Chest Exercises - Pushups, Chest Presses and Chest Flies

The bench press is another great standard move for the large muscles of the chest. The shoulders and triceps are also involved in this exercise, making this a compound movement. For a variation, try this on an incline bench, which will target the upper part of the chest.

1. Lie down on a bench, step or the floor. Begin with the barbell hovering just over the chest, elbows bent. Place the hands on the bar a bit wider than the shoulders.
2. Contract the chest and push the weight straight up over the chest without locking the elbows at the top.
3. Bend the elbows and lower the weight down until the elbows are just below the level of the chest.
4. Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 16 reps.

Tips

• Keep the abs contracted throughout the movement to protect your back.
• Keep the motion slow and controlled -- try not to use momentum.