While there are several exercises for working your chest, the chest press is an efficient choice because it engages the largest muscles in your torso along with several other muscles in your arms and shoulders. The exercise can be performed using machines or free weights to apply resistance as needed.
Action
Perform the chest press while laying on your back on a bench or other supportive surface or while sitting at a cable machine with your back to the pulleys. Hold a barbell or dumbbells at either side of your chest with your arms bent so that your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. Push the weight straight up until your arms are fully extended, then lower the weight to the starting position to complete one repetition. If you are using cables, grasp the stirrups at shoulder height and push forward in a punching action parallel to the floor until your arms are fully extended, then return to the starting position.
Primary Muscles
The primary muscles engaged in the completion of a press are the pectoralis major sternal, also called the lower pecs. These muscles stretch between the sternum and the humerus and are the most prominent muscles of the chest. They are engaged during pushing movements.
Synergists
In addition to the pectoralis major, the press engages several supporting, or synergist, muscles which help you control and guide the weight. These include the pectoralis major clavicular head, or upper pecs, the anterior deltoids and the triceps. The anterior deltoids assist the pecs when the elbow is bent at the shoulder as it for the starting position of the press. The triceps work to extend the arms during the peak of the lift.
Routine
The muscles used during a chest press can be grown through a cycle of challenging lifts and adequate rest. Do one set of 10 to 12 repetitions with a heavy enough weight that you experience difficulty completing the final rep or fail completely. The stressed muscles then require at least 24 hours to heal before you should attempt the lift again during your next workout. During that rest period micro tears in the muscle fiber will scar over, resulting in thicker and stronger muscles.
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