If you’re looking to build more thickness, muscle, and strength in your pecs, here are the best barbell chest exercises and workouts that you need to add to your chest training regime. Having a well-developed chest contributes to the fullness of the upper body and has functional benefits.
To effectively train the chest, first, we will understand the chest anatomy, and then we will look at the execution technique and the best chest barbell exercises and pro-tips.
Know About Chest Muscles
The chest muscle is commonly known as the pectoralis (pecs) muscle, which is divided into upper and lower sections. The upper region of the chest is the hardest area of the chest to build.
The pectoralis major has two functional subdivisions –the upper and lower regions.
- The upper region is referred to as the sternoclavicular head because of its attachment to the clavicle.
- The lower regions are sometimes referred to as the sternocostal head because of their attachment to the ribs.
What Are Chest Barbell Exercises?
Barbell chest workout are weight-training exercises in which participants lift heavy weights loaded onto a barbell. The weight is delivered by weight plates, which allow you to work your way up to lifting heavier weights.
Most gyms have all the equipment you need to start incorporating barbell chest exercises into your workout routine, even if you choose to purchase a bench press to practice barbell workouts at home.
How To Train Chest With Barbell
If you want to develop stronger and bigger pecs, then you should start doing chest training with a barbell. You can lift more weight with a barbell than with dumbbells because they’re more stable. That is why barbell chest presses are generally more effective at building strength in your chest. But this variation puts more focus on your triceps, so you’ll get the added bonus of extra work for the biggest muscles in your arms.
One of the most important things you can do if you want to build a bigger upper chest with barbell is to remember to not just focus on strength-building exercises, but also need to focus on isolation exercises.
When you are trying to build the chest, really, you have to make sure you don’t forget to include some exercises that allow your hands the freedom of motion.
Benefit of Barbell Chest Exercises
There are multiple reasons that motivate you to do barbell chest exercises, and below I’ve mentioned the some of them.
Barbells are a valuable tool in the arsenal of a person who wants to gain strength efficiently. Exercise experts also point to several other benefits of barbells.
- A barbell chest workout strengthen the muscles of the upper body, including the pectorals, arms, and shoulders.
- Chest barbells exercises provide versatility, can help you strengthen virtually every muscle in the body with a wider range of resistance.
- The barbell is a very simple tool, so it is easy to learn the basic lifts quickly.
- When practiced with proper form, barbell exercises can help build strength in your stabilizer muscle groups, helping you stand up tall and keep your back straight.
- Other benefits of adding barbell chest workout to your weight-training regimen include increasing upper body strength, improving muscular endurance.
Best Barbell Chest Exercises
Here is the list of the 10 best chest barbell exercises which help to train the chest at various angles and strengthen and to build a well-developed chest.
1. Bench Press
Bench Press, one of the best chest muscle-building exercises. This exercise should be the center of all your barbell chest workouts.
Flat Barbell Chest Press is the fundamental exercise for the upper body and should be a part of any best chest exercises regime. That’s why, for overall chest development, the barbell chest press always remains on the top of the list.
Muscles Worked
Primary: Pectoralis
Secondary: Anterior deltoid, Triceps.
How To Do Bench Press
- Lie flat on the bench keeping your feet on the floor for better balance.
- Lift the bar off the rack and hold it at arm’s length above you.
- Now lower the bar under controlled motion until it touches above the chest (around the nipple area).
- Now raise it until your arms are nearly locked out.
Tips
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
- Do not bounce the weights off the chest.
- Avoid too much arching of the back.
- For heavyweights, use a spotter.
2. Incline Bench Press
The Incline barbell chest Press is a great exercise to add to your barbell chest exercises, arsenal. It is a version of the traditional bench press in which the bench is positioned at about a 30-45 degree angle.
Incline Bench Press exercise focuses on the upper chest more and therefore helps build massive upper pecs. It is the best exercise to develop muscle mass in the upper and middle pectoral region.
Muscles Worked
Primary: Upper pectoralis.
Secondary: Lower Pectoralis, Anterior deltoid, triceps.
How To Do Incline Bench Press
- Lie on an incline bench, and set at about 30-45 degrees.
- Lift the weight off the rack and hold it above you at arm’s length.
- Lower the bar until it just touches above the nipple area.
- Raise your arms until they are nearly locked out.
Tips
- Perform press in a controlled manner.
- Set a bench at about 30-45 degrees inclined. Do not go more upright as the stress shifts more to shoulders rather than chest area.
3. Decline Press
The decline bench press is an excellent exercise for strengthening your lower chest muscles. It’s a variation of the flat bench press, a popular chest workout.
In a decline barbell chest press, the bench is set to 15 to 30 degrees on a decline. This angle places your upper body on a downward slope, which activates the lower pectoral muscles as you push weights away from your body.
Muscles Worked
Primary: Lower pectoralis
Secondary: Upper pectoralis, Triceps, anterior deltoid.
How To Do Decline Press
- Lie on a decline bench and take a shoulder-width overhand grip on the bar.
