Best 7 Chest Exercises for Massive Muscle Growth

Looking for the best 7 chest exercises for massive muscle growth? You’ve found them!

Trying to improve how the chest looks is the goal of many people, both men and women. A strong chest gives an athlete the ability to become better overall with any upper body related activity.

This list of the best 7 chest exercises for massive muscle growth was shared by John Meadows. “The Mountain Dog” was a professional bodybuilder, trainer and nutritionist who died in 2021.

Best 7 Chest Exercises for Massive Muscle Growth

1. Slight Decline Dumbbell Press

Meadows kicks off his list of the best 7 chest exercises for massive muscle growth with a very tiny decline dumbbell press. He puts a 25lb weight plate underneath the bench to create that decline effect.

“That’s all you really need to get the stress out of your shoulder and put it on your pec.”

2. Low Incline Barbell Press

Source: Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels

This is Meadows favourite exercise for the chest. Again he uses a slight decline bench instead of having the bench decline at 45 degrees as most people do. “Given the choice, I do prefer a little bit lower angle.”

3. Machine Fly

Meadows doesn’t like the dumbbell version of flyes as it gets the shoulders into a deep stretch, but he feels safer with the machine. Great for isolating the chest muscles.

4. Dips

Next on Meadows’ list of best 7 chest exercises for massive muscle growth are dips.

Source: Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels

To target the chest in this exercise instead of the triceps you will want to flare your elbows out and keep the feet forward to put the pressure on your lower chest.

This way of doing the dip is known as the Gironda style dip, after coach Vince Gironda.

5. Pec Minor Dip

The pec minor dip utilises the same set-up for the dip and it can be described best as a reverse shrug utilising your body weight.

You want to keep your arms straight the entire time and flex your chest to pick yourself up.

6. Cambered Bar Push-Up

Doing push-ups on a cambered bar, according to Meadows, gives you a great range of motion to develop your pecs and if you do it continuously you will get more flexible on the shoulders and chest. This can be used as a great chest finisher exercise.

7. Floor Press

Lay on the floor and do presses like you normally would on a bench. Meadows utilises a barbell with a heavy load for it.

Although there is not a full range of motion, the bodybuilder likes this exercise because you can lock out for a great pec contraction.

And that was the best 7 chest exercises for massive muscle growth from John Meadows. Click on the video below for more info on each exercise and how to do them properly.

VIDEO – Best 7 Chest Exercises for Massive Muscle Growth

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Muscles of the Chest

The chest, or pectoralis major, is a large muscle that extends from the sternum to the upper arm and is responsible for many functions. It’s also the most visible muscle in the body, which is why men often work on it at the gym.

Pectoralis minor is a small muscle located underneath pectoralis major that helps rotate and flex your arm. Serratus anterior attaches along your ribs and attaches to your scapula (shoulder blade).

Source: Depositphotos / CrossFit Inc

All three of these muscles are important for maintaining good posture and protecting vital organs like your heart and lungs on top of their more obvious functions like movement of arms/shoulders!

Pectoralis Major

The pectoralis major is the largest muscle in the chest. It originates on the sternum and clavicle, and inserts on the humerus.

Pectoralis Minor

The pectoralis minor (PM) is a thin muscle that originates from the lower 8 ribs and inserts into the coracoid process of the scapula. It functions to adduct and medially rotate the glenoid cavity, bringing your arm closer to your body. The PM also assists in flexion of your shoulder joint, but it doesn’t contribute significantly to this movement as compared with other muscles in this area.

Serratus Anterior

The serratus anterior originates on the first 7 ribs, and inserts on the medial border of the scapula. It is anterior and inferior to pectoralis major, and it initiates protraction of the scapula. It also works in conjunction with other muscles to achieve elevation of the scapula.

The chest muscles function to adduct the shoulder and assist in internal rotation

The chest muscles function to adduct the shoulder and assist in internal rotation.

The pectoralis major is a large muscle that originates from the clavicle, sternum, and ribs. It inserts into both upper arms via its tendons. The pectoralis major functions as both an adductor of the arm and an internal rotator of the humerus (upper arm bone). In other words, when your arms are by your sides with palms facing forward, it will pull them towards each other so that your palms face inward (internal rotation) or away from each other so that they face outward (adduction).

These best 7 chest exercises for massive muscle growth you saw earlier work all functions of the muscle chest to give you the best results.

Conclusion – Best 7 Chest Exercises for Massive Muscle Growth

As you can see, the chest muscles function to adduct the shoulder and assist in internal rotation. They also allow you to lift your arms above your head. The pectoralis major is the largest muscle on your chest, while the pectoralis minor helps stabilize your shoulder joint when lifting weights or performing other exercises such as push-ups or dips.

Add these best 7 chest exercises for massive muscle growth into your training.