Exercise library

Exercises for chest

147 exercises that train chest, primary or secondary. Tap for technique and tips.

The chest is a large and powerful muscle group – and it demands more than a single tool to develop seriously. Here you'll find 147 exercises across barbells, dumbbells, cable machines, plate-loaded machines, medicine balls, kettlebells and bodyweight.

The foundation is well-established: Barbell bench press – medium grip and Incline barbell bench press – medium grip build raw strength and muscle mass in ways that are hard to replicate. But to truly cover all fiber angles, you need to complement pressing movements with pulling motions, flyes and isolation exercises.

Whether you train with a barbell, cable machine or only your bodyweight, there's a path forward. The key is finding the right combination – and then following it consistently.

Pressing and foundational strength

The barbell offers the greatest potential for heavy progression and comes in 28 chest variations. Bench press – powerlifting style and Bench press with chains or Bench press with bands are classics for building a strength base with varied resistance. Guillotine press and pullover with bent arms, barbell hit the upper chest and serratus in ways that standard bench press doesn't quite reach.

For controlled technique and unilateral activation, alternating floor press works well – it naturally limits range of motion and reduces shoulder stress. Chain press and board press are effective tools for targeting specific points in the movement.

Isolation and constant tension

Isolation work fills what heavy pressing leaves empty: deep contraction and sustained muscle tension throughout the entire range of motion. Cable crossover and cable chest press maintain tension across the whole path – unlike dumbbell flyes where tension drops at the top. Machine fly is a pure isolation option that removes helper muscles from the equation.

For bodyweight users, chest flyes with bodyweight and chest dips work well to target lower and outer chest fibers. Around the world with a medicine ball is an unconventional but effective movement pattern that activates the chest muscles in a circular motion.

Variation and explosiveness

Beyond pure strength and hypertrophy, there are exercises that train power and coordination. Catch and overhead throw with a medicine ball requires rapid muscle activation and pairs well as a complement to heavier pressing work. Battle ropes and alternating renegade rows engage the chest and core stability simultaneously – functional training rather than isolated muscle development.

If you want to venture outside typical patterns, behind-the-neck chest opening offers mobility and upper body stretch in chair works as a recovery and mobility tool. 147 exercises provide room to experiment – but always keep heavy pressing at the core of your training.

