Chest muscles look great, and the right training plan can make them noticeable in a short time. That’s why they are the favorite muscle group for all gym beginners. Today, I will reveal the secrets of effective chest training. You will learn which exercises can fill the gaps in your training plan.

How to Build Your Chest? Best Chest Exercises

Table of Contents

• How to Build Your Chest? Best Chest Exercises
• Structure and Functions of the Chest
• Principles of Effective Training
• Chest Training at Home
• Chest Training at the Gym
• How to Develop the Upper, Middle, and Lower Chest
• Exercises for the Upper Chest
• Exercises for the Middle Chest
• Exercises for the Lower Chest
• Summary

Structure and Functions of the Chest

The chest muscles perform several extremely important functions, including supporting basic life functions. However, this task is carried out by the deep muscles located in this area. Assuming that you are most interested in the muscles involved in movement, let's start by discussing the superficial muscles.

The superficial chest muscles are the largest ones responsible for movement. They connect the chest with the shoulders, arms, and shoulder blades. Among the superficial muscles, we have:

• Pectoralis Major: The largest and strongest in this group. It attaches to the clavicle, sternum, abdominal muscles, and the humerus. Contracting the entire muscle pulls the shoulder blade forward, brings the arm medially and forward, and rotates it internally.
• Pectoralis Minor: Connects the front ends of the ribs with the coracoid process of the shoulder blade. It can work with the pectoralis major to push the arms forward or with the trapezius and serratus muscles to lower the shoulder girdle.
• Subclavius Muscle: Connects the first rib with the clavicle, running transversely to the body's axis. It is responsible for pulling the clavicle down and forward.
• Serratus Anterior: One of the largest muscles in the human body, though not very impressive in appearance. It spans between the top 9 ribs and the medial edge of the shoulder blade. It runs transversely across the chest. The upper part pulls the shoulder joint forward, and the lower part pulls it downward. Additionally, it rotates the shoulder blade, allowing the arm to be abducted above the horizontal plane, and presses the shoulder blade against the chest. It also aids in inhalation.

Apart from the superficial muscles, the chest also includes deep muscles. These are integral parts of the chest wall and assist in breathing. Among them are the external and internal intercostal muscles and the transverse thoracic muscle. The intercostal muscles lie between each pair of ribs and are responsible for increasing (external) and decreasing (internal) the space between them. This helps in raising and lowering the chest during breathing. The transverse thoracic muscle also plays a role in breathing. It attaches the first 6 ribs to the sternum and aids in inhalation, although it appears to be gradually disappearing.

The last but very important muscle in this area is the diaphragm. It separates the abdominal cavity from the chest cavity and plays a key role in breathing. It increases the chest volume during inhalation and decreases it during exhalation. It helps maintain the proper pressure in the chest and intestines, allowing for pressure regulation in the abdominal cavity and preventing air from flowing into the abdominal cavity.

Principles of Effective Training

To make your training effective, you need to follow a few principles. Some of these are universal and can be applied to any body part. However, each muscle group has its own characteristics that cause differences.

1. Proper Technique: This is the absolute foundation of strength training. I repeat this at every opportunity and never get tired of it. If you can't perform an exercise correctly, it probably means you are using too much weight or have mobility issues. While the first problem can be solved independently, improving mobility requires a lot of work and knowledge.
2. Correct Tempo and Full Range of Motion: The most common tendency is performing eccentric movements too quickly and incompletely. Remember that muscles also work when lowering the weight, so you will get better results by doing it slowly. An additional benefit is safety. By controlling the movement, you significantly reduce the likelihood of injury.
3. Varied Exercises: You won't build a symmetrical chest by only doing flat bench presses. Initially, performing 2 to 4 exercises is enough. Over time, this number can increase to even 6. Unfortunately, muscles also tend to adapt quickly to training, usually taking 6-8 weeks. Therefore, after such a period, it is worth making changes to your training plan.
4. Rest Time: The training stimulus is very important because it causes micro-injuries and strengthens the muscles. However, regeneration is equally important. This includes proper rest and sleep, as well as a proper diet. This is the only way to provide your muscles with the right conditions for growth. Chest muscles are large and need at least 48 hours to rest. Therefore, it is worth exercising them 1-2 times a week.

