This Chest Day Workout Will Pump Up Your Pecs 

It’s always a nice idea to trek to the gym, or find some space at home and get down to…chest-blasting business. Gaining a chiseled chest, broad shoulders, sleeve-stretching arms, and a barn-door back is many fitness enthusiasts ultimate goal. 

Whether it’s the chest day workout gym or the chest workout at home, you can supersize your chest just like you want. 

Surely, shaping up your entire physique is crucial, as nobody desires to boast a jacked upper body paired with chicken legs. But at this point, your main job is to put together a truly effective workout program for your chest. 

Pectoral perfection is not only about the enticing aesthetics of it, but training your chest to provide you with more strength. The stronger your chest, the stronger your entire body is. 

The success chain doesn’t stop here: you’re getting stronger, therefore, able to enhance your performance, work out with heavier loads, and finally end up with the body you are striving for. 

And yes, workouts are not always easy but with enough consistency, healthy nutrition, and hard work, you’re going to entice everyone with a well-shaped chest and profound muscular strength.  

This chest day workout will pump up your pecs. Remember to track your progress and rest enough. Real bodybuilders don’t exasperate their bodies to endless soreness, they pour an adequate amount of effort into fueling their pec-popping gains.

What should I do on my chest day? 

You should work out. Yes, you can’t be satisfied with this answer because you already know that action leads to change. There are many Exercises To Build Chest Muscles which you could decide to do at home. 

Being overwhelmed with the number of workouts is tough. But here’s the truth, you shouldn’t tackle your routine with dozens of exercises. Select a select few and perform them with a full range of motion as perfectly as possible. 

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I find it a nice idea to at least start your full chest workout under the supervision of a professional trainer. 

What is a proper technique? It is the way you perform the exercise when targeting specific muscle groups (4).

Improper technique boosts your chances of injuring yourself, producing poorer form which leads to frustrating results (4).

Okay, it’s high time we unveil the best chest workout routine, perfect for both men and women. 

I’ve divided them into four sessions which you’ll be doing each week.

Session #1 

Dumbbells push ups

1. Get in a plank position. Keep your core tight and your hands on your dumbbells
2. Bend your elbows by bringing your chest to the floor
3. Push back up explosively keeping your elbows close to your body 
4. Perform as many repetitions as possible, then take 10 deep breaths and perform another round, take another 10 deep breaths, and strive to the final effort— this counts as one set. Rest for two minutes between sets. Perform 4-5 sets. 

Front squats

1. Hold a barbell across your chest keeping your feet at shoulder width
2. Lift your elbows high securing the bar on your shoulders 
3. Push your hips back and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor
4. Press feet into the floor and squeeze glutes to return to the starting position
5. Perform 4-5 sets of 4-8 reps

Romanian Deadlifts

1. Stand with dumbbells in your hands keeping theme at your sides
2. Keep your core engaged and place your feet at shoulder-width
3. Push your hips back and slowly bend at the hips to lower the dumbbells toward your feet
4. Press your hips forward to return to an upright position
5. Perform 4-5 sets of 8 to 12 reps

Hanging knees to elbows

1. Hang from a bar with an overhand grip, at shoulder width
2. Keep your legs straight with feet together while hanging 
3. Engage your abs and raise both of your knees toward your elbows 
4. Pause for a bit, before lowering your legs to the start position under control. 
5. Avoid swinging. Perform 4-5 sets of 10-20 reps. Rest 60 seconds between sets. 

Session#2

Dumbbell bench press

1. Lay flat on a bench, bend your knees, and push your feet into the floor
2. Press a pair of dumbbells into the air and lower them slowly until they touch your chest
3. Ensure your elbows are at a 45-degree angle
4. Pause a beat before pressing the dumbbells back up
5. Repeat
6. Rest up to two minutes between sets. Perform 4-5 sets for 5-8 reps. If you manage all reps with good form, choose heavier weights or raise the number of reps.

Chin-ups

1. Grab a bar with your palms facing your body
2. Hang freely with straight arms by lifting your feet off the floor
3. Pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar and pause before lowering to the starting position
4. Avoid swinging. Rest up to two minutes between sets. If this rep range is too difficult to complete, use a band for assistance. Perform 4-5 sets of 6 to 10 reps. 

Dips

1. Set up on two parallel bars with your arms straight and your palms facing inward
2. For the home alternative, use the seat of a sturdy chair
3. Lower slowly until your elbows are at right angles
4. Drive yourself back up to the upright position and repeat. Rest 90 seconds between sets
5. Perform 4-5 sets of 5 to 15 reps. 

