Top 18 Upper Chest Exercises: All You Need to Know

Welcome to my latest blog post on upper chest exercises! The upper chest is a tricky area to target but it’s an important one for developing a well-rounded chest. Many people struggle to see progress in their upper chest, leading to an unbalanced appearance. Fear not! In this post, I will be sharing some of the most effective exercises for targeting the upper chest and tips for incorporating them into your workouts. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned lifter, this post is for you! So, let’s get started on building that impressive upper chest you’ve been dreaming of.

Benefits of Upper Chest Exercises

Benefits of Upper Chest Exercises In addition to giving your chest a more defined and muscular appearance, upper chest exercises offer a range of other benefits for your overall health and fitness. Here are just a few:

Improved posture: Stronger upper chest muscles can help pull your shoulders back and promote better posture, which in turn can help reduce pain and stiffness in your neck, shoulders, and back.

Enhanced functional strength: The upper chest muscles are essential for many daily movements, such as pushing and pulling objects. By building strength in these muscles, you can increase your functional capacity for tasks and activities in your daily life. Better sports performance: If you’re an athlete or enjoy playing sports, upper chest exercises can help you improve your performance. Many sports require upper body strength and power, making a strong upper chest a valuable asset.

Reduced risk of injury: Strengthening your upper chest muscles can help reduce your risk of injury in your shoulders, arms, and chest. When these muscles are weak or imbalanced, you may be more prone to strains, sprains, and other injuries.

By incorporating upper chest exercises into your regular workout routine, you can enjoy all of these benefits and more. Plus, it’s a great way to add variety to your workouts and keep things interesting!

Types of Upper Chest Exercises

Bring Up Your Game with Upper Chest Exercises Now that you have learned the benefits of upper chest exercises, it’s time to work on improving your own strength. Whether you are looking to define your chest, build strength, or simply tone your muscles, there are several exercises that can help you achieve your goals.

18 Upper Chest Exercises

Bodyweight Upper Chest Exercise

When it comes to upper chest exercises, incorporating bodyweight exercises like feet elevated “decline pushups” can be highly effective. Here are some benefits of bodyweight upper chest exercises compared to other types:

1. Convenience: Bodyweight exercises can be done anywhere, anytime without needing any equipment.
2. Improved stability: Bodyweight exercises require you to stabilize your body, which helps develop core strength and improves balance.
3. Affordability: While gym memberships and equipment can be expensive, bodyweight exercises are free and always available.
4. Variety: There are numerous variations of bodyweight exercises, making it easy to mix up your workout and target different muscle groups.

Feet elevated “decline pushups” specifically target the upper chest muscles, something that can be challenging to do with traditional pushups. The elevated position puts more emphasis on the upper part of your chest, while using your bodyweight provides ample resistance for muscle growth. When performing feet elevated “decline pushups,” make sure to keep your core tight, engage your glutes, and maintain proper form to avoid injury. So, next time you want to blast your upper chest, consider adding feet elevated “decline pushups” to your workout routine.

Decline Push Up

The Decline Push Up works the upper chest, shoulders, and triceps muscles. It offers a greater range of motion compared to traditional Push Ups and targets different areas of the chest. This exercise also helps to improve upper body strength, stability, and posture.

Resistance Band Upper Chest Exercises

Resistance band upper chest exercises offer a few unique benefits compared to traditional exercises. Firstly, resistance bands provide constant tension throughout the entire range of motion, unlike free weights where the tension decreases in certain positions. This ensures that your muscles are working hard throughout the entire exercise. Additionally, resistance bands are incredibly versatile and portable, making them a great option for home workouts or for when you’re traveling.

You can easily adjust the resistance level by changing the tension of the band or by switching to a different band with a different resistance level. Resistance band high chest flys and other upper chest exercises can help target and strengthen the often neglected muscles in your upper chest.

By incorporating these exercises into your workout routine, you can improve your overall chest development and enhance your posture. So, whether you’re looking to switch up your routine or you want to challenge yourself with a new form of resistance training, including resistance band exercises in your upper chest workout can be a great way to take your training to the next level.

Resistance Band High Chest Flys

Resistance band high chest flys are a great exercise for targeting your chest muscles, specifically your upper chest. Compared to traditional chest flys using dumbbells, resistance band flys provide constant tension throughout the entire movement, resulting in increased muscle activation and a deeper burn. Plus, using resistance bands allows for a wider range of motion and greater variation in the angles you can work your chest muscles from.

Resistance Band Incline Press

Resistance Band Incline Press targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps muscles while providing a more controlled and natural range of motion, making it a safer and more effective exercise compared to free weight bench press. Additionally, using resistance bands allows for variable resistance, making the exercise more challenging at the top of the movement.

