Building your chest is the most impactful way to reflect an aesthetic body. A well-structured chest attracts everyone. You want to work on the pectoral muscles to achieve that desired physique. The pectoral muscles, often called pecs by people, define the shape and appearance of the chest. Two muscles make up the pectoral muscles. The pectoralis major is a fan-shaped muscle that stretches from the sternum and collarbone to the upper arm. The pectoralis minor lies under the pectoralis major muscle and runs from the rib bones to the shoulder blade in a triangular shape.
To build pectoral muscles, people can do exercises that work the entire chest area. Modified lifts can also target specific areas of the chest. Read ahead to learn the ways you can build your lower chest if you can target it and the 10 best exercises for it!
Table Of Contents
1. 10 Best Exercises For Lower Chest
2. How Do You Work The Lower Chest?
3. Is It Possible To Target Lower Chest?
4. Expert’s Advice
5. The Final Say
5. FAQs
6. References
10 Best Exercises For Lower Chest
The 10 best exercises for the lower chest area are:
1. Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
The decline bench press is a variation of the bench press in which the bench is tilted downwards relative to the floor by about 15 to 30 degrees. Like other pressing exercises, the dumbbell decline bench press works the triceps and anterior deltoids and can pr more of a training stimulus for the lower pectoralis major region. Do 4 to 6 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.
How to do it?
- Seated on a decline bench, grasp two dumbbells, gently lower yourself to the floor and raise the weights above your head.
- By drawing your shoulder blades into the bench, you can retract them.
- Keep the elbows tucked in to avoid flaring as you lower the dumbbells.
2. Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell chest flyes are considered a single-joint chest exercise. Unlike multi-joint exercises such as barbell presses, which involve movement of the shoulder and elbow joints, dumbbell exercises focus on shoulder movement and minimal elbow movement.
Multi-joint exercises generally use more muscle groups and heavier weights than single-joint isolation exercises. These features of isolation exercises make it easier for the person to target particular muscles and reduce training-related tiredness.
How to do it?
- Lying flat on your back on a bench with a level inclination, plant your feet firmly on the ground on either side of the seat. Throughout the exercise, keep your head and back firmly pressed into the bench.
- You can either carefully pick up the two dumbbells from the floor and hold one in each hand, or you can ask a spotter to hand you one.
- Raise your arms above your head to be stretched but not locked out. Your hands and dumbbells should be facing each other, and your elbow should be slightly bent.
- Take a breath, then gradually drop the dumbbells in an arc until they are parallel to the chest. You won't be locked out; instead, your arms will be out to the sides.
- Keep your arms raised than your shoulders.
- Exhale and slowly press the dumbbells up in the same arc motion.
- Perform 10–15 reps. Rest. Do 3 sets total.
Regarding muscle targeting, electromyography (EMG) data show that dumbbell flyes rely heavily on the pectoralis major, biceps brachii, and anterior deltoid. Compared to bench presses, dumbbell flies use relatively little triceps brachii to complete the exercise.
Also Read: 7 Reasons Why Dumbbell Chest Pullover Exercise Should Be A Must In Your Routine!
3. Chest Dip
Often called the parallel bar dip, straight bar dip, or just the dip, the chest dip is a great exercise that targets not only your lower pectorals but also your shoulders and triceps. Since many exercises work the lower chest, this one uses a vertical pressing movement pattern that allows for unique stimulation of the pectoral muscles. You can add belts, chains, and weight vests to the chest area to make it more challenging or target different muscle groups.
How to do it?
- Assemble at the bar. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and slightly downward.
- Consider pressing your elbows together nearly into your ribs.
- Slightly bend forward. Bend your head to the front.
- As low as you can, begin bending at the elbow.
- Perform 10–15 reps. Rest. Do 3 sets total.
4. Cable Cross Over
The cable crossover is an isolated workout that targets the pectoral muscles with a cable machine. The ability to target different chest areas by just altering the wire height is what makes cable crossovers so great. To work the muscles of the lower chest, the handles are placed in a high position, usually overhead. While targeting the pectoral muscles, this exercise also works your anterior deltoid muscles and biceps brachii. Do 4 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
How to do it?
- Turn to face the cable machine as you stand.
- With your palms pointing front, grasp the handles and extend them out to the side of your body. Brace and pull in your abs. Close your shoulders and lock them down.
- Push the hands together and forward in an arcing motion such that one hand can pass above and one below.
- Turn the pattern around and go back to the beginning while extending your range of motion as far as your technique will allow you to.
- Repeat using the top and bottom hands in turn. Keep your posture straight at all times.
- Steer clear of slumping or shrugging your shoulders, thrusting your chin forward, or arching or slouching your back.
