The best exercises for breasts: we have a complete list of exercises for you with videos!

Although the pectoral muscles receive quite a lot of attention from both novices and experienced exercisers attention, many people resort to the same exercises over and over again, which they repeat in every workout. However, for maximum strength and volume development of the pectoral muscles, it is necessary to vary the individual exercises and, above all, to perform them technically correctly. For example, the bench press, which has long been one of the most popular exercises, is technically quite demanding and it is therefore very easy to get the technique wrong. In some cases, this can result in unpleasant injuries. In today's article, we will therefore look at the best exercises for the breasts, focusing onthe different variations of each exercise and, of course, the correct technique and the most common mistakes.

Bench press

What else to start with but the bench press. Perhaps no other exercise enjoys such huge popularity among gym newbies. After all, the bench press is the benchmark of success for many. Despite its great popularity, however, many people have significant problems with proper bench press technique. It is a very complex exercise that involves many joints and muscle groups.

Because of its technical difficulty, we have devoted an entire separate article to this exercise, in which we detail its technique and the most common mistakes people make in the gym.

Correct Execution

The basic position is lying on the bench. Before you grip the barbell, pull your shoulder blades together to activate the interscapular muscles. Lift the dumbbell from the holder and lower it to your chest in a smooth motion. Then lift the dumbbell up, with the contraction of the pectoral muscles as the main driver. The dumbbell should move in a straight line the entire time.

What to watch out for

A common mistake is bending the wrist backwards, which puts quite a lot of pressure on it. In particular, newcomers also often twist the barbell in order to lift as much weight as possible, regardless of technique. elbows very significantly to the side or push the barbell with their dominant hand to the detriment of the other side of the body. You should also avoid bouncing the dumbbell off your chest excessively.

Other variations of the exercise

In addition to the bench press on a straight bench, there are of course also variations on an inclined bench. If you tilt the bench upwards, you will target mainly the upper part of the chest. If you adjust the bench to face downwards, you will primarily target the underside of the chest. This rule applies to all other exercises (one-arm push-ups, pull-ups, pulldowns, etc.). If your goal is primarily to develop volume, we recommend performing at least some of the100 exercises in the incline bench version so that you target the upper part of the pectoral muscles. Visually, this area often lags behind the rest of the chest, even though the worklarge upper chest will take your physique to a new level visually.

Push-ups with one-arm dumbbells

The only difference between bench presses and one-handed presses is that instead of using a large axle, one-handed presses are used. The clear advantage is therefore that both hands are engaged independently and there are higher demands on stability during the movement. At the same time, however, you have more freedom of movement in this exercise compared to the bench, so you can e.g.For example, you can pull your arms slightly inwards or go much lower in the lower phase of the exercise with the dumbbells. Similar to the benchpress, you can perform the push-ups on both a straight bench and an incline bench.

Correct execution

The starting position is the same as for the bench press. Hold the dumbbells over your chest and pull your shoulder blades towards you. Then lower the dumbbells down in a controlled manner and then lift them up. Again, the movement must primarily be guided by the contraction of the chest. At the top stage, with your arms extended, try to push your elbows imaginatively towards you to further feel the pectoral muscles. The movement of the dumbbells should be in one line at all times.

What to watch out for

Particularly with incline bench presses, the most common mistake is not having enough range of motion in the bottom phase of the exercise. The elbows should always be at a minimum of 90 degrees, but ideally they should go even lower. Another mistake is twisting the elbows into unnatural positions, which stems primarily from excessive loading.

Other exercise variations

In addition to the incline bench, there is also a variant on a special machine or on pulleys. Especially on pulleys, it is then possible to differentiate the exercise depending on the angle at which the movement is conducted. If it is directed upwards, again the upper part of the pectoral muscles is targeted in particular.

One-Armed Stretching

Another excellent exercise for developing your pectoral muscles is the one-arm split. This can be performed in countless different variations. In fact, in addition to variously inclined benches, it is also possible to do the so-called stretches on pulleys. Even if you have a preferred version of this exercise, it doesn't hurt to switch it up from time to time and try an alternative.

Correct execution

The starting position is again lying on the bench. Hold the dumbbells in your hands above you. Lower your arms in a controlled arc downwards so that you have your arms extended to the sides at the bottom. Your elbows should be slightly bent at all times, with the option to bend them a little more in the lower phase of the exercise. Then, using the contraction of your pectoral muscles, lift your arms up in an arching motion. At the top stage, it is a good idea to mentally push your elbows towards you again to maximise the contraction of the breasts.

What to watch out for

Stretching should be done with a weight that you are able to control throughout the movement. Otherwise, it often happens that, especially in the lower phase of the exercise, there is more biceps involvement. Excessive loading also results in excessive hand clenching and insufficient range of motion.

