8 Best Pec Workouts & Exercises For Chest Symmetry

Creating a bodybuilding physique is hard work, and you expect to get results for all the work you put in.

Are your workouts hitting your triceps, back, and shoulders, but leaving your pecs looking deflated? No matter how hard you work, if you aren’t focusing on the right exercises, your pecs will never pop.

One of the most common problems men face in the gym is an underdeveloped chest region. Many will go hard on the lower chest and neglect the smaller upper chest muscles. If you’ve ever seen a man at the gym with a great physique who looks like they have man boobs, this is the reason.

If you aren’t thrilled with the pecs you see in the mirror, consider changing up your chest workout plan. There’s no shame in wanting a chiseled physique, either. A study by Plos One confirmed that both men and women prefer a muscular, wide chest and V-shaped torso.

Here are some of the top pectoral exercises you can do to gain muscle mass in your chest.

1. Barbell Bench Press

Since before the Golden Era of bodybuilding, the barbell bench press has been the go-to for chest definition. It still reigns supreme as one of the Big 3 in powerlifting and weightlifting competitions.

The barbell bench press will target the middle pec muscles. We already created a step-by-step guide to use if you’ve never performed the barbell bench press before. Make sure to get your form perfected before you add weight to the bar.

Once you’re ready, lift hard and heavy, with light reps. Complete 6 to 10 reps for three sets. Take between 60 – 180 seconds to rest between sets with longer rest periods the heavier you’re lifting.

2. Reverse-Grip Bench Press

The reverse-grip bench press is the same as the barbell bench press with a grip change. Instead of pumping the bar in an overhand grip, you’ll use an underhand grip. Hand placement should be wider than shoulder-width apart.

Changing up the grip during this bench press will focus on the middle and upper pec muscles. Doing this bench press along with the standard barbell bench press will keep the threat of man boobs away.

Just like the barbell bench press, go heavy with weight and light on reps once you’ve got the form down. Stick with the same number of reps and time for rest as the barbell bench press.

3. Incline Bench Press

Tired of the bench press yet? If you want chiseled pecs, you shouldn’t be. The incline bench press provides more of a challenge, which means more muscle development.

The incline bench press will target the upper pecs, to really engage and fill out the chest region. You can use the incline bench press with an overhand or underhand grip. The bench should be set between 30 and 45 degrees, whichever works best for you.

Be warned, due to the incline, you can’t lift as heavy as with a flat or decline bench. If you’re lifting at 1RM on the barbell bench press, start with 70 or 80% of 1RM for incline. Adjust the weight up or down if you can’t complete your reps with perfect form.

4. Dumbbell Bench Press

If you have a bench and dumbbells, you can get a great chest workout at home with the dumbbell bench press. Using dumbbells provides a full range of motion that a barbell just can’t replicate. Plus, you can vary grip position much easier to hit the muscles from all angles as you lift.

Have you noticed one pec is larger than the other? The dumbbell bench press exercise added to your pec workouts can fix that and bring beautiful symmetry to both sides of the chest wall.

Having an individual dumbbell in each hand means there is no compensation for a weaker muscle when pushing the weight.

Including the dumbbell bench press during your pec exercises will target the middle pecs. Just like the barbell bench press, you can position the bench at different angles to further challenge the muscles.

5. Dumbbell Pullover

Some will argue the dumbbell pullover is more of a back exercise than a chest exercise, but we don’t agree. Take it from Golden Era legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane, the dumbbell pullover is an efficient pec exercise.

The dumbbell pullover works the entire pectoral region, including the lats and serratus muscles. Not everyone can do this exercise easily if they lack upper back and shoulder flexibility. If this move just isn’t comfortable for you, consider working on your range of motion first.

6. Push-Ups

Some chest building exercises can be done without weights, like the push-up. This bodyweight exercise can be done anywhere at any time and is an easy one to perfect form in any pec workout.

Another great thing about the push-up? It can activate every part of the pectoral muscles just by changing your position or hand placement. The push-up is extremely versatile, so have fun with it once you’ve got the basic form down.

We’ve got a step-by-step guide for you to use, plus some variations to try. Challenge yourself continuously to reap the benefits of this basic, but necessary, exercise.

7. Chest Dips

Chest dips are another versatile, multi-muscle exercise you can do to build your chest and triceps in your pec workouts. You can use a dip machine at the gym or try them out at home if you have the right equipment.