5. Push-Ups
As a closed kinetic chain exercise, push-ups target the chest, arms, shoulders and core muscles. Such exercises require fixation of the end segment or provide significant resistance so that it cannot move, as when the hands press into the ground during push-ups.
Beginners can stick to standard push-ups, while more advanced exercisers can try challenging variations like dip dips (more on those in a minute). Make sure to maintain the correct form of pushups.
How to do it?
- Raise your elbows back up to the beginning position, bending them slightly at a 45-degree angle.
- Press your shoulder blades down and back as you push up, as though you're pushing them toward your butt.
- As often as you can, repeat.
6. Incline Push-Up
A great alternative if you're struggling to do standard push-ups, the incline push-up targets your chest muscles while engaging your shoulders, triceps, and other abdominal, back, leg, and hip muscles. You only need an elevated, stable surface, such as a wall, bench, or table, to perform dips anywhere. You can make them as straightforward or complex as you like by increasing or decreasing the height of the surface.
How to do it?
- With your hands on a bench, countertop, stability ball, or other elevated surface, execute the incline push-up.
- Maintain a straight back and legs while holding your body in a high plank position.
- Bend your elbows and descend your body using the same motion as a standard push-up.
- Do 2 to 4 sets with as many repetitions as needed.
7. Decline Push-Up
Decline push-ups tend to be heavier than regular push-ups because the individual is forced to lift a more significant percentage of their body weight. For instance, during testing, a person must lift around 64% of their body weight for a standard push-up and approximately 49% for a squat push-up.
How to do it?
- With your back to the bench, drop to your knees.
- Put your elbows at a 45-degree angle, shoulders above your wrists, and your hands on the ground.
- Set your feet up on the bench's top.
- Prepare your quads, glutes, and core. Keeping your back and neck straight, flex your elbows and drop your chest to the ground.
- To get back to the beginning posture, extend your elbows and push into the floor.
- Finish 2 to 4 sets of 10-15 reps.
Also Read: Top 5 Exercises For Inner Pecs With Effective Tips To Target Them!
8. Medicine Ball Push-Up
You can enhance your training regime by using a medicine ball for exercise because of its instability, which makes the workout more challenging. However, you should be fine if you watch your movements and always stay in control. Medicine ball push-ups are an advanced variation performed with a medicine ball or stability ball. Including the ball creates a broader range of motion than a standard push-up, increasing the contribution of your pectoral, deltoid and core muscles.
How to do it?
- Bring your feet together behind you while kneeling on a floor or exercise mat.
- Put your palms on the sides of a medicine ball by bending forward slowly.
- Move your weight forward slowly until your shoulders are exactly above the medicine ball and your hands.
- Do 2 to 4 sets of as many reps.
9. Seated Machine Flyes
It is also known as the oven fly, which is a great exercise for increasing chest strength and pectoral muscle mass. The chest is the primary muscle to target, but the anterior deltoid helps with movement and can also do some work.
Compared to barbell chest flyes, seated flies have slightly different power curves based on the cams and pulleys used in the machine. This requires the muscles to overcome resistance in a somewhat different way. In addition, when using the machine, the arc's path is fixed, which can create a different stimulus than flying with dumbbells.
How to do it?
- As you sit down, position the handles of the chest fly machine so that they are parallel to your shoulders and at chest height.
- After choosing the weight, take a seat, pressing your head and back firmly into the seat.
- Pinch back your shoulder blades and grasp the handles with your palms facing each other.
- Inhale deeply, then press the handles together and in front of your chest while contracting your chest muscles.
- Throughout, maintain a slight bend in the elbows and pinned shoulders. Reposition the handles to the beginning slowly.
- Do 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
10. Jackhammer Pushdown
The jackhammer press provides one of the best possible angles to isolate your lower chest and reduce the involvement of your triceps, making it a great chest exercise. In addition to the pectoral muscles, the hammer press activates the traps, lats, obliques and abs.
How to do it?
- The decline bench should first be set to a modest angle, usually between 30 and 45 degrees downward.
- With your feet firmly positioned beneath the leg support pads, recline backwards on the bench.
- With your hands pointing forward, hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder width.
- Breathe deeply, tense your core, and simultaneously press the dumbbells upward until your arms are completely extended above your head.
- To guarantee complete extension without locking your elbows, pause a little at the top. Maintaining control, slowly drop the dumbbells back to the beginning position while maintaining your elbows slightly tucked in to support your shoulders.
- Throughout the workout, keep your spine straight and try not to arch your back too much.
- Do 4 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
Also Read: Tips, Tricks And Best Exercises For Upper Chest Strength
How Do You Work The Lower Chest?
