On your quest to build a strong upper body, capped shoulders, a broad back, and three-dimensional biceps and triceps for sculpted arms are essential. But you'd be remiss to neglect the chest exercises. When you're just starting out, you want to focus on the basics first. As with developing any muscle or muscle group, time, proper form, and an array of the best chest exercises for beginners are your ticket to gradually (but surely) gaining mass in your pecs.
"If there's one thing that'll earn you respect in the gym, it’s a powerful, chiseled upper body—and that starts with your chest," says Simon King, P.T., owner of Cre8 Fitness gym in London.
The following chest workout for beginners will hit your pecs from every angle to increase strength and muscle size. Don't sweat it if you're completely new to lifting:
"Every Herculean physique achieved had to start from nothing," adds King.
Directions: Sets and Reps
- When you're just starting out, use light to moderate weight and aim for 3 sets of 8 reps with 90 seconds rest in between to familiarize yourself with the exercises and stimulate both strength and muscle gain.
- For muscle hypertrophy: When you level up, complete 3 to 4 sets of 7 to 12 reps with 1 to 2 minutes rest in between.
- For muscle strength: As you advance, use heavier weight and complete 3 to 5 sets of 1 to 6 reps with 2 to 5 minutes rest in between.
When you start itching for more variety, learn how to build your chest without the gym or try these six strategies to make your chest workouts harder.
Best Chest Exercises for Beginners
1. Pushup
Pushup
James Michelfelder
Why It's Effective
"You'd never build a house on a soft, shaky foundation," King says. "This is the reason mastering the pushup is paramount, and the place to start for all beginners." Don't rush your progress. It's a simple move, but many struggle to execute it correctly.
How to Do It
- Start in a tall plank position with hands directly under shoulders, arms straight, feet flexed, to start.
- To recruit as many muscle fibers as possible, keep your hips in line with your shoulders.
- With control, bend your elbows and lower your body as close to the floor as possible.
- That's 1 rep.
- Complete 3 AMRAP (as many reps as possible) sets.
Pro Tip
If it feels too easy, take a slightly narrower grip or elevate your feet, King suggests. If it feels too hard, start on your knees, or elevate your hands, positioning them on a chair or bench while your feet are on the floor.
2. Barbell Bench Press
Bench Press
James Michelfelder
Why It's Effective
"Once you've mastered pushups, you know you're ready for this juggernaut of an upper-body exercise," King says. The bench press activates your lats, glutes, core, chest, and triceps, so it's a great functional move that'll shape and add size to your entire upper body.
How to Do It
- Set up the barbell with light or no weight, to start.
- Position the top quarter of a flat bench so it sits directly below the bar.
- Lie on the bench with your feet on either side, planted on the floor.
- Take a grip just wider than shoulder-width apart, keeping your hands directly above your elbows.
- Breathe in and lower the bar down to your chest and then exhale as you press the bar up.
- That's 1 rep.
Pro Tip
"If it's too easy, slow down the lowering phase to three seconds for each rep," King recommends. If it's too hard, lower the weight. Have a partner spot you in the beginning and as you add weight.
3. Medicine Ball Chest Throw
Medicine Ball Chest Throw
Justin Steele
Why It's Effective
"Heavy medicine balls are functional, versatile, and a huge bang for your buck in terms of improving explosive power and speed," King says. "This exercise will not only fry your chest but also hit your abdominals to strengthen and condition your entire upper body."
How to Do It
- Take a kneeling position facing a wall or a partner, to start. te: This puts a greater emphasis on the upper body. To recruit the legs more, assume an athletic stance (shown).
- Hold the medicine ball with both hands at chest height.
- Garnering as much power as possible, throw the ball straight at the wall or your partner, following through with your hands as if you were mimicking the pressing portion of an explosive pushup.
- That's 1 rep.
Pro Tip
If it's too easy, lie on your back and throw the ball in the air, catching it, and repeating quickly and explosively.
4. Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Bench Press
James Michelfelder and Therese Sommerseth
Why It's Effective
"Hitting your pecs is key if you want to bulk up your chest," King says, "and the flat dumbbell bench press really hones in on that stimulation while targeting your triceps and deltoids." Dumbbells have a unique advantage over a barbell in that they "develop independent motor control, help iron out dominant-side muscle imbalances, and offer more versatility so you can vary the grip to target slightly different muscles," he adds. Plus, it's safer to push to failure during a bench press if you're using dumbbells because you can drop them, if necessary.
How to Do It
- Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, to start.
- Place your hands shoulder-width apart holding the dumbbells on either side of your chest until your arms create a 90-degree angle.
- With your palms facing forward, press the weights up as you squeeze your chest muscles to create tension.
- Once your arms are straight, lower down and repeat.
- That's 1 rep.
Pro Tip
"If it's too easy, pause at the bottom of each rep for two seconds to increase time under tension," King suggests. If it's too hard, use a lighter load or switch to a neutral grip (palms facing one another) so your lats can support the movement, he adds.
5. Decline Dumbbell Flye
Decline Dumbbell Flye
Jay Sullivan
Why It's Effective
"Building big muscles that maintain mobility isn’t an easy thing to do, but dumbbell flyes build sculpted, 3D-looking pecs that can perform as well as they look," King says. It's all because of the "stretch and contract" relationship. "One of the most proven ways to grow new muscle fibers is to stretch the desired area under load, then contract the muscle, which stimulates growth through fatigue," he explains. In this case, once you release the stretched position, there's a surge of blood, which helps deliver protein.
