficult to perform and works the chest and latissimus dorsi muscles. This exercise requires the use of a flat bench and an EZ curl barbell. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Cable Crossovers

This exercise is moderately easy to perform and targets the muscles of the chest. This exercise requires the use of a cable crossover machine to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Close Grip Bench Press

This exercise targets the chest muscles and is moderately easy to perform. This exercise utilizes a flat bench press machine and a barbell. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Dips

This exercise is fairly difficult as it requires the ability to lift one's body weight and works the chest muscles. This exercise is performed using a bar dip machine. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Dumbbell Pullovers

This exercise targets the chest and latissimus dorsi muscles and is fairly difficult to perform. This exercise requires the use of a flat bench and a single dumbbell. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Flat Barbell Bench Press

This exercise is fairly easy to perform and targets the muscles of the chest. This exercise requires a flat bench press machine and a barbell. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Flat Bench Cable Flyes

This exercise is moderately easy to perform and targets the muscles of the chest. This exercise requires a crossover cable machine and flat bench to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes

This exercise is moderately easy to perform and focuses on the chest muscles. This exercise requires a pair of dumbbells and a flat bench to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Flat Bench Dumbbell Press

This exercise works the chest muscles and is moderately easy to perform. This exercise requires a flat bench and a pair of dumbbells to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

FreeMotion Cable Crossovers

This exercise is moderately easy to perform and centers of working the chest muscles. This exercise requires a free motion cable machine to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise one to three times per week.

Isometric Chest Presses

This exercise is easy to perform and works the chest muscles. This exercise is performed without the use of any equipment. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Machine Bench Press

This exercise is easy to perform and focuses on the chest muscles. This exercise requires a bench press machine to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Medicine Ball One Arm Pushups

This exercise targets the chest muscles and is fairly difficult as it requires the ability to support the entire body. This exercise requires a medicine ball to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise one to five times per week.

Pec Deck Butterflys

This exercise is easy to perform and works the chest muscles. This exercise requires the use of a pec deck machine to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Pushups

This exercise is fairly difficult to perform as it requires the ability to lift and support one's entire body. This exercise is performed without the use of equipment. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Pushups Hands Close

This exercise is fairly difficult to perform as it requires the ability to lift and support one's entire body weight. This exercise requires no equipment to perform. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise one to five times per week.

Single Arm Dumbbell Flyes

This exercise is fairly difficult to perform and targets on side of the chest at a time. This exercise requires a flat bench and a single dumbbell when performed. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Smith Machine Bench Press

This exercise targets the chest muscles and is fairly easy to perform. This exercise uses a Smith machine when performed. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Smith Machine Close Grip Bench Press

This exercise is easy to perform and targets the triceps muscles. This exercise is performed using a Smith machine. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Wide Grip Barbell Bench Press

This exercise works the muscles of the chest and is moderately easy to perform. This exercise is performed using a flat bench and a barbell. Recommended frequency: perform this exercise two to three times per week.

Chest Exercises

Body Weight Exercises

Elastic Band Exercises

Exercise Ball Exercises

Kettlebell Exercises

Medicine Ball Exercises

Stretching Exercises

Weight Training-Lower Chest Exercises

Weight Training-Middle Chest Exercises

Weight Training-Upper Chest Exercises

Exercises by Type

Exercises by Muscle Group