exercises for strong, chiseled chest

6 Must-Do Moves for A Strong, Chiseled Chest

Unfortunately, the pecs often fall victims to unsymmetrical development – if you dream of a completely chiseled chest, doing only flat bench presses just won’t cut it. In order to develop armor plated pecs, you need a variety of intensive exercises that will work every muscle in the chest area. Keep in mind that chest growth can often be slow – it requires high intensity trainings and a bit of patience.

But worry not – the following routine is guaranteed to give you some explosive pecs growth!

6 Exercises for a strong chiseled chest :

#1. Wide grip flat bench press

The first method on the road to massive chest is the regular flat bench press. In fact, a study by the American Council on Exercise found this exercise to be one of the most effective ones in terms of targeted chest growth. When performed properly, this classic move will bring you some solid development in the shoulders and triceps as well.

barbell-bench-press

How to do it:

  • Lie back on a flat bench with feet firm on the floor.
  • Using a wide, pronated (palms forward) grip, approximately 3 inches away from shoulder width, exhale and lift the bar overhead.
    Hold it straight over you with arms locked for a moment.
  • As you inhale, bring the bar down slowly until it reaches the middle of your chest.
  • Keep in mind that bringing the bar down should take at least twice as long than raising it up.

#2. Incline Dumbbell Press

The incline dumbbell press is a great method for building mass in the upper pecs. It provides an intense contraction at the top of the movement and stimulates pecs separation. The secondary muscles involved in the movement are the front delts and the triceps.

incline-dembbell-press

How to do it:

  • Lie back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, the palms facing each other.
  • Raise the dumbbels at shoulder width, then rotate your wrists forward so that the palms are facing away from you.
  • As you exhale, push the dumbbells up with the help of your chest.
  • Lock the arms at the top of the movement and hold the position for a moment.
  • Slowly lower the dumbbells down.
  • Keep in mind that lowering the weights should take about twice as long as raising them.

#3. Decline Dumbbell Press

Give your lower pecs a heavy piece of the action with the decline dumbbell press. It will help your chest become fuller, more symmetrical and bigger in no time. You can also use this compound exercise to add some extra definition to the triceps by flexing them at the top of the movement.

decline-dumbbell-press

How to do it:

  • Lie on a decline bench with a dumbbell on each hand on top of your thighs, palms facing each other.
  • Move the dumbbells in front of you at shoulder width, then rotate your wrists forward so that the palms are now facing away from you.
  • Exhale and slowly bring the weights down to your side, keeping the forearms perpendicular to the floor throughout the whole motion.
  • As you breathe in, push the dumbbells up using your pectoral muscles.
  • At the top of the movement, lock your arms, squeeze your chest and hold the position for a moment.
  • Slowly return to the starting position.

#4. Incline Dumbbell Flye

Another great exercise for a well defined chest, especially if you want to add mass to the upper chest area. The incline dumbbell flye specifically targets the clavicular portion of your pectoralis major, providing a good stretch and contraction of the pectoral muscles.

incline-dumbbell-fly

How to do it:

  • Lie on an incline bench with your back flat. The bench should be set to an incline angle of no more than 30 degrees.
  • Grip the dumbbells with palms facing inward.
  • Holding a dumbbell in each hand, extend the arms above you with a slight bend at the elbows, then rotate the wrists so that the palms are facing you.
  • At the top of the movement, squeeze the pecs and hold the position for a moment.
  • As you exhale, slowly return to the starting position by reversing the motion.

#5. Cable Crossover

The cable crossover is an intense chest exercise that places stress on the entire chest area, especially the inner, lower and outer pecs, providing a great pec workout. However, performing it properly requires decent core stability, so pick a weight you can actually handle in order to achieve a full range of motion. Also, remember to keep your shoulders back and use a slow and controlled movement for optimal results.

cable-crossover

How to do it:

  • To start, place the pulleys on a high position, select the resistance you want to use and hold the pulleys in each hand.
  • Step forward between both pulleys, while pulling your arms together in front of you and slightly bending the torso forward.
  • Breathe in and with slightly bent elbows extend the arms to the side, i.e. straight out at both sides, creating a wide arc until you feel a decent stretch on your chest.
  • Keep in mind that the arms and torso should remain stationary all throughout the movement.
  • As you exhale, slowly return your arms back to the starting position.

#6. Heavy Dips

Dips are an all-time favorite mostly for their high intensity and the isolation they place on the pecs, triceps and anterior delts. That being said, a narrow grip with an upright torso will keep most of the focus on the triceps, but a wider grip with the weight shifted forward will target your chest muscles and help you achieve massive growth.

chest-dip

How to do it:

  • To start, hold your body at arms length above the parallel bars.
  • As you inhale, slowly lower yourself until you feel a good stretch in the chest, with the torso leaning forward and the elbows slightly flared out.
  • At the top of the movement, squeeze the chest and hold the position for a moment.
  • As you exhale, bring your body back to the starting position with the help of your chest.

Two example workouts for a chiseled chest

Chiseled chest workout 1 (upper chest focused)

1. Incline dumbbell press – 3 warm up sets x 12 reps ,  3 work sets x 10,8,6 reps.
2. Flat barbell bench press – 2 warm up sets x 10 reps , 3 work sets x 10 reps
3. Dips – 3 sets x 10 reps
4. Incline fly – 3 sets x 12 reps

Chiseled chest workout 2 (lower chest focused)

1. Flat barbell bench press – 3 warm up sets x 10 reps , 3 work sets x 8 reps
2. Incline dumbbell press – 2 warm up sets x 10 reps , 3 work sets x 8 reps
3. Decline dumbbell press – 3 sets x 10 reps
4. Cable crossover – 3 sets x 12 reps


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One Response

  1. Ram Krishan Rana

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