The Top 5 Chest Muscle Exercises

As people start to anticipate another season at the beach or around the pool, many are attempting to rev up their workout routines to strengthen and tone their bodies. Amongst the many muscle groups being targeted is the chest muscle. Other than the arms, the chest is the certainly something people want to show off, and a great looking chest requires focused strength training. Here we have compiled some of the more effective chest muscle exercises to help you get that body you'll be proud to show off.

The Best Chest Muscle Exercises

• Bench Press

For its ability to work the entire chest muscle, the bench press is one of the oldest and most effective chest exercises there is. It is performed whilst lying flat on your back with your hands shoulder length apart. The barbell is lowered down to the chest in a controlled movement and then thrust upwards until the arms lock. This movement is repeated several times with reps ranging from 8-15 in 3 sets. For best results, begin with a weight you can press fairly easily for 15 reps and then increase the weight and reduce the amount of reps with each successive set.

• Incline Press

The incline press is great for working the top half of the chest or pectoral muscle. It is performed in much the same way as a traditional bench press. The only difference is that instead of lying flat, you will lie at an incline. Because of the angle, incline presses will pose more of a physical challenge, so make sure you begin with a lighter weight until you're sure how much weight you can handle.

• Dumbbell Presses

Like the barbell bench press, dumbbell bench presses are performed whilst lying flat on your back with your feet comfortably on the floor. Select a pair of dumbbells of equal weight, beginning first with a load you can handle with each arm for approximately 15-20 repetitions. Increase the weight for each set and reduce the number of repetitions to give the muscle a maximum workout. For a variation you can also perform dumbbell presses at an incline or decline.

• Dips

Dips are a powerful chest muscle exercise performed using a "dip bar" on which you raise and lower your body weight. Although the exercise may look easy it can be extremely taxing. When done consistently as part of an overall workout routine, dips can help to really tone and strengthen the chest muscle.

• Push-Ups

The great thing about push-ups as a chest muscle exercise is that they can be done at any time, without having to drive to the gym or buy expensive equipment. Push-ups help to tone and strengthen the chest muscle and can be performed with several different variations, including close grip, wide grip and weighted pushups.
With focused strength training, along with the proper diet, you can build lean chest muscle, burn fat and finally get that rock hard body that looks great on any beach.