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Chest Workouts for Men: 20+ Home & Gym-Based Ideas for Fast Pec Build

by | Nov 8, 2022 | Lifestyle

The chest is the largest muscle in the upper body and is often an important part of men’s fitness routines.

The chest muscles are located on the front of the body, connecting the arm to the torso. The pectoralis major is one of two muscles that make up the chest, and it’s responsible for moving your upper arm away from your rib cage.

Chest workouts for men can be done at home or the gym, and they can be done with free weights, machines, or your body weight. The most important thing is to find a routine you enjoy doing so you will be more likely to stick with it and see results.

It is important to know that not all pec workouts are created equal, and there are different ways to do a good pec workout. The exercises you choose will depend on what your goals are. Some people may just want to focus on building up their endurance, while others may want to focus on building muscle mass in this area.

A few exercises can help you develop strong pecs, but you should always keep in mind what kind of goals you have when deciding which exercises to do. If you are ready to build your chest muscle mass, certain exercises will be more effective than others.

In this article, we will give you some home, or gym-based ideas for fast pec build.

1. CABLE FLY CHEST WORKOUT FOR MEN

Cable fly is one of the best chest workouts for men because it works both the upper and lower sections of pecs. They can be done in a gym or at home with some equipment.

It is a great exercise for building the chest muscles because it requires very little equipment. All you need is a barbell with some weight on it and a set of cables to attach to your barbell. You can also try doing this exercise with just your body weight if you don’t have any equipment available.

STEPS

  • This exercise is done by attaching a rope to a cable machine and then grabbing the ends of the rope with your hands in an overhand grip. 
  • You then extend your arms out in front of you and pull back on the ropes, stretching them as far as possible so that your elbows are behind you.
  • Your elbows should be bent at about 90 degrees, and you should keep your palms facing forward throughout this exercise.

If you are a man and want to build up your pecs, you should follow these workouts because it targets all three major muscle groups: upper chest, front delts, and triceps.

2. STANCE CHANGE KNEE FLY CHEST WORKOUT FOR MEN

One great exercise for developing your pecs is by doing a Stance Change Kneeling Fly Chest Workout. This workout will target your lower, middle and upper pectoral muscles as well as your triceps and shoulders.

STEPS

This is the best way to perform the STANCE CHANGE KNEEFLY:

  • Sit on an incline bench with dumbbells in both hands.
  • Let the weights held with your hands be near to your pecs, as if you were preparing for a press.
  • Try to keep your chest strong, with a natural arch in the lower back.
  • Straighten your arms out to both sides, maintaining your strong chest position.
  • Hold on for a moment with your arms extended, stretching the muscles.

To get the best from this exercise, you need to spend more time at the bottom of the movement. Ensure you start with light weights to get used to the move in the first place.

3. HALF KNEELING CHEST PRESS

The half-kneeling chest press is an excellent chest workout for men to strengthen their chest muscles and improve their core stability. This exercise can be done at home or in the gym, but it’s better to do it at home if you are just starting because there is no need for equipment in this workout.

STEPS

To do this exercise and get the most out of it, try to adhere to the following steps:

  • Kneel with one of your legs forward in front of a cable machine that has been set up.
  • Grip the cable with the same hand as the knee that’s down on the ground.
  • Let your core be tight and your up-knee be straight, press the cable out in front of your chest. 
  • When you return your arm to your starting point, you can keep away from turning with the cable you are using. You can do this by stabilizing the hip and your core being squeezed.

4. T-BENCH GLUTE BRIDGE FLY

The T-Bench is a bench press for the chest designed to make pec-building workouts more effective. This Chest Workouts for Men target the chest muscles and also engages the back muscles and pecs. It can be done using a bench or lying on the floor. 

STEPS

  • Lying on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands placed behind your head.
  • You will then raise your hips off the ground so that you are at an incline with only your feet and shoulders touching the ground. 
  • Your arms should be raised above your head with elbows bent at 90 degrees, palms facing down towards you, fingers pointed towards each other, and thumbs pointed towards the ceiling.

This is a move that targets the chest muscles.

5. BATWING FLY

If you’re a man looking to build your pec muscles, the BATWING FLY is a great exercise to add to your routine. It’s also an excellent way to incorporate variety into your chest workout and will help you prevent injury.

It has many benefits and can be done with a variety of equipment.

The benefit of this exercise is that it causes your pecs to contract while stabilizing your shoulder blades, and thus helping you build more chest muscle. This exercise also helps to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles in your shoulders, which are important for preventing injury and keeping you healthy as you age.

