How to Build Chest Muscles

So, you’re new to the gym. You’ve been led around tamely for your induction, laughed secretly at the girls on the “inner thigh” machine, and already been told off for forgetting your towel. It’s time to get down to business and learn how to do what you signed up for in the first place!

Here’s how to build chest muscles (the pectorals), with 4 great exercises.

The Butterfly or Dumbbell Fly

The dumbbell fly is one of the exercises that can build stronger, more muscular chest muscles, without putting excess strain on your wrists. You can use the pec-deck machine, which is available in most gyms, or use free weights by lying flat on your back using a bench, and raising your arms from the sides to eye level. This is typically called the dumbbell fly, and targets the muscles in your inner chest.

The pec-deck machine is a great way to isolate your pectoral muscles. It doesn’t put a lot of strain on your wrists, which means that you’re lifting depends more on the strength of your chest rather than the strength of your wrists.

The Bench Press

If you’re asking yourself how to build chest muscles, the exercise that leaps to most people’s minds is the bench press. The bench press is the best exercise for building a strong and sizable chest.

You can target different parts of your chest by changing the incline of your lift. If you want to hit the muscles in your upper chest, than do the incline press.

The lower chest muscles can be hit by doing the decline press, and if you’re looking for power, the flat lift is great too. By combining these three different lifts, you can develop your entire chest.

Cable Crossovers

When considering the problem of how to build chest muscles effectively, you should strongly consider adding the cable crossover to your routine. This machine offers a full range of movement, which helps build more muscle mass.

Push-ups

The standard push-up is actually a great exercise. You can do it anywhere, and it works not only your chest muscles, but your abdominal core and torso as well.  You can add weight to your back to make this exercise more difficult to perform - a weighted back pack is the best option. 

If you want to add some variation, you can purchase a medicine ball. Place it underneath your toes and do your push-ups that way.  This changes the incline of your push-up, and work the upper pecs harder, as well as requiring more stabilisation from your abdominal core.

It’s important to remember that your chest muscles constitute some of the largest muscles in your entire body. This is why some people complain that they don’t see results immediately. There’s more muscle to work, and so it takes longer to see results.

When lifting heavy weights, you should wait at least 48 hours before you perform the exercises again. Your body needs time to heal and add to your muscle mass.

If you want to see the best results, you'll need to vary your workouts at some point.  For instance, do the push-up and crossover exercises in one workout session, and the bench press and butterfly machines the next. Change up the inclines on the bench press every so often, and vary your routines every 4-6 weeks. This will help you avoid plateaus, and give you maximum results.

Learning how to build chest muscles has one other benefit; when you work your chest, in most cases you’re also working your shoulders and arms. This helps burn calories, builds a great upper body physique and keeps you lean.



Return from How to Build Chest Muscles to Weight Lifting Workouts