Barbell Upper Chest Exercises

Barbell exercises for your upper chest offer a number of unique benefits that you can’t get with other types of equipment. Here are several reasons why you should include incline barbell press and other barbell exercises in your upper chest workout:

1. Greater Range of Motion – With a barbell, you can perform a full range of motion that engages your upper chest muscles in a way that’s not possible with bodyweight, resistance band, or even dumbbell exercises.
2. Less Joint Stress – Because you’re using a distributed weight, a barbell reduces the load on any specific joint, helping to lower the risk of injury compared to other types of equipment.
3. Increased Load Capacity – With a barbell, you can add more weight compared to other types of equipment, allowing you to progressively overload your muscles and build more strength over time.
4. Improved Stability – Barbell exercises require you to stabilize your body and maintain proper form, leading to better overall stability and better muscle activation.

Overall, barbell exercises like the incline press offer a unique combination of benefits that make them a must-do for anyone looking to build a bigger, stronger upper chest.

Barbell Incline Bench Press

The Barbell Incline Bench Press is a great compound exercise that works the upper body muscles including the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It has several benefits compared to other similar exercises such as the flat bench press, including greater activation of the upper chest muscles and reduced stress on the shoulder joint.

Barbell Incline Wide Reverse Grip Bench Press

The Barbell Incline Wide Reverse Grip Bench Press primarily targets the upper chest, triceps, and shoulders while also engaging the biceps and back muscles. Compared to other chest exercises, it puts more emphasis on the upper chest muscles and helps to build a wider chest.

Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press

The Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press is an effective exercise that primarily works the upper chest and triceps. Compared to traditional bench press, this variation targets the upper chest muscles more specifically, allowing for greater muscle activation and development.

Cable Upper Chest Exercises

When it comes to upper chest exercises, cables can offer unique advantages over other types of equipment. Firstly, cable machines allow for constant tension on the muscles throughout the entire range of motion, which can lead to greater muscle activation and development. In contrast, exercises like push-ups and dips may not maintain the same level of tension throughout the movement. Additionally, cable machines provide a wider range of motion compared to other equipment, allowing for a more natural movement pattern and better isolation of the upper chest muscles. This can be especially beneficial for those looking to focus on upper chest development.

Cable incline fly is a popular cable exercise for targeting the upper chest specifically. By adjusting the angle of the bench and the height of the cables, you can customize the exercise to your individual needs and preferences. Other cable exercises, such as cable crossovers and cable chest press variations, can also be effective for upper chest development. Ultimately, incorporating cable exercises into your upper chest workout can be a great way to add variety and maximize muscle activation. However, it’s important to remember that no one exercise or type of equipment is necessarily better than another – it’s all about finding what works best for your body and your goals.

Cable Incline Fly

The Cable Incline Fly targets the chest muscles, specifically the upper chest. This exercise provides a better range of motion than traditional incline bench press and reduces the risk of injury. Additionally, the cables provide constant tension throughout the movement for maximal muscle activation.

Low Cable Fly

The low cable fly is a great exercise that targets your chest muscles while providing stability to your shoulder joints. Unlike other chest exercises, it doesn’t put too much pressure on your joints and allows for a greater range of motion.

Machine Upper Chest Exercise

When it comes to upper chest exercises, the lever machine incline press offers a unique set of benefits compared to other popular exercises like bodyweight, resistance band, barbell, smith machine, and dumbbell exercises.

Firstly, the lever machine allows for more precise and controlled movements, which can help to target the upper chest muscles more effectively. This can also reduce the risk of injury when compared to exercises like barbell or dumbbell presses, which require both arms to be in sync.

Secondly, the lever machine provides a constant resistance throughout the entire range of motion, which can help to stimulate greater muscle growth and strength gains.

Thirdly, the lever machine is a great option for those who may have mobility limitations or injuries, as it allows for a more comfortable pressing movement with less stress on the joints.

Overall, including the lever incline press or other lever machine exercises in your upper chest workout can help to take your chest training to the next level and achieve better results in terms of muscle growth and strength.

Lever Incline Chest Press (Machine)

The Lever Incline Chest Press (machine) is an effective exercise that primarily targets the upper chest muscles. This exercise is considered safer than free weights as it reduces the risk of injury to the shoulders and wrists. Compared to the flat chest press, the incline press specifically targets the upper chest muscles for a more defined and sculpted look.

Smith Machine Upper Chest Exercise

Well, let me start by saying that there are no one-size-fits-all answers in fitness. However, there are some benefits to using a smith machine for upper chest exercises, such as the reverse grip incline press.

Firstly, the smith machine provides a fixed path of motion, which can be helpful for beginners or those recovering from an injury. This means that you won’t have to worry about stabilizing the weight or balancing it, which will allow you to focus on your form and target your upper chest more effectively.

Secondly, the smith machine enables you to lift heavier weights safely. This can help you achieve progressive overload (gradually increasing the weight or intensity of your workout over time), which is essential for building muscle.

Thirdly, the smith machine allows you to do exercises that may be difficult to do with free weights, such as the reverse grip incline press, which can be challenging to perform with a barbell or dumbbells.

However, this doesn’t mean that you should only do smith machine exercises for your upper chest workout. You can still achieve excellent results with bodyweight, resistance band, barbell, lever machine, and dumbbell exercises. In fact, it’s always good to mix it up and try different exercises to keep your workouts varied and challenging. So, to answer your question, you should incorporate smith machine reverse grip incline press or other smith machine exercises into your upper chest workout if you want to target your upper chest more effectively, lift heavier weights safely, and add some variety to your workout routine.

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

The Smith Machine Incline Bench Press targets the upper chest, shoulders, and triceps. It provides added stability and safety compared to traditional barbell incline bench press, making it a great option for beginners or those with shoulder injuries. Additionally, the Smith machine allows for a consistent range of motion, leading to better muscle activation and growth over time.

Smith Machine Incline Reverse Grip Press

The Smith Machine Incline Reverse Grip Press is an excellent exercise that primarily targets the upper chest, triceps, and front shoulders. Compared to traditional bench presses, this exercise also places less strain on the lower back and reduces the risk of injury.

Dumbbell Upper Chest Exercises

Why are dumbbell exercises the supperior upper chest exercises? Well, let me put it this way: Imagine you’re trying to build a sandcastle on the beach. You can use your hands (bodyweight exercises), a shovel (resistance band exercises), a bucket (machine exercises), or a combination of tools. But if you want to create the most precise and detailed sandcastle, you need to use a tool with greater control and dexterity – like a small scoop or trowel (dumbbell exercises). Just like with building a sandcastle, dumbbell upper chest exercises offer more control, precision, and versatility compared to other tools.

For example, using dumbbells for incline presses and flys allows you to target your upper chest muscles more effectively and with greater range of motion than other exercises. You can also adjust the weight and angle of the dumbbells to create different levels of resistance and challenge for your chest muscles. Moreover, dumbbell exercises allow for more stimulation of stabilizer muscles, as you need to constantly balance and stabilize the weights during each movement. This can lead to greater overall strength and muscle development. So, if you want to sculpt a more defined and powerful upper chest, consider incorporating dumbbell exercises like incline presses and flys into your workout routine. They offer greater control, precision, and versatility compared to other tools, and can lead to impressive results over time.

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

The Incline Dumbbell Bench Press primarily targets the upper portion of the chest, along with the shoulders and triceps. This exercise also puts less strain on the shoulders compared to the flat bench press or barbell bench press. Incorporating incline dumbbell bench press into your workout routine can help you build a well-defined upper chest and improve overall upper body strength.

Incline Dumbbell Fly

The Incline Dumbbell Fly is a great exercise that primarily targets your chest muscles. Unlike flat bench fly, incline dumbbell fly hits the upper chest and shoulders as well, making it more effective and versatile for building a well-rounded physique. Plus, it’s easier on your lower back and reduces the risk of injury.

Incline Dumbbell Hammer Press

The Incline Dumbbell Hammer Press is an excellent exercise for building the muscles of the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Compared to the regular incline press, the hammer grip engages more of the upper and inner chest muscles, adding to its benefits.

Incline Dumbbell Palm In Press

The Incline Dumbbell Palm In Press is a great exercise for your chest muscles and triceps. Compared to other chest exercises, the Palm In Press can activate your chest muscles more effectively and target the inner chest muscles.

Incline Dumbbell Twisted Flyes

Incline Dumbbell Twisted Flyes are a great exercise to target the chest, shoulders, and upper back muscles. Compared to traditional flyes or chest press exercises, the twisting motion of this workout helps improve shoulder stability and mobility.

Core Activating Stability Ball Upper Chest Exercises With Dumbbells

There are several benefits of doing dumbbell upper chest exercises on a stability ball compared to using a bench. First, the unstable surface of the ball increases the recruitment of stabilizer muscles, leading to a more effective and challenging workout. Additionally, using a stability ball allows for a greater range of motion and a deeper stretch, which can lead to better muscle activation and growth. Incline dumbbell press and incline dumbbell flys are both excellent exercises for targeting the upper chest. Performing these exercises on a stability ball further increases the challenge and effectiveness of the workout. By engaging your core muscles and stabilizers throughout the movement, you’ll not only build a stronger and more defined upper chest, but you’ll also improve your overall balance and stability. So, if you’re looking to take your upper chest workout to the next level, give the stability ball a try!

Stability Ball Incline Dumbbell Fly

The Stability Ball Incline Dumbbell Fly mainly targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It also engages the core muscles for balance and stability. Compared to traditional bench press or flat dumbbell fly, the incline angle helps to emphasize the upper chest muscles, resulting in a more complete chest development.

Stability Ball Incline Dumbbell Press

The Stability Ball Incline Dumbbell Press mainly works the chest, triceps, and shoulders. This exercise is great for increasing core stability and engaging the chest muscles more compared to traditional bench press variations. It also requires less weight and reduces the strain on the shoulders.

How to Perform Upper Chest Exercises

One of the most challenging parts of chest workouts is targeting the upper chest. But fear not, as there are a handful of exercises that can really set your upper chest on fire! First up: the incline bench press. Focus on using lighter weights and keeping proper form to really isolate the upper chest muscles. If you struggle with traditional bench press movements, you could try using dumbbells instead for a more natural range of motion.

Next, the incline dumbbell fly. Lie back on an incline bench and hold dumbbells above your chest with your arms slightly bent. Slowly lower the dumbbells out to the sides, feeling the stretch in your chest muscles, then bring them back up to the starting position.

Third, the incline push-up. Get into a push-up position with your arms on an elevated surface — this could be a bench, a stack of books, or sturdy yoga blocks, for example. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the surface, then push back up to starting position. Finally, the cable crossover. Using a cable machine in a gym, set the handles at shoulder height and stand with one foot forward, holding a handle in each hand. Keeping your arms straight, bring the handles together in front of your chest, squeezing your upper chest muscles at the top of the movement.

Incorporate these exercises into your chest workouts to really hone in on that upper chest area. Don’t forget to stretch and warm up properly beforehand, and as always, consult with a personal trainer if you’re new to these movements. Happy lifting!

Tips for Performing Upper Chest Exercises

Tip for Performing Upper Chest Exercises Performing upper chest exercises can be challenging, but with the right technique, you can achieve the best results. Here are some tips to help you perform upper chest exercises effectively:

• Start with light weights: It is essential to start with light weights and focus on your technique to avoid injury.
• Use proper form: Maintaining proper form is crucial when performing upper chest exercises. Keep your back straight, shoulders down, and chest lifted.
• Focus on your breath: During your upper chest exercises, breathe in when you lower the weight and breathe out when you lift it.
• Use a slow and controlled tempo: Avoid using fast and jerky movements, as they can lead to injury. Instead, use a slow and controlled tempo, focusing on the mind-muscle connection.
• Increase your weights gradually: Don’t rush to lift heavy weights. Instead, gradually increase the weights as you get stronger. By following these tips, you will master the upper chest exercises and achieve great results in no time.

Keep in mind that consistency is key, and you should perform the exercises regularly to see the best results. Happy lifting!

Sample Upper Chest Workout

If you’re looking for an intense and challenging upper chest workout, look no further.

First up, the incline dumbbell press. Lie back on an incline bench and hold two dumbbells at shoulder height. Push them up and together above your chest, then lower them back down. The incline position really targets the upper portion of your chest. Do 3 Sets of 8 – 12 Reps

Next, the push-up with feet elevated. Place your toes on an elevated platform, like a bench or step, and perform a push-up as you normally would. This variation increases the weight on your upper chest and shoulders. Do 3 Sets of 20 Reps, or 10 reps with a six second down and explosion up cadence.

Finish off with some cable crossovers. Stand facing a cable machine and hold the handles in each hand. Cross them in front of you, squeezing your chest at the end of each repetition. Do another 3 sets of 8 -12 reps.

These exercises will give you a challenging and effective upper chest workout. You can do these in a sequence of 1 exercise at a time or you can rotate through them like a circuit. Both are effective ways to build your upper chest.

Wrap Up

In conclusion, upper chest exercises are important for achieving a well-rounded and defined chest. Incorporating exercises such as the incline bench press, incline dumbbell press, and incline flyes can help target the upper chest muscles and provide a more sculpted look. Remember to always warm up properly before beginning any exercise routine and focus on proper form to prevent injury. It’s also important to vary your exercise routine and try different exercises to avoid plateaus and continue making progress.

Incorporating upper chest exercises into your fitness routine may not only improve your physical appearance but also improve your overall strength and fitness level. So, give them a try and see the difference they can make!

References: Upper Chest Exercises: All You Need to Know | Best Upper Chest Exercises | 5 Upper Chest Exercises for Strength and Definition | How to Build an Impressive Upper Chest | This Upper Chest Workout Will Have You Feeling the Burn