If you need some inspiration for chest days by adding some new exercises to train your pecks and build your chest? Then this article is for you.
We have collected 22 different bench press exercises that will take your chest workouts to a whole new level.
The best way to do this is by doing two or three of your basic moves, like Flat Bench Press with an Olympic Bar, Flies, and Dumbbell Pullovers and then add in one of two exercises from the videos below.
Do that for between two and four weeks and then switch them with two new exercises.
Remember, one of the golden keys to really build some mass to your chest is to do the unexpected, to chock your muscles. It is what this article is for.
Let’s gets started.
Single Leg Chinese Plank Chaos Chest Press
Credits: Dr. Joel Seedman
Activate your whole body while doing your bench press. Chinese Plank Chaos Chest Press will activate your entire posterior, core, motor control, and your glutes.
The elements of balance and pressing mechanics are perfect for athletes, fighters, competitive fitness, and dancers.
If you just want to get big and strong, this exercise is not for you during your period of bulking. But it can be great afterward to get some balance and cardio in your exercises.
You probably want to go lighter the first couple of times until you got your form right.
Floor Chest Press Using The Multi-Grip Bar
Credits: Rogue Fitness
If you feel your shoulder joints are stressed out due to a lot of dumbbells, and barbell flat bench press, you can go easier for a period using the Floor Chest Press using the Multi-Grip Bar.
The way you have to hold the grip bar and that you can get a full range of motion makes this exercise a lot safer to perform than a regular bench press. Remember, you can also perform this exercise with a regular Olympic bar.
You can also do this exercise if you want to go heavier but doesn’t have a spotter around.
You can make this exercise harder to perform by stretching out your legs.
The Kettle Bell Floor Press
Credits: CrossFit®
Kettlebell Floor Press is very similar to floor press using the Olympic or Multi-Grip bar, but here you use Kettlebells instead.
As a guy who is used to lifting weights either barbells or dumbbells, it is minimal what you will get out of this exercise.
Instead, you should use it as a part of a circuit combo workout, where your primary focus is your cardiovascular system.
It and be one press followed up by a crunch, and then a burpee.
Single Arm Dumbbell Press
Credits: Bradley Martyn
Single Arm Dumbbell Press is perfect to fix potential imbalances you may have in strength from doing the regular bench presses.
On top of that, it is also an exercise that will improve stability.
Don’t go too heavy in the beginning and make sure not to hold on to something with your free hand.
I don’t think you should do this exercise every time you are training chest, but perhaps a week or so, every month to one and a half.
Reverse Grip Bench Press
Credits: Jim Stoppani, PhD
You can perform the Reverse Grip Bench Press either with the Olympic bar or using dumbbells as shown here.
It is an exercise that is great for your chest and gives you some volume. In fact, studies suggest that using a reverse grip bench press is up to 30% more effective for building your upper pecks compared to the incline bench press.
On top of that, it is much better for your shoulder joints since you will not overextend them the same way.
My recommendation is to cut down on some of the incline chest press exercises and use this one instead.
Remember, go light to start out because the move will feel a little awkward in the beginning.
Landmine Chest Press
Credits: Buff Dudes
Some guys got it; others don’t. For many, it takes years to develop the sweep between your upper chest muscles.
Landmine Chest Press is one of the best exercises to develop your upper pecks. At the same time, you will give your shoulders a good workout without putting too much pressure on your joints.
Close Grip Bench Press
Credits: ScottHermanFitness
Usually, I use the Close Grip Bench Press as a finisher when I train my triceps because it pulls the last power I have out of them.
But besides your triceps, it is also an excellent exercise for your chest, especially if you want to give your shoulder joints a rest.
Crazy Kettlebell Stability Bench Press
Credits: SpudInc
If you want a wobbling effect doing your bench press, then I highly recommend you to do the Crazy Kettlebell Stability Bench Press.
Here you attach a couple of Kettlebells on rubber bands and hang them on the Olympic bar. Instead of having a static linear movement that goes up and down, you will now have an unpredictable movement of the Olympic bar.
It forces your muscles to work differently since the movement is unexpected and you can get some pretty good gains and endurance from this exercise
We recommend you to start light, so you get used to this wobbling effect.
Svend Press
Credits: smartlife
With the Svend Press, you are using an isometric contraction during the whole exercise. Because you will have to squeeze your hands together in front of you the entire time, there are periods of rest in the movement.
Do you think it looks weird? Don’t underestimate the power of this press. It was invented by Svend Karlson, a famous strongman who dominated the scene at the beginning of the 2000s.
The Svend Press may not be the most significant muscle mass developer, but it is a great finisher when you want to squeeze the last out of your pecks after having a chest day.
Resistance Band Pushups
The trick with Resistance Band Pushups is to do it slowly, especially during your eccentric movement on your way down.
It is not a mass builder, but great for endurance training, athletes, fighters, and if you don’t have a gym nearby.
It is also a good exercise if you travel a lot and want to have a routine you can take with you. All you need is a resistance band.
Remember these bands comes in different versions for various strength levels.
Thick Bar Bench Press
Credits: Sports Specific Training Inc.
The Thick Bar Bench Press is perfect if you want to improve your grip and get some more forearm strength.
Because your hands and forearms are working harder, it will create a Full Body Irradiation, meaning every fiber in your body will work harder.
