Muscle group

Chest: how to train it properly at the gym

Chest is everything that presses forward: bench presses, push-ups, flyes. You can train it with benches (flat, incline, decline), machines like the chest press or pec deck, and with cables or push-ups. This group shows up a lot in programs, for both strength and aesthetics.

6 machines · 19 exercises

Front

Back

Coach tips

Start with a big press movement like the barbell bench press, machine chest press, or push-ups, then move on to more targeted work such as flyes and the dumbbell pullover.
On benches (flat, incline, decline), set up carefully: hips and upper back on the bench, feet solid on the floor, bar over your chest, not your neck.
On machines (chest press, pec deck, converging chest press), adjust the seat so the handles line up with your chest, not too high or too low, to keep a natural pressing path.
Stay in control: take about 2–3 seconds to lower the bar, dumbbell, or handles, and press back up more explosively but without bouncing. Breathe in as you lower, breathe out as you press.

Machines

Exercises

These also work this muscle

Log your chest sets with GoSet

GoSet remembers your last time, starts your rest on its own and notes your records. Even with no signal in the basement. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Notify me at launch Find my gym

Common questions

I’m new to the gym, which chest exercises should I start with?

Keep it simple at first. Machine chest press, seated machine chest press, or push-ups are often good starting points. You can then add a fly movement like the pec deck, cable crossover, or dumbbell fly to round things out.

What’s the difference between flat, incline, and decline for chest?

All three are pressing variations that load your chest a bit differently. The flat barbell or dumbbell bench press is a solid base. Incline and decline just change the angle and feel, so you can rotate them based on what you prefer and what you want to emphasize more.

I’m not comfortable with the barbell, how can I train chest?

You can build your chest just fine with the machine chest press, seated chest press machines, dumbbells on the flat or incline bench, push-ups, and fly variations (cables, pec deck, dumbbells). Pick what lets you feel stable and in control.

How do I know if the chest machine seat is set right?

On the chest press, seated chest press, or converging chest press, set the seat so the handles are roughly in line with your chest at the start. On the pec deck, your forearms or hands should also be at chest level, not up by your neck.