The Body Fortress Ultimate Chest Workout for Men

Every weightlifter dreams of attaining a chest like the legends of bodybuilding: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kai Greene, and Lee Haney. A broad chest with no fat and wide, powerful pectoral muscles is a sign of an accomplished lifter.
But with so many options for working out your chest, how do you choose the movements that will get you a solid chest?
Of course you’ll want to get your reps in on the bench press, but don’t neglect techniques that are a bit less well-known. These exercises are simple to perform, yet can hit every part of your chest when used together. Here are five exercises that should be in any chest workout for men looking to build bigger pecs:
The Ultimate Chest Workout for Men
1. Flyes
Flyes are great because they hit your pecs from a different motion than the classic press. You can do them on a flat, incline, or decline bench, depending on which part of the chest you’re targeting. Flyes also work your triceps, deltoids, and back muscles.
2. Pushups
This classic bodyweight workout requires no equipment and can be done anywhere – from the gym to the office to the bedroom. Pushups are a compound exercise that strengthens your delts and shoulders, and since they can be performed with different hand positions and angles, you can switch them up to sculpt a specific part of your chest.
3. Incline press
Another staple of most bodybuilders’ chest regimen, you can perform the incline press with either dumbbells or a barbell, depending on your preference. Unlike the flat bench, the incline press targets the clavicular head of your pecs, the upper portion of your chest that you need to hit to achieve that powerful “shelf” look.
4. Dips
Like pushups, dips are another excellent bodyweight exercise that can be done anywhere you have a ledge, box, or surface to brace your arms against. For maximum chest impact, remember to angle your torso forward so that the dip uses your pecs and not your triceps. Bend your knees and move your legs back to help you balance your forward-leaning weight
5. Cable crossover
The cable crossover is a top-notch workout because you can hit different parts of your chest depending on the height at which you set the cable. Placing the cables below chest level works your upper pecs, while putting them high above your chest targets the lower pecs. Placing them in the middle hits the middle portion – you can combine all three varieties for total pectoral burn!
How to Use this Chest Workout for Men
While a variety of different chest moves is important for developing a well-shaped set of pecs, it’s just as important to let your muscles recover so they can grow. Depending on your experience and the intensity of your workouts, you’ll want to give your pecs a full 48 to 72 hours of rest after a workout. This chest workout pairs well with movements that hit your triceps and shoulders; many of the exercises listed above recruit those muscles as stabilizers. To ensure muscle growth, remember to get enough rest and keep your protein intake high.
And finally, while a built chest might look great, all lifters should strive to develop a well-rounded physique that doesn’t neglect any part of their body. If you want to learn how to develop a ripped set of abs to Go with your massive chest, check out our recent article on the ab routine you need to get shredded.