The pectoral muscles of the chest are the most popular muscles to exercise for most gym goers and aspiring bodybuilders. For men, a large, powerful chest is considered a sign of masculine vigor and vitality. For women, powerful pec muscles will make breasts appear larger, increasing physical attractiveness. While the basic bench press is still the most effective exercise to build the pecs, other exercises work remarkably well also.
Push-Up
The basic push-up, learned by most people by the beginning of junior high, is often overlooked as a chest-building exercise, since it is a bodyweight calisthenic and not a weightlifting exercise. Nevertheless, as any graduate of Army Basic Combat Training can tell you, the push-up, performed in high volume, will increase the size of your pecs. Additionally, they provide the added benefit of developing the stabilizer muscles of the rotator cuff, leading to reduced risk of injury from heavy lifting exercises like the bench press and parallel dips.
Parallel Bar Dip
While the bench press is rightly considered the king of pec-building upper body exercises, strength coach Mark Rippetoe points out in "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training" that the parallel bar dip, performed correctly, is at least as effective at strengthening the pectorals, and perhaps safer, since the loading is less stressful and more natural. Originally developed as an exercise for gymnasts, most modern weight rooms will offer the means to perform parallel bar dips. Rippetoe recommends building up to the ability to perform 20 non-stop repetitions. After that goal is reached, he believes the athlete should start adding weight resistance to the exercise through the use of a dip belt, which will hold standard Olympic weight plates. At that point, the athlete should start completing five sets of five repetitions each.
Dumbbell Chest Flye
The most controversial of chest exercises, the chest flye is touted in most standard bodybuilding as a standard exercise to build the pecs. The controversy arises because the angles involved in executing this exercise precludes the use of heavy dumbbells. Since the pectoral muscles are worked the same as when you perform a dumbbell bench press--but with much heavier weight--the chest flye has come under much criticism with the advent of the "functional fitness training" movement. Nevertheless, no less than the legendary, seven-time Mr. Olympia and action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended this exercise in his book "The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding," as an exercise to build the pecs.
References
- "FM 21-20 Physical Fitness Training;" U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command; 1998
- "Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding;" Arnold Schwarzenegger; 1987
- "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training;" Mark Rippetoe; 2007
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