Chest and shoulder routines are a favourite amongst health folks as a result of they hit a number of main muscle teams in a single go.
However right here’s one thing many miss: should you’re severe about constructing chest and shoulder mass, a single weekly exercise gained’t reduce it.
The reality is, cramming all of the units and workout routines you want into one session often results in lackluster outcomes and burnout.
The repair?
Cut up your coaching into two targeted chest and shoulder exercises every week.
This method allows you to elevate heavier, get well higher, and practice each a part of your pecs and delts for balanced, all-around growth.
On this article, you’ll discover a easy, science-backed routine for maximizing mass and the greatest chest and shoulder workout routines to make sure no a part of your pecs or delts will get left behind.
Key Takeaways
- A single weekly chest and shoulder exercise isn’t sufficient to maximise mass—break up your coaching into two targeted classes every week for higher outcomes.
- The correct quantity of quantity and depth and appropriately implementing progressive overload are very important for benefiting from your chest and shoulder exercises.
- Combining compound and isolation workout routines in your chest and shoulder routine helps you construct mass and power whereas making certain all components of your pecs and delts develop evenly.
- Chest and shoulder exercises not solely construct spectacular pec and delt measurement but in addition enhance posture, enhance higher physique power, and improve athletic efficiency.
The Finest Chest and Shoulder Routine for Mass
So as to add severe mass to your pecs and delts, it’s good to do a couple of chest and shoulder day every week. I’ll clarify precisely why quickly, however the TL;DR is that you would be able to’t do sufficient volume (units) of chest and shoulder workout routines in a single session to maximise development.
And that’s why all nice chest and shoulder exercise plans embody two weekly exercises.
This fashion, you are able to do sufficient high-quality units to maximise development, and a spread of workout routines that practice all components of your chest and shoulders, together with your higher, mid, and decrease pecs, and entrance, facet, and rear delts, to make sure proportional, all-around growth.
Listed here are the exercises:
Chest and Shoulder Exercise #1
Chest and Shoulder Exercise #2
About This Chest and Shoulder Exercise Routine
Now that you understand the routine, let’s break down why it really works so properly. This part focuses on three key elements—quantity, frequency, and depth—and explains how they mix to maximise your positive factors.
How Many Units Ought to You Do?
To develop a muscle, most research shows it’s good to practice it with 10-to-20 weekly units. Doing greater than 20 might produce higher outcomes for some, however development quickly diminishes past this level, making the additional work hardly ever well worth the effort.
Coaching with very excessive volumes has sensible downsides, too: it’s time-consuming, and except your restoration (sleep, food regimen, and so forth.) is flawless, it’s onerous to maintain.
That’s why 10-to-20 weekly units is a strong quantity goal to your chest and shoulder exercises.
However making an attempt to cram 10-to-20 units for each your chest and shoulders right into a single exercise is unrealistic. What’s extra, research reveals {that a} muscle can solely tolerate round 6-to-10 units per exercise earlier than its efficiency dips.
When that occurs, you elevate much less weight, for fewer reps, with worse kind—all of which compromises your positive factors.
A wiser method is to separate your weekly units into two chest and shoulder exercises. The precise variety of units per exercise will depend on your expertise:
- In the event you’ve been coaching for lower than a yr: Do 12 whole weekly units for every muscle group. The best means to do that is to carry out 3 units of every train in every of the exercises above.
- In the event you’ve been coaching for 1-to-3 years: Do 14 whole weekly units for every muscle group. A easy means to do that is to carry out 4 units of the primary 2 workout routines and three units of the final 2 workout routines in every of the exercises above.
- In the event you’ve been coaching for 3+ years: Do 16 whole weekly units per muscle group. Carry out 4 units of every train in every of the exercises above.
How Regularly Ought to You Do the Exercises?
For greatest outcomes, do every of the chest and shoulder exercises as soon as per week, leaving not less than two days between them. This provides your muscle groups time to get well and ensures you’re contemporary to your subsequent session.
For instance, you may do Chest and Shoulder Exercise #1 on Monday, then Chest and Shoulder Exercise #2 on Thursday.
These exercises also needs to be a part of a balanced training routine that features exercises to your different main muscle teams, equivalent to your legs, again, and arms. Neglecting these can result in muscle imbalances, which might restrict your progress and improve your threat of damage.
For instance, a very good weekly “break up” would possibly appear to be this:
- Monday: Chest and shoulders
- Tuesday: Again
- Wednesday: Relaxation
- Thursday: Chest and shoulders
- Friday: Legs
- Saturday: Relaxation
- Sunday: Relaxation
How Arduous Ought to You Practice?