- Lower the weight slowly down to touch your lower chest.
- Push the bar straight up until your elbows lock out.
- repeat the desired number of reps.
Tips
- Perform them before triceps in any workout.
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements
- For heavyweights, use a spotter.
4. Barbell Pullover
If you’re looking for a way to get more creative with your barbell chest workout, why not try a barbell pullover exercises?
Barbell Pullover is the best exercise to build a strong rib cage and build serratus anterior muscle to build a complete chest and back. Pullover work directly on the serratus anterior muscle to develop the back.
Muscles Worked
Primary: Pectoralis.
Secondary: Shoulder, Triceps, Back
How To Do Barbell Pullover
- Lie across on a bench on your shoulders so that your head is hanging.
- Grasp a barbell with both hands and get it straight over your chest.
- Lower the barbell in an arc slowly, getting a good stretch in your rib cage.
- Lower the barbell as far as possible and then raise it back to the starting position.
Tips
- Exhale while you exert.
- Maximum stretching ensures the greatest expansion of the rib cage.
- Relax your hips and let them fall, as relaxed hips help in extra expansion.
5. Incline Reverse Grip Bench Press
An Incline bench barbell press with a reverse grip actually shifts the most focus to the upper pecs. Start out light and make sure your thumbs are hooked around the bar for safety.
The reverse-grip bench press may not seem like an upper chest move, but it is absolutely an upper pec exercise as explained in this exercise anatomy.
Muscle Worked
Primary: Upper Pectoralis.
Secondary: Front deltoid, Triceps, Biceps, forearm muscles, Pecs.
How To Do Incline Reverse Grip Bench Press
- Lying on a flat bench, grasp the bar with a supinated (reverse) grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and thumbs around the bar.
- With your elbows tucked in close to your sides, slowly lower the bar down to your lower pecs.
- Press the bar back up to the start position in a slight backward arc without letting your elbows flare out.
- Don’t lock out your elbows at the top of the rep; keep a bend in your arms, maintaining control of the weight at all times.
Tips
- Hold a neutral spine throughout the movement to prevent injury.
- Perform press in a controlled manner.
- Exhale on pushing movement, and inhale when returning to the starting position.
- Contract the chest muscles at the top of the movement.
6. Reverse Grip Press
This simple and highly effective shoulder-friendly pressing variation helps to build mass and strength in your triceps.
The floor press focuses on the end range of chest presses (bench press) which is when the triceps are most active. It is generally done to improve lockout strength and to hone in on tricep development.
The reverse grip simply allows you to alter how the triceps are hit (i.e. medial head).
Muscles Worked
Primary: Triceps, pectoralis major.
Secondary: Anterior deltoid.
How To Do Reverse Grip Press
- Lie flat on a bench-press bench with your feet flat on the floor. With your hands shoulder-width apart, grasp the barbell with an overhand grip.
- Unrack the bar and slowly lower it to your lower chest, keeping your elbows as close to your sides as possible.
- At the bottom of the movement, your elbows should be a little lower than your shoulders.
- Press the bar back up to the starting position.
Tips
- Using anything closer than a shoulder-width grip increase triceps involvement, but can increase stress on the wrists.
- If you’re new to weight lifting and this exercise, use a spotter.
- Inhale slowly as you lower the bar to your chest, and exhale during the push upward.
- Perform the exercise using a slow and controlled movement.
7. Incline Barbell Reverse grip Bench Press
The incline reverse-grip barbell bench press is a very effective compound exercise which targets the upper chest muscles for maximum muscle and strength gains.
Now, it’s an unconventional movement compared to the regular barbell press with an overhand grip, but it’s beneficial for emphasizing the upper chest muscles due to the reverse hand position. Must try, this exercise during your barbell chest workout.
Muscles Worked
Primary: Pectoralis major,
Secondary: Biceps Brachii, Anterior deltoid, Tricep brachii
How To Do Incline Barbell Reverse grip Bench Press
- Lie on an incline bench (30-45 degree inclined).
- Extend the barbell above your chest. Keeping your elbow slightly bent, lower the weight down until it is about chest level and hold.
- Bring your arm back toward the midline of your body, focusing on using your upper pec muscles to draw them back together.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Tips
- Beginners should start light and practice good form before training heavy.
- Keep both keep firmly placed on the floor throughout the exercise.
8. Close-Grip Bench Press
The close grip bench press is a variation of the bench press and an exercise used to build muscle and strength in the triceps. This position places emphasis on building strength and size of the triceps muscles, as well as the chest.
The close grip bench press is a superior movement when talking about exercises that will pack mass onto your triceps. This exercise is another great option that will help you to target the chest and triceps and grow upper body.
Muscles Worked
Primary: Triceps, pectoralis major.
Secondary: Anterior deltoid.
How To Do Close-Grip Bench Press
- Lie flat on a bench-press bench with your feet flat on the floor. With your hands shoulder-width apart, grasp the barbell with an overhand grip.
