If you have been working out on your chest muscles lately and still achieve no results. Do you know, traditional push-ups aren’t the only ideal exercise that gets you cavernous pecs. To get that depth, you need to focus on developing the inner chest. There are some key exercises and movements that help you benefit from getting impressive aesthetics.
We are presenting 10 fundamental exercises to help you build muscles, strength and carve those pecs.
1. Close grip push-up
Push-ups are the foundation of building the inner chest. And close grip push-ups are the best of push-ups for most inner chest development. While it won’t give you any weight gain, it provides a solid base, teaches you core strength and perfect form, and you can do this anywhere.
How to do close-grip push-ups:
- Assume a push-up position, getting on all four with your toes and palms. Your hips should be heightened from your knees. Your shoulder blades should be sustained and away from your spine.
- While maintaining your alignment, push yourself by straightening your elbows. Squeeze your chest and your shoulder blades should protect as you push your body to the top of the movement.
- Inhale while your body is stretching up high.
- Push back your chest to the starting position by exhaling and contracting the inner chest and triceps.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
2. Barbell & Dumbbell Chest Fly
Although dumbbells and barbells are bench presses, both are markedly effective in building your chest bigger. Hence you should rotate between both for more effective results. Barbells allow for greater loads which are significantly better for building chests. But dumbbells help you with a greater range of motion and increase stretching and contraction tension. Again, an ideal workout will incorporate both.
How to do barbell:
- Lie down on a flat bench with your head, shoulders and hips supported by a bench throughout the entire movement. And press your feet firmly into the ground.
- Grip the barbell with hands wider than the shoulder width. Bars should be directly over the shoulder.
- Bend your elbow and raise your arms as much as possible and inhale deeply while your arms are up high.
- Lower your arms slowly and bring them back to the starting position. Exhale. Again, do not move your back or hips off the bench.
- Repeat it for the desired numbers.
How to do dumbbell chest fly:
- Lie down on a flat bench with your head, shoulders and hips supported by a bench. And your feet on the floor.
- Hold the dumbbells (to your desired weight), open your arms and keep them parallel to the ground. Bring them together over your chest and inhale deeply. At the peak, try to compress your chest as much as possible before returning to the relaxing position.
- Relax your arms to the initial position, parallel to the ground and exhale slowly. Use your pectoral muscles to reverse to the starting position. Keep a slight bend in your elbows and don’t arch your back.
- Repeat for the desired numbers
3. Diamond Push-ups
It’s a perfect fit for someone looking to gain triceps strength with callisthenic movements.
How to do diamond push-ups?
- Bring your body to a traditional push-up position with a narrow grip.
- Bring your palms closest to one another and keep your back straight and toes together.
- Close your chest and lower your body.
- Push your body up high, firmly pressing the ground with your palms and toes.
- Hold yourself up high as much as possible and inhale deeply. Hold your breath until you reverse your movement to the initial position.
- Push yourself back slowly to the beginning position with a hard contraction.
4. Ground pound alternating press
Begin with lying straight on a mat and grabbing the kettlebell. Apply some powder to your palm to have a strong grip. You can do this chest-building exercise at home as well.
How to do ground pound alternating press:
- Flat your back on a mat and hold a kettlebell, placed next to each shoulder.
- Hold them firmly in your hand and bring the kettles toward your chest. Each kettlebell should be facing toward you.
- Lower the right-hand kettle downward, rotating your wrist so your palm is now facing the body and your elbow is above the ground.
- Raise your right arm straight above your chest and the palm is facing forward.
- Lower your right arm to its reverse position and repeat the movement with the left-hand kettlebell.
- Repeat alternatively with desired reps.
Also Read: Different Types of Gym Equipment
5. Squeeze Press (Hex Press)
The squeeze press is similar to a dumbbell bench press with a very slight variance. In dumbbell presses, you keep the dumbbells in contact with each other throughout. But squeeze press is also called Hex Press likely because they are practiced best with hex dumbbells. In this, you should press the dumbbells against each other, possessing tension in the inner chest.
How to do Squeeze Press (Hex Press):
- Lie down on a flat bench with your head, shoulders and hips supported by a bench throughout the entire movement. And press your feet firmly into the ground.
