Top 5 Chest Exercises You’re Not Doing for Massive Growth
Building a massive, well-rounded chest isn’t just about bench presses or hitting the gym’s staple machines. Sometimes, real growth comes from focusing on exercises that are often overlooked.
By incorporating new movements into your routine, you can challenge your muscles in fresh ways, target different angles of the chest, and see results that take your upper body strength and physique to the next level.
In this article, we’ll break down the top 5 chest exercises you’re not doing for massive growth and explain how they can transform your chest workout. These exercises will not only hit your chest from multiple angles but will also ensure a balanced and developed chest.
1. Decline Dumbbell Press
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
The decline dumbbell press is a powerful yet often overlooked movement for lower chest development. Most gym-goers focus heavily on the flat and incline bench presses, leaving the lower chest underdeveloped.
The decline dumbbell press shifts the focus to this lower portion, promoting a fuller, more proportionate chest.
How to Perform:
1. Lie on a decline bench, securing your feet under the padding.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, with your palms facing forward.
3. Push the dumbbells upward, fully extending your arms while squeezing your chest at the top.
4. Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position, feeling the stretch in your chest as you lower.
Why It Works:
The decline position emphasizes the lower chest muscles (pectoralis major) more than traditional flat or incline presses. It also forces you to use a full range of motion, which recruits more muscle fibers.
Additionally, dumbbells allow for a deeper stretch and a more natural range of motion than a barbell, engaging stabilizer muscles and increasing chest activation.
2. Machine Chest Press
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
While some may view machine exercises as inferior to free weights, the machine chest press can be incredibly effective when used properly.
It’s a great alternative to the bench press because it offers controlled movement and constant tension, allowing you to focus on your chest without worrying about balance or form breakdown.
How to Perform:
1. Sit on the chest press machine, adjusting the seat height so that the handles are aligned with your mid-chest.
2. Grab the handles with an overhand grip and press them forward, extending your arms while keeping your elbows slightly bent at the top.
3. Slowly return the handles to the starting position, maintaining tension in your chest.
Why It Works:
Machines offer consistent tension throughout the range of motion, making them ideal for muscle isolation. The machine chest press allows you to focus purely on pushing with your chest muscles without worrying about stabilizing the weight, which can be a problem in free-weight exercises.
Additionally, the fixed path of the machine ensures proper form, reducing the risk of injury while still promoting strength and size gains.
3. Dumbbell Flys
Sets: 2
Reps: 15
The dumbbell fly is a classic chest isolation movement that targets the pectoral muscles in a unique way. Unlike presses, which focus on pushing movements, the dumbbell fly stretches the chest muscles, emphasizing the outer part of the chest and creating that wide, full look.
How to Perform:
1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended above your chest with a slight bend in your elbows.
2. Slowly lower your arms out to your sides in a wide arc, feeling the stretch in your chest as the dumbbells lower to shoulder height.
3. Bring the dumbbells back to the starting position, focusing on squeezing your chest muscles together at the top of the movement.
Why It Works:
Dumbbell flys focus on stretching and contracting the pectoral muscles through a large range of motion. This exercise isolates the chest, reducing involvement from the triceps and shoulders.
Performing flys with high reps, as suggested here, can create a pump in your chest, filling the muscles with blood and stimulating growth through time under tension.
4. Decline Cable Flys
Sets: 2
Reps: 12
While many are familiar with standard cable flys, the decline cable fly offers a new way to target the lower chest.
This exercise isolates the pectoral muscles and provides constant tension, which is crucial for muscle growth. The decline angle also shifts the focus to the lower chest, an area often undertrained.
How to Perform:
1. Set the pulleys on a cable machine to a high position.
2. Stand in the center of the machine, holding the handles with your arms extended in front of you.
3. Step forward slightly to create tension on the cables and keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
4. Slowly lower your arms in a wide arc until your hands meet at hip level, focusing on squeezing your chest at the bottom.
5. Return to the starting position in a controlled manner.
Why It Works:
Decline cable flys are excellent for isolating the lower chest. Using cables provides constant tension throughout the movement, something that dumbbells or barbells cannot.
This constant tension forces your chest muscles to work harder and stay engaged during both the eccentric (lowering) and concentric (lifting) phases of the exercise. By incorporating decline cable flys, you can fine-tune your lower chest development for a balanced, massive chest.
5. Incline Dumbbell Press
Sets: 2
Reps: 15
The incline dumbbell press is a staple exercise for building the upper chest, which is crucial for creating that “shelf” look.
This exercise allows for greater range of motion compared to the barbell incline press and engages the stabilizer muscles more effectively, leading to improved muscle growth.
How to Perform:
1. Set an adjustable bench to a 30-45 degree angle and sit with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing forward.
3. Press the weights upward, fully extending your arms while keeping your elbows slightly bent at the top.
4. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to shoulder height, feeling the stretch in your upper chest.
Why It Works:
The incline dumbbell press targets the upper chest, an area that many neglect but is essential for a complete chest. The incline position shifts the workload away from the middle and lower pecs, focusing on the clavicular head of the pectoralis major.
By using dumbbells, you allow for a greater range of motion and activate the stabilizer muscles more effectively than with a barbell.
Conclusion
If you’re serious about building a massive chest, it’s important to step out of the typical bench press routine and incorporate exercises that hit your muscles from different angles.
The decline dumbbell press, machine chest press, dumbbell flys, decline cable flys, and incline dumbbell press are all excellent choices to add variety, target the chest fully, and accelerate muscle growth.
Incorporating these exercises into your routine can lead to better strength, symmetry, and size, helping you achieve the chest you’ve always wanted.
Remember, consistency is key. Focus on progressive overload, maintain proper form, and give yo
ur muscles enough rest between workouts to see the best results. With these exercises in your arsenal, you’ll be well on your way to achieving massive chest growth.