If your gym has the thick bar, I highly recommend that you use it, at least once in a while. If they don’t, you can get some Fat Gripz instead to emulate the sensation.
A thick bar costs nearly USD 700, so the manager at your local gym is probably not up for buying that piece of equipment.
California Bench Press
Credits: Alex Nurse
California Press is very similar to the close grip bench press we discussed earlier. Some people do mix these two exercises, however, instead of just going up and down your movement is more rounding as if you were rowing a boat.
California press is a great chest and triceps builder and will go a lot easier on your shoulders.
Partial Range Bench Press
Credits: Underground Fitness
There are a couple of ways you can do the Partial Range Bench Press. Most guys do the regular bench press but don’t go all the way down. Others use the Smith machine and secure it so you can only reach a certain point in you eccentric movement.
Underground Fitness uses a pretty cool method, a foam roller to focus on the top movement first. After a couple of sets, he focuses on the lower part of the chest press movement.
Single Leg Glute Sprinter Hold Dumbbell Press
Credits: bruno082985
Here are a great dumbbell pres if you want to activate your core and your glutes while doing the dumbbell press.
You probably want to go light with the weights to start out.
Personally, I would do some abs exercises in between each of my sets do engage my core to the max while performing this bench press.
Bench Press With Lifting Chains
Credits: Tom Conner
We have already talked about the Crazy Kettlebell Stability Press earlier. If you want a more raw look of the exercise instead of using your girlfriend’s rubberband, you can use chains.
Despite using weight plates, you will still get the wobbling effect due to the movement of the chains. However, you will be able to go heavier on this one because the weight plates will provide you with a certain stability.
Bench Press With Excentric Hooks
Credits: Sports Specific Training Inc.
I don’t think there is a lot of gyms around having the excentric hooks. However, if your does, then you should definitely spice up your bench press and get started using them.
Just as with using chains or Kettlebells it gives you some unpredictability in your moves.
What is cool about using excentric hooks is that you at the end of your set, can release them and do some supersets doing the regular bench press.
Log Bench Press
Credits: Tom Conner
Obvious you want to do this bench press with a log from a forest near you.
The best way to do this exercise is with a close grip and relieve the stress on your shoulders.
It is a good idea that the log you have does have a grip, so the log doesn’t fall out of your hands and roll down on your genitals.
Earthquake Bamboo Bench Press
Credits: lerongajang
At first, it looks very similar to Crazy Kettlebell Bench Press because you also here uses bands to hold the plates. However, the difference is the weight of the bar. An Olympic bars weight 45 lbs and the Earthquake bar used in the above video around 6 pounds.
The light bar and the weight plates you attach to the bands will create an earthquake like effect when lifting the bar. The more weight you will put on, and it will feel almost impossible to raise the bar, even using light weights.
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Chest Press
Credits: Ben Carpenter
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Chest Press is probably one of the most boring exercises I have shown in this presentation. However, doing it once in a while give your shoulder joints a rest and help add some mass to your pecks.
Alternatively, you can use a chest press machine as a finisher to squeeze the last power out of your chest muscles after having a chest day.
Bow And Arrow Dumbbell Press
Credits: synergyfitnessteam
The Bow and Arrow Dumbbell Chest Press are great for increased stabilization and to increase the length of time where your pec is under tension.
I would do this exercise as supersets right after a regular bench press either using the Olympic bar or dumbbells.
Iso Hold Dumbbell Press
Credits: bruno082985
Iso Hold Dumbbell Press is a great exercise to perform when you want to improve stability and extend the amount of time your muscles are under tension. It is also an excellent exercise for boxers and fighters who want to enhance their punch.
The Iso hold means which you hold the dumbbell in a locked position while you a moving the other arm. You can either do the Iso on top or at the bottom of your movement. A combination is recommended.
Active Glute Bridge Dumbbell Press
Credits: Reisen Fitness
Active Glute Bridge Dumbbell Press is another great exercise to get more glutes and core incorporate in your workout. Alternatively, you can also do this exercise using a stability ball if you want to make it shakier.
It is important, you keep your back straight and don’t overextend it while doing your presses.
22 Ways To Do Bench Press And Build A Bigger Chest
If you want to do any of these exercises, please study the videos carefully and get your form right. Some of these exercises can be pretty hard on your lower back if you are not doing them correctly.
And as we mentioned in the beginning! Build your base of two or three basic exercises for your chest including flat bench press using the Olympic bar.
Complement your basic chest program with two of the above exercises. Run them for between two and four weeks, and do to new ones.
It will be a great way to add some variation to your chest workouts and stimulate maximum growth.
What About Supplements?
Besides getting your diet straight with plenty of proteins it is also important to get a protein supplement straight after your workouts.
Check out the proteins supplements coming from BPI sports, they taste great and are coming from real cows.
Also, if you want to speed up your progression and add in an extra supplement, we highly recommend you to check out Crazybulk D-Bal or Testogen.
D-Bal is a natural steroid alternative that mimics some of the same effects you get from Dianabol, but here without any of the side effects. D-Bal is not quite as powerful but probably the closest you can get to using steroids.
Testogen is a testosterone booster that will improve your testosterone if they are low. It will show if you are not seeing any particular results from your workouts, or are having a low sex drive.
Feel free to add a comment in the section below if you have any chest press exercises that you recommend us to use.
