5 Effective Chest Exercises For Hypertrophy
Exercise selection
When choosing the most effective chest exercises for hypertrophy, exercise selection is important, as with any other muscle group. Effective chest exercises for hypertrophy should place tension on the target muscle and must be able to be loaded safely, allowing for progression over time. They should also be a good fit for the individual and should not cause any joint discomfort or pain.
5 Effective Chest Exercises for Hypertrophy
There are no ‘best’ chest exercises for hypertrophy, however, there are a handful of highly effective chest exercises for hypertrophy, that work great for the majority of people. Here are 5 effective chest exercises for hypertrophy, that are easily accessible to most people and are widely available in most public gyms.
Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbell bench presses of all types are effective chest exercises for hypertrophy (building muscle). They allow for a good range of motion and provide a great stretch on the target muscle when performed with good form, which is important for muscle growth. Pressing with dumbells allows the movement to be performed in a way that fits the individual, allows the joints to rotate freely, and is therefore a joint-friendly exercise. This can be important when building muscle after 40.
We find that pressing with a slight incline works best for the majority of people, as this allows them to feel more tension on the chest, and increases the range of motion slightly. It also places the shoulders in a slightly more comfortable position as they are more externally rotated. A 10-degree incline (the first incline setting on most benches) works great. We still consider this a flat press.
To target the upper chest more an incline dumbbell press anywhere from 15-30 degrees is the sweet spot for most people, although we recommend some experimentation to see what works best for the individual. We would not recommend going above 45 degrees, as more work is placed onto the shoulders, the higher the incline level. It is probably a good idea to change the incline and rotate through different angles throughout the year, which can help prevent plateaus and can also be beneficial to joint and connective tissue health.
Chest Press Machine
Machines are great for hypertrophy as they create stability, and they allow you to train at a higher intensity taking your sets closer to muscular failure safely. Chest press machines can be extremely effective chest exercises for hypertrophy, as long as they are designed well and are a good fit for the individual. Chest press machines come in many types, including seated and lying as well as machines designed for specific parts of the chest such as flat and incline press machines.
The best machines use iso-lateral technology that mimics the natural movement patterns of our bodies, trains each side independently, and have good strength curves. They deliver diverging and converging motions for equal strength development and muscle stimulation. Not all of us are lucky enough to have access to the best machines, such as Hammer Strength or Nautilus, however, most chest press machines can still be effective exercises for hypertrophy. As long as they are not causing any joint discomfort or pain you’re probably good to go.
Smith Machine Bench Press
Another effective chest exercise for hypertrophy is the Smith machine bench press. The Smith machine has many of the same benefits as dedicated chest press machines, such as increased stability, and the ability to push closer to muscular failure, compared to a free-weight barbell bench press. As with dumbbell presses, we prefer a slight incline, from 10-30 degrees. We encourage you to experiment with different incline levels and different grip widths to see what feels best for you.
Cable Seated Chest Fly
Isolation exercises can be effective chest exercises for hypertrophy. One of the main functions of the pectoralis major (chest muscles) is horizontal adduction (bringing the arms together in front of the body) so performing chest flys can be an important component of effective chest training. We prefer to use cables as this provides constant tension, compared to if you were to perform a dumbbell chest fly on a bench, where tension is lost towards the top of the movement.
To make this an even more effective exercise for hypertrophy we prefer to perform this exercise seated as this provides more stability. You can also alternate your position to the cables to place more or less tension on different parts of the movement and experiment with different height settings. Performing a cable crossover movement can also be a great option.
Pec Dec Machine
The pec dec machine can be an effective chest exercise for hypertrophy and is another great option for an isolation exercise. The pec dec machine provides even greater stability compared to cable flys, although there are fewer options for variation as the machine is in a fixed position.
Other Exercises We Like
The exercises mentioned above are by no means the only chest exercises you should perform, they are simply a few of the ones we find effective for most people and the ones we find people progress well with. Performing exercises you enjoy can lead to greater adherence and consistency which is another important consideration when deciding which exercises to perform.
Push-Ups
Although push-ups on their own will not build the absolute most amount of muscle you could potentially build, different push-up variations can still be effective chest exercises for hypertrophy and can add some quality weekly training volume to your chest training. Unlike other chest exercises, they allow your scapular to move freely, which is a good thing and can even help keep your shoulders healthy. We also think it is good to be able to control your body weight, so adding some push-ups to some of your chest workouts is a good idea.
There are many different variations of push-ups, and you can experiment with different hand widths, and even add weight if needed. Using mini or even tall parallette bars using a neutral grip can make press-ups more joint-friendly and will also increase the range of motion allowing for a greater stretch on the chest. Using push-up handles that rotate is also a great option. More advanced variations include performing press-ups on rings or suspension trainers.
Dips
Dips can be one of the most effective chest exercises for hypertrophy if you can perform them well. Some people feel discomfort or pain in the shoulders when performing dips, however, if you can perform them pain-free they could be a good option. Body composition will play a role in how well you can perform dips. If your body fat is too high compared to the amount of muscle you have, you will struggle with dips. This can be a good indication that you are not as lean as you think you are.
What About the bench Press?
Did we leave out the ‘King’ of chest exercises? Well, we do not believe the barbell bench press is the king of chest exercises, and it is not a necessity for a chest day workout, especially for pure hypertrophy. The barbell bench press is still one of the most effective exercises for hypertrophy and is a good option, as long as you have good form (many people do not) and it feels comfortable.
One of the benefits of the barbell bench press is that it can be loaded well and for a long time, which keeps progress steady, especially as you can use fractional plates to add weight in small increments. It is also fairly stable. One of the downsides is that you do not get a great stretch on the chest due to the bar hitting your chest at the bottom of the movement. It is also more risky when working at a higher intensity working at close proximity to muscular failure. The Incline bench press may be a better option for many people compared to the flat bench press.
Conclusion
You do not have to include all of the exercises mentioned in your program at the same time. Choose 2-3 compound exercises and 1 isolation exercise and focus on progression. Rotate exercises in and out of your program throughout the year, but not too often. To grow your chest exercise selection is just one factor to take into consideration. Other important factors such as having a progression method, dialing in your nutrition, and implementing important lifestyle factors such as stress management and getting good quality sleep are vital.
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