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So, you want to know what the top 10 exercises to grow your chest fast are? Well, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will discuss how you can quickly grow your chest.
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Top 10 Exercises To Grow Your Chest
Every person who goes to the gym regularly dreams of having bigger and stronger chest muscles, but they don't know how to get them. That's why we have put together a list of the best exercises for both upper chest and lower chest.
Upper Chest
First of all, we will go over five great exercises that primarily target the upper chest muscles.
Incline Bench Press
The incline barbell bench press is a well-established exercise that is known for its ability to effectively target the upper chest muscles. This exercise is a compound movement, meaning it targets multiple muscle groups at the same time, however, its primary focus is on the upper chest.
For this exercise, it is better to not go too heavy, especially if you are new to it. This is because, during this exercise, it is very easy to injure yourself if you don't use the correct technique or if you go too heavy. Also, don't angle the bench too high or else you will end up working your shoulder muscles more - around a 30-45° angle on the bench is highly recommended if you want this exercise to have the most effect on your upper chest as possible.
How to do the Incline Bench Press:
Lie flat on an inclined bench (around 30°)
Keep your spine neutral and feet flat on the floor
Grasp the barbell at about 1½ times the width of your shoulders
Lift the barbell off the rack and lower it by bending your elbows
Reverse the movement, lifting the barbell away from your chest
Your elbows should be under the bar at all times for proper balance
Remember not to arch your back or thrust your head forward.
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Next up is the incline dumbbell bench press, which is similar to the incline barbell bench press but also quite different at the same time. This chest exercise is very effective at targeting the muscles of the upper chest. Similarly to the incline barbell bench press, the incline dumbbell bench press is a compound movement, meaning it works multiple muscle groups at once. However, like the incline barbell bench press, it primarily targets the upper chest muscles - the other muscles activated in this movement are just to support the upper chest muscles.
Again, it is better that you opt for a lighter weight when it comes to this exercise as this will mean you don't injure yourself as easily. Personally, I would recommend that you do 3 sets with 10-12 reps per set if your aim is to build the muscles of your upper chest. Additionally, you should angle the bench at a 30-45° angle in order to get the most out of this exercise.
How to do the Incline Dumbbell Bench Press:
Begin with the bench set at a 30°-45° incline
Sit at the end of the bench with the dumbbells on your knees. Lean back on the bench and lift the dumbbells over the chest by alternately kicking your knees up to help you
Have your feet planted on the floor, core engaged and arms locked out with the dumbbells directly above the upper chest
Slowly lower the elbows into an arrow shape just below your shoulders so that you get a big stretch across the chest. Keep the dumbbells an equal distance the entire rep and don't let them move further apart
Pause for a second before pushing the weights explosively away from you, back to your starting position as you exhale, ready to repeat.
Low to High Cable Chest Fly
The low to high cable fly is quite different from the previous two exercises we have already mentioned. This is mainly because it isn't a free weight exercise, but rather a cable machine exercise. Another major difference is that this exercise is an isolation movement, meaning it targets the upper chest only (and partly the front deltoids and other supporting muscles, but not enough to grow them).
For this exercise, you should choose a weight on the cable machine so that you can fail in a 10-12 rep range. Also, you should do this exercise for 3 sets as this will be just enough to tear your upper chest muscle tissue so that it can repair and grow at an efficient speed. Another tip to consider is that you should focus on keeping only a slight bend in your elbow so that you don't end up working other muscles such as the biceps.
How to do the Low to High Cable Chest Fly:
Set both pulleys as low as possible and select the desired weight
Grasp both handles with a slightly supinated grip and take a step forward to split the stance
Press the handles to lockout while flexing the pecs and extending the elbows
Keep a slight bend in the elbows, move entirely at the shoulder joint, and slowly allow the arms to open while remaining at a 45-degree angle
Return to the starting position by flexing your pecs and bringing the handles together at chest height
Slowly lower back to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Incline Fly
The dumbbell incline fly is an excellent exercise for effectively growing the upper chest muscles fast. Similarly to low to high cable flys, this exercise is a flying motion, which is different to the more common pressing motion. This exercise is a compound exercise, which means it works more than one muscle group at the same time. While incline dumbbell chest flys mainly focus on the upper chest, it also engages other supporting muscles such as the triceps.
