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Chest exercises

The chest muscles (the pectorals) are made up of the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor.

The pectoralis major is the bigger of the two. It has several important functions at the shoulder: flexion, adduction (towards body), and medial (inward) rotation. The pectoralis minor is a thin triangular muscle that lies beneath the pectoralis major and is responsible for similar functions.

Many strength and power athletes exercise their chest muscles in a number of ways, aiming to hit the upper, middle and lower portions of the pectorals. As such we have included incline, flat and decline exercises.

Below are a number of exercises which will allow you to exercise each area of your chest muscles. Simply click on the name of an exercise to watch a free video demonstration of that exercise.

Chest exercises: Video demonstrations

 Assisted dips
 Bench press
 Bench press (Dumbell) 
 Bent knee press ups 
 Cable cross overs
 Cable flyes
 Close grip bench press
 Decline bench press (Dumbbell)
 Decline bench press (Barbell)
 Decline flyes 
 Decline press ups
 Dips
 Flyes
 Incline bench press 
 Incline bench press (Dumbbell)
 Incline flyes 
 Press ups 
 Weighted dips 
 Wide grip bench press