Are you looking for Chest exercises to make you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Well of course there is no promise to make you look like him, but I can definitely promise to help you find the best gym chest routine to follow to gain maximum muscle. 

When you do chest exercises for muscle gain, you mainly need the two major muscles, Pectoralis Major and Pectoralis Minor to grow.

Remember I can suggest you the best exercises but it is up to you whether you will be gaining a big chest like Schwarzenegger or not.

First of all, remember that genes have a huge role to play, you can’t imagine changing your structure and genes with exercise.

Of course, you will gain, but your gain will be proportional to your body structure.

If you are truly dedicated to maximum gain in your chest, you need to be very consistent with your routine and need to be patient.

Top 5 Gym Chest Workouts

If you are a beginner or have been working on multiple body goals, engaging in only these five exercises regularly can help you reach your chest goal slowly. I know you want the results to be fast, but you don’t want to overtrain yourself. Consistency is the key if you want sustainable results for your body.

So let me explain what chest exercises you can do regularly to gain muscles in your chest so that you can look like you are working in Terminator!

1. Bench Press

If you have gone to any gym before, you might have seen many people performing Bench Press on a flat or inclined bench. You have probably tried a few times yourself, but just randomly did it.

Bench Press is one of the most effective chest exercises for toning your chest fat and gaining chest muscle. Regular engagement in Bench Press can effectively stimulate hypertrophy of the chest muscles, triceps and shoulder.

Remember, the most essential part is doing it in the right way, taking help from your personal trainer, and doing the exercise adequately. The exercise itself is not challenging but selection of the right weight is the actual challenge.

• First, lie flat on the bench, and take the barbell with your selected weight.
• Hold the bar with an overhand grip and keep the distance a little wider than your shoulder width.
• Slowly push the barbell up and then down right over your shoulder.

In order to gain muscles gradually you need to slowly increase the weight while doing Bench press, and increase the reps. You can also try the other variants of Bench press along with the traditional ones.

You can choose an inclined bench, declined bench and narrow grip bench press for better results. But I would recommend, starting with the traditional and basic one, and slowly moving on to the new one. Doing multiple variants does not give better results, but consistency with single variants does.

2. Dumbbell Flys

You know, a gym chest routine is incomplete without Dumbbell Flys, because it works the best for the pectoral muscles. You can do the chest exercise to ensure that you gain maximum strength in your chest and shoulder muscles. But always use the correct methods and processes so that you do not injure your shoulder or arms.

The first thing that you will need to find in Dumbbell Fly is finding the right-sized dumbbell for yourself. Don’t try to take on big weights if you are trying for the first time, because it may lead to injury or unfinished sets. So take the pair which you can carry, but don’t take the very lightweight, as it may not be effective for you to gain muscles.

• Lie on your back up on a flat or inclined bench, and keep your legs firmly on the floor bending from the knee.
• Lift up your arms above your head, while the dumbbells will be facing each other.
• Slowly take back your arms in the sides, but remember, your arms should not go beyond your chest.
• Remember to keep normal breathing and exhale while you are pressing the dumbbell up in the air.

3. Cable Crossover

You might not have watched a lot of people doing cable crossover in the gym, as most of them are focused on bench press. But cable crossover is one of the most effective chest muscle-gaining exercises which is often overlooked.

It works on the major chest muscles such as Pectoralis major, Pectoralis minor, and Anterior Deltoids, so you can understand, that it can give you a high level of muscle gain if you do the exercise properly.

Now let me tell you the way you can do the exercise adequately.

• Stand straight in between the pulleys, and adjust their height so you can grab them properly. The pulleys should be around your shoulder level.
• Take a step ahead, and move your upper body a little forward as if you are prepping for a run.
• Now pull the pulleys with your arms in similar strength and bring them in front of you.
• Then slowly take the arms back to the previous position.

But remember to consult with your personal trainer and do that in front of them to ensure your position is right and you are safe from any injuries.

4. Push Ups

Almost everyone with a little interest in fitness and workouts is familiar with this age-old and one of the most effective chest exercises. You can do push-ups in your gym as well as at your home, you do not need any fancy equipment to do this one. But of course, you need to do it with adequate process.

Let’s start with the right way of doing push-ups.

• First, get down on full plank position. You can keep your feet on the ground or up on a bench to increase the effectiveness.
• Keep your hands a little wider than your shoulder width and point the fingers forward.
• Engage your core and glute muscles to ensure that your body does not sag.
• Now slowly push your body down by bending your elbows, and make sure your body does not touch the floor.
• Then slowly get back in the plank position again. Keep repeating the process until you are done with your set.

5. Weighted Dips

You have probably heard about the exercise and saw some big-bodied actor doing it, but never really understood the purpose. Well, it is a very effective chest exercise, and if you are planning to have hypertrophy in your chest muscles, then you should definitely try including Weighted Dips in your gym chest workout. It is an intense workout, which might increase your risk of injuries if not done properly.

So I recommend doing it under the supervision of your trainer and doing it in proper form. Let’s start with how you can do the exercise properly.

• First, you will need to wear a dip belt which will carry your weight plates or you can also wear a weighted vest.
• Now position yourself in the dip station, and grab the bars.
• Slowly bend your knees and pull yourself up by engaging your core, tucking in your elbows behind, and leaning forward a little.
• Then slowly go down while maintaining your normal breathing.
• Repeat this movement as per your set.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I do chest exercises at home?

Yes, you can do them at home, but you need to ensure that you are doing it with caution. While you can easily do push-ups at home, for weighted dips and cable crossover, you will need to have major gym equipment and trainer support.

2. What chest exercises should I do for maximum muscle building?

You can do bench presses, cable crossover, and weighted dips for maximum muscle building in your chest.

3. Can I do chest exercises if I have old shoulder injuries?

It is recommended to consult with your physician before you engage in such exercise if you have previous injuries. You should not attempt doing the mentioned exercises if you have injuries in your shoulder.

4. Should I be doing chest exercises daily for big muscle gain?

It is recommended to take one or two days' gap within your chest workout routine, to help your muscles to release tension.

Final Thoughts

All in all, if you are planning to build a big chest that will make girls fall for you, then you should definitely try to incorporate the mentioned exercises in your workout routine. With patience and consistency, you can actually get a chest like Arnold Schwarzenegger.