Once you get the form down, you can add weight in the form of a weight belt or backpack. You can also hold a dumbbell or kettlebell between your ankles. Focus on slow, controlled movements to target the pectorals using this exercise.

8. Cable Crossover

The cable crossover is not only great for the lower pecs, but it can also help with bodybuilding poses. If you bend over too far at the waist, the focus will shift from the lower pecs to the middle pecs.

If you don’t have access to a cable machine, you can also do this move with dumbbells. Setting the cables high will work the lower pecs while setting the cables low will target the upper pecs.

Tips for Optimal Pec Development

No amount of lifts or pec decks will improve your chest development if you don’t have a few key points down. These tips will help you build your pecs whether you’re lifting at the gym or working out at home.

1. Don’t Forget to Warm Up

If you aren’t warming up before each workout, you should be. Incorporating exercises before you hit the weights will get your blood flowing right where you need it most.

Research shows that performing dynamic warm-ups prior to a heavy lifting session can enhance strength performance. Here are a few ideas for chest day warm-ups:

• Arm swings: Hold your arms straight out to each side. Swing your arms in, crossing them at the chest, before swinging them back to the starting position. Complete for 30 to 45 seconds and two sets.
• Shoulder rotations: Hold your arms straight out to each side. Move your arms in a circle, making the circles bigger with each rotation. Complete for 30 to 45 seconds for two sets.
• Plyometric push-ups: Complete a push-up using standard form. Use enough momentum so you can push off the ground at the top and clap your hands. Complete 5 to 8 reps for two sets, taking up to 30 seconds to rest between sets as needed.
• Resistance band pull-aparts: Hold a resistance band in both hands, arms outstretched in front. Move your arms to each side, pulling the band apart. Complete 15 reps for three sets without resting between sets.

2. Lift Hard and Heavy

We said it before and we’ll say it again. 

You won’t get the muscle gains in your chest without lifting heavy. Muscle hypertrophy and growth come from tearing down the muscle fibers with a heavy, progressive overload.

This also means you want to stick with low reps for each set in your pec workouts. Anywhere from 6 to 12 reps per set. Chasing the pump with high reps will make you look good in the moment, but it’s a short-lived victory.

Rest time will also be longer when you lift heavier. Shoot for at least 90 seconds, but take longer if needed. When you’re lifting heavy, once or twice is all you need per week to get a fully developed chest.

3. Focus on the Whole Chest

The upper pec muscles are much smaller and more stubborn than the lower, so you can’t forget about them. Your pec exercises should be devoted to your lower and upper chest muscles equally. 

If you have the dreaded man boobs, focus more on the upper chest for a week to balance them out. This can also help you beat any plateau you may struggle with on the bench press.

4. Avoid Failure on Each Set

Now that you’re focused on building your pec definition, you may be itching to go balls to the wall. However, you don’t want to reach failure for every set of each chest exercise.

Build your muscles using progressive overload, leaving your maximum effort for the last set. So if you normally can bench 200 pounds, drop down 10 to 20 pounds on each set. Then for the last set, go hard with the full 200 pounds to finish the exercise strong.

5. Change the Tempo

Another way to build muscle definition is to change the tempo of the exercise. By slowing down the amount of time it takes to perform the movement, your muscles are under tension longer. 

More time under tension equals bigger muscle gains.

When looking to improve muscle mass, slow down the concentric phase of the exercise. When performing the bench press, the muscle shortens when lowering the barbell to your chest. 

Taking an extra second or two using a controlled movement during the concentric phase can speed up muscle gains.

Want more tips and chest exercises? Check out our best chest workouts and exercises guide.

Final Thoughts

Creating pec definition isn’t difficult if you know the right exercises to use and perform them properly. Using an adjustable bench, barbell, and dumbbells, you can get a great muscle-building pec workout almost anywhere.

When working to build muscle mass, lift heavy with lower reps, reduce the tempo, and don’t forget to warm-up. Using these pec exercises and the tips for success, you can create a well-defined chest and blast away man boobs.

Our Size & Strength stack will help you power through your workouts and build definition that lasts. It includes a pre-workout, muscle builder, and testosterone booster to gain muscles, no matter where you workout.

What are your preferred pec exercises when working on your chest? Have you successfully rid yourself of man boobs? We’d love to hear what works best for you in the comments below.