Chest supported dumbbell rows

1. Set an adjustable bench to around a 45 degree angle
2. Get in the face-down position with your chest on the pad
3. Hold a pair of dumbbells and lift them by bending your elbows and pulling them back towards your hips
4. Pause and slowly lower before repeating
5. Rest 90 seconds between sets. Perform 4-5 sets of 8 to 12 reps. 

Session#3 

Incline dumbbell bench press

1. Lie on the inclined bench and press a pair of dumbbells into the air directly overhead
2. Lower them slowly until they touch your chest 
3. Ensure your elbows are at a 45-degree angle
4. Pause for a moment before pressing back up
5. Repeat. Rest up to two minutes between sets
6. Perform 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps.

Dumbbell flyes

1. Lie on the bench holding a lighter set of dumbbells
2. Slightly bend your elbows and move your dumbbells outwards and down
3. Keep your elbows at the same angle all the time 
4. Power back up to starting position
5. Perform 4-5 sets of 10 to 15 reps. 

Dumbbell rows

1. Get in a hip hinge position with both dumbbells in your hands
2. Maintaining a straight back, row both dumbbells towards your hips by bending and pull your elbows back
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lower the dumbbells under control to the starting position
4. Avoid moving your torso. Perform 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps. 

Calf Raises

1. Grab a pair of medium to heavy dumbbells
2. Press the balls of your feet into the floor, lifting your heels of the ground and squeezing your calves
3. Release and return to starting position
4. Perform 4-5 sets of 12-15 reps.

Read more: Thigh Workout Guide: 7 Effective Exercises for Building Leg Strength

Session#4

Cable chest flyes

1. Take stirrup handles attached to a cable crossover machine one in each hand, facing away from the machine
2. Place one foot slightly forward in a staggered stance, place outstretched arms in line with chest, stretch your chest muscles, and pull the handles together until they almost touch
3. Squeeze your pecs staying in this position
4. Gently return to the original position and repeat
5. Rest for up to two minutes between sets
6. Perform 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps.

Heavy deadlifts

1. Hinge down with bent knees and flat back and take the bar with an overhand grip
2. Driving with your legs, pull your torso up and thrust your hips forward to return to the starting position
3. Keep the bar as close to your body as possible
4. Perform 4-5 sets of 3-8 reps.

Walking lunges

1. Secure a set of dumbbells on your shoulders or in hands with arms at sides, and stand tall
2. Keeping your chest up, step forward with one leg and bend your front knee until your back knee comes within 1-2 inches of the floor
3. Stand up, pause, and repeat with the other leg.
4. Perform 20 lunges on each leg for 4-5 sets. 

Barbell curls 

1. Stand at shoulder-width apart with a light or empty barbell, your palms facing upward
2. Curl the bar upwards towards your chin/chest and squeeze for a moment 
3. Lower the bar and repeat
4. Complete as many reps as you can, then drop the bar, take 10 deep breaths, and then continue 
5. Perform 4-5 sets of 8-15 reps.

The following chest workout plan is more efficient when performed at the gym for two reasons: 

• You have access to all the gym devices. 
• You pump up your pecs with proper form and technique as a certified trainer will keep tabs on you. 

Is 4 exercises enough for chest day?

Yes, four exercises are great, especially at the beginning of your chest-growing routine. Behold of the ground rules for training your chest.

Rest because your body needs it

You should pause between your sessions for at least one day. If you can’t spend another day without any sport, indulge in a low-intensity cardio workout. A good rest is your way to alleviate muscle pain, repair and build muscles, prevent injuries, and replenish the body’s energy stores (5).

Work out your chest at least 3 times a week

The research shows that a higher frequency (2-3 times per week) is more effective than a lower frequency (once per week) (1). So, hit your chest 2-3 times a week. 

Strive for quality and not quantity

Overwhelming your body and mind with dozens of exercises is a waste of time. You should focus on a few chest-powering exercises and perform them properly. 

Progress the load

Building a muscular chest is impossible without progression. This is what you do: use heavier loads over time, increase the number of reps and sets, and never forget to track your success. 

Keep up with the protein levels

Growing your physique needs an adequate number of calories and of course enough protein. I won’t gush a lot about the importance of protein (I’m sure you already know enough). Here are the general recommendations for protein consumption: 

• For active people. The daily recommended amount of protein is 0.8 to 1.0 g/kg of body weight. 
• Individuals involved in non-endurance events – people who engage in daily workout routines for 45 to 60 minutes should consume between 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg of body weight per day.
• Individuals involved in endurance and strength events – people who exercise more than one hour or hit strength exercises, such as weight lifting, should consume between 1.2 to 2.0 g protein/kg of body weight per day.
• Athletes aiming to lose weight on a reduced energy diet – an increased amount of protein, up to 2.0 g/kg of body weight per day can benefit and reduce any losses of lean muscle mass (3).