To make your chest and shoulder exercises as efficient as attainable, take most of your units to inside 1-to-2 reps of failure—the purpose the place you possibly can’t carry out one other rep with correct kind.
To gauge whether or not you’re reaching this level, ask your self on the finish of every set: “If I needed to, what number of extra reps might I’ve carried out with good kind?”
If the reply is greater than two, improve the load or reps in your subsequent set to make it tougher.
Coaching this manner ensures you’re pushing your muscle groups onerous sufficient to stimulate development, nevertheless it’s solely a part of the equation. To maintain constructing muscle and getting stronger, you additionally must deal with progressive overload—step by step lifting heavier weights over time.
Right here’s the best way to do it:
In case your exercise requires 4-to-6 reps of the bench press and also you full 6 reps in a set, improve the load by 10 kilos to your subsequent set.
In the event you do 3 reps or fewer in subsequent units, scale back the load by 5 kilos to remain within the 4-to-6 rep vary.
Apply this approach to each train in your chest and shoulder exercises, aiming so as to add both weight or reps each session.
By combining the precise depth (coaching shut sufficient to failure) with progressive overload, you’ll constantly problem your muscle groups, making every exercise as efficient as attainable.
The Workouts in Your Chest and Shoulder Exercise Routine
The exercises above embody the greatest chest and shoulder workout routines for growing each a part of your pecs and delts. Let’s break down the anatomy of those muscle groups to know how and why these workout routines work.
Chest Anatomy
The first chest muscle is the pectoralis main, or “pec main.” Right here’s what it seems to be like:
As you possibly can see, it has two sections or “heads:” the sternocostal head (“mid” and “lower chest”) and clavicular head (“upper chest”).
To totally develop each heads, it’s good to do workout routines that contain pushing away out of your physique at totally different angles relative to your torso. Right here’s how the urgent workout routines within the chest and shoulder exercises goal every head:
- The barbell bench press trains your total pec from prime to backside.
- The incline dumbbell bench press focuses in your higher chest whereas nonetheless growing the complete pec.
- The dip trains your total pec whereas emphasizing the mid and decrease parts.
The pectoralis minor—a smaller muscle beneath the pec main—works not directly throughout these workout routines, so that you don’t want to incorporate actions to coach it particularly.
Shoulder Anatomy
The deltoid muscle groups—or “delts”—cowl your shoulder joints and permit your higher arms to maneuver ahead, upward, and backward.
Every deltoid has three heads: the anterior deltoid (“entrance delt”), the lateral deltoid (“facet delt”), and the posterior deltoid (“rear delt”).
Right here’s how they give the impression of being:
To totally develop all three heads, it’s good to do workout routines that transfer your higher arms out to your sides in numerous instructions. Right here’s how the workout routines within the chest and shoulder exercises goal every head:
- Urgent workout routines just like the overhead press and Arnold press practice all three delt heads, with additional deal with the front delts.
- Cable facet lateral raises isolate the side delts to construct shoulder width.
- Machine reverse flys spherical out the rear delts.
Collectively, these workout routines successfully practice all components of your delts, so that you don’t want so as to add additional shoulder actions to your chest and shoulder routine.
Chest and Shoulder Workouts: Compound vs. Isolation
The chest and shoulder routine above focuses closely on compound exercises—and for good motive.
Compound chest and shoulder workout routines assist you to elevate heavy weights and apply progressive overload, which makes them the very best workout routines for constructing mass and power.
That stated, relying solely on compound workout routines isn’t ideally suited.
Whereas these actions will ship the lion’s share of your outcomes, they don’t develop all components of your pecs and delts equally. To fill the gaps, you want fastidiously chosen isolation workout routines that focus on the areas compound lifts miss.
That’s why every exercise on this routine begins with heavy urgent to coach the most important parts of your chest and shoulders, then finishes with isolation workout routines to make sure all-around development.
Chest and Shoulder Exercise #1: Workouts
1. Barbell Bench Press
Why: The barbell bench press is an important chest and shoulder day train as a result of it develops the higher, mid, and decrease chest and the entrance delts. It additionally permits you to practice with heavy weights and progress frequently, which is why all nice chest and shoulder exercises start with the bench press.
Methods to:
- Lie on a flat bench along with your toes flat on the ground.
