Push it - a rundown of great pushing exercises

Nat Pero

Mr Pero was again commissioned to write one of the simplest articles ever. I said, oi pero, pick a bunch of exercises that stress the body in a horizontal push pattern (chest exercises then), stick em in an article I said, talk about whether they are bodybuilding or more integrated, when you would use them and why. Mr Pero did just that, although I don't think he appreciated my attitude.

Forget big arms, a square cheek bone, a ripped, solid chest is a true test of a man’s physique! (That and being lean and having powerful well developed legs of course) I always find training the chest the most fun, not just because of the awesome pump you acquire but because you don’t experience that painful nauseating feeling you get when you’re training your legs for example. Probably why chest training is so damn popular (mirror muscles, combined with being easier to train).

Although the pecs are one of the most regularly exercised muscle groups there are certain myths surrounding their make-up. There are no middle, lower, inner muscles. How your chest grows is completely genetic, so don’t be fooled into thinking by performing a certain exercise your isolating a particular part of the chest. That’s not to say don’t mix it up at all, but understand why you’re doing it.

This article will cover my favourite chest exercises, what makes them so great and what your hard graft will reap were to add them to your programme. I've started with some classic bodybuilding moves, then progressed to a few more integrated exercises that challenge the body to balance/stabilise as well as the pushing strength.

Bench Press

The absolute king pin of all chest exercises, particularly if size and strength are what you’re after. Why is this exercise the best chest exercise? Simply because the capacity to lift larger loads is greater when compared to other chest exercises. England prop Andrew Sheridan weighs 19st and can bench press 210kg, not to mention run around a field for 80 mins – incredible!! Last time I looked the world record was set at 476kg!!! Now I’m not implying any tom, dick or harry can condition themselves to bench those kind of weights, I was just trying to impress upon you the enormous potential of this exercise.

Perform the flat bench press with an Olympic bar, lay flat on a bench with the bar on a rack directly over the chest. Keep your feet flat on the floor and grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Un-rack the bar and slowly begin to lower towards your chest, keeping your elbows at a natural 45 degree angle, keep your upper back tight and chest expanded. Tap your chest with the bar then powerfully push straight until your elbows are locked out.

Yes it’s a classic old exercise but as ever, there are tons of ways to vary it and keep progressing. You can mix up your grip (wide, medium, narrow) and vary tempo. You may wish to hold the bottom part of the press for 2 sec’s prior to the pushing phase. This will improve your power when pushing the bar to full lock out. You can also perform the bench press inclined or declined although declined pressing exercises don’t do exactly what most people believe and that is work the lower chest. By all means add in the decline press, in many cases it’s easier than the flat as the range of motion is shorter, so this is a great way to get used to handling more weight.

Dumbbell Press

This is a great chest builder as it pretty much mimic’s the barbell press. However, due to the fact you get one for each hand it’s an excellent one for ensuring the right and left arm are doing their own share of the work. Dumbbells can be easier on the shoulders too as they allow freer movement at the shoulder capsule and your less likely to suffer impingement problems.

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lay flat on a bench with your arms at full extension and feet flat on the floor. Ensuring your palms are facing away slowly lower the weights until they gently tap your shoulders. Now, you may only lower until your elbows are at 90 degrees. However, I’m a big fan of using the full range of motion so for me, I like to see the weights tapping the shoulders as long as you have sufficient range of motion/healthy shoulders.

These can be a great alternative to using a barbell If you have no friends and are inexperienced in the weight room. People do die occasionally from pinning themselves under a heavy bar when they couldn't push it back up (don't laugh). Dumbbells can be just as effective and a lot safer, so if your training alone in your garage late at night..choose wisely!

Chest Dips

Although most commonly used as a triceps builder, by simply tilting forward you are able to transform this exercise into a humdinger of a chest exercise.

Grab the parallel bars and straighten your arms until your elbows are fully locked out. Cross you lower legs over and bring your heels up towards you back side. Slowly lower yourself by bending your elbows (keeping them in) whilst simultaneously leaning forward and pushing your chest out. Once you have reached the bottom, you should feel a slight stretch in your front deltoids, powerfully straighten your arms whilst maintaining the forward lean.

If you can perform more than 10 reps bodyweight only, grab a harness and perform weighted.