chest by equipment

barbell 28other equipment 23bodyweight 22dumbbells 21cable 12machine 11medicine ball 11kettlebell 6
Alternating Floor PressbeginnerAlternating Renegade RowadvancedAround The WorldsintermediateBarbell Bench Press - Medium GripbeginnerBarbell Guillotine Bench PressintermediateBarbell Incline Bench Press - Medium GripbeginnerBarbell Incline Shoulder RaisebeginnerBarbell Shoulder PressintermediateBattling RopesbeginnerBehind Head Chest StretchadvancedBench DipsbeginnerBench Press - PowerliftingintermediateBench Press - With BandsbeginnerBench Press with ChainsadvancedBent-Arm Barbell PulloverintermediateBent-Arm Dumbbell PulloverintermediateBoard PressintermediateBodyweight FlyesintermediateButterflybeginnerCable Chest PressbeginnerCable CrossoverbeginnerCable Iron CrossbeginnerCatch and Overhead ThrowbeginnerChain PressintermediateChair Upper Body StretchbeginnerChest And Front Of Shoulder StretchbeginnerChest Push (multiple response)beginnerChest Push (single response)beginnerChest Push from 3 point stancebeginnerChest Push with Run ReleasebeginnerChest Stretch on Stability BallbeginnerClock Push-UpintermediateClose-Grip Barbell Bench PressbeginnerClose-Grip Dumbbell PressbeginnerClose-Grip EZ-Bar PressbeginnerClose-Grip Push-Up off of a DumbbellintermediateCross Over - With BandsbeginnerDecline Barbell Bench PressbeginnerDecline Close-Grip Bench To Skull CrusherintermediateDecline Dumbbell Bench PressbeginnerDecline Dumbbell FlyesbeginnerDecline Push-UpbeginnerDecline Smith PressbeginnerDip MachinebeginnerDips - Chest VersionintermediateDips - Triceps VersionbeginnerDrop PushintermediateDumbbell Bench PressbeginnerDumbbell Bench Press with Neutral GripbeginnerDumbbell Floor PressintermediateDumbbell FlyesbeginnerDynamic Chest StretchbeginnerElbows BackbeginnerExtended Range One-Arm Kettlebell Floor PressbeginnerFlat Bench Cable FlyesintermediateFloor PressintermediateFloor Press with ChainsintermediateForward Drag with PressintermediateFront Raise And PulloverbeginnerHammer Grip Incline DB Bench PressbeginnerHeavy Bag ThrustbeginnerIncline Cable Chest PressbeginnerIncline Cable FlyeintermediateIncline Dumbbell Bench With Palms Facing InbeginnerIncline Dumbbell FlyesbeginnerIncline Dumbbell Flyes - With A TwistbeginnerIncline Dumbbell PressbeginnerIncline Push-UpbeginnerIncline Push-Up Close-GripbeginnerIncline Push-Up Depth JumpbeginnerIncline Push-Up MediumbeginnerIncline Push-Up Reverse GripbeginnerIncline Push-Up WidebeginnerIron CrossintermediateIsometric Chest SqueezesbeginnerIsometric WipersbeginnerJM PressbeginnerLandmine Linear JammerintermediateLeg-Over Floor PressintermediateLeverage Chest PressbeginnerLeverage Decline Chest PressbeginnerLeverage Incline Chest PressbeginnerLog LiftintermediateLow Cable CrossoverbeginnerLying Dumbbell Tricep ExtensionintermediateMachine Bench PressbeginnerMedicine Ball Chest PassbeginnerMountain ClimbersbeginnerNeck PressintermediateOne Arm Dumbbell Bench PressbeginnerOne Arm Floor PressintermediateOne Half LocustbeginnerOne-Arm Flat Bench Dumbbell FlyebeginnerOne-Arm Kettlebell Floor PressintermediateOtis-UpbeginnerOverhead StretchbeginnerPallof PressbeginnerPallof Press With RotationbeginnerParallel Bar DipbeginnerPin PressesintermediatePlyo Kettlebell PushupsadvancedPlyo Push-upbeginnerPress Sit-UpadvancedProwler SprintbeginnerPush Up to Side PlankbeginnerPush-Up WidebeginnerPush-Ups - Close Triceps PositionintermediatePush-Ups With Feet ElevatedbeginnerPush-Ups With Feet On An Exercise BallintermediatePushupsbeginnerPushups (Close and Wide Hand Positions)beginnerReturn Push from StancebeginnerReverse Band Bench PressintermediateReverse Triceps Bench PressintermediateRing DipsintermediateRound The World Shoulder StretchbeginnerSeated BicepsadvancedSeated Front DeltoidadvancedSingle-Arm Cable CrossoverbeginnerSingle-Arm Linear JammerintermediateSingle-Arm Push-UpintermediateSled PushbeginnerSmith Incline Shoulder RaisebeginnerSmith Machine Bench PressbeginnerSmith Machine Close-Grip Bench PressbeginnerSmith Machine Decline PressbeginnerSmith Machine Incline Bench PressbeginnerSpider CrawlbeginnerStanding Biceps StretchbeginnerStanding Cable Chest PressbeginnerStanding Low-Pulley One-Arm Triceps ExtensionintermediateStanding One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionbeginnerStanding Two-Arm Overhead ThrowbeginnerStraight-Arm Dumbbell PulloverintermediateSupine Chest ThrowbeginnerSupine One-Arm Overhead ThrowbeginnerSupine Two-Arm Overhead ThrowbeginnerSuspended FalloutintermediateSuspended Push-UpbeginnerSvend PressbeginnerTate PressintermediateTire FlipintermediateUpward StretchbeginnerWeighted Bench DipintermediateWide-Grip Barbell Bench PressintermediateWide-Grip Decline Barbell Bench PressintermediateWide-Grip Decline Barbell Pulloverintermediate