Chest Workout: Complete Gym Workout Guide
This chest workout combines a heavy press, an incline press and a fly so your chest is trained through different angles and ranges of motion. It takes around 50–60 minutes including warm-up sets.
Your chest also relies on your shoulders and triceps, so pressing strength improves most when those muscles get enough attention across the week too.
Who this workout is for
- Beginners who can already perform a push-up or dumbbell press with control
- Intermediate lifters who want a structured chest day in a bro split or push day
- Anyone training at a gym with a bench, dumbbells and a cable station
The example workout
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 3–4 | 5–8 | 2–3 min |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 | 8–12 | 2 min |
| Machine chest press | 2–3 | 10–12 | 90 sec |
| Cable fly | 3 | 12–15 | 60–90 sec |
| Dips (chest-focused) | 2 | 6–12 | 90 sec |
Warm up with 5 minutes of light cardio and 2–3 lighter sets of the first exercise.
How to do each exercise
01Barbell bench press
Lie with your eyes under the bar, squeeze your shoulder blades together and keep your feet planted. Lower the bar to your lower chest with elbows about 45–70° from your body, touch lightly, then press back up over your shoulders.
Beginner alternative: Dumbbell bench press or a machine chest press — both are easier to learn and safer without a spotter.
02Incline dumbbell press
Set the bench to roughly 30°. Start with the dumbbells above your upper chest, lower them until you feel a stretch across the chest, then press up and slightly in without clashing the weights.
Beginner alternative: Incline machine press.
03Machine chest press
Adjust the seat so the handles line up with mid-chest. Keep your back on the pad, press smoothly and control the return until you feel a stretch.
Beginner alternative: Push-ups, elevated on a bench if needed.
04Cable fly
Set the pulleys around shoulder height, step forward and keep a soft bend in your elbows. Open your arms until you feel a stretch, then bring your hands together in a wide hugging arc.
Beginner alternative: Pec deck machine, which guides the path for you.
05Dips (chest-focused)
Lean your torso slightly forward, lower until your upper arms are roughly parallel with the floor and push back up. Stop short of any shoulder discomfort.
Beginner alternative: Assisted dip machine or bench push-ups.
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How to progress over time
- Use a double progression: when you reach the top of the rep range on every set with good form, add the smallest weight increment next session (1–2.5kg on the bench, the next dumbbell up on others).
- Aim to finish most sets with 1–3 reps left in the tank. Going to failure on every set of a heavy bench press adds fatigue without much extra benefit.
- Around 10–20 hard sets for chest per week is a sensible range for most people. Beginners grow well near the lower end.
- Log every session. If your numbers stall for three weeks, reduce weight by about 10% and build back up.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Bouncing the bar off your chest — it hides weak points and can hurt your ribs.
- Flaring your elbows straight out at 90°, which puts more stress on the shoulders.
- Lifting your hips off the bench to finish a rep.
- Only ever doing flat pressing and skipping incline work and flyes.
- Adding weight so fast that range of motion gets shorter every week.
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
How many times a week should I train chest?
Once or twice a week both work. Twice a week makes it easier to spread 10–20 weekly sets across fresher sessions, which is why upper/lower and push pull legs splits hit chest twice.
Do I need to bench press to build a bigger chest?
No. The bench press is a great tool, but dumbbell presses, machine presses, push-ups and dips all build the chest well when you push them hard and progress over time.
Can I train chest and triceps together?
Yes. Pressing already works your triceps, so pairing them on a push day is efficient. Just put your chest presses first while you are fresh.
How do I target the upper chest?
Incline pressing at around 30° and low-to-high cable flyes place more emphasis on the upper (clavicular) fibres. Include at least one incline movement each week.
Want a workout built around you?
KINETIC creates workouts based on your goals, experience level and training schedule — exercises, sets, reps and effort targets laid out for every session.
Create My WorkoutFree 60-second assessment · First month FREE, then £7.99/month. Cancel anytime.
More workout guides
Shoulder workout
Presses and raises for front, side and rear delts.
Arm workout
Biceps and triceps supersets for bigger, stronger arms.
Back workout
Pulldowns, rows and a hinge for a wider, thicker back.