Chest Flys

as they are only a single joint movement. personally I like them, yes, you can achieve great chest development through pressing only exercises. However, the reason I like a good fly is that they allow you to hit the chest without relying on assistance from your triceps and focus on the ability to draw the arm towards the body. Most people are better off having mostly compound exercises, most of the time, but classics like the fly can be particularly effective for muscle building and variety.

Assume an identical position on a flat bench to the dumb-bell press. Turn your palms inwards so they are facing each other with elbows slightly bent. Slowly lower both arms towards the floor until they a parallel. Once at the bottom quickly raise your arms to the original position. Ensure that the entire movement is controlled by the pecs and anterior deltoids and that the chest remains elevated, upper back tight to ensure the shoulders remain in a good position.

Cable Fly’s

This exercise is exactly the same as its dumb-bell counterpart, with cables providing the resistance. Place a bench in the centre of the machine and place both pulleys at their lowest setting. Grab both handles and lay flat on the bench, straighten both arms then slightly bend your elbows. Lower arms simultaneously to the side maintaining the slight bend in your elbows. Stop when your arms are pretty much parallel then forcefully return to the original position. As normal, breathe out on the up, inhale on the way down.

The main difference here is the fact that there is more tension at the top of the movement, as the cables are still trying to pull your arms apart, whereas this section of the dumbbell fly can be a position of rest (watch for guys who like to take their time at the top and tap the weights together, not only is this annoying but these guys are slacking at the top! If you catch anyone doing this on their flys in the gym, get them on a cable fly and see how much time they waste at the top then!)

Towel Fly’s - towel press up flys??

The towel fly is an excellent bodyweight exercise for the chest. You’ll also find that it places a huge demand on your core as a bonus.

Grab a bath towel and fold it length ways until it is roughly 6-8 ins wide, ensure that it is neither pink or too fluffy so you don't look like a tart. Hold the ends of the towel and assume a full press-ups position with your hands close together, your palms are placed on top of the towel ends. Slowly lower your chest towards the floor by sliding your hands away from one another, simultaneously bending your elbows. Stop with your chest close to the floor then return to the start position. Keep you core and glutes braced through-out the entire movement.

I suggest a smooth floor for this one, although you can do similarly by rolling out dumbbells.

Standing Cable Push

The cable chest press is a great upper body exercise. This one gets us on our feet and introduces a little more stabilising requirement through the legs and core. The ‘punching’ nature of this movement makes it very useful to those involved in martial arts or those who like a good dust up on a Saturday night!

Place both pulleys approx shoulder height and stand in the centre of the machine. Grab the handles with your palms facing down, bring your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Place one leg out in front of the other in a shallow lunge position. Keeping the hind leg straight and front leg knee bent, slightly lean forward from the waist maintaining a straight back. Under control push your arms straight, ensure that your arms follow a horizontal trajectory. Slowly bring your arms back to load the movement then forcefully extend elbows in a ‘punching’ fashion. Brace your core muscles at all times.

Vary tempo and height of the pulleys to alter the angle of attack. This exercise can also be performed using a resistance band. If single punching power is what you’re after perform unilaterally (one handed).

Cable Crossovers

Very similar to the cable chest press, the cross over is essentially a standing fly. Grip the handles from top pulley palms down. Stand at the middle of cable crossover machine and draw cables to middle of your body. Position your hands approx. six inches away from body. Slightly bend the knees and elbows. Bend forward from the hips and step forward with one leg, keeping back straight. Keep shoulder blades squeezed together and maintain position throughout the entire exercise. In a controlled motion, move arms apart and in line with resistance until roughly parallel. Forcefully return cables to the starting position.

Plyometric Press-Ups

This is a fantastic exercise and is an absolute must if your sport involves powerful pushing movement patterns. Please note if you cannot perform a full press-up then you are a total gym retard, & sorry this exercise is not for you. Master the full press-up first, then introduce the plyometric press-up to ramp up the power.

Grab two Reebok steps, yes like the ones used in step classes and place them in a parallel fashion 2-3 inches greater than shoulder width apart. Start by assuming a close hand press-ups position, placing both hands inside the steps. Lower your body towards the floor then forcefully push yourself up. As you straighten your arms widen your hand position so that they land on the steps. As soon as your hands land on the steps lower yourself nice and deep then again powerfully push yourself upwards, this time bringing your hands in so that they land back onto the floor. Ensure that the movement is fluid, try not to stagger or segment the motion. If you find this exercise too difficult lower the steps or perform press-up claps until you acquire power enough to perform the step version. Inhale on the way down, forcefully exhale as you push back up.