- Pull your shoulder blades collectively and down and arch your again barely whereas protecting your butt and shoulders on the bench.
- Seize the bar with a grip barely wider than shoulder-width and unrack it.
- Decrease the bar to your chest, protecting your elbows 8-to- your sides.
- Press the bar again as much as the beginning place.
Options:
2. Arnold Press
Why: The Arnold press emphasizes your facet delts greater than different overhead urgent variations, so it’s a superb addition to a chest and shoulder routine aimed toward constructing delt width and mass.
Methods to:
- Sit on an upright bench and maintain a dumbbell in every hand, resting them in your thighs.
- Hoist the dumbbells up so that you’re holding them simply in entrance of your shoulders along with your palms dealing with you.
- Press the dumbbells overhead whereas rotating your wrists till your arms are straight and your palms are dealing with away from you.
- Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.
Options:
3. Dip
Why: The dip trains your pecs by a wide variety of movement and whereas stretched, which makes it ideally suited for constructing mass. It additionally probably trains the decrease pecs barely higher than different chest workout routines, so it’s helpful for rounding out pec growth.
Methods to:
- In the event 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.
- 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 total physique weight.
- Barely bend your knees to maintain your toes from touching the bottom, then decrease your physique by bending your elbows till your higher arms are roughly parallel to the ground.
- Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.
Options:
4. Cable Aspect Lateral Increase
Why: The cable facet lateral elevate isolates the facet delts, which is essential for constructing vast, proportional shoulders. Utilizing a cable additionally provides a distinct stimulus to free-weights, which is helpful as a result of various your coaching probably maximizes development.
Methods to:
- Set the pulley on a cable machine to the bottom setting and connect a single-handle attachment.
- Stand along with your toes shoulder-width aside, parallel to the deal with, and your proper foot nearer to the deal with than your left.
- Seize the deal with along with your proper hand and maintain it in entrance of your proper thigh, then step away from the machine till the cable is taut.
- Increase your proper hand out to the facet till your higher arm is parallel to the ground.
- Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.
- When you’ve accomplished the specified variety of reps, change sides and repeat the method along with your proper arm.
Options:
Chest and Shoulder Exercise #2: Workouts
1. Overhead Press
Why: The overhead press is a full shoulder exercise in a single train—it trains your entrance, rear, and facet delts, traps, and even your higher chest. It additionally permits you to deal with heavy weights safely and progress frequently, so it’s an excellent train for total shoulder mass and power.
Methods to:
- Set a barbell in a rack on the similar top as your higher chest.
- Grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and your palms dealing with away from you.
- Unrack the barbell, step backward, and plant your toes simply outdoors of shoulder width.
- Push the bar towards the ceiling till your arms are straight.
- Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.
Options:
2. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Why: The incline dumbbell bench press is a chest train that’s particularly efficient for growing the higher pecs. Due to the bench’s angle, it additionally trains the entrance delts onerous, making it a superb train for gaining well-rounded chest and shoulder mass.
Methods to:
- Whereas mendacity on a bench angled at 30-to-45 levels, maintain a dumbbell in every hand and relaxation them in your thighs.
- Lie again and use your thighs to assist elevate the dumbbells, positioning them on both facet of your chest.
- Press the dumbbells over your higher chest till your arms are straight and your elbows are locked.
- Decrease the dumbbells to the beginning place.
Options:
3. Machine Reverse Fly
Why: The machine reverse fly is exceptionally efficient at focusing on the rear delts, a muscle group typically undertrained by urgent workout routines. Incorporating it into your routine helps guarantee balanced shoulder growth and proportional mass.
Methods to:
- Sit down dealing with the machine and seize the handles along with your palms dealing with down.
- Whereas sustaining a slight bend in your elbows, transfer the load again in an arc till your arms are straight out to your sides (or barely behind your physique).
- Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.
Options:
4. Excessive-to-Low Cable Fly
Why: The high-to-low cable fly is a helpful train for ending a chest and shoulder exercise as a result of it permits you to practice the pecs with the amount they should develop with out different muscle teams changing into the limiting issue. Just like the dip, it could additionally emphasize the decrease pecs, which is necessary for balanced development.
Methods to:
- Modify each pulleys on a twin cable machine to the very best setting and connect the single-handle attachments.
- Seize a deal with in every hand and stand centrally between the pulleys in order that the cables pull your arms out to your sides.
- Sustaining a slight bend in your elbows, take 1-to-2 steps ahead so your arms are a bit behind your torso along with your palms dealing with ahead.
