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Middle Chest Exercises
Are you interested in specifically training your central chest muscles? In our overview of training exercises, you will discover a variety of effective workouts to sculpt and strengthen your chest. From dumbbell flies to cable crossovers, we present you with various exercises to specifically engage your middle chest muscles.
Middle Chest Exercises
Are you desiring a strong and well-defined mid-chest area? Within this extensive overview, we offer you a wide range of effective training exercises to specifically develop your mid-chest muscles. Whether you opt for bench presses, dumbbell flies, or cable exercises – here, you will find suitable workouts to suit every preference. Sculpt an impressive mid-chest for yourself!
Wide push-ups with a focus on the chest
The farther apart your hands are during push-ups, the more intense the focus on the chest. Consequently, wide push-ups primarily target the chest and involve the triceps less compared to other push-up variations.
Positive push-ups with slight elevation
Positive push-ups with a slight elevation are somewhat easier than traditional push-ups due to the limited range of motion. When executed correctly, the lower fibers of the chest muscles are slightly more stimulated.
Easy push-ups for beginners (women's push-ups)
The simplest form of push-ups is performed on the knees. These are particularly suitable for beginners and are colloquially referred to as female push-ups. This variation is often used to gradually approach conventional push-ups.
Flies with dumbbells on the flat bench
The flat bench is an ideal companion to train the middle chest. By performing dumbbell flyes on the flat bench, you add more variety to your training routine. Maintaining a stable body position is crucial for the correct execution. Dumbbell flyes are an effective and simultaneously challenging fitness exercise for training your chest.
Beginners should only learn dumbbell flyes under the guidance of an experienced athlete to avoid the risk of injuries. By avoiding common mistakes such as overextending the arms or excessive bending, efficient training of the middle chest is within reach.
pushups
Push-ups are a true classic for home workouts. When thinking about a fitness exercise for the chest muscles, push-ups inevitably come to mind. After all, they can be performed anywhere without additional equipment. There are also numerous variations that target different areas of your chest. Nevertheless, this exercise is rarely executed correctly. Improper execution leaves the potential of your body untapped and can lead to painful injuries. With push-ups, you strengthen not only your chest and triceps but also your deltoid muscle. The classic push-up primarily targets the middle area of the chest, also engaging your deltoid muscle.
Cable Crossover / Cable Fly classic
Depending on the execution, cable flyes allow you to train various muscle groups. However, the isolation exercise cable crossover focuses on training the middle chest. In combination with basic exercises, you can optimize your muscle building. Cable crossovers are also a simple fitness exercise suitable for both beginners and advanced individuals. Ensure that you adjust the cable pull correctly and perform the movement in a moderate manner.
Chest press for the middle chest
The chest press machine is among the simplest and most popular devices in the gym. Together with the butterfly machine, the chest press machine is a proven classic for training the middle chest. Almost every gym is equipped with a chest press machine. Due to the quick adjustment of the machine and the easily understandable movement execution, the chest press machine is particularly suitable for beginners who want to train their middle chest. With this exercise, you can isolate and strengthen your chest muscles. Additionally, the triceps and the front part of the deltoid muscles are also supportively engaged.
Bench press on the multi press
Bench pressing on the multi-station is an alternative that allows you to train the middle area of your chest. The multi-station enables you to guide the weight on a special track. Compared to training with free weights, the execution is simpler. The movement sequence for bench pressing on the multi-station is predetermined, making it easy for beginners to start with bench pressing.
However, there are also disadvantages to this variation. The auxiliary muscles of your body play a crucial role in ensuring a smooth movement during bench pressing with a barbell or dumbbells. When using the multi-station for support, these auxiliary muscles are less engaged. Nevertheless, bench pressing on the multi-station has its justification in strength training. If you want to protect your shoulder joints, avoid aggravating old injuries, or focus more on the middle chest, bench pressing on the multi-station is ideal.
Covers on the cable (standing)
Standing cable crossovers are a popular exercise to train not only the major chest muscle (pectoralis major) but also the broad back muscle, latissimus dorsi. The so-called pullovers on the cable machine are rarely included in training plans. You only need a cable machine to start with this exercise. Many athletes, however, tend to compensate through other muscle groups when standing freely at the cable machine, reducing the effectiveness of the workout. Therefore, opt for standing cable crossovers only if you have mastered the movement and can effectively strengthen your latissimus.
Butterfly on the machine
The butterfly exercise on the apparatus is a common training method for the chest muscles. Due to its straightforward execution, beginners particularly prefer the butterfly exercise for effective training of the mid-chest area. A significant advantage of this exercise is that a butterfly apparatus is practically available everywhere – a gym without this apparatus is hardly imaginable. Consequently, both women and men perform butterfly movements on the apparatus to strengthen their chest muscles. Additionally, the front part of the shoulder muscles supports the easy execution of the movement.
Although the butterfly apparatus has its place in every gym, and beginners almost constantly use it, there are some common mistakes that should be avoided.
Dumbbell bench press (flat bench)
Many athletes opt for the classic method with the barbell when exercising the chest muscles. An alternative to this is the dumbbell press on the flat bench. In comparison to the traditional bench press, you use two dumbbells to train the mid-chest area. On the flat bench, you can isolate and strengthen your chest muscles, benefiting from greater freedom of movement with the dumbbells. While it's not always easy to unload a barbell alone, it's different with dumbbells.
The dumbbell press on the flat bench is suitable for both beginners and advanced individuals who train on their own. With the right equipment, you can easily perform the exercise at home. Simultaneously, it is a gentle exercise that protects your shoