How To Get A Bigger Chest

Chest day requires performing exercises that target the upper, mid, lower, and inner pectoral muscles. Depending on your access to equipment, there are standard chest workout plans that will help you accomplish this.

How do you build chest muscle?

Chest workouts require performing exercises that evenly target the upper, mid, lower, and inner chest muscles. Ideally, you want to perform 30-50 sets of exercises split over two days (twice a week) separated by 72 hours of rest for the chest muscles. Advanced gym-goers can perform this in one two-hour setting, once a week.

How to train the lower chest

The primary exercises that help with this are triangle push-ups, knee triangle push-ups, chest dips, decline barbell bench press, decline dumbbell bench press, decline Smith machine bench press, and the decline machine press.

How to develop the upper chest

The primary exercises that help with this are box push-ups, incline barbell bench press, incline dumbbell bench press, incline Smith machine bench press, and the incline machine press.

How to work inner pecs

The primary exercises that help with this are the pec deck machine, dumbbell flys, decline dumbbell flys, incline dumbbell flys, middle cable chest flys, high cable chest flys, and low cable chest flys.

How to expand the chest cavity

There are two main exercises for broadening the ribcage cavity: the barbell pullover and the dumbbell pullover. When performing these exercises, make sure to extend the arms to get a good stretch. These exercises are primarily a stretching exercise and do not build mass. Note: it is easier to expand the ribcage under the age of 21 when your bones have not completely set yet. Once you are over 30, you can probably skip them unless you want a good vertical stretch. But if you are looking for the broad look, then you will have to build the lateral shoulder muscles.

Home workout routine - Beginner level

Push-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps
Triangle Push-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps
Box Push-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps
If you are just starting out try the easier version with the knees.
Knee Push-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps
Knee Triangle Push-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps
Knee Box Push-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps

Gym Machine Routine - Beginner level

Machine Chest Press - 3 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Incline Machine Chest Press - 3 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Decline Machine Chest Press - 3 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Pec Deck Fly Machine - 3 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell Routine - Intermediate Level

In this routine you want to start with heavy dumbbells for the presses, moving to lighter weights for the flys and pullovers.

Flat Dumbbell Chest press - 3 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Incline Dumbbell Chest press - 3 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Decline Dumbbell Chest press - 3 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Dumbbell Pullovers - 2 sets of 10 reps
Flat Dumbbell Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
Decline Dumbbell Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
If you have access to a cable pin machine system, you can rotate the dumbbells out with cables every other workout. Middle Cable Chest Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
High Cable Chest Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
Low Cable Chest Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps

Barbell Routine - Intermediate Level

In this routine you want to start with heavy weight for the barbell presses, moving to lighter weights for the flys and pullovers.

Flat Bench Barbell Chest Press - 3 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Incline Bench Barbell Chest Press - 3 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Decline Bench Barbell Chest Press - 3 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Barbell Pullover - 2 sets of 10 reps
Flat Dumbbell Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
Decline Dumbbell Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
If you have access to a cable pin machine system, you can rotate the dumbbells out with cables every other workout. Middle Cable Chest Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
High Cable Chest Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
Low Cable Chest Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps

Barbell and Dumbbell Routine - Advanced Level

In this routine you want to start with heavy weight for the barbell presses, moving to medium weight for the dumbbells, finishing off with lighter weight for the flys and pullovers.

Flat Bench Barbell Chest Press - 4-5 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Incline Bench Barbell Chest Press - 4-5 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Decline Bench Barbell Chest Press - 4-5 sets of 10 reps or pyramid reps
Barbell Pullover - 2 sets of 10 reps
Flat Dumbbell Chest press - 3 sets of 10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Chest press - 3 sets of 10 reps
Decline Dumbbell Chest press - 3 sets of 10 reps
Flat Dumbbell Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
Decline Dumbbell Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
If you have access to a cable pin machine system, you can rotate the dumbbells out with cables every other workout. Middle Cable Chest Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
High Cable Chest Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps
Low Cable Chest Flys - 2 sets of 10 reps

Simple way to shock the muscle

After you have worked out for a few months (or years), you will find that it will get harder to get mass gains, and you will have to shock the muscles. Simply rotate the order of flat, incline, and decline exercises. For example, week 1 start with the order of flat, incline, decline.
Week 2 - incline, flat, decline
Week 3 - decline, flat, incline
Week 4 - flat, decline, incline
Week 5 - incline, decline, flat
Week 6 - decline, incline, flat

When to add Drop Sets

Slowly work in drop sets into your workouts, starting with the last pressing exercise.

What is the difference between the chest presses and the chest flys

The presses build mass and size. The flys build definition, for example, when you want striation in your muscles and build the middle line. At the beginner level you can skip these exercises until you build sufficient mass to focus on definition.

What are pyramid reps?

Read our Pyramid Reps guide.