Peck deck

The Peck deck is a movement very similar to the arm stretch. The difference is that this variation is performed on a machine. This makes less demands on technique, so you can afford to use slightly heavier weights. However, unlike the one-arm stretch, the peck deck puts even pressure on the pectoral muscles at all times. The downside is that the peck deck is not ideal for targeting the upper or lower pectoral muscles.

Proper execution

Lean against the backrest and grasp the handles of the machine. These should be set so that your arms are in an even position relative to your shoulders. Draw your shoulder blades together and bend your elbows slightly. Then smoothly pull your arms together in an arching motion. At this stage, we recommend holding for a moment and squeezing the pectoral muscles as much as possible. Then return the arms to the starting position in a controlled manner.

What to watch out for

Similar to the stretching, one of the most common mistakes is using too much weight. Because of this, the biceps and elbows become overly involved. A common mistake is also poor machine setup, which leads to incorrect arm angles.

Overhead pressing on the bottom pulleys

If you want to target the upper part of the pectoral muscles, forearm pressing on the lower pulleys will allow you to do this in a great way. This movement is very similar to the stretch on a positively inclined bench, however, due to the constantthe constant load caused by the pulleys, the pectoral muscles are under tension at every stage of the exercise. Technically, this is a relatively simple exercise, but it is possible to make many mistakes here due to poor technique.

Correct execution

The starting position is a stable stance with the handles of the lower pulleys in the hands. Stay upright throughout the exercise and avoid unnecessary rocking back and forth. Smoothly extend your arms up and out in front of you. At the top, hold for a moment each time to maximise the sensation in the upper chest muscles. Then lower your arms slowly and in a controlled manner. But keep your elbows slightly bent the whole time and stand in front of the pulleys so that you have to keep the muscles under tension even in the lower phase.

What to watch out for

You need to do the forearm push-ups on the lower pulleys with a weight that you can control at all times. Otherwise, there will be more biceps involvement, rocking and the path of the movement will not be straightforward.

Pulling down the counter pulleys

Counter pulleys really offer countless ways to engage the pectoral muscles and their individual parts.An excellent exercise to target the entire pectoral muscles is the classic pulley contraction. Depending on the degree of your forward bend and the height at which your arms are held, the part of the pecs that you primarily engage also changes. But no matter how you set yourself up, you will always succeed in exercising your pecs to the max. Technically, this is a relatively simple exercise, but you can feel every movement perfectly if done correctly.

Correct execution

Grab one handle in each hand and stand between the pulleys so that you are slightly in front of them. It's ideal to have one leg slightly crossed so you're more stable. Bend slightly and bend your elbows again, keeping them slightly bent throughout. Contracting your pectoral muscles, pull the pulleys in an arching motion in front of you and hold for a second at this stage. At the same time, try to squeeze the pectoral muscles as much as possible. The height to which you raise your arms will depend on which part of the breasts you want to primarily target.

What to watch out for

The most common mistake when performing this exercise is arching your back and rocking back and forth. Also avoid excessive elbow bending and insufficient range of motion.

Dipy

Barbell push-ups are something most people automatically associate with triceps. But with this exercise, the pectoral muscles are also largely involved, which you will feel especially when you try to do dips after your breast workout. A huge advantage of dips is their technical ease. You can do them both in the gym and on workout courts. Since it is an exercise with your own weight, it is also suitable for beginners who will learn to work with their body better thanks to it.

Correct execution

The starting position is to stand up on the bars with your legs slightly bent backwards. The torso is straight and the back is neither hunched nor arched backwards. Slowly and in a controlled manner lower the body downwards until the shoulders are below elbow level. At that point, using contraction of the pectoral muscles and triceps, lift back up until your arms are straight again.

What to watch out for

A common mistake you may encounter when doing push-ups on the bars is not having enough range of motion. It's also not uncommon for people to arch their backs as they move upwards or to twist their elbows sideways. Swinging is also a widespread phenomenon, but one that should be avoided.

Pullover

The last exercise in our article is the pullover. This may come as quite a surprise to some, as the pullover is known more as a broad back muscle exercise. However, it would be a great shame to forget that in addition to the latissimus, the pullover also significantly engages the pectoral muscles.

Correct execution

First, lean your upper back against a bench. Traditionally, leaning against the bench from the side is the way to do it, but leaning along the entire length of the bench as you can see in the video is not out of the question. The important thing is to keep your feet firmly planted and your back braced. Grasp the single arm in both hands above you and keep your elbows slightly bent. Controllably lower your arms behind your head as far as you can. Then, contracting your pectoral muscles, lift the barbell again above you (from your front view) in the same path of motion.

What to watch out for

As with many other exercises, the most common mistake is a small range of motion. However, be careful not to bend your back unnecessarily at the same time, especially in the lower phase of the exercise. With too much load, it also often happens that people cramparms at the elbows, thus engaging the triceps more during the subsequent straightening.

That's it for today's article. But if you have any questions about the topic, feel free to contact us in the comments below the article.