- Unrack the bar and slowly lower it to your lower chest, keeping your elbows as close to your sides as possible.
- At the bottom of the movement, your elbows should be a little lower than your shoulders.
- Press the bar back up to the starting position.
Tips
- Using anything closer than a shoulder-width grip increase triceps involvement but can increase stress on the wrists.
- If you’re new to weight lifting and this exercise, use a spotter.
- Inhale slowly as you lower the bar to your chest, and exhale during the push upward.
- Perform the exercise using a slow and controlled movement.
9. The Landmine Chest Press
If you’re looking for a way to get more creative with your inner chest workout, why not try landmine barbell chest press exercise?
The Landmine Press is not a popular exercise yet provides many benefits in regard to progressing your inner and upper chest.
It can be performed in kneeling position, which increases core involvement and can improve core stability and strength of the abdominal muscles. It is one of the best inner chest exercise, must add this exercises in your chest workout regimen.
Muscle Worked
Primary: Inner and upper Pectoralis major.
Secondary: Arms, Core, and shoulders
How To Do The Landmine Chest Press
- Place a barbell in a landmine holder or set up a barbell in a corner. Then add weight plates to the free end of the barbell.
- Assume a half kneeling position with the knee under your hip, toes tucked, and rib cage down.
- Press the barbell up straight in front of you until your arms are extended, avoiding hyperextension at the elbows.
- Hold the weight for a second and focus on contracting your chest muscles.
- Slowly lower the weight back towards your chest and then repeat for the recommended reps
Tips
- To secure the barbell, you can interlock your hands around the bar.
- Lean your body forwards slightly and engage your core muscles to help with stabilization.
- Exhale on pushing movement, inhale when returning to starting position.
- Contract the chest muscle at the top of the movement.
10. Smith Machine Hex Press
Finally, if you’re looking for one more effective barbell chest exercise, try the Smith machine hex press.
It effectively targets the inner chest and provides definition to the overall chest.
Hex press by smith machine gives effective engagement and excellent weight distribution. But it is difficult to organize and requires lots of attention and details.
Muscles Worked
Primary: Inner pectoralis major.
Secondary: Anterior deltoid, triceps, Lats.
How To Do Smith Machine Hex Press
- Take a bench, set it to flat, and take a barbell with handles attached to a smith machine.
- Lie back on the bench with the handles held together and resting on your chest.
- Keeping the grip firmly together, press them straight out in front of your chest.
- Lower the weights under control. Then repeat the desired number of reps.
Tips
- Focus on powerful contractions and slow eccentric.
- Perform press in a controlled manner.
Training Volume (Sets And Reps)
However, your chest training frequency also depends on your workout split.
Of course, the number of sets and reps will be determined based on your fitness journey, but here is a great starting point:
Sets
- Beginners (with a year or less of training) should aim for about 12 weekly sets.
- An Intermediate trainee (with two to four years of training) can increase the volume to 16 sets per week.
- An advanced trainee (four or more years of training) may be able to get in up to 20 weekly sets.
When a certain amount of volume stops being effective and your progress stalls, you can add sets to increase volume and use that as a driver of renewed progress.
Reps
The best rep ranges and loads to work with.
- 6-8 reps with heavy load
- 8-15 reps with moderate load
- 15-20+ with light load
The load should bring you to or near failure within the given rep ranges for the exercise to be effective.
Find the workout that suits your experience level and goals. You’ll need to use a range of equipment (dumbbell, cable, bodyweight) and techniques if you want to effectively train the muscle group.
Chest Workout Using Different Equipment:
- 10 Best Chest Workout With Dumbbells
- Best Cable Chest Exercises And Workout Routine
- Bodyweight Chest Exercises: Beginner To Advance
Perform a good warm up using a lower stress movement, such as the incline push, to prepare your body for heavier loads and decrease risk of injury. Be consistent and adjust the workload to what feels best for you.
Takeaways
If you want to totally train the muscle group, you’ll need to try other exercises using a range of equipment and techniques. Variety is one of the major keys for muscle adaptation, so challenging your chest in different ways will be a key driver for growth.
No matter if your goal is a sculpted chest or a stronger upper body, working the chest muscles can only enhance your quality of life. The above barbell chest exercises, along with a high-protein diet, may help increase the size and strength of these muscles.
Frequently Asked Question
How do you build your chest with a barbell?
There are numerous barbell chest exercises and workout that help you develop stronger and bigger pectoral muscles. The bench press is by far the most well-known barbell chest exercise.
Are barbells better than dumbbells?
It is statistically proven that most of you will be 20% stronger when you’re using barbells for the same exercise. Most of you will also find it easier to progress with barbells rather than dumbbell.
How Often Should You Train Your Chest?
Ultimately, your results will depend on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. It is recommended that you allow at least 36 to 48 hours of rest before training the same muscle groups again, in order to allow for sufficient recovery. It is advised that you do not train the chest more than two times per week.