STEPS

  • Lie on your back with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other. Bend your elbows so that the weights are at shoulder height.
  • Keep your arms straight and slowly bring them together in front of you until they are about two feet apart from each other. Hold this position for a few seconds, and then slowly lower your arms back down to starting position. You should feel the stretch in your chest during this motion.
  • Repeat this motion 10 times or as many times as you can manage without feeling any pain or discomfort in your shoulders or elbows

6. CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS

The close-grip bench press targets the chest muscles and can be used as part of a workout routine to build your pecs. The close-grip bench press should be done with heavy weights for maximum muscle growth, but it can also be done with lighter weights for higher reps to build endurance and tone muscle tissue.

The close-grip bench press is one of the best chest exercises for men because it works all three major pectoral muscles: pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and serratus anterior. It can be performed with dumbbells, barbells, or machines, so this exercise can be done anywhere, but it’s best to do it at home or at a gym where there are weights available.

STEPS

  • You will need to lie down on a bench and hold weights in your hands with your arms resting on the bench in front of you and close to your body. 
  • You will then lift the weights straight up over your chest, pause for a second, and then lower them back down again.

7. BAND OR CHAIN BARBELL BENCH PRESS

The band or chain barbell bench press is a variation of the standard bench press where you attach a band or chain to the barbell.

It is an excellent exercise for building pec strength. It also helps to improve your pressing power and explosiveness. One of its best features is that it can be easily adapted to suit anyone’s strength level, from novice to advanced lifter.

STEPS

How to perform the Band or Chain Barbell Bench Press:

  • Start by hanging a chain over each end of the barbell or anchor resistance bands to the bench and place them over each end of the bar. 
  • You can choose to start without weight to get used to the unstable bar.
  • Grab the barbell, then lie on a bench. 
  • Use an overhand grip that’s just beyond shoulder width, and hold the bar above your sternum, keeping your arms straight. 
  • At this level, try to lower the bar to your chest and then push it back to the starting position.

8. PLYOMETRIC PUSHUP

Plyometric pushups are a very effective way to build the chest. It is a great exercise for people who want to build bigger and stronger pecs.

Plyometric pushups are done by doing a standard pushup but with an explosive thrust of the arms so that your hands leave the floor. The movement of your hands creates a rebound effect, which will make your chest muscles contract. This type of movement will result in more muscle firing than just doing regular pushups and, thus, more muscle growth and strength gains.

You don’t need any equipment. It is also a great exercise for those who can’t do bench presses or other heavy weightlifting exercises.

The Benefits of Plyometric Pushups:

– Increases Strength: Plyometrics is more than just an exercise; it’s a training philosophy that takes advantage of your body’s natural reflexes to create explosive power in your muscles. This means you’ll be able to do more reps with heavier weights while also increasing your strength overall.

It is excellent for building up the muscles in the chest area because it targets all three major muscle groups in this region: the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and sternal head of the triceps brachii (the main arm muscles).

9. INCLINE PUSHUP

Incline Archer Pushups are great for building the upper chest and the outer pecs. It targets the pectoralis major – the largest muscle in the chest. This exercise will help you work on your upper body strength and stability as well as your core strength.

Incline Archer Pushups will force you to keep your body in an incline position, which places more emphasis on the upper pectoral muscles and less on your lower back.

Incline Archer Pushups are also perfect for those who have shoulder injuries, as these exercises don’t put too much stress on them.

STEPS

  • You will start in a high plank position with your hands on the ground and your feet on an elevated surface. 
  • This can be a bench, stairs, or anything that is elevated off the ground. 
  • You want to ensure that you keep your back straight and not rounding it. 
  • Lower yourself down until your chest touches the floor, then press back up to return to the starting position.

The Incline Archer Pushup is a good exercise for beginners because it does not require any equipment, which means that it can be done anywhere.

10. PLATE SQUEEZE PRESS

One of the best chest workouts for men is the plate squeeze press. It is a great exercise for building pec and developing deltoids, triceps, and biceps.

And because it’s such an easy exercise to perform, you can work on your chest virtually anywhere!

STEPS

  • Start by kneeling on the ground, squeezing your abs and glutes.
  • Ensure you hold two small plates together in your hands and press them together close to your chest. 
  • Try to keep the tension by pressing them together throughout the exercise.
  • Then thumb the plates in your outward and squeeze the plate into one another in the process. 
  • Pull your arms back in with the plates and try as much as you can to force them together. 
  • Slowly angle your arms upwards as if doing a 30-degree incline press. 
  • Do repeat the process, and focus keenly on keeping your elbows pointed to the ground. Pull back.

