Gym workouts

Gym chest workout

5 exercises 16 sets about 40 min a full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines

A flat press for the whole chest, an incline press for the upper part, a fly for the stretch, dips for the lower part and push-ups to finish it off.

With a full gym you can open with a heavy barbell lift and finish on cables and machines, which let you push close to failure without technique being the thing that gives out.

Start this workout free Creates your account with these 5 exercises already loaded. Free to log, no card.

The workout

  1. Bench Press4 × 8Pinch your shoulder blades together, lower the bar to mid-chest and press up and slightly back.2 min rest
  2. Incline Dumbbell Press4 × 10Bench at about 30 degrees. Lower until your upper arms pass the line of your chest, then press up and in.90 s rest
  3. Cable Fly3 × 12Keep a slight bend in the elbows and bring your hands together in a wide arc, squeezing the chest at the end.60 s rest
  4. Dips3 × 10Lean forward slightly, lower until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, then press to lockout.90 s rest
  5. Push-Up2 × 12Body in one straight line from head to heels. Chest to the floor, elbows about 45 degrees from your sides.60 s rest

Muscles worked

TrapsShouldersChestBicepsForearmsObliquesAbsAbsAbsAbsQuadsAdductorsCalvesTrapsShouldersChestBicepsForearmsObliquesAbsAbsAbsAbsQuadsAdductorsCalves
Front
TrapsShouldersUpper backLatsLower backTricepsForearmsGlutesHamstringsCalvesTrapsShouldersUpper backLatsLower backTricepsForearmsGlutesHamstringsCalves
Back
  • Chest16
  • Shoulders8
  • Triceps8
  • Abs1

Sets per muscle. A muscle that only assists in an exercise counts half.

How to run it

Before the first exercise, do two lighter sets of it: one at about half your working weight and one at three quarters. Rest for the time shown next to each exercise; the heavy lifts at the top need more than the smaller ones at the end.

Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. If every set reaches its target easily, the session is too light. Add the smallest plate you can to the barbell lifts, and move up one pin on machines and cables once every set reaches the target.

Once or twice a week, with at least two days between sessions. If you also train shoulders and triceps on their own, keep one of those days well away from this one.

If something is taken

  • Bench Press→Dumbbell Bench Press
  • Incline Dumbbell Press→Incline Bench Press

Keep the same number of sets. In the app you can swap an exercise for one session without changing the program.

In myreplog

  1. It is already set up. These 5 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
  2. Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
  3. Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
  4. See what you trained. The session ends with this muscle map, drawn from the sets you actually did.

Logging is free for good. The first 14 days also include Pro, where a coach reviews each session and suggests the weights for the next one. No card needed.

Questions

How long does this chest workout take?

About 40 minutes. That is 16 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.

What muscles does it work?

Mostly the chest, shoulders and triceps. The abs assist. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.

What equipment do I need?

A full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines.

How many chest exercises should I do?

Three to five. One flat press, one incline press and one fly cover the whole muscle; more exercises than that mostly repeat the same movement.

How do I build my upper chest?

Press on an incline. A bench at about 30 degrees, or feet-raised push-ups without one, moves the work to the upper fibres.

More gym workouts

Gym Full Body Workout7 exercises · 50 min Gym Upper Body Workout7 exercises · 55 min Gym Leg Day6 exercises · 45 min Gym Push Day6 exercises · 45 min Gym Pull Day6 exercises · 50 min Gym Chest and Triceps Workout6 exercises · 45 min Gym Back and Biceps Workout6 exercises · 50 min Gym Shoulders and Arms Workout7 exercises · 50 min Gym Back Workout6 exercises · 50 min Gym Shoulder Workout6 exercises · 45 min Gym Arm Workout6 exercises · 40 min Gym Glute Workout5 exercises · 40 min Gym Ab Workout6 exercises · 30 min
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