8 Best Horizontal Push Exercises for a Bigger Chest

In case you’re like most gym-going guys, you’re most likely looking for the “secret” to constructing an even bigger chest.

And chances are high, you’re overcomplicating it.

You don’t want a laundry checklist of workouts or the most recent health gimmick to see outcomes. 

What you want is a rigorously chosen set of confirmed horizontal push trains—strikes which can be straightforward to carry out, protected to load with heavy weights, and assured to spark progress.

In my expertise, the 8 finest horizontal urgent workouts for constructing mass in your chest, shoulders, and triceps are:

1. Barbell bench press
2. Incline barbell bench press
3. Dumbbell bench press
4. Incline dumbbell bench press
5. Shut-grip bench press
6. Dip
7. Horizontal chest press machine
8. Push-up 

On this article, you’ll be taught why these workouts are so efficient, uncover find out how to do them to maximise progress, and perceive find out how to put them into mass-building exercises.

What Is a Horizontal Push Train?

A horizontal push train is any strength training motion the place you press towards resistance away out of your physique roughly perpendicular to your torso. Notable examples embrace the bench press and push-up:

Some individuals additionally think about the leg press a horizontal push train since your legs press horizontally. Whereas that’s not totally flawed, I feel it muddies the definition and could be complicated, particularly for brand new weightlifters.

That’s why, for readability, this text will focus completely on higher physique horizontal push workouts.

What Muscle mass Do Horizontal Presses Work?

Horizontal press workouts additionally practice many different stabilizer muscle groups all through your physique, particularly the side delts, lats, traps, serratus anterior, and biceps. 

The 8 Greatest Horizontal Push Trains for Chest Mass & Energy

1. Barbell Bench Press

Why: With regards to horizontal push trains, the barbell bench press is unbeatable. It trains all the foremost higher physique “urgent muscle groups” and allows you to carry heavy weights safely. That’s why you’ll discover it as the primary train in nearly each nice horizontal press exercise.

How one can:

1. Lie on a flat bench and place your ft flat on the ground. 
2. Pull your shoulder blades collectively and down, and with out lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, barely arch your again. 
3. Seize the bar with a barely wider than shoulder-width grip and unrack the barbell.
4. Decrease the barbell to your chest, maintaining your elbows tucked 6-to-8 inches out of your sides.
5. Press the bar again to the beginning place.

2. Incline Barbell Bench Press

Why: The incline barbell bench press is a staple in most chest-building routines as a result of it’s one of the simplest ways to focus on your “higher chest.” No different train that entails urgent horizontally engages this space as successfully, so it’s essential for constructing a full, well-rounded chest.

How one can:

1. Lie on a bench angled at 30-to-45 levels and plant your ft on the ground. 
2. Pull your shoulder blades collectively and down, and with out lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, barely arch your again. 
3. Seize the bar with a barely wider than shoulder-width grip and unrack the barbell.
4. Decrease the barbell to your higher chest, maintaining your elbows tucked 6-to-8 inches out of your sides.
5. Press the bar again to the beginning place.

3. Dumbbell Bench Press

Why: The dumbbell bench press trains all of your pushing muscle groups whereas permitting all sides of your physique to maneuver independently, which helps develop balanced, symmetrical mass. It additionally trains your pecs via a barely longer vary of movement than barbell presses, which can additional benefit progress.

How one can:

1. Whereas sitting on a flat bench, maintain a dumbbell in every hand and relaxation them in your thighs. 
2. Lie again and convey the dumbbells up so that you’re holding them on both facet of your chest by giving them a nudge together with your thighs.
3. Press the dumbbells over your chest till your arms are straight and your elbows are locked. 
4. Decrease the dumbbells to the beginning place.

4. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Why: The incline dumbbell bench press is likely one of the simplest horizontal press workouts for constructing your higher pecs and making a chest that appears full and well-proportioned from each angle.

How one can:

1. Whereas mendacity on a bench angled at 30-to-45 levels, maintain a dumbbell in every hand and relaxation them in your thighs. 
2. Lie again, hoisting the dumbbells up so that you’re holding them on both facet of your chest by giving them a nudge together with your thighs.
3. Press the dumbbells over your higher chest till your arms are straight and your elbows are locked.
4. Decrease the dumbbells to the beginning place.