For this exercise, it is critical that you don't go too heavy. If you use a weight that you can't comfortably handle, you will end up injuring your shoulder quite badly, so it is imperative that you use an easier weight for this particular workout. I would recommend that you do anything between 12-15 reps and do this for 3 sets each. This would give your upper chest a full workout, allowing it to grow quicker.
Pick up the dumbbells off the floor using a neutral grip (palms facing in). Position the ends of the dumbbells in your hip crease, and sit down on an incline bench
To get into position, lay back and keep the weights close to your chest. Once you are in position, take a deep breath, then press the dumbbells to lockout at the top
Slightly retract your shoulder blades, unlock your elbows, and slowly lower the dumbbells laterally while maintaining the angle at your elbow
Once the dumbbells reach chest level, reverse the movement by squeezing your pecs together and bringing the dumbbells back to their starting position
Without allowing the dumbbells to touch, start the next repetition, and continue until the set is completed.
Decline Push-Up
Finally, the decline push-up is an amazing body weight exercise for rapidly growing the muscles of the upper chest region. What makes this exercise so different is that it is a body weight chest exercise, unlike the others that use weights or resistance from cable machines to help work the upper chest muscles. Also, decline push-ups are a compound movement, meaning they work multiple muscles groups all at once. However, decline push-ups primarily engage the muscles of the upper chest, and use other supporting muscles such as the triceps and front deltoids to assist in the movement.
For this exercise, as long as you maintain the proper form and technique, you have a very low chance of injuring yourself. I would recommend that you do as many reps as possible before your posture begins to fail, then take a short break and go again. You can do this for as long as you want. What's more, you can add resistance to this exercise with a weighted vest or a heavy backpack if you want to challenge your muscles more.
How to do the Decline Push-Up:
Hit a high plank position with your feet elevated on a bench, block or stack of plates
Keep your body in a straight line with your core and glutes engaged
Lower your chest to the floor with your elbows at a 45 degree angle
Push the floor away from you and straighten the arms, ready to repeat.
Lower Chest
Now that we have discussed which exercises are the best for engaging the muscles of the upper chest, we will not go over five more exercises that target and work the lower chest muscles very well.
The Bench Press
First on the list of lower chest exercises is the bench press, probably the most popular gym exercise of them all. The flat barbell bench press is a compound movement, meaning that it works a variety of muscle groups at once. The flat bench press in particular engages the lower chest primarily but uses other supporting muscles such as the triceps and front deltoids in order to assist in the pushing movement.
For this exercise, you can go as heavy as you want, just remember to warm up properly beforehand and work your way up slowly towards heavier weights. I would recommend that you do anywhere between 3-7 sets of this depending on how many sets you need to work up to your maximum weight (if you're going heavy). If you're not going heavy, then 3 sets will do just fine. For reps, I would say do as many reps as possible for each set apart from the first set which should be used as a warm-up.
How to do the Bench Press:
Lie back on a flat bench holding a barbell in the rack above you with a shoulder-width, overhand grip
Drive your feet into the floor to contract your quads and glutes, and clamp back your shoulder blades to shorten the weight's path of travel. This increases neural drive to your chest, delts and triceps
From the starting position, breathe in and lower the bar slowly until it skims the middle of your chest
Focus your mind on activating your chest muscles and push the bar back to the starting position explosively as you breathe out. That’s one rep.
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
The dumbbell decline bench press is another great exercise for targeting the lower chest muscles effectively. This exercise is known as one of the best compound movements for the chest, working multiple muscle groups and joints all in one motion. The decline dumbbell bench press mainly focuses on the lower chest muscles but also uses other muscles such as the front deltoids to support the movement.
