Best Chest Exercises for Muscle Mass
These are some of the best chest exercises I recommend for developing muscle mass and strength in your pectoral muscles.
About the Pectoral Muscles
The upper chest muscles are know as Pectoralis Major, or "pecs" for short, and they make up the bulk of the chest muscles.
The best to way to build mass in the pecs is to do pressing movements, such as the bench press and push-ups.
For tone and definition, isolation exercises can be done, such as dumbbell flyes, cable flyes, cable crossovers, and pec deck machines.
Flat Bench Press
This is one of the best chest exercises and will develop the mass and strength of your entire pectoral muscles. It is also an excellent exercise for front shoulder muscle, known as the anterior deltoid.
Execution with a Barbell:
1. In a lying position on a flat bench, grasp the barbell using an overhand grip, wider than shoulder width apart.
2. Lift the bar off the safety rack so you arms are fully extended.
3. While inhaling, lower the barbell down to the chest in a slow and controlled manner (do not bounce the weight off your chest!).
4. Pause for a moment, and then press the barbell back up again. Make sure you don’t drift too far forward or backward.
5. Exhale at the end of the movement and then repeat.
Variations of the Bench Press
A decline bench press can be performed on a bench at a 20 to 40 degrees decline. This variation is good for increased size and definition on the inferior groove (lower part) of the pectorals.
A Incline bench press can be performed on a bench at a 45 to 60 degrees incline. This variation targets the upper part of your pecs and also anterior deltoid (front shoulder muscles).
A close-grip bench press can be perform on a flat bench with a grip approximately 6 to 12 inches apart. This variation will isolate the tricep muscles and the middle part of your pectoral muscles.
Depending on your chest shape and goals, these are the best chest exercises for building muscle mass. You can also do all the above with dumbbells, but I will cover these in separate articles.
Bench Press Tips
Do not bounce the barbell at the lowest position or you could risk serious injury to your chest. Keep the barbell straight, i.e. do not swing the barbell or you could easily lose control. Even better, if you are using free weights then get someone in your gym to "spot" you.
These are the best chest exercises for muscle mass, but I also cover chest muscle tone and definition exercises in other articles.
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Filed under: Muscle Building Exercises
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