Medicine Ball Press-Ups

Introducing medicine ball press-ups into your regimen is a great way to ramp up the intensity once press-ups become a bore (not long). Performing this exercise allows you to take your pecs through an extended range of motion (compared to normal press-ups) as you are elevated with your hands underneath the medicine balls. It’s also a great core exercise due to heightened instability.

Grab a couple of medicine balls (make sure they’re the same size) and assume a full press-ups position with both hands under a ball. Slowly lower yourself down until chest is roughly in line with the medicine balls then forcefully reverse the action by pushing both arms straight until full lock out is achieved. Keep core, glutes and legs tight for added stability. Inhale as you lower, exhale on the up. If you can knock out 15 of these neatly, through full range of motion while holding good posture then you’re not doing too bad son.

Medicine Ball Press-Ups Shuffles

This a great way to add a bit of variety to medicine ball press-ups, it’s also a sterner test for the core. This time grab a solitary medicine ball and place it under one hand. Assume a full press-ups position with one hand on the med ball and the other on the floor. Slowly lower yourself down until your chest is near the floor then forcefully straighten your arms until you a back in the start position. Once you are back to the top shuffle the medicine ball over the other side, placing your hand on top of the ball and repeat the press-up.

Keep core, legs and glutes tight and focus on isolating your upper body, particularly during the shuffle phase. Try to avoid any rotation of your hips and trunk.

Kettlebell Floor Press

A great alternative to the dumbbell press, or even bench press. In general floor presses limit range of motion which have various uses, and they are a great way of varying your push training.

For this version, lie on the floor and grab two kettlebells, holding them close to your pecs. Take a deep breath then forcefully press the bells vertically until your elbows are fully locked out. Lower the bells under control until your upper arms are touching the floor. Exhale as you lower the bells. Contract your abs and glutes as hard as you can whilst pressing the bells for added stability. Grip the handle as tight as possible for increased grunt. Vary tempo and alternate arms for variation (see guard attack below).

Guard Attack

This exercise is rip snorter, bringing the guard attack into your training schedule will not only increase your pushing/punching of your chest, shoulders and triceps, it will also develop serious clout in your core region.

Lay flat on your back with a kettlebell placed either side of your shoulders. Bring bells into position by grabbing the handle and pulling it towards you so that the bell is resting over your pec (start with the weaker side first). Start by lifting your head from the floor and fully extended the left arm. Initiate the movement by pressing the right bell whilst simultaneously pushing you right foot into the floor, rotating slightly to the left and lowering the left bell. Repeat on the other side shifting momentum to the right in a semi rolling action.

Kettlebell Bottoms-Up Press-Up

This exercise requires a great deal of concentration, not to mention core strength so tread carefully.

Grab a bell and place it upside down so that it’s balancing on its handle. Ensure the handle is horizontal then line up your chest over the bell, assuming a full press-up position. Keep legs straight and feet shoulder width apart (widen if balance is an issue). Brace your core, legs and glutes for stability then lower your chest towards the base of the bell by bending your elbows. Press-up by extending your elbows until they are fully locked out. Ensure your palms and fingers are gripping the bell and that the palms are facing each other. Breathe in on the way down, exhale on the up.

Turn the bell handle to the vertical position for even greater challenge.

Kettlebell Extended Range One Arm Floor Press

This exercise is very similar to the guard attack but performed unilaterally (ideal if you only have one bell, or looking for a bit of variety).

Lay on the floor and position one bell in the bottom of the press position, elbows 90 degrees and wrist straight. As you begin to press the bell internally rotate leg and hip of the same side, increase the range of motion. Repeat on the opposite side. Take a deep breath prior to pressing the bell, exhale as you lower?

I may have left out 6 million other exercises that will cause progressive adaptation of the chest muscles, however I don't have all day. Most of you should be able to find plenty here to tweak your training as well as plenty of reminder not to ignore the classics! I'm sure we will bring you more like this soon...

Now bugger off and train!

About the Author

With a degree in Sport and Exercise Science and 8 years of personal training behind him Nat makes a useful addition to the team. With many years of muscle building action under his belt, Nat has been ordered to become a kettlebell master and is bringing us a well rounded look at training.