Whether you simply want to trim the fat, firm up your pecs and get rid of the “man boob” look, or your goal is to pack on a ton of chest muscle, then you absolutely must be performing the most effective pectoral exercises on a regular basis. Sure hitting the gym in an random way and randomly performing Pec exercises with no clear plan of attack, will allow you to achieve some level of success. However if you really want to build a big strong chest that you can be proud of, then you need to create your chest workouts around most effective pec exercises and forget about the laundry list of worthless and ineffective pectoral exercises.
Regardless of what body part you want to focus your attention on, It’s my opinion that you are much better off in the long run sticking with the pec exercises that allow you to train with heavier weights through a range of motion that incorporates muscles from multiple muscle groups. When it comes to chest training, I like to focus on the fundamental chest presses that incorporate the deltoid and chest at the same time.
I just feel that you get more muscle stimulation lifting this way than you would by trying to singularly isolate each and every muscle fiber of each and every muscle group. If you try to work out for muscle growth by focusing on isolation movements that don’t work in your deltoids, you get to a point where you just chant get your pecs to grow because you’re training with very light weights.
Listed below are my choices for the most effective all around pectoral exercises. Take the time to learn how to perform each of these chest exercises with proper form and start working them into your upper body training days. You will begin to feel a nearly instant difference in the size and strength of you chest, but after a few weeks of determined effort, everyone will begin to notice your stronger, bigger chest muscles.
The Best Pectoral Exercises
1. Barbell Bench Press – This is the universal “granddaddy” of all pec exercises. Including muscles from your chest, delts and tri’s this awesome pectoral exercise will help you pack on some serious chest muscle fast!
To perform the barbell bench press – Lie on your back on a flat bench with your butt in contact with the bench and your feet flat on the ground. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip spaced just wider than shoulder width. Slowly lower the bar in a slow and controlled manner until it’s located just below your lower chest. push your arms up while pushing the weight until the bar is in the starting position.
2. 45 Degree Incline Press – The incline press is another classic (and very effective) pectoral exercise that can help you get your pecs into amazing shape. the incline press stimulates the muscles in your chest and shoulders.
To perform the incline press: Sit on an inclined bench set to between 45 and 60 degrees. I personally like to lower the angle of the bench even lower to somewhere between 35 and 40 degrees because it allows me to train with much heavier weights than I can train with if the angle of the bench is steeper. Just give this pec exercise a try and see what works best for you..
Wrap you thumbs around the barbell with an overhand grip that is slightly wider than shoulder width. Lower the bar in a slow and controlled manner to the top of your chest. Make sure that your back and butt stay in contact with the incline bench during the entire movement. Press the weight up until the bar is back in the starting position. Make sure to avoid any aching in your back during this exercise.
3. Chest Dips And Weighted Chest Dips – When performed properly chest dips are one of the most effective chest exercises. Dips target your pecs while including your deltoids at the same time. One of the unique things about weighted dips is that when performed correctly, dips allow you to really stretch out your pecs and deltoids at the bottom of the exercise, which can help to improve blood flow and nutrient uptake in your shoulders and chest.
To perform chest dips: Hang from the parallel bars with your arms fully extended and you legs curled up behind you. Bend your elbows and lower your body slowly until your chest is level with the parallel bars, then press down and lift your body back up to the starting position. In order to place more of an emphasis on your pectoralis and less on your triceps, lean forward through the complete movement.
If I had to narrow my list down to only 3 pectoral exercises to make up the bulk of my chest workouts, bench press, incline press (as well as the dumbbell equivalents) and weighted dips would be the exercises I’d go with. Not only do these basic chest exercises require little in the way of fancy equipment, there is no doubt that they are among the most effective exercises for building a massive and eye catching chest.