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What’s a good chest workout split?

A good chest workout split involves 4 to 5 exercises you perform at least 2-3 times a week at a certain range of sets. Chest Workout With Dumbbells, bars, and other equipment can be carried out either at home or at the gym. 

If you’re looking for a good chest workout split, check out the first segment in this article. 

In case you’re not a gym fan, you could try out Chest Workout At Home. 

For your attention, I’m presenting you with four simple chest exercises for home training. 

1. Wide Push-Up
2. Diamond Push-up
3. Spiderman Push-up
4. Incline push-up

The mentioned exercises require no equipment, only your patience, strength, and desire to grow those chest muscles. 

Wide Push-ups

Wide push-ups are beneficial to your chest, shoulders, and upper arms. Wide push-ups are an excellent core stability exercise according to Mayo Clinic (2).

How to perform: 

• Get in a plank position with your hands wider than your shoulders
• Slowly bend your elbows out to the side and lower your body toward the floor
• Pause for the moment by engaging your core
• Press into your hands and lift your body to the starting position

Perform 3-4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions.

Diamond Push-up

Diamond push-ups engage various muscle groups around your body increasing core stability and strength. 

How to perform:

• Get on all fours and position your index fingers and thumbs so they’re forming a diamond shape
• Extend your arms to elevate your body and form a straight line from your head to your feet
• Lower your chest towards your hands, without flaring your elbows out to the sides
• Push back up to the starting position before your chest touches the floor

Perform 3-4 sets of 5-10 repetitions. 

Spiderman Push-up

Another perfect bodyweight workout that targets different muscle groups including your chest. 

How to perform: 

• Get into a high plank position with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Bend your elbows to a 45-degree angle and lower your chest toward your hands on the floor
• Lift your right leg and move your knee toward your elbow
• Pause for a moment in this position before lowering your leg and lifting your body back to starting position
• Repeat the movement with your left leg

Perform 3-4 sets of 6-12 repetitions. 

Incline push-up

This simple movement accurately targets your chest muscles, pectoralis major and minor. In addition to engaging your chest, this activity benefits your shoulders, arms, and other  muscles in your hips, back, legs, and abs. 

How to perform: 

• Stand in front of the bench, table, or the edge of a bed.
• Place your hands on the edge of the bench. Your arms should be straight and your elbows are not locked. 
• Bend your elbows to gently lower your chest to the edge of the bench while inhaling. Keep your body straight all the time. 
• Push your body away from the bench without locking your elbows. Exhale as you push up.
• Perform 3-4 sets of 5-10 repetitions. 

Is it OK to do chest exercises everyday?

No, doing weight training on your chest daily is not a good idea. The thing is, to grow a bigger and well-shaped chest, you need to give it rest. Rest days help rebuild damaged tissue and grow. 

This means, have at least one rest day between your chest splits. 

Read more: Your Flat Tummy Workouts Just Got Better With This Guide

FAQs

• Is chest Day a push day?

Yes, chest day is considered an upper body push day as the chest muscles are designed to do pushing movements.

• What not to do on chest day?

Here’s what you should not do on your chest day: don’t flare your elbows during bench presses, don’t ignore your back, and don’t focus on too much variety, keep it simple and effective. Also, try to progress through time by adding more loads. Always take a small rest between sets.

• Are chest days necessary?

Chest days are necessary as they help you boast an enticing physique and engage the muscles that you use for your daily functions. On top of that, the stronger your chest muscles the more challenging exercises you hit.

• How do I start a chest day?

The first thing you should do is to warm up your body for 10-15 minutes and then begin compound exercises targeting larger chest muscles. These exercises help you develop more strength and grow muscle mass. Ensure you prepare a special chest workout plan in advance.

The Bottom Line

Investing time and energy in chest exercises is a great idea as you’ll benefit your overall physique, and become stronger and capable of more challenging activities. This chest day workout will pump up your pecs. 

You’ve explored the winning weekly plan to supersize your chest both at home and at the gym. Remember these three ground rules: eat enough nutritious food, induce rest days between sessions, and progress by adding more weight and reps. 

Stop the exercise when feeling any pain and contact a doctor if the pain becomes permanent. It’s highly recommended to engage in physical exercises under a trainer’s supervision.