- Grip the dumbbells firmly in each palm keeping the dumbbells together.
- Extend your arms parallel to the ground, overhead. Then return to the starting position.
- Remember to press dumbbells against each other with as much strength as possible throughout the rep.
- Repeat it for the desired numbers.
6. Cable Crossover
Cable crossover workouts on your pectoralis major muscles, found in the bottom of your chest as well as activating muscles in your shoulder and back.
How to do Cable Crossover?
- Stand straight and take a deep breath.
- Mark yourself in the center of resistance ropes so you get equal pressure on both sides.
- Select the resistance and bring your right leg forward than the left leg.
- Draw the cable to the middle of your chest until both your fists touch each other.
- Bend your torso before you move your arm so it does not hurt your back.
- Move your arms outward in an arc until you feel a stretch in your chest. Make your arms move smoothly without any jerks.
- Hold for 5 seconds before you stretch back your arms to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps. Alternatively, change your leg position with equal turns.
7. Single arm chest fly
This is yet another variation of fly, this truly needs practice. It allows iso lateral movements that persist on one side of the body. For this, you need to perfect your range of motion. This can be exercised in standing upright position as well as lying on a bench.
How to do a single-arm chest fly? (lying on a bench)
- Position your body on a bench supported by shoulders and hips while your feet are on the floor. The pulley should be at the lowest position next to your bench.
- Hold the cable in one hand and pull your arm up straight. If you don’t feel a stretch in your chest, then stop and pull your bench a little further from locating pulleys.
- Push the cable so your arm is straight up over your chest and your palm facing in.
- Return to the starting position and repeat.
- Alternate hands after an equal number of stretches. Make sure you don’t change the range of motion during both arms.
8. Bench Press
The bench press is ideally a free-weight exercise for overall chest development. It acts deliberately on the sternal, which is what we want for building the inner chest. Although bench press does not work directly on the chest it creates the strength that supports the exercise you do for developing a bigger chest.
How to do Bench Press?
- Lie on a flat bench supporting your head, shoulders and hips. Resting your feet on the ground.
- Grab the bars with your hands. Your fists should be slightly wider than your shoulders. And bars should at both ends, wider than your shoulders.
- Do not let the bars touch your chest. Lower it about 3 to 4 inches from the middle of your chest.
- Contract your chest while you push and pull the bars back to the starting
- Repeat with your desired number of reps.
9. Dumbbell Pullover
Dumbbell pullovers are the finest exercises for both chest and back. The pullover activates much of the chest from a slightly unusual angle while securing the arm position so the pressure is put on your chest.
How to do a dumbbell pullover?
- Lie across the bench, perpendicular to it. As you are only supported by your shoulders. Also, your head is hanging over.
- Hold the dumbbell with both hands above your chest. Hands should not be overlapping each other.
- Extend your arms up, bring the weight up your head and stop when your arms are parallel to the bench.
- Bring the weight up forward stretching your pecs and lats.
- Bring your arms to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
10. Svend Press
This is very similar to the hex press but this is with a plate. It is usually performed standing upright and can also be done while sitting on a seat or incline bench. You can also use dumbbells.
How to do Svend Press?
- Stand upright. Distancing your legs from each other. Wider than your hips.
- Hold two plates (5’s 10’s) between two palms at chest height, bending your elbows.
- Straighten your arms parallel to the floor and your fingers are facing opposite you.
- Repeat the desired number of reps.
Conclusion
Building muscles is never a short and easy way, it takes time, strength, and of course hard work. While these are only few tips to help you grow your chest with inner chest workouts. There are a lot more, especially when you want build your muscles. And all these exercises require equipment. Lots of equipment. But there are many all-in-one machines that will help you build all the muscles of your body. One example of it you can find in this Bowflex review. If you can’t go to GYM regularly or want to build a small home gym. These might be the perfect gym equipment for you.
Author Bio:
Bilal Khan is a Marketing student and loves to read and write on various topics. Currently, he’s working with Saving Says a website for savvy shoppers who strive to save their money. He has expertise in writing on different niche topics. In his free time, he loves to learn about new things. He’s previously written some amazing and engaging blogs for various sites.