11. BEAR PLANK CHEST PRESS

The BEAR PLANK CHEST PRESS is one of the best Chest Workouts for Men. It targets your upper, middle, and lower pectoral muscles and helps develop your chest muscle fast.

When you do this exercise, you will be pressing your body up from a plank position, which works out your chest muscles. You will also be working out the muscles in your back and shoulders at the same time. This is a great exercise for building pecs because it does not require any equipment or weights and can be done anywhere!

STEPS

The BEAR PLANK CHEST PRESS can be done by:

  • Lying on your stomach with your feet touching each other and arms outstretched in front of you.
  • Now, lift yourself to form a plank position by placing your weight on your forearms and toes so that your back is straight, your abs tight, and your hands under your shoulders.
  • From this position, lower yourself down until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle before pressing back up again to the starting position.

12. SPIDER-MAN PUSHUP

The SPIDER-MAN PUSH-UP is a variation of the traditional pushup. It is more effective in targeting the upper pecs than regular pushups because it also engages your shoulders and triceps muscles.

This exercise is called SPIDER-MAN PUSH-UP because the person does not go all the way down but only to a point where the chest touches the ground and then pushes back up.

It can be done with or without weights. If you are using weights, keep in mind that it is advisable to use light weights and do more repetitions than if you were not using weights.

This may be difficult for beginners. But don’t worry; we’ll break down each step for you so that you can nail this intense exercise.

STEPS

  • The person should start by lying on his back with his hands on either side of him, palms facing away from him.
  • He then pushes himself off of the ground so that he is in a plank position, balancing on his toes and palms.
  • From there, he bends at the waist and lowers himself down so that his chest touches the ground before pushing back up to full extension.

13. SUSPENDED PUSHUPS

A suspended pushup is an exercise that requires a suspension trainer, such as the TRX. This exercise can be performed at home or in the office and is a great way to build your chest muscles.

STEPS

  • You need to start with your feet on the ground and your hands on the TRX straps. Your arms should be fully extended, and your back should be straight.
  • Get into a pushup position by bending your elbows and lowering your body until you are in a plank position with only two points of contact with the floor:
  • Your feet and one hand on each TRX strap. 
  • Your arm should be fully extended, and you should have good posture throughout this exercise.
  • Squeeze your pecs for 2 seconds before extending both arms again to return to the plank position. Repeat the set for the desired number of reps.
  • This exercise will help develop your chest muscles in a short amount of time. They are one of the best exercises for building pecs,

14. STANDING ONE-ARM LANDMINE PRESS

The standing one-arm landmine press is a simple yet effective exercise that targets the entire pectoral muscle group.

It’s one of those exercises you can do with either dumbbells or barbells. It also trains your core and stabilizer muscles. It is a fairly challenging exercise, so be sure to start with light weights and work your way up from there. All you need is some space, and you can get started.

It is a fairly challenging exercise, so be sure to start with light weights and work your way up from there.

STEPS

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell in one hand, resting on the floor.
  • Grab the barbell with both hands and lift it so that it rests on one side of your body, near the top of your shoulder.
  • Grip the barbell with one hand, then step away from it, so you’re holding it at arm’s length in front of you
  • Bend down and place the opposite end of the barbell on the floor
  • Straighten up while pressing upwards until you’re standing upright
  • Lower your back down to start position by bending over and placing the opposite end of the barbell on the floor

15. DECLINE DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS

The decline dumbbell bench press is a great chest workout for men. It is also a great exercise for building pecs.

STEPS

In the decline dumbbell bench press, the exercise is performed with the following steps:

  • Lying on your back with your feet flat on the ground and holding two dumbbells in each hand. 
  • You will then lower the weights to your chest while keeping them close to your body. 
  • Finally, you will push up the weights to complete one repetition of this exercise.
  • This exercise can be modified by changing the angle of the incline or by using a barbell instead of a dumbbell.

16. DUMBBELL FLY

A lot of people think that all chest workouts can only be done with machines in the gym, but this is not true. Many chest workouts for men, can be carried out without any equipment.

The Dumbbell fly is one such exercise.

This exercise is a great way to build pecs because it uses all the muscle fibers in your chest and pushes you to your limits. It is also a good pec-building exercise because it works the upper and lower chest area together at once.

