4 Best Compound Chest Exercises: Maximizing Muscle Growth

Looking for some compound chest exercises to build muscle and gain strength? We got you covered!

There aren’t many things better than chest day if you are a gym enthusiast. Loading up some heavy plates on the bench press and going all out on your pectoral muscles can be one of the most fulfilling activities in your workout routine.

After all, a big and strong chest is an essential part of any good physique, and almost every dude out there wants to have a Greek god body.

As a woman, you may not prioritize your chest muscles that much.  However, it’s always important to give them some attention so you can maintain a balanced physique and prevent injuries.

Are you ready for a chest day? Let’s learn some compound chest exercises.

Compound Chest Exercises vs Isolation Chest Exercises

If you are new to the weightlifting world, you may not know the difference between compound and isolation exercises. This is not a case where one is objectively better than the other.

Both kinds of exercise have their benefits and application scenarios, and it’s important to understand their particularities so you can make the most of your time at the gym.

Compound Exercises

Compound exercises are those that work on multiple muscle groups while activating several different joints at the same time. This brings several benefits, especially if you are an athlete.

First of all, since you are using more than one muscle group, compound exercises make lifting heavier weights easier. Consequently, it also helps build overall strength quicker and equally throughout your whole body.

Additionally, using multiple muscle groups at the same time makes you burn more calories per exercise, making it very time-efficient.

Compound exercises also help train your coordination, stability, and joint mobility. Athletes especially benefit from this because these exercises usually mimic or resemble natural movements they practice in their sports of choice.

Isolation Exercises

As the name suggests, isolation exercises, train one muscle or muscle group at a time. They are often used when there’s an imbalance in the physique and one particular muscle has to be given special attention.

Bodybuilders usually love isolation exercises since they don’t mind spending that extra time giving all they have in every single muscle group.

Best Compound Chest Exercises

Now that you know what compound exercises are and how they can benefit your fitness journey, let’s take a look at some of the best exercises out there to maximize your chest gains.

1. The Bench Press

The barbell bench press is probably the most popular gym exercise ever. This staple of the weightlifting world is the quintessential compound chest exercise.

Besides the chest, it also effectively targets your arms and shoulders, , more precisely the anterior deltoid, triceps brachii, biceps brachii, and serratus anterior muscles.

Here’s how to make the most out of your bench press session:

1. Load up the barbell with a challenging amount of weight. It's best to have someone with you to help if you can't finish a repetition. .
2. Lie on the bench and arch your back by tucking your shoulder blades in and puffing your chest. Plant your feet, glutes, and head, and make sure they don’t move while doing the exercise
3. Grip the bar with your hands a little more than shoulder-width apart.
4. With your head under the bar , unrack the barbell and bring it forward until your arms point up. With locked shoulders, tuck your elbows at a 45º angle.
5. During the execution, the bar should go down and slightly forward, towards your belly. When the bar lightly touches your chest, bring it up and slightly towards your head.
6. Repeat for as many reps as you need.

And there you have it, a perfect barbell bench press execution.

Pro tip: Widening your grip will focus more on your chest while a narrower grip will target your triceps.

2. The Incline Bench Press

One mistake a lot of weightlifters make when working out their chest is not giving the upper chest area enough attention.

The incline bench press solves this oversight and ensures you get an all-around well-developed chest while still working on shoulders and triceps as well.

1. Load up the barbell with a challenging amount of weight. Preferably, have someone to spot you, in case you fail a rep.
2. Your bench should be set to something between 30º and 45º.
3. Grip the barbell just outside of the shoulder-width.
4. Tuck your shoulder blades in and set up your back arch. Don't forget to also puff your chest and keep your elbows at a 45º angle relative to your body.
5. Unrack and lower the bar until it reaches your chest and then bring it up. Remember to focus on the movement and do it slowly for maximum gains.
6. Repeat for as many reps as you need.

Pro tip: the steeper the angle of your bench, the more you’ll activate your shoulder muscles and take a bit of the focus out of the chest.

3. The Dumbbell Bench Press

The dumbbell bench press is very similar to the regular barbell bench press. The difference here is that the dumbbells allow you to work out each side of your chest separately, which can help prevent muscle imbalance.

The dumbbells also offer greater instability to your movement, that way, your mid-section muscles are forced to work harder to keep your balance.

Finally, the dumbbells offer a safer option in case you don’t have a spotter, since you can toss them to the side in case of an emergency.

1. With dumbbells of challenging weight, lie on the bench.
2. Set up your back arch by tucking your shoulder blades and plant your feet on the ground to ensure maximum stability
3. Keep your arms at a 45º angle relative to your body.
4. As you raise the dumbbells, angle their path so you finish the movement directly over your shoulders.
5. Lower it back down slowly doing the reverse motion.
6. Repeat for as many reps as you need.

If this exercise peaked your interest, you may want to read more about dumbbell chest workouts.

4. Push-ups

If you are looking for body-weight compound chest exercises, look no further than the push-ups.

This is a basic exercise that is a great starting point for beginners who might need a little bit more strength in their chest before going to bench press.

This exercise is also awesome when it comes to engaging the core muscles since it takes coordination and strength in the whole body to perform it properly.

Additionally,  the best part about the push-ups is that you can do it almost anywhere since it doesn’t need any gym equipment, making it a super practical exercise.

1. Start on a plank position, your hands should be just outside shoulder-width.
2. Brace your core and make sure your body is forming a straight line from your heels to your head.
3. Bend your elbows and lower your body toward the ground.
4. When your body is about to touch the ground, push through the palm of your hands until you reach the start position again.
5. Repeat for as many reps as you need.

By the way, if you want to know more about the differences between the benefits of push-ups and bench press, this article is great: Push-ups Vs. Bench Press.

Final Thoughts

You should definitely add compound chest exercises to your workout routine. They are one of the best ways to increase overall strength and sculpt your physique in a proportional and even manner.

Additionally, they will increase your corporal consciousness by making you practice stability and mobility. Basically, compound chest exercises will make you better at weightlifting in general.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article useful. Remember that consistency is key at the gym, keep going regularly and the exercises above are sure to get your pecks jacked faster than you think.

Don’t forget to always warm up your chest before every training session and if you have any doubts don’t hesitate to ask a professional or come back to this article.

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