5. Shut-Grip Bench Press

Why: Whereas many view the close-grip bench press as a triceps train, it’s additionally nice for training your pecs, notably the higher portion. Utilizing a narrower grip and tucking your elbows additionally makes it extra shoulder-friendly in comparison with different horizontal push trains.

How one can:

1. Lie on a flat bench and place your ft flat on the ground. 
2. Pull your shoulder blades collectively and down, and with out lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, barely arch your again. 
3. Grip the barbell with a shoulder-width grip or barely narrower and unrack the barbell.
4. Decrease the barbell to your decrease chest, maintaining your elbows tucked 2-to-4 inches out of your sides.
5. Press the bar again to the beginning place.

6. Dip

Why: The dip deeply stretches your pecs and trains them via a full vary of movement, which probably benefits muscle progress. It might additionally goal the decrease pecs extra successfully than different horizontal push trains, making it useful for rounding out your chest improvement.

How one can:

1. In case you’re utilizing a dip belt, wrap the chain round your waist, add the specified quantity of weight to the chain, and fasten the carabiner.
2. Seize each handles of a dip station, then press your self up by straightening your arms and gently leaping off the bottom so your arms are straight and supporting your complete physique weight. 
3. Barely bend your knees to maintain your ft from touching the bottom, then decrease your physique by bending your elbows till your higher arms are roughly parallel to the ground.
4. Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.

7. Horizontal Chest Press Machine

Why: The horizontal chest press machine is likely one of the best urgent workouts to be taught, making it a fantastic selection for beginners who’re nonetheless mastering correct urgent method. For extra skilled lifters, it’s additionally splendid for including additional chest volume (units) towards the tip of a exercise, when lifting heavy free weights is likely to be too taxing.

How one can:

1. Regulate the chest press machine handles and seat so the handles are consistent with your shoulders and only a few inches out of your chest. 
2. Grip each handles together with your palms dealing with down and press ahead till your arms are straight.
3. Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.

8. Push-up

Instance Horizontal Press Exercises

1. Do a mixture of compound exercises that practice your pushing muscle groups at totally different angles and thru various ranges of movement.
2. End your exercises with a triceps isolation train that emphasizes the long head, since this a part of the triceps get’s little stimulus from horizontal urgent.

The next two exercises meet these standards completely. In addition they include the perfect quantity of units to construct muscle with out sporting you out.

Right here’s find out how to incorporate them into your coaching:

Carry out Horizontal Push Exercise #1 as soon as every week for 8-to-10 weeks as a part of a well-designed program. Then, take a deload and swap to Horizontal Push Exercise #2 for the following 8-to-10 weeks.

You possibly can then proceed alternating between these exercises each 8-to-10 weeks, or create your personal exercises utilizing the workouts above.

The Legion Horizontal Press Exercise #1

The Legion Horizontal Press Exercise #2

FAQ #1: Are you able to carry out horizontal pushing workouts at residence?

You probably have no gear, the push-up is your only option. To learn to adapt it to your health stage, try this text:

How to Do the Push-up: Form, Variations, and Workouts

You probably have dumbbells however no bench, the dumbbell flooring press is a viable different to the dumbbell bench press. Right here’s the way it appears:

And if in case you have dumbbells and a bench, you may carry out all of the dumbbell horizontal push trains listed above. 

FAQ #2: What are the advantages of horizontal pushes?

Horizontal push trains are glorious for constructing higher physique muscle, notably within the pecs, shoulders, and triceps. In addition they help you carry heavy weights safely, which makes gaining power simple. Moreover, horizontal presses boost upper-body energy, which might improve athletic efficiency in sports activities involving pushing, throwing, or explosive upper-body actions.

FAQ #3: What are the most effective horizontal push trains for newcomers?

Barbell exercises, just like the flat and incline bench press, are additionally beginner-friendly. I normally suggest these over dumbbell presses as a result of they’re inherently extra steady, which can assist newcomers focus extra on their kind with out worrying as a lot about steadiness.