How to Do It
- Set a bench to a decline angle, to start.
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lie down on the bench.
- With your palms facing each other, press the weights up so your arms are straight.
- Slowly lower the weights down with a slight bend in your elbows, following a wide arc, until you feel a stretch in your chest.
- Keep tension in your pecs as you bring your arms back to the start position.
- That's 1 rep.
Pro Tip
If it's too easy, decline the angle of the bench more to really target your upper pecs, King says. And if it's too difficult, switch over to the cable machine flye.
6. Cable Chest Press
Cable Chest Press
Ian Maddox
Why It's Effective
Cables stimulate your muscles differently from free weights because you're working against constant resistance. "The dynamic nature of having a load pulling you back while you press increases time under tension on the muscle, which increases protein synthesis and growth," King says.
How to Do It
- Evenly position the cables at about chest height on a cable machine, to start.
- Take hold of the handles, and stand so you're facing away from the machine.
- Pull the handles close to your chest, then step into a split stance to create a solid base. Make sure you grab the handles and get them in front of your chest before you step away from the machine, rather than stepping forward, then reaching back.
- Once you're stable, face your palms to one another, and press the cables out until your arms are straight.
- That's 1 rep.
Pro Tip
If it's too easy, try to touch the palms of your hands together while keeping your shoulders back. If it's too hard, use a light resistance band anchored to something secure and mimic the motion to condition your muscles.
7. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
James Michelfelder
Why It's Effective
"Holding the weights closer together allows an increased range of motion, helping recruit all the motor units available in your pecs," King says. "To maximize results, squeeze your pecs at the top of the move. Your muscles will learn which need to fire and which can relax, placing the maximum stress on the right muscles."
How to Do It
- Lie down on a bench at a 45-degree angle with a dumbbell in each hand, to start.
- Start with the weights resting on your chest.
- Press the flat plates together so your palms face one another.
- As you press up, keep the weights pressed together firmly so you're tensing the pecs as you press.
- Lower back down so the weights rest briefly on your chest.
- That's 1 rep.
- Perform 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Pro Tip
If it's too easy, shorten the rest period or increase the load. If it's too hard, switch back to a flat dumbbell chest press.
8. Dumbbell Floor Press
Dumbbell Floor Press
James Michelfelder
Why It's Effective
"The floor press is an underrated exercise that targets the chest, core, triceps, and stabilizing shoulder muscles, which all increase power," King says. "Plus, if you suffer from shoulder or lower back pain when you press, then this exercise is a must, because being flat on the floor gives you constant feedback on whether you're in the correct position."
How to Do It
- Grab your dumbbells with an overhand grip, to start.
- Sit, then lie flat on your back on the floor or on a mat.
- Plant your feet on the floor and bend your elbows so your arms form a 90-degree angle.
- Keeping your core braced to limit overextension of your lower back, press the dumbbells toward the ceiling until your arms are straight.
- Lower down under control until your triceps rest on the floor and push back up to the starting position.
- That's 1 rep.
- Complete 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Pro Tip
If it's too easy, lie flat instead of bending your knees and planting your feet. If it's too hard, switch to pushups to strengthen your pecs.
9. Cable Crossover
Cable Crossover
James Michelfelder
Why It's Effective
When looking for a full, round chest, it’s important to hit some isolation work that really targets just the pecs, King says. "The bilateral aspect of the cable crossover allows you to strengthen your weaker side, whereas compound movements won’t always work on muscle imbalances," he adds. "For maximum definition, it's key to place muscles under as much stress as possible."
How to Do It
- Position the cables high so they're level with your shoulders, to start.
- Grab both cables and lunge forward into a split stance for maximum stability.
- Press the cables into the middle of your torso until the cables cross over.
- Stop once you've created a gap (roughly the size of two knuckles) between your hands, alternating which hand is on top of each rep.
- Then, slowly let the cables pull your arms back so they're stretched apart (as if you were doing a flye).
- That's 1 rep.
- Repeat for 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Pro Tip
If it's too easy, pause for 2-3 seconds while the cables are crossed to fatigue your pecs, King suggests. If it's too hard, don’t cross over, and stop when the hands are close (as pictured above).
10. One-Arm Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
One-Arm Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
Jay Sullivan
Why It's Effective
The one-arm decline dumbbell bench press places the central nervous system under stress, raising your heart rate and turning this strength exercise into a conditioning one to create a lean yet pumped-up physique, King says.
How to Do It
- Set a bench to a decline angle and take a dumbbell in each hand.
- Position your hands shoulder-width apart and start with your arms extended straight up with palms facing forward.
- Squeeze your pecs and lower just one arm down under control, pausing briefly at the bottom position, then press up until the arm is extended again.
- That's 1 rep.
- Complete 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps on the same arm, making sure the other is completely locked out the entire time, and your pecs are engaged.
- Switch sides after all reps are done.
Pro Tip
If it's too easy, increase the load. If it's too hard, build strength with the dumbbell chest press for about four weeks.
Common Chest Workout Mistakes to Avoid
Who doesn't want to gain as much muscle mass as quickly as possible? But while it's tempting to take short cuts (e.g. ego lifting) to see "newbie gains" faster, slow and steady is the rule to maintain a realistic pace with your chest workouts while avoiding overstraining and injury.
If you're just starting out, curb the rush mentality and opt for weights that are manageable and realistic for your level. Even if the weight feels on the lighter side, this allows you to perfect your form and let your muscles adapt to a new series of exercises. Adding weight in a controlled manner will ultimately help you reach your goals faster.
