The Best Chest Exercises

Top Exercises

Lying Fly

Beginner / Cable Crossover Machine / Chest / isolation

A foundational chest isolation exercise. Lying on a bench provides stability, allowing for a deep stretch and focused contraction of the pecs.

Low Fly

Beginner / Cable Crossover Machine / Chest / isolation

Targets the lower chest fibers. This isolation movement uses a low-to-high arc to build definition in the sternal head of the pectorals.

Kneeling Wide Hand Push-Up

Beginner / Bodyweight-only / Chest / push

Targets the chest and shoulders while reducing the load on the core. The wide hand placement increases pectoral recruitment.

Dumbbell One Arm Bench Fly

Intermediate / Dumbbells / Chest / isolation

A unilateral isolation exercise for the chest. It increases core recruitment as the body must resist the lateral weight of the dumbbell.

Dumbbell Lying on Floor Hammer Press

Beginner / Dumbbells / Chest / push

A floor press variation using a neutral grip. It emphasizes the triceps and medial pectorals while being extremely safe for the shoulder joints.

Dumbbell Lying Hammer Press

Beginner / Dumbbells / Chest / push

A chest press variation using a neutral grip. It targets the pectorals while significantly increasing triceps involvement and reducing shoulder strain.

Dumbbell Low Fly

Beginner / Dumbbells / Chest / isolation

A chest isolation exercise targeting the lower pectoral fibers. The low-to-high arc emphasizes the sternal head of the chest.

Dumbbell Incline Twisted Flyes

Intermediate / Dumbbells / Chest / core

A chest isolation variation that uses wrist rotation to engage different pectoral fibers and maximize the contraction at the top of the movement.

Dumbbell Incline One Arm Press on Exercise Ball

Intermediate / Dumbbells / Chest / push

An advanced stabilization exercise. Pressing one arm on the ball recruits the entire core and improves upper chest strength.

Dumbbell Incline Palm-in Press

Intermediate / Dumbbells / Chest / push

An incline press with a neutral grip (palms in). It shifts the focus to the upper chest and triceps while being very safe for the shoulder joints.

Dumbbell Incline Press on Exercise Ball

Intermediate / Dumbbells / Chest / push

Combines upper chest pressing with total-body stability. The ball requires constant micro-adjustments from the core and legs.

Dumbbell Incline One Arm Fly

Intermediate / Dumbbells / Chest / isolation

A unilateral upper chest exercise that increases core demand and allows for deep isolation of each pectoral muscle.

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Cable Crossover Machine

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Seated Cable Row Machine

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