Ever since artistic (and admittedly nude-obsessed) Greeks and Romans took chisel to marble, a developed, well-defined chest has been a classic physical ideal. For men, muscular pectorals are a symbol of strength. The perfect chest workout should consist of exercises for your upper chest, middle chest and lower chest. That said, even that doesn’t make the chest workout complete. In order to round out your pecs with a well rounded workout you need to fill in the gaps of what is lacking on those popular chest exercises.
1. Barbell Bench Press
How to do it:
Grasp the bar just outside shoulder-width and arch your back so there’s space between your lower back and the bench. Pull the bar out of the rack and lower it to your sternum, tucking your elbows about 45° to your sides. When the bar touches your body, drive your feet hard into the floor and press the bar back up.
2. Cable Crossover
How to do it:
Stand with one foot forward and your feet about hip width apart. Bend your chest slightly forward. Grip a cable handle in each hand. Your hands should be slightly above the shoulders and elbows slightly bent. With your arms almost fully extended, slowly bring your hands together in a wide arc motion. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. 3 sets with increasing reps of 10, 12 and 15.
3. Smith Machine Incline Press
How to do it:
Set an adjustable bench to a 30°-45° incline, and roll it into the center of a Smith machine rack. Grasp the bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Unrack the bar, lower it to the upper part of your chest, and press straight up.
4. Dumbbell Fly
How to do it:
Set an adjustable bench to a 30°-45° angle, and lie back on it with a dumbbell in each hand.Turn your wrists so your palms face each other. Press the weights straight over your chest, then, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, spread your arms open as if you were going for a big bear hug.Lower your arms until you feel a stretch in your pecs, then bring the weights back together over your chest.
5. Push Up
How to do it:
Get into a push up position with hands under your shoulders. Your entire body should be straight and your core braced.Lower your body, keeping your elbows tucked near your torso and your head neutral, until your chest is almost touching the floor. Fire your chest and triceps and raise your body back to the push up position.
6. Band-Resisted Fly
How to do it:
Attach a band to a sturdy object at shoulder height and repeat with another adjacent to it. Alternatively, tie two bands together and anchor them at the same point behind you. Hold the opposite ends of the bands in each hand and step forward so that your arms are drawn back 90 degrees to your sides and you feel a stretch in your pecs.Keeping your elbows slightly bent, bring your hands together in front of your chest as if you were giving someone a bear hug.
7. Low-Incline Press
How to do it:
Set an adjustable bench to an incline of no more than 30°, or rest a flat bench on a weight plate or mat to tilt it slightly.Grasp the bar just outside shoulder-width, and arch your back so there’s space between your lower back and the bench.Pull the bar out of the rack and lower it to your sternum, tucking your elbows about 45° to your sides.When the bar touches your body, drive your feet hard into the floor and press the bar back up.