Finally, it is one exercise that fits people of all levels. Both beginners, intermediate, or expert exercisers can use the Dumbbell fly to build their pecs. It fits with all levels. 

STEPS

The Dumbbell fly can be performed by the following vital steps:

  • Lying face up on a bench and holding one dumbbell in each hand with your arms extended out over your chest. 
  • The next steps are to lower the weights to about shoulder height, then extend your arms back over your chest. 
  • Lower the weights back down to shoulder height and repeat.

17. DUMBBELL FLOOR PRESS

The Dumbbell Floor Press is a great exercise for building pecs, but it can also be used as an all-over muscle builder. It works your chest, shoulders, arms, and back muscles while also improving balance and coordination. It is also one of those chest workouts that can be performed at home or a gym.

This exercise can be done with or without weights, but weights are recommended for better results.

STEPS

To do this exercise:

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the ground. 
  • Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing the ceiling. 
  • Slowly lower the weights until they touch the floor just above your chest, then press them back up to return to the starting position.

This exercise can be done with one dumbbell or two. If using two, they should be in the same hand and may not be moved from side to side.

18. CHIN UP

The CHIN UP is an exercise that targets the chest muscles. It is a great Chest Workouts for Men that aids in building pec strength and size. The CHIN UP can be performed with any kind of bar or object, but it’s best to find a bar that’s high enough off the ground, so you don’t have to jump up and down to get your chin over it.

STEPS

To do a CHIN UP:

  • Start by hanging from the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing away from you, and your arms fully extended. 
  • Next, pull yourself up until your chin clears the top of the bar or until your upper arms are parallel to the ground (your elbows will be bent). 
  • Finally, lower yourself back down in an arc-like motion until you’re hanging at arm’s length again with straight arms.

19. RACK PULL

RACK PULL is a very effective exercise for building pec muscles. It is a compound exercise, meaning it uses more than one joint and muscle group. This is an excellent exercise because it can be done with heavy weights and doesn’t put any additional stress on your joints.

STEPS

  • Grab a barbell from the squat racks or the floor and set it on your chest in front of you with your hands holding the barbell at shoulder width. 
  • Your feet should be about hip-width apart, and your knees should be bent with your feet firmly planted on the ground.
  • Keeping your back straight, bend at the hips and pull yourself towards the barbell so that you can grab it with one hand in front of you on each side of the barbell. 
  • You should feel a stretch in your chest muscles as you do this.
  • Push yourself back to starting position and repeat for desired reps

This exercise can be done in different variations:

– With a straight arm (using dumbells)

– With bent arms (using dumbells)

– With bent arms (using a barbell)

– With a bent arm using an elastic band

20. FRONT SQUAT

Front squats are an excellent workout to build up your chest muscles. They require a lot of upper body strength and work on strengthening the core as well.

The key thing to remember when doing this exercise is not to lean forward too much when you are coming up from the bottom of the squat, or else you will put too much strain on your lower back muscles.

STEPS

It is performed in the following steps:

  • The front squat is done by holding the barbell on the front of your chest, with your hands gripping it just outside of shoulder width. 
  • The barbell should be resting on your collarbone and be held close to you at all times.
  • You will then lower yourself down into a squat position while keeping your back straight, knees slightly bent, and feet flat on the floor. 
  • When you come back up from this position, push through the heels of your feet and squeeze your glutes to get back up to a standing position.

21. SINGLE-ARM DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS

The single-arm dumbbell bench press targets the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles in your chest, which are responsible for moving your arms across your body. This exercise is also a good way to strengthen your triceps, which are located on the back of your arm and help you push up from a lying position.

If you want to increase the intensity of this exercise, try adding weight plates to each side of the dumbbells.

STEPS

The Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press can be done by:

  • Lying on a bench and holding one dumbbell in both hands.
  • Raise your arm to the side of your head, bend your elbow and lower it down towards your chest while pushing with your arm. 
  • Keep the other arm straight by resting it on the bench or by holding it in front of you with a slight bend in the elbow. 
  • Raise back up to starting position and repeat with the other arm.

CONCLUSION

Many who want to build their pec often overlook chest workouts for men. But this should not be so. These workouts for men should be a staple in any workout routine if you want to build your pec.

More so: You need to know that many different exercises can be done to work your chest muscles and build up your pec and should be done at least twice a week( either at home or the gym). This will help in building up the pecs and making them stronger. Lastly, chest workouts will also help improve your posture, giving you more confidence and reducing back pain.