Here are some tips on how you can work your lower chest:
1. Target Well-Rounded Pectoral Muscles
The lower chest muscle fibres are more active in specific movements, which means two things: First, we can emphasise the lower part by choosing better exercises. Second, lower chest development is essential for certain activities in and out of the gym.
The pectorals are a single muscle with three distinct regions: lower, middle, and upper chest. The lower and middle parts form the sternal head, while the upper part consists of the clavicle.
Your lower chest muscle fibres are oriented horizontally and upwards. This means that exercises with your arms forward and down (even if you're pushing or doing a fly) better emphasise this area. The dip, for example, is a good lower chest exercise because you push down to lift the body.
2. Focus On Performance Enhancement
As mentioned above, the lower chest muscle fibres have a unique orientation, which means the area becomes more active during specific activities. Strengthening your lower chest can improve your performance in exercises like dips and dips. Some more workouts include:
| Decline Bench Press |
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| High Cable Crossover |
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| Chest dips |
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Also Read: Best Workout Routine For Chest: Exercises & Tips For Chest Day!
Is It Possible To Target Lower Chest?
Yes, targeting the lower chest muscles is possible by doing specific exercises that explicitly target them. But only exercises might not help you effectively unless and until you follow & keep in mind some essential points; here are some tips to train your lower chest to optimise:
1. Start Slow And Build Your Way Up Mindfully
This includes choosing the right exercises, number of sets and reps, and weight, among other things. The workouts chosen primarily depend on personal taste and the available equipment. However, combining isolation (single-joint) and complex (multi-joint) workouts is advised to train the chest.
2. Tailor The Volume To Your Individual Needs
Volume refers to the number of sets and repetitions performed for a given muscle or muscle group over some time, e.g. a session or over a week. While higher volume programs generally lead to more significant muscle growth, the volume appropriate for an individual depends on their current condition and the rest of their training program. Start with 10 to 15 sets per week for chest training, and see how you respond after a few weeks.
If you increase the volume too soon, your capacity to recuperate and adjust to training may be overwhelmed. This could lead to too much fatigue from training, thus limiting muscle growth, as the individual has no resources to generate more muscle tissue, which is all being used to keep up with the training. Even worse, the increased training stress from too much volume could lead to overuse injury.
3. Start With A Manageable Weight
Note that we use Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) in our loading recommendations to communicate how "hard" the effort should be for each set. This allows the lifter to determine the correct weight for the day and adjust as you get stronger over time.
On days when your performance is slightly lower for whatever reason, it is advisable to reduce the load to reach the prescribed level of effort and control fatigue.
4. Adjust The Program Over Time
Remembering that various people will react differently to the same exercise is critical. Some will thrive and grow like weeds on the most basic programs, while others must be more calculated and purposeful with their program design and progressive loading. While many of the concepts in exercise programming are good rules of thumb, it is necessary to tailor the program to the individual to achieve the best results.
Expert’s Advice
The best way to develop a lower chest workout routine is to have a plan and adjust it over time based on your results. The physical activity guidelines recommend that people engage in lower chest strengthening exercises at least weekly. For strength training, one set of eight to twelve repetitions (reps) is efficient; however, two or three sets can be more beneficial.
Health Expert
Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
When done correctly, the above exercises will work the lower chest. Adding these exercises to your full-body strength training routine is best to achieve a well-balanced physique. You should use the right form and technique for each action when doing these exercises. People can prevent injury by not rushing through sets and not utilising too heavy of a weight. Refraining from repeatedly working out the same muscle parts is crucial since muscles require time to recuperate from intense exercise.
FAQs
1. Which exercises are best for lower chest growth?
The 5 best exercises for lower chest growth are:
- Incline push-up
- Chest dip
- Dumbbell Pullover
- Cable crossover
- Bench press
2. How can I work the bottom of my chest effectively?
For a well-defined bottom chest, incorporate these exercises into your routine:
- Floor fly
- Bodyweight dips
- Dumbbell chest press
- Dumbbell floor presPush up
3. What are the top exercises for developing lower pecs?
The best exercise to include in your lower pec workout is:
- Floor presses
- Cable Pullover
- Seated machine fly
- Jackhammer push down
- Decline dumbbell press
4. How do I lose lower chest fat with exercise?
Perform these exercises to lose chest fat:
- Decline Push-Ups
- Chest Dips
- Cable Crossover (low to high)
- Decline Dumbbell Fly
References
- https://athleanx.com/articles/best-lower-chest-workout
- https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/best-lower-chest-exercises/
- https://www.garagegymreviews.com/best-lower-chest-exercises
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