6 Exercises for a Bigger Chest you didn’t know of

Are you wondering how to get a bigger chest? Well, we have the answers right here for you!

While I’m all for body positivity, no one can deny the appeal of a wide, muscular chest. I blame Chris Hemsworth and his spectacular chest for this obsession! Jokes aside, a bigger chest can boost your confidence, help you feel more powerful, and provide you with the upper body strength you need to perform many tasks effortlessly.

Working out the chest means stimulating your pectoral muscles (pecs,) which are the largest muscles in your chest. Other chest muscles include your lats (latissimus dorsi) and the trapezius muscle. There are multiple exercises you can perform to work out these muscles and grow your chest.

So, without any ado, let’s take a look at how to build chest muscles!

How to Build Bigger Chest Muscles

Here are some exercises you can perform to get a bigger chest:

1. Barbell Bench Press

A barbell bench press is inarguably one of the most effective exercises for a muscular chest. To perform this exercise, lower yourself onto the bench with your feet planted on the floor. Make sure to keep your back flat and position yourself so that the bar is directly over your eyes and your shoulders, head, and butt are on the bench.

Grab the barbell with your palms forward and your thumbs wrapped around the bar. Move the bar into the right position with the help of a spotter. Hold the bar over your chest or chin while ensuring your wrists and elbows are straight. Inhale and then lower the bar slowly until it touches your chest. Don’t forget to flare your elbows slightly to support the movement. Exhale and press the bar up, keeping your back flat and wrists straight. Repeat the movement as needed.

2. Bent Forward Cable Crossover

A bent forward cable crossover will put the right strain on your chest muscles to help you grow a bigger chest. To perform this exercise, plant your feet hip-width apart or keep one foot in front of the other in a walking stance. Hold the pulley handles with your arms straight out and facing inward. Make sure to bend your elbows a bit and keep your hands below your shoulders.

Be careful not to jerk your body forward. Instead, make careful, slow, and controlled movements as you bring your hands together to extend your arms. For more resistance, move your arms down and then in toward each other to cross one hand over the other. Bring our arms back to their starting position and make sure that they don’t go past your shoulders.  

3. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Incline dumbbell bench presses can also help you get a bigger chest. By using two weights, you get a greater range of motions than a standard bench press. It also activates more stabilizing muscles. To perform an incline dumbbell bench press, take a dumbbell in each hand and lie back on a bench set to a 45-degree angle.

Make sure your feet are firmly planted on the floor. Press your back, head, shoulders, and butt to the bench. Put the dumbbells near your armpits and chest with your palms facing inward and your wrists straight. Exhale, suck in your abs and lift the weights over your torso, palms facing away from you.

Keep your arms shoulder-width apart and your elbows straight but not locked. Inhale and lower one weight, then drive it back up and squeeze your chest. Do the same with the other dumbbell. Alternatively, you can lower both the dumbbells at the same time.

4. Chest Dips

If you want to lose your man boobs and burn that chest fat, dips are one of the most effective ways to do that. A chest dip will also work your entire upper body, stimulating the muscles in your upper back, shoulders, and arms.

To perform a dip, grab the parallel dip bars firmly with your palms facing inward and your arms straight to lift your body. Keep your head in line with your trunk, your elbows straight, and your wrists in line with your forearms. Stabilize your lower body by bringing one leg across the other.

Pull in your abs, exhale, and bend your elbows to slowly lower your body. Make sure to keep your elbows near your sides and your legs directly under your body to avoid swinging or tilting. Keep lowering your body until your elbows are at a right angle and your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Straighten your wrists and hold your position.

Straighten your elbows, and push into the bars with your hands to return to the starting position. Keep your wrists straight and your body vertical.

5. Cable Fly

If you want to build chest muscles, you must give your deltoids and pectorals a stimulus. One of the finest ways to do that is by adding a cable fly to your chest day, as it will provide constant tension throughout the exercise. Start by attaching stirrup handles to the cable crossover machine’s high pulleys.

Take one stirrup in each hand and keep your arms outstretched with a slight curve. Put one foot slightly forward, brace your core, and pull the stirrup handles down and across your body. Slowly return to the starting position while keeping your body under control. Repeat the movement as needed.

6. Clap Press-Up

If you don’t have any equipment at home, you can perform a simple push-up for muscle activation. They will strengthen your arms, chest, and shoulders. However, if you want to take things a bit further and make your exercise strenuous, attempt a clap press-up. It will stimulate your fast-twitch muscle fibers. A clap press-up might be difficult to perform right away, so you need to be patient with yourself.

To perform a clap press-up, take the push-up position with your hands slightly outside your chest and your feet shoulder-width apart. Make sure your body forms a straight line from your heels to your head while your core is braced. Lower your chest to the floor and then use your upper body strength to press up quickly so that your hands come off the ground. Clap once at the top of the movement and return to the starting position.  

The Bottom Line

I hope this blog post has sufficiently answered your question, “How to get a bigger chest?” Now that you know how to build chest muscles for a wider chest, make sure to include these exercises into your routine for maximum effect.

Did you know?

Studies have shown that background noise can have a negative effect on your study. For instance, thrash metal played at full volume is more distracting than gentle string concertos. Likewise, music with lyrics or a catchy hook will interrupt your concentration. You’ll also want to avoid tapping your feet, humming along, or singing the chorus of a song into your hairbrush. Music that doesn’t distract you while you study should be neutral or “bland.” This is defined as unobtrusive background music. This includes instrumental music or movie soundtracks. Regular music can also include ambient water sounds.