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Chest Exercises

Start with the equipment in front of you. Learn a flat barbell bench press in the gym, or a push-up using floor space and bodyweight. Both involve your chest, front shoulders and triceps.

Open a guide for the full setup and movement steps. The two guides below are available now; additional exercises and collections are listed separately as they are prepared.

A person in a high plank with palms on the gym floor and arms extended.
Push-up starting position. LightFieldStudios / Envato.

Choose a chest exercise guide

2 guides

Bodyweight · floor space

Push Up

Keep your body aligned as you lower and press. Learn the floor version, plus incline and knee-supported options.

Read the push-up guide →

Chest exercises still use more than your chest

The bench press and push-up both involve the pectoralis major, front shoulder muscles and triceps. In the push-up, your trunk also has to maintain the plank position. A useful guide tells you how to hold that position as well as how to move your arms. [1] [2]

Use “chest” or “pecs” to find the collection, then read the exact exercise. A name alone does not tell you which bench angle, grip, support or equipment the instructions assume.

Choose from the setup you can actually use

Two available starting points
Your setupGuide to openCheck first
Flat bench, barbell and rackBarbell Bench PressYour stable base, grip and spotter.
Clear floor spacePush UpYour body alignment and whether the floor version is manageable.
You need an easier push-upPush-up variationsA secure raised surface, or the knee-supported setup.

If your plan calls for dumbbells, cables or a machine, keep that equipment word in the exercise name. The flat barbell guide is not the instruction sheet for every chest press.

Make your next session easier to compare

Write down the full exercise name, the load or variation, completed repetitions, sets and rest. Keep the setup alongside the numbers: “push-up, hands on counter” tells you more than “chest, 12 reps.” Change the setup deliberately and record it when you do.

Sources

  1. NASM: Barbell Bench Press — equipment, setup and muscles.
  2. NASM: Proper Push-Up Form and Technique — muscle involvement, alignment and easier variations.

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