The upper chest workout that you can do to build huge pecs. As much as the gym equipment can make it easier to build huge pecs, there are a lot of exercises that you can do out of the gym to make your chest muscles bigger and powerful. In the next paragraphs, you will learn more about different exercises that are good for your pectoralis minor and pectoralis major. There are dumbbell workouts, kettlebell workouts, cable workouts, and more.
For those with less equipment, there are a lot of push-ups variations that you can do to target the chest muscles. Additionally, there are also various bodyweight exercises that you can do to make your chest muscles stronger and bigger. Let’s get down to chest workouts.
Upper Chest Workouts At Home
As you train your chest muscles, you might do different exercises with different requirements. Being at home also presents a good chance to exercise your chest. There are different exercises that you can do at home to target your chest muscles.
Diamond Push-Up
The diamond push-up is good for increasing the size of your upper body muscles. The exercise does not only work the pecs but it also trains the shoulders and triceps muscles. It also makes those muscles stronger. This is how you do the diamond push-up exercise.
- Start by getting into the push-up position and plant your hands on the floor. Make sure that the fingers are close to each other so that the thumbs and index fingers form a diamond shape on the floor.
- Lower your chest towards the floor and rise up just before touching the floor.
- Return your body up to the starting position. Make sure that you keep your back neutral and avoid arching it.
- Repeat the moves as much as you can.
One Arm Press-Up
This exercise makes the standard press-up more intense. Like the standard press-up, the one arm press-up is good for strengthening the pecs muscles. In addition to that, it works the shoulders and the triceps muscles. Follow the steps below to do the one press-up properly.
- You need a chair or a bench to do the one arm press-up. Get into a press-up position and place one hand on the ground then the other on top of a chair or any elevated position.
- Lower your body towards the ground until your chest gets closer to the ground.
- Raise your body up to the starting position.
Upper Chest Workout With Dumbbells
With dumbbells, there are a lot of exercises that you can do to make your chest muscles bigger and healthy. But not all the exercises target the upper chest muscles. Below are the exercises that you can do to work your upper pecs;
Reverse Grip Bench Press
This is one of the exercises that you can include to get the upper pecs pumped up. In addition to that, it also works your front delts and biceps muscles. Follow the instructions below to do the exercise;
- Firstly, lie on a flat bench and plant your feet on the floor. Then grasp the barbell with a reverse grip and make sure that your hands are outside the shoulder-width position.
- Lower the barbell towards your chest and let it touch your chest. Then drive it back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement as much as you can. You might need a good spotter who will help you in mastering the reverse grip.
In addition, other exercises that you can do to hit the upper pecs include single joint incline fly, incline bench pullovers, semi-incline bench press, incline machine press, and many others.
Upper Chest Workout Push Ups
There are a lot of push-ups variations. As such, not all of those variations work your chest in the same way. Other push-up variations are good at targeting the lower chest while others work the upper chest more than any other part. Below are the push-up variations that are good at targeting the upper pecs.
Decline Push-Ups
With the decline push-ups, you work your upper pecs muscles more than any other chest muscles. More so other muscles that you work on include the shoulders as well as your arm muscles. The decline push-ups is another variation of the standard push-up, but it is more intense. This is how you do the exercise;
- Firstly, put your feet on a bench or any elevated platform. Plant your palm on the floor and make sure that they are shoulder width apart.
- Lower your body towards the ground. Keep your body straight and make sure that your legs are not sagging.
- Make sure that you lower your chest as much as you can. Pause and push up your body to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement as much as you can.
Besides the decline push-up, other push-up variations that are good for upper pecs include incline Archer pushup Hellset, incline push-up, pike push-up, and more.
Lower Chest Workout
As you now know the exercises that are good at targeting your upper chest, it is also ideal to know the exercises that can work your lower chest muscles perfectly. However, it is also important to know how to do the exercise in the correct form to hit the right muscles and to lower injuries. Below are different exercises that can help you to build and strengthen your lower pecs;
Dumbbell Decline Press
This is one of the best exercises that you can do to target the pectoralis major. It makes the lower chest muscles stronger and well defined. This is how you can execute it properly;
- Lie on a decline bench and make sure that your legs are secure.
- Grasp a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip and make sure that your hands are shoulder width apart. Your palms should be facing each other with your arms fully extended above your chest.
- Lower the dumbbells towards your chest and push them back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement as much as you can.
Other exercises that you can do include close grip push-up, dumbbell decline fly, dip machine, and more.
Middle Chest Workout
Working your middle chest might be difficult to specifically target that part. However, with the few exercises, you must make sure that you execute them properly so that you target the middle chest successfully. Below are the exercises that you can do to work the middle part of your chest;
- Cable crossover
- Hex press
- Hammer squeeze press
- Narrow push-up
- Single arm chest fly
Upper Chest Workout Bodyweight
There are a lot of bodyweight exercises that you can do to pump up your upper pecs. Bodyweight exercises are exercises that you do without the gym equipment. You rely on your body to create resistance. If you want to make the exercise more intense, you also do it with your own body. Below are the various bodyweight exercises that are good at chiselling the upper pecs;
- Decline push-ups
- Bench dips
- Incline push-up
Upper Chest Workout For Mass
To make your chest muscles bigger, there are different exercises that are meant for that. However, you should know how to do the exercises properly. Some exercises can be done without equipment while others need gym equipment. Below is a list of the exercises that you can do to make the upper pecs bigger and well defined;
- Incline barbell press
- Pec deck
- Incline dumbbell press
- Semi-incline bench press
Upper Chest Cable Workout
With the cable machine, you can also do different exercises that are good at developing your upper pecs muscles. Below are the different cable chest workouts that are good for the upper pecs or pectoralis minor;
- Low cable chest fly
- Cable incline bench press
- Low cable curl
Kettlebell Workouts And Upper Chest
Kettlebell is one of the handy equipment that you can use to build and strengthen your upper chest muscles. The weights makes your chest muscles bigger and well defined if you do the exercises properly. There are various exercises that you can do using the kettlebell.
#1. Push-up to kettlebell renegade row – This exercise is good for working your upper chest muscles as well as the lats and obliques. In addition to that, it can be done under chest and biceps workout.
#2. Close grip kettlebell push-up – this is another good upper chest exercise. However, it might be difficult to do it when suffering from upper chest and back pain.
#3. Overhead half crush goblet press – This kettlebell workout is good as a chest and shoulders workout because it is good at working those muscles.
Final Thoughts
Those who want to make their chest bigger and powerful do various exercises. As much as they do gym workouts they also do bodyweight workouts. Additionally, they also make sure that they target various parts of the chest. For instance, they can do upper chest workouts, middle chest workouts, and lower chest workouts.
A combination of those workouts can result in great results. And building those chest muscles is not a one day workout. As a trainer, you must be consistent in your workouts. And most importantly, make sure that you execute those exercises properly.
For more instructions on various chest workouts, you can revisit the above paragraphs.
Which workouts would you recommend for building huge pecs? Share your experience below.