- Retaining your elbows barely bent, convey your arms towards one another in an arc till they meet in entrance of your thighs.
- Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.
Options:
Warming Up for Your Chest and Shoulder Exercises
A correct warm-up is essential for optimizing efficiency and stopping damage when lifting heavy weights.
When coaching a number of muscle teams in a single session, you typically must heat up each individually, which may be time-consuming.
Nonetheless, one perk of coaching chest and shoulders collectively is that many chest workout routines additionally work your shoulders and vice versa. This implies you solely must heat up for one muscle group, and also you’ll be primed to coach each.
In accordance to research, warming up with heavy weights is one of the simplest ways to prime your physique for urgent.
Right here’s the protocol I like to recommend:
- Estimate the load you’ll use to your first onerous set of your first train.
- Do 6 reps with about 50% of that weight and relaxation for 1 minute.
- Do 4 reps with about 70% of that weight and relaxation for 1 minute.
After this, you’re able to deal with your onerous units to your first train and the remainder of your exercise.
Advantages of Chest and Shoulder Exercises
Higher Physique Muscle Progress
Chest and shoulder exercises are glorious for constructing pec and deltoid measurement and power. What many individuals don’t understand, although, is that compound chest and shoulder workout routines additionally interact different key higher physique muscle groups, such because the traps, rhomboids, lats, triceps, and core.
In consequence, these exercises not solely improve your pecs and delts but in addition contribute to total higher physique mass.
Enhanced Athletic Efficiency
Urgent workout routines are exceptionally necessary for gaining higher physique power and energy, making them ideally suited for athletes who must throw, punch, jostle, or rapidly rise up off the bottom of their sport.
What’s extra, chest and shoulder workout routines just like the overhead press and dip are closed-kinetic-chain workout routines—actions the place you repair your arms or toes on a stationary object (e.g., the ground or dip bars).
That is vital as a result of closed-kinetic-chain workout routines assist boost athletic efficiency in 3 ways:
- They improve balance and stability by partaking a number of muscle teams concurrently.
- They mimic the actions utilized in sports activities, the place you generate drive along with your total physique whereas your toes or arms stay planted and unsupported by tools like benches or machines.
- They activate extra stabilizer muscle groups, serving to you construct higher full-body power and coordination.
Improved Posture
Many individuals with poor posture have weak shoulder and higher again muscle groups. Strengthening these muscle groups, with workout routines like overhead press variations, helps you retain your shoulders pulled again and prevents extreme higher again rounding.
Furthermore, tight pecs could cause your shoulders to spherical and your higher again to hunch. Doing chest workout routines that deeply stretch your pecs helps loosen these muscle groups, which might scale back tightness and assist you to preserve a extra upright posture.
FAQ #1: Are you able to do a chest and shoulder exercise with dumbbells solely?
Sure, if you wish to do chest and shoulder workout routines at house or whereas touring and solely have entry to dumbbells, you continue to have loads of choices to select from.
Right here’s how I’d suggest you alter the exercises above in order that they solely contain dumbbell workout routines:
Chest and Shoulders Exercise with Dumbbells #1
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 3-to-4 units | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min relaxation
- Arnold Press: 3-to-4 units | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min relaxation
- Dumbbell Pullover: 3-to-4 units | 6-to-8 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
- Dumbbell Aspect Lateral Increase: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-10 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
Chest and Shoulders Exercise with Dumbbells #2
- Shoulder Press: 3-to-4 units | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min relaxation
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3-to-4 units | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min relaxation
- Dumbbell Rear Lateral Increase: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-10 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
- Dumbbell Fly: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-10 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
FAQ #2: Must you practice shoulders on chest day?
If you wish to mix chest and shoulder coaching, including shoulder workout routines to your chest day often isn’t smart. That’s as a result of many chest workout routines already practice your shoulders, particularly the entrance delts, so including additional shoulder workout routines may be overkill.
A greater method is to observe a routine with devoted chest and shoulder exercises. This helps you stability coaching quantity throughout the week, so that you maximize development with out overtraining or undertraining both muscle group.
FAQ #3: Can I mix my chest and shoulder exercise with a again exercise?
Combining a chest and shoulder exercise with a again exercise most likely isn’t a good suggestion as a result of it might be exceptionally lengthy and fatiguing. That stated, you possibly can practice your chest, shoulders, and again in a single session, offered you propose it appropriately.
Take a look at this text to learn the way:
The Best Upper Body Dumbbell Workout for Size and Strength
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