The chest is one of the easily noticed muscle groups on a man’s body. If you put in the effort to develop these muscles, it won’t be long before the fairer sex (and even guys too) start stealing glances at your impressive shirtless trunk. And even when you are suited up, a broad chest conveys masculinity, confidence, and strength.
Let’s take a look at some highly effective workouts that can give you a chiseled, muscular chest in no time. The good thing about chest exercises for men is whether you work out at home or the gym, you don’t have to overdo them to get results.
So, let’s start pumping those chest muscles, shall we?
A Quick Overview of Your Chest Muscles
It’s going to be difficult trying to develop muscles you don’t know. So, an excellent place to start your chest building workouts is to know a little bit about these impressive set of muscles.
Your chest is made up of pecs or pectoral muscles, to be more accurate. These are grouped into several other muscle sets.
The pectoralis major is a large muscle that begins from the collarbone and runs all the way to the rear of the humerus. It has two muscle heads, namely, the clavicular and sternal heads. The clavicular head sits at the upper chest and is required for horizontal abduction, shoulder flexion, and internal rotation.
The sterna head is located at the mid and lower chest area and caters to shoulder extension, internal rotation, and horizontal abduction. The pectoralis minor lies under the pectoralis major. That’s the muscle in charge of pulling your shoulder down and forward.
To get the strong physical and chisel out chest muscles you so desire, it is important also to include exercises that hit the following muscles of the upper trunk.
- Traps or Trapezius: these are the muscles that cover the shoulders, upper back, and neck. When you twist your arms, shrug, move your neck and head, you are engaging your traps.
- Delts or Deltoids: these are part of the shoulder muscles. They help you rotate your arm. Any weight training targeted and building chest muscles will likely involve the delts since they are responsible for arm rotation.
- Serratus anterior: this is the muscle surrounding the ribs and reaching the shoulder blades. When you hold a weight in front of you or get into a plank position, for example, these are the muscles that help you maintain scapular stability.
- Rhomboids: these are the muscles on the upper back that allow movement in the shoulder blades.
- Lats or Latisssiumus dorsi: these are the large muscles running down your back from your shoulder to your waist. The best chest exercises for men will also target these muscles, as it does not good to have an impressive upper chest with a very weak back muscle.
Once you find a regular routine, it is best to remain consistent so that you don’t lose any progress. But what if you fall ill? Should you workout when you are under the weather? Find out here.
10 Best Chest Exercises for Men
1. Band Pull-Apart
The band pull-apart exercise is an excellent routine for cooling-down after a rigorous workout or warming up for something more intense. This is one of the easiest but effective chest exercises for men. Performing the routine is quite straightforward. Stand up straight, keeping your feet in line with your shoulders.
Hold an exercise band in front of you with both hands fully extended. Make sure your hands are shoulder-width apart. Now, pull the band apart as you simultaneously squeeze your shoulders. Pull the band until it touches your chest. Now, slowly return your hand to the starting position. Repeat the process.
Difficulty level: Beginner
Target muscle: Middle traps, rhomboids, deltoids
Equipment: Exercise band
2. Pushups
Pushups are one of the exercises you can do at the drop of a hat and any location because it doesn’t require any special equipment. Although pushups have been around since 1905 (apparently, an Indian wrestler invented the exercise), a good number of people still don’t know how to do it correctly. However, I assume that you already know how to do this basic exercise, so let’s skip the procedure.
But here’s something you should keep in mind. The tips of your toes and your palms are the only parts of your body that should touch the floor when you do this exercise correctly. You’re doing it incorrectly if your knees, abdomen, thigh, chest, or any other part is touching the floor. Equally, always remember to keep your hands shoulder-width apart when you go up, and your legs should remain hip-width apart.
Difficulty level: Beginner to advance
Target muscle: Pectorals, abdominals, triceps, deltoids, wing muscles under the armpit
Equipment: None
3. Suspended Pushup
Another variation of the pushup is the suspended pushup. Like the original version, it is a perfect exercise for your chest. To do this properly, get a firm grip on the handles of a TRX suspension training strap. Push your shoulders forward and over your wrist and incline your body so that you are leaning at an angle to the floor. Your legs should be extended behind you with your heels slightly elevated.
Now, tighten your abs and core while squeezing your glutes. Do this while you lower yourself toward the floor in a pushup formation. But do not go lower than the suspension handles to prevent hurting your shoulders. Push into the suspension handles again as you bring yourself back into the initial position. Repeat.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Target muscle: Deltoid, pecs, triceps, shoulders, chest
Equipment: TRX suspension straps, pull-up bar
4. Cable Crossover
The cable crossover is one of the commonest chest exercises for men who hit the gym, and it can be used to superset a press routine or chest fly. It requires a cable crossover machine with adjustable pulleys that allow for flexibility in the different muscles to be targeted during the exercise.
Start by adjusting the pulleys to above your shoulders or your preferred setting. With your palms facing up, grab the handles while positioning yourself in the middle of the machine and raise your arms out. Place one foot in front of the other and lean forward slightly. Using smooth movements, pull the handles toward your body in a wide arc. Keep your arms extended as you bring the handles in, and then cross one hand over the other.
Now, slowly let your hand return to the starting position. Repeat the routine and remember to interchange the hand that stays up when they cross each other.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Target muscle: Bottom part of the chest, deltoids, pecs
Equipment: cable crossover machine
5. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Improve your upper pec activation by inclining a bench at a 45-degree angle. Sit on a bench with your feet firm on the floor. Grab a pair of dumbbells and lean all the way back. Raise the dumbbells above your chest while keeping your arms straight and your palms facing your legs. Now, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells toward your chest. Pause for about 2 seconds and then raise them up again while bringing your hands together slightly. Repeat as necessary.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Target muscle: Chest, triceps, shoulders
Equipment: Inclined bench, dumbbells
6. Parallel Bar Dip
Done correctly, a parallel bar dip is one of those chest exercises for men that can easily chisel your chest muscles. And by done correctly, I mean leaning forward to redistribute your weight as you lower your body. This will place the stress on your chest, and that’s your goal. On the flip side, if the weight is concentrated on your shoulder joints, you are doing it wrongly, and it might cause problems for your shoulders.
To execute the bar dip, stand in the center of a dip station, and firmly grab the bars. Lift yourself off the floor in one smooth motion so that your arms are straight. Bend your knees at an angle and keep them that way throughout the routine. Lean forward so that the pressure shifts to your chest muscles. Now bend your arms and lower yourself while still leaning forward. Pause a bit before pushing back to the starting position. Repeat as required.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Target muscle: Chest, back, triceps, shoulders
Equipment: Dip bar
7. Dumbbell Pullover
Powerlifters enjoy the dumbbell pullover because it is a highly effective chest workout for any man interested in getting their chest to pop. Grab one dumbbell with both hands while lying face-up on a flat bench. Hold the dumbbell directly over your chest, and plant your feet flat on the floor.
Extend your hands beyond your head so that they are perpendicular to the floor. Keep your back pressed to the bench and start to slowly lower the weight as you arch your back slightly. Lower the dumbbell until your elbows are at ear level. Now, return your hand to the starting position. Repeat as necessary.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Target muscle: Pecs, lats, chest
Equipment: Bench, dumbbell
8. Barbell Bench Press
If you are looking to build mass, I’ll suggest you include the barbell bench press in your routines. This is one of the staple chest exercises for men who hit the gym regularly. It is helpful to have a spotter around when doing this chest workout. The goal is to perform the exercise without moving or arching your back. Always remember to keep things reasonable with this exercise – don’t push yourself too hard.
Place your feet flat on the floor and lay face up on a bench, aligning your eyes with the bar. Grab the bar tightly with an overhand grip. Make sure your hands are slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Now, take the bar off the rack by fully extending your arms.
Let the bar hover above your chest for a few seconds before you start to lower it. Keep your elbows close during the gradual journey downward until the bar touches your upper chest. Pause very briefly before pushing the bar back up until your arms are fully extended again. Repeat as necessary.
Difficulty level: Advanced
Target muscle: Chest, deltoids, triceps
Equipment: Bench, barbell
9. Seated Pec Deck
The seated pec deck is so popular among gym-goers. And that’s because it gives consistent results, particularly around the chest area. It is pretty straightforward to do and looks easy, although it really isn’t. The good thing about the exercise is that it hits all the right spots, and you’ll see impressive results in no time, provided you remain consistent (without overdoing it, too!)
Here’s how to do the seated pec deck. Sit at the machine and grab the handles using an overhand grip. Make sure your elbows are at 90 degrees. Now, pull the handles backward. Ensure that the pull force is coming from your forearm and chest, and not your hands. If done correctly, you should feel the muscles stretching in your chest. Hold for one or two seconds before slowly returning to the initial position.
Difficulty level: Intermediate to advance
Target muscle: Chest, pectoralis major
Equipment: Pec deck machine
10. Decline Pushup
Like the regular pushup, the decline variation is one of the most effective chest exercises for men, particularly designed to hit the muscles of the shoulders and upper chest. By placing your feet on an elevated surface such as a stability ball, a step, bench, or box, you convert a regular pushup into a more effective bodyweight exercise.
Assume a plank position and place the balls of your feet on your preferred elevated surface. Whatever you choose, make sure the height is suitable for the strength of your upper body and your overall fitness level. Once your feet are up, tighten your core and glutes. If you do this correctly, your form should be straight from head to heel.
Lower your body in one smooth motion until your chest is only a few inches away from the floor. Make sure your hips don’t sag while you remain in that position for about 2 seconds. Now, push yourself slowly back up until you return to the starting position.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Target muscle: Shoulders, upper chest
Equipment: Stability ball, short bench, or any elevated surface