Bench Press
The bench press exercise is one of the most fundamental exercises when wanting to build a bigger chest and build upper body strength. This exercise primarily focuses on the chest muscles but does somewhat work the shoulders, forearms, biceps and triceps.
How to Set Up:
1. Add weight to the bar on each side (lighter weight is preferable to maintain perfect posture and form)
2. Lay with your back flat on the bench and grip the bar above you with arms wider that shoulder-width (not too wide)
3. Keep your shoulders in place by pulling them back and down which creates more stability and prevents injuries
4. Try to arch your back by pushing your chest upwards
5. Push your glutes downwards onto the bench and plant the balls of your feet into the floor
How to Do:
1. Unrack the bar by slightly pushing the bar upwards
2. Bring the bar somewhat forward and in line with the lower chest
3. Slowly lower the bar towards the lower chest and let the bar touch (too fast can cause damage to the ribs when in contact). Keep elbows in 45-degree angle (slightly down towards the body)
4. Wait for 1 second at the bottom and push the bar upwards by extending your arms (do not lock the arms)
5. When done push the bar upwards and back to rerack it
*Recommended to do 3 sets of 10 reps with a moderate weight (too much weight without a spotter may lead to injury)
1-2 minutes rest between sets
Chest Press
The chest press exercise is another fundamental exercise in building the chest muscles. The pushing forward motion works on the mid to upper chest, which is what increases the mass, density and strength of the chest muscles.
How to Set Up:
1. Set the weight to whatever is preferred (moderate to heavy is recommended as injury is highly unlikely unless done incorrectly)
2. Adjust the seat until the handles are aligned with the mid-upper chest
3. Rotate wrists slightly outwards when gripping the handles
4. Have arms in a 45-degree angle in starting position
5. Sit with back flat against the seat's support
6. Push the chest outwards while still maintaining straight back posture
7. Pull shoulders backwards and have shoulders relaxed
How to Do:
1. Push the handles forward while still maintaining straight posture and chest is pushed outwards
2. Wait 1 second when arms are extended and squeeze the chest muscles
3. Slowly bring the handles back towards your chest while bending your elbows in a 45-degree angle
*Recommended to do 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps moderate-heavy weights (heavy if form is proper)
1-2 minutes rest between sets
Chest Fly
Cable Chest Fly (Alternative)
The chest fly is one of the best exercises to grow the chest and make it appear bigger/stronger. There are different variations such as dumbbell chest fly, cable chest fly and the chest fly machine. All 3 of these variations work the same part of the chest which is the lower and upper chest. The cable chest fly and machine chest fly are both better than the dumbbell chest fly because they add an increase in tension/resistance, which is what helps the chest muscle grow faster.
How to Set Up (Chest Fly Machine):
1. Adjust the weight to whatever weight is preferred (recommended not to go too heavy as this can injure the shoulders if done with improper form)
2. Adjust the seat so that handles are at shoulder height
3. Hold both handles and keep elbows slightly bent
4. Push chest outwards while maintaining straight posture and having back as flat as possible on the seat support
5. Plant feet with force into the ground for stability
6. Push shoulder backwards and keep them relaxed
How to Do (Chest Fly Machine):
1. Pull both handles towards the front and make them touch while still maintaining straight posture and chest pushed outwards (do not move arms, arms should be swung)
2. Hold the handles in the front for 1-2 seconds
3. Slowly swing back your arms while still creating resistance to the machine to return to starting position (too fast can cause injury)
How to Set Up (Cable Chest Fly):
1. Add 2 handles to each side of the cable
2. Adjust both cables to slightly above shoulder height
3. Hold both cables and take one step forward, placing one foot in front of the other
4. Have a straight back and push feet into the floor for stability
5. Have arms slightly bent and let them stretch slightly behind the chest
6. Push chest outwards
How to Do (Cable Chest Fly):
1. Pull both handles towards the front of your body while maintaining straight posture and arms should not be bent in this process
2. Hold in the front for 1–2 seconds while squeezing the chest muscles and having arms slightly bent (do not lock arms)
3. Slowly bring your arms back to the starting position without bending your arms