For this exercise, similarly to the incline dumbbell bench press, you shouldn't go too heavy with the dumbbells you use as this can lead to a higher risk of injury, especially when you perform the movement with incorrect form. I would recommend that you do 3 sets plus one warm-up set and do roughly 6-10 reps per set.
How to do the Decline Dumbbell Bench Press:
Pick up the dumbbells off the floor using a neutral grip (palms facing in). Position the ends of the dumbbells in your hip crease, and sit down on the edge of a decline bench
To get into position, lay back and keep the weights close to your chest. Once you are in position, take a deep breath, and press the dumbbells to lockout at the top
Slowly lower the dumbbells under control as far as comfortably possible (the handles should be about level with your chest)
Contract the chest and push the dumbbells back up to the starting position
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
High to Low Cable Crossover
Another brilliant way of building the lower chest is by doing high-to-low cable crossovers. Similarly to low-to-high cable flys, high-to-low cable crossovers are an isolation movement, meaning they target the upper chest muscles only. As a matter of fact, high-to-low cable crossovers are considered one of the best lower chest isolation exercises.
For this exercise, you should maintain a slight bend in your elbow in order to get the most out of the exercise. Personally, I would recommend that you do 3 sets for high-to-low cable crossovers, with around 12-15 reps per set. This is the ideal amount of reps and sets that you need to complete in order to quickly grow muscle in your lower chest region.
How to do High to Low Cable Crossovers:
Set both pulleys as high as possible and select the desired weight
Grasp both handles with a neutral grip and take a step forward to split the stance
Press the handles to lockout while flexing the pecs and extending the elbows
Keep a slight bend in the elbows, move entirely at the shoulder joint, and slowly allow the arms to open while the pecs stretch
Return to the starting position by flexing your pecs and bringing the handles together at the bellybutton height
Slowly lower back to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Chest Dip
Chest dips are an amazing exercise that allows you to quickly develop the muscles of your lower chest while working other supporting muscles such as the triceps effectively. Chest dips are a compound exercise, meaning they work multiple muscle groups at once. This exercise in particular works the lower chest primarily but also engages other muscles such as the triceps.
For this exercise, you should focus on mastering the correct form before doing more reps or adding resistance. I would recommend that, once you have learnt the proper technique, you should do as many reps as possible for 3 sets. If you would like to make it more difficult for yourself, you can add resistance to the exercise, which would further bolster your lower chest gains.
How to do Chest Dips:
Step up on the dip station (if possible) and position your hands with a neutral grip
Initiate the dip by unlocking the elbows and slowly lowering the body until the forearms are almost parallel with the floor
Control the descent to parallel and then drive back to the starting position by pushing through the palms
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Incline Push-Up
The final exercise we will mention for the lower chest is incline push-ups, an easy bodyweight exercise that is perfect for someone of any fitness level to help them grow and strengthen their lower chest muscles. This exercise, just like decline push-ups, are a compound movement, meaning they target multiple muscles at one time. Incline push-ups in particular mainly focus on the lower chest but also work other muscles such as the triceps and front deltoids.
For this exercise, you should focus on mastering the correct technique for incline push-ups first before trying to do as many reps as possible or adding resistance. I would recommend that you aim to complete as many reps as possible for at least 3 sets.
How to do Incline Push-Ups:
Stand facing the bench, table, or the edge of a bed
Place your hands on the edge of the bench just slightly wider than shoulder width. Your arms are straight but elbows are not locked. Align your feet so that your arms and body are completely straight
Bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest to the edge of the bench while inhaling. Keep your body straight and rigid throughout the movement
Push your body away from the bench until your elbows are extended, but not locked. Exhale as you push up
Keep going with slow, steady repetitions.
Summary
In this article, we have discussed 5 great exercises for the upper chest and 5 of the top exercises for growing the lower chest muscles. These 10 exercises were:
I hope you have found the information in this article useful and I hope any questions you had have been answered. Thank you for reading, please come back soon.
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