Chest Exercises
Browse every chest exercise in the Alkemos library — barbell presses, dumbbell flyes, cable crossovers, bodyweight push-up variations, and machine pec decks. Each entry includes step-by-step instructions, target muscles, equipment needed, and difficulty level. Whether you are training for hypertrophy, strength, or general fitness, this curated index points you to the right movement for your goal.
Training Guide
The chest (pectorals) moves the upper arm across the body and drives every pressing motion — pushing a door, lifting a child, or locking out a barbell. Because it crosses the shoulder joint from the sternum to the humerus, it responds to two complementary patterns: pressing (moving the load away from the torso) and flye-style adduction (squeezing the arms together under load). A complete chest plan uses both.
Our library covers the muscle from every angle and tool: barbell pressing (Barbell Bench Press, Incline Bench Press), dumbbell work (Dumbbell Flyes for the stretch position), cable tension (Cable Chest Press), and bodyweight variations (Decline Push-Up, Plyo Push-Up) that scale from first push-up to advanced power work.
Programming that consistently works: - 10–20 hard sets per week, split across 2 non-consecutive sessions - 6–12 reps on presses, 10–15 on flyes, taken within 1–3 reps of failure - Progressive overload: add reps or load when the top of the range becomes smooth - At least 48 hours between chest sessions for recovery
All Chest Exercises
84 exercises- Alternating Floor PressKettlebellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Around The WorldsDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- Barbell Bench Press - Medium GripBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Barbell Guillotine Bench PressBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium GripBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Behind Head Chest StretchBodyweightAdvancedPrimary: Chest
- Bench Press - With BandsResistance BandBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Bent-Arm Dumbbell PulloverDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- Bodyweight FlyesBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- ButterflyMachineBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Cable Chest PressCableBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Cable CrossoverCableBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Cable Iron CrossCableBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Chain PressBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- Chest And Front Of Shoulder StretchBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Chest Push from 3 point stanceBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Medicine Ball Chest PushBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Chest Push (single response)BodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Chest Push with Run ReleaseBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Chest Stretch on Stability BallBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Clock Push-UpBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- Cross Over - With BandsResistance BandBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Decline Barbell Bench PressBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Decline Dumbbell Bench PressDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Decline Dumbbell FlyesDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Decline Push-UpBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Decline Smith PressMachineBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Dips - Chest VersionBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- Drop PushBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- Dumbbell Bench PressDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Dumbbell Bench Press with Neutral GripDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Dumbbell FlyesDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Dynamic Chest StretchBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Elbows BackBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Extended Range One-Arm Kettlebell Floor PressKettlebellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Flat Bench Cable FlyesCableIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- Forward Drag with PressBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- Front Raise And PulloverBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench PressDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Heavy Bag ThrustBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Incline Cable Chest PressCableBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Incline Cable FlyeCableIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- Incline Dumbbell Bench With Palms Facing InDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Incline Dumbbell FlyesDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Incline Dumbbell Flyes - With A TwistDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Incline Dumbbell PressDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Incline Push-UpBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Incline Push-Up Depth JumpBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Incline Push-Up MediumBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Incline Push-Up Reverse GripBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Incline Push-Up WideBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Isometric Chest SqueezesBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Isometric WipersBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Leg-Over Floor PressKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Chest
- Leverage Chest PressMachineBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Leverage Decline Chest PressMachineBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Leverage Incline Chest PressMachineBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Low Cable CrossoverCableBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Machine Bench PressMachineBeginnerPrimary: Chest
- Medicine Ball Chest PassBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Chest
Chest Exercises by Equipment
Other Muscle Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best chest exercises?
Start with a compound press — Barbell Bench Press or Incline Bench Press — as your primary lift, then add a flye pattern like Dumbbell Flyes or Cable Chest Press to load the muscle in its stretched position. For bodyweight training, Push-Up variations (Decline Push-Up for the upper chest bias, Plyo Push-Up for power) carry you a long way. Combine one press plus one flye per session and progress them over months.
How often should I train chest per week?
Twice a week on non-consecutive days is the sweet spot for most trainees. Muscle recovery after a hard session takes roughly 48 hours, and chest volume accumulates quickly because pressing also recruits the shoulders and triceps. Keep weekly volume around 10–20 hard sets; if you press heavy one day, make the second session lighter and higher-rep rather than repeating maximum loads.
Are push-ups as effective as the bench press?
For building chest muscle, yes — as long as the set is hard enough. Research consistently shows comparable hypertrophy between push-ups and bench press when effort and volume are matched. The bench press wins for convenient small-increment loading at heavy weights; push-ups win for accessibility and shoulder-friendly scaling through leverage (elevate the feet for Decline Push-Up as loads grow). Many lifters get the best of both: press heavy once a week, push-ups as a second session.
How long does it take to see chest growth?
Strength usually moves first: most beginners add noticeable weight or reps to their main press within 2–4 weeks. Visible muscle change follows later — expect the first clear differences in the mirror at 8–12 weeks of consistent training with progressive overload and adequate protein. Take monthly photos and log your lifts; the tape measure and the logbook are more honest than day-to-day mirror checks.
Why don't I feel my chest during bench presses?
Usually it is technique, not anatomy. The three most common causes: grip too wide or too narrow, elbows flared straight out at 90 degrees (which shifts load to the shoulders), and weight so heavy the body borrows momentum. Fix it by retracting your shoulder blades, keeping a moderate grip, lowering the load 10–20%, and controlling the lowering phase for 2–3 seconds. The chest will take over once the pressing path is stable.
Can I train chest every day?
No — daily pressing works against you. A hard chest session creates muscle damage that needs about 48 hours to repair; training the same muscle daily keeps it in a permanently broken-down state, so strength stalls and joints complain. Two to three focused sessions per week build more chest in a year than six fatigued ones. If you love pressing often, rotate intensities: heavy day, technique day, pump day — with rest days between.
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