If you’re working out on a regular basis, chest day can get a little repetitive and your progress can stall. Your pecs can also be one of the harder muscle groups to define if you don’t truly understand how to activate them.
Your chest is made of 3 sub-groups: your upper, middle, and lower pecs, all of which need to be stimulated to get the most out of your workouts and sculpt three-dimensional muscle, says celebrity personal trainer Chase Weber. If you feel like you’re not getting the results you want in the gym, we’ve got 10 workouts that’ll get you going in the right direction.
While the majority of the moves are “push” exercises, Weber’s incorporated some “pull” moments: “A strong back will always improve your bench!” he explains.
The Plan
“If you don’t work out on a regular basis, start out with lighter weights to make sure you do the movements correctly and progress as you begin to feel more confident and can move towards a larger load,” Weber suggests.
You should start to see results in as little as a month if you do these workouts 1-2 times a week with a couple days rest in between. (Begin with workouts 1 + 2; consider them introductory routines). “After the month is over, take a week off from these movements and watch how much stronger and defined your chest will be!” Weber says.
Expert tip: Remember to retract your shoulders, keeping them back while forcing your chest out to really stretch and tear (this is for muscle growth; you’re not injuring yourself) your pecs.
Start every workout with this dynamic warmup:
Glute Activation Movements (for 5-7 minutes):
Mini-band external rotations (With a band around your legs, just above your knees, assume an athletic stance and draw your knee in and out against the resistance.)
Lateral stepouts
Frankensteins
Dynamic Movements (for 5-7 minutes):
Leg swings
Walking lunges
Inchworms (From standing, walk your hands out on the floor, away from your body, coming into a pushup position. Then, walk your feet toward your hands, keeping your legs straight. Continue walkouts.)
Metabolic Movements:
Med ball slam x 20
Squat x 20
Jump rope x 2 min
*Note: Use weights that equal 75% of your 1 rep max unless otherwise noted. If the load is too heavy and and you can’t complete the first set, scale down; if you’re not feeling fatigued by the last set, scale up.
Workout 1
Directions: Complete 4 sets taking 1:30 min rest between rounds.
Barbell Presses x 15 (weight should be 60% one rep max) Single-Arm Dumbbell Chest Flyes x 12 each side Wide-Grip Pushups x 20 Dips x 12 (Expert tip: Lean forward to attack the lower part of your pecs!)
Workout 2
Directions: Complete 5 sets taking 1 minute rest between rounds.
Incline Dumbbell Press x 8 (weight should be 80% one rep max) Decline Bench Press x 12 (weight should be 80% one rep max 60% one rep max) Hanging Leg Raises (Expert tip: Keep your arms slightly bent to put stress on your lesser-used stabilizing muscles.) Ab Rollouts x 12
Workout 3
Directions: Complete 4 sets taking 45 seconds rest in between rounds.
Dumbbell High Pulls x 12 (How to do it: Hold DB with overhand grip, hovering them just below your knees with your hips pushed back and lower back flat. Explosively stand, thrusting your hips forward, pulling the DB to your shoulders.) Barbell Bench Press x 10 (weight should be 75% one rep max) Single-Arm Dumbbell Press on Stability Ball x 10 each side (weight should be 50% one rep max) Face Pulls x 15 Cable Flyes X 10
Workout 4
Directions: Complete 4 sets taking 45 seconds rest in between rounds.
Dumbbell Bench Press x 12 Kettlebell Flyes on Stability Ball x 12 Heavy Resistance Band Pushups x 12 Ab Rollouts x 12
Workout 5
Directions: Complete 4 sets taking 2 min rest in between rounds.
Barbell Incline Press x 6 (weight should be 75% one rep max) Lateral Pulldowns (on machine) x 8 (80% body weight) Weighted Dips x 12 Pulsing Cable Flyes x 20 seconds
Workout 6
Directions: Complete 4 sets taking 1:30 minutes rest between rounds.
Hanging Leg Raise x 10 Hanging Kneeups x 15 Barbell Bench Press x 12,10, 8, 6 (progress in weight each time; weight should be challenging but not painful) Decline Dumbbell Bench Press x 8 (weight should be 75% one rep max) Towel Slide Pushups x 10 each side (How to do it: From pushup position, slide left arm out, dragging the towel, lowering into a pushup; drag the towel and your hand back in, bring your body up to the starting position. Complete the following rep by sliding your right arm out.)
Workout 7
Directions: Complete 3 sets taking 1 min rest between rounds.
Dumbbell Incline Press x 12 (weight should be 65% one rep max) Kettlebell Flyes x 15 Lying Overhead Pullovers with Dumbbell x 10 (How to do it: Lie perpendicular on a flat bench with your shoulders on the surface, your hips off the bench, legs bent, feet flat on the floor, and head off the bench as well. Grab a dumbbell with both hands palming one end of the weight, holding it at arms-length over your chest. Keeping your arms straight, lower the weight behind your head, creating an arc. Exhale as you bring the weight back through that arc pattern.) Ab Rollouts x 10
Workout 8
Directions: Complete 5 sets taking 1:30 minutes rest between rounds.
Lying Dumbbell Press on Stability Ball x 12 Stranding Straight-Arm Cable Pulldowns x 10 Incline Pushup x 20 Lat Pulldowns x 8
Workout 9
Directions: Complete 5 sets taking 2 minutes rest between rounds.
Dumbbell Single-Arm Bench Press x 10 each side Dumbbell Flyes x 12 Slow Cable Flyes x 8 Resistance Band Pushups x 15
10 Workouts To Do Workout 10
Directions: Complete 4 sets taking 1:30 minutes rest between rounds.
Alternating Dumbbell Press to Full Press x 8 Kettlebell Flyes on Med Ball x 12 Decline Dumbbell Bench x 8 (weight should be 75% one rep max) Pulsing Cable Flyes x 20 seconds Lying Overhead Pullover x 10
