Exercises For A Bigger Chest

A lot of guys going into the gym like to focus a lot on their chest which is understandable. A big thick chest is very easy to see. Having a thick strong chest is also a part of a strong, good looking, athletic body. If you’re looking to add some size and strength to your chest, here is a list of some exercises that will benefit you. Just make sure you include an equal amount of back training in your workout to keep your shoulder joints balanced.

1. Bench Press

The most obvious exercise is probably the bench press and understandably so. It has been one of the foundation exercises for bodybuilding and workout programs since people started working out. One of the biggest benefits of the bench press is it allows you to lift a lot of weight because it uses a lot of muscle mass from your upper body. The primary muscles that are used in the bench press are the pectorials, triceps, and front deltoids. Now you might hear people say that the bench press doesn’t do much for your chest, it’s more for your triceps and shoulders. That’s because that’s the way a lot of people do it. To perform a bench press so it puts more emphasis on the chest, first start off by squeezing your shoulder blades together when you lay down on the bench. This will pull your shoulders back and make your chest stick out. Then with a medium to wide grip, lower the bar down to a spot on your chest that allows your upper arm to make about a 45 degree angle with your side. This bar placement is usually around the lower chest area for most people. Then drive the bar back up towards the ceiling so your arms are pointing straight up when fully extended. Pushing with your legs can help you push the weight up also.

There are different variations to the bench press as well including the declined bench press, flat bench press and inclined bench press. You can also use partial reps to keep more tension on the muscle. A partial rep to keep tension on the chest would be from the chest to about halfway up so your arms never lock out. The bench press is also just as effective when done with dumbbells.

 

2. Parallel Bar Dips

Parallel bar dips are another exercise that seem like they might be more for the triceps and shoulders than the chest. Dips can actually be great for developing your lower chest and stretching out your chest at the same time. They are also another great foundation exercise due to the functionality of the movement you are doing. This just means that they are similar to things you might do in daily life such as pushing off of something to stand up. To perform a dip to put more emphasis on your chest, lean into it so you’re body isn’t completely vertical but more on an angle. If dips are easy for you i would suggest adding some weight using a dip belt of holding a dumbbell between your legs.

 

Those two exercises alone would be enough to build a bigger, stronger, thicker chest just by experimenting the the rep and set ranges. They are two exercises that have always worked and are very basic, but functional movement patterns. They are important for any good chest or upper body workout and would even serve as a complete chest workout by themselves. Having said that here are some extra chest exercises you can add to your chest workout to compliment those two exercises.

 

3. Push Ups

Another tried and true exercise that serves great functionality is the good old push up. Push ups are great as a finisher at the end of your workout for completely exhausting the muscle and great for building that pressing movement. They can also be a great exercise to do if you’re working out at home with no weight. The push up, like the bench press is a very versatile exercise in that there are many different variations. You could even do one armed push ups if you’re strong enough.

 

4. Cable or Dumbbell Flyes

This is another good exercise for getting a nice stretch in your chest. It is also a more isolating exercise for the chest than the other three meaning you’re chest will do most of the work no matter how you do it. To perform this exercise with dumbbells first pick your weight then adjust the angle of the bench depending on the part of your chest you want to focus on. These can be done on a decline, incline or just flat. Start with your arms extended up above your chest. Then open your arms out to the sides until you feel a good stretch in your pecs then bring your arms back up. The same can be done with cables either on a bench or standing up.

 

If you’re looking for a bigger and stronger chest try out these four exercises and experiment with the rep and set ranges as well as the tempo or speed of the reps. Again make sure to train your back the same amount you train your chest and regularly stretch your chest, shoulders and biceps if you’re performing these exercises often.

Exercises For Bigger Traps

We all want big, intimidating, cobra traps but classic exercises like shrugs and upright aren’t always the best choice for growing your traps. Aside from the intimidating look, having a thick, strong upper back is essential for shoulder stability and proper posture. It is also important if you want to be able to perform compound exercises correctly.

 

Shrugs and upright rows can make your traps grow, but the problem with them is often times they are done in a motion that brings the shoulders forward more. You want to avoid this especially if you’re shoulders are already too far forward from constantly sitting hunched over. Instead of doing shrugs and upright rows, here are two exercises that I have found to help my traps grow and help me keep proper upper back posture at the same time. 

 

The first exercise I’ve found to help me grow my traps is shrug holds. For these you would pick a weight that you would use to do shrugs but instead of doing reps go for time. If you’re using dumbbells, pick them up off the floor in a similar fashion to a dead lift with a strong flat back.You should be using a decently heavy weight for you so you’ll want to make sure your core is tight and you hold the weight up with good posture. A way to make sure of this is to shrug the weight up and pull your shoulders back while keeping your glutes, legs and core tight. Try to hold it for at least 30 seconds. I did these with dumbbells but you could just as easily use a barbell loaded with weight just as long as you perform it the same way. My original intention was to do farmers carries but there is not enough room in the gym for those but if your gym is big enough then farmers carries would be a better alternative. 

 

Another exercise that I use is seated rear delt raises which I also do with dumbbells. These can be done standing with cables or seated with cables as well. You’ll want to use a fairly light weight for these, similar to lateral raises, because this is more of an isolation movement and the muscles being worked are fairly small and weak. To do these sit on the end of a bench and lean forward so you’re upper body is at about a 45 degree angle with the bench. Start with the weights under your legs then raise them the same as you would for lateral raises with your elbows slightly bent. Make sure you stay leaned over to keep the emphasis on the rear delts and traps. Another benefit of doing these is they help to balance your shoulder joints by strengthening the back of your shoulders which is important if you do a lot of exercises that strengthen the front of your shoulders like pressing exercises. 

 

If you want to try these to exercises I would suggest doing them on the same day as dead lifts as they are good assistance exercises to this compound exercise. For shrug holds I would recommend 3 to 5 sets of at least 30 second holds and for seated rear delt raises go for 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps.