Should you’re like most gym-going guys, you’re in all probability looking for the “secret” to constructing a much bigger chest.

And chances are high, you’re overcomplicating it.

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

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

In my expertise, the 8 greatest 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 study why these workouts are so efficient, uncover learn how to do them to maximise progress, and perceive learn how to put them into mass-building exercises.

 

What Is a Horizontal Push Train?

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

Some folks additionally think about the leg press a horizontal push train since your legs press horizontally. Whereas that’s not fully improper, I believe it muddies the definition and may be complicated, particularly for brand new weightlifters.

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

What Muscle groups Do Horizontal Presses Work?

If you press horizontally, you practice the next muscle groups:

Right here’s how these muscle look in your physique:

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

The 8 Greatest Horizontal Push Trains for Chest Mass & Energy

Whereas some “consultants” declare you want all kinds of horizontal pushing actions to see outcomes, that’s merely not true.

In actuality, just some key workouts are all you want—ones that will let you raise heavy weights safely, practice via a full vary of movement, and persistently acquire power.

Add the next to your routine, and also you’ll see massive progress in your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

1. Barbell Bench Press

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

Methods to:

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 best ways to focus on your “higher chest.” No different train that includes urgent horizontally engages this space as successfully, so it’s essential for constructing a full, well-rounded chest.

Methods to:

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 either side 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 profit progress.

Methods to:

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 among the handiest horizontal press workouts for constructing your higher pecs and making a chest that appears full and well-proportioned from each angle.

Methods to:

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 coaching 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.

Methods to:

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 possible advantages muscle progress. It might additionally goal the decrease pecs extra successfully than different horizontal push trains, making it precious for rounding out your chest improvement.

Methods to:

1. Should 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 among the best urgent workouts to study, making it an important alternative for inexperienced persons who’re nonetheless mastering correct urgent approach. For extra skilled lifters, it’s additionally superb for including additional chest quantity (units) towards the top of a exercise, when lifting heavy free weights is perhaps too taxing.

Methods to:

1. Modify the chest press machine handles and seat so the handles are consistent with your shoulders and just some inches out of your chest. 
2. Grip each handles together with your palms going through down and press ahead till your arms are straight.
3. Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.

8. Push-up

Why: The push-up is a basic horizontal push train you’ll be able to carry out anyplace with out tools, making it extremely versatile. Plus, it’s simple to switch—whether or not you’re a newbie and wish to make it simpler by doing it in your knees, or superior and wish to make it more difficult by elevating your ft or fingers. 

Methods to:

1. Get on all fours and place your fingers barely wider than shoulder-width aside.
2. Lengthen your legs behind you so that you assist your physique weight in your fingers and toes, and your physique types a straight line out of your head to your ft.
3. Decrease your chest to the ground by bending your elbows, then push your physique up and return to the beginning place.

Instance Horizontal Press Exercises

You now know one of the best horizontal push trains for concentrating on your pecs, shoulders, and triceps. Subsequent, let’s dive into learn how to construction these workouts into efficient, mass-building exercises.

For optimum outcomes, preserve these key ideas in thoughts when planning your horizontal press exercises:

1. Do a mixture of compound workouts 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 lengthy head, since this a part of the triceps get’s little stimulus from horizontal urgent.

The next two exercises meet these standards completely. Additionally they comprise the best quantity of units to construct muscle with out carrying you out.

Right here’s learn 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 subsequent 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

Horizontal Push Trains: Key Takeaways

Horizontal push trains are important for constructing larger, stronger pecs, shoulders, and triceps. Additionally they practice many different smaller stabilizer muscle groups all through your torso, making them wonderful for gaining all-around higher physique dimension.

You don’t want a protracted checklist of those workouts to see outcomes. These eight actions are sufficient so as to add mass and power to all of your pushing muscle groups:

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

Incorporate these into your exercises, and also you’ll quickly discover your chest, shoulders, and triceps rising.

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

Sure, you’ll be able to carry out horizontal pushing workouts at house. The workouts you do rely on the tools you have got out there.

In case you have no tools, the push-up is the best choice. To learn to adapt it to your health stage, try this text:

Methods to Do the Push-up: Type, Variations, and Exercises

In case you have dumbbells however no bench, the dumbbell ground press is a viable different to the dumbbell bench press. Right here’s the way it seems to be:

And in case you have dumbbells and a bench, you’ll be able to carry out all of the dumbbell horizontal push trains listed above. 

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

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

FAQ #3: What are one of the best horizontal push trains for inexperienced persons?

The one greatest horizontal push train for inexperienced persons is the push-up as a result of it requires no tools and you’ll simply modify it based mostly in your health stage. 

The horizontal chest press machine is one other wonderful alternative, because it’s extra simple to study and carry out than free-weight workouts that require extra coordination.

Barbell workouts, just like the flat and incline bench press, are additionally beginner-friendly. I often suggest these over dumbbell presses as a result of they’re inherently extra secure, which may also help inexperienced persons focus extra on their type with out worrying as a lot about steadiness.