Chest Training at Home

You can easily build your chest muscles without leaving home. The perfect exercise for developing this muscle group is push-ups. What I like most about them is that they can be performed in many different ways. No matter your current fitness level, there are always push-ups for you. You can adjust the difficulty level to your needs by positioning your legs and arms.

If you can't do a standard push-up yet, you can support yourself on your knees. Still too hard? Try a vertical position, leaning your hands against a wall or desk. With time, the standard version of the exercise will no longer be a problem. Eventually, it will become too easy. Then you can try elevating your legs or placing your hands close together.

But push-ups are not the only chest exercise you can do at home. A great supplementary exercise is dips or push-ups on parallel bars. Yes, again push-ups, but this time the exercise looks very different. You can find a detailed description and execution here.

My favorite chest exercises at home are:

• Push-ups – adjust the version to your capabilities,
• Dips – or supported between two chairs,
• Floor press – if you have access to dumbbells.

Chest Training at the Gym

The gym is a great place for you if you want to build your chest, and push-ups are already boring. You probably already know that mass training has its own rules. By this, I mean the load and the number of repetitions. You don't want to burn too much energy that you painstakingly provide through a carefully prepared diet. Therefore, doing 50 push-ups in a series is not the best idea. A barbell and bench will take your training to the next level.

Choose a load that allows you to perform 6-12 repetitions in at least 3 sets. The optimal number of sets for the chest during the entire workout is 12. If you do 3 sets of an exercise, you need 4 different exercises. This is good news for you because varied training will also allow you to comprehensively build your chest. You don't have to worry about which exercises work best.

My favorite chest exercises at the gym are:

• Flat bench press – a classic that greatly engages the pectoralis major,
• Incline dumbbell press – engages the upper chest more,
• Dumbbell pull-over across a bench – a good exercise for the end, but be careful with the load,
• Incline dumbbell flyes – additional stimulus for the medial part of the chest,
• Dips – great for engaging the lower chest and triceps.

How to Develop the Upper, Middle, and Lower Chest

You can find a partial answer to this question in the list above. However, I wanted to draw your attention to general principles. This way, you can shape your chest as you wish. You already know that to do this, you need to perform more than one exercise. But which ones target specific areas?

Exercises for the Upper Chest

The upper part of the chest works best when the arms are above shoulder level. Therefore, exercises for the upper chest include incline presses. You can perform these with a barbell or dumbbells, as well as incline flyes. A good solution is also raising dumbbells in bent arms in front of you. At home, you can work on your upper chest by doing push-ups with your feet elevated.

Exercises for the Middle Chest

The middle part of the chest is primarily responsible for squeezing the arms together. Place your hands on your chest and press them against each other, and you will feel the middle chest tighten. Therefore, if you want to develop this part of your chest, do flyes. I also particularly recommend pressing a weight plate held in folded hands. This is an ideal exercise for home training. Even if you don't have any weight, the most important thing is pressing your hands together as hard as you can. Additionally, you can try close-grip push-ups.

Exercises for the Lower Chest

The lower chest is engaged when the arms are below shoulder level. Therefore, exercises for the lower chest include decline presses. Remember, though, that this can be dangerous for people with high blood pressure. If you don't have this problem, you can try it. I mainly recommend dumbbell presses on a 15-20 degree decline. Additionally, dips are great for developing the lower chest. These two exercises are sufficient for a start.

Summary

Chest training brings quick results and gives your figure shape. There is no problem doing it at home without specialized equipment. If your goal is to build muscle, you must follow mass training principles. This requires a diet with a caloric surplus. Otherwise, no training will help you build muscle mass.

You can train your chest even 2-3 times a week, but remember to rest for at least 48 hours for recovery. The optimal number of sets per training session is 12, and the repetition range for building muscle is 6-12. Symmetrical muscle development requires a varied training plan. You already know the general principles and what to focus on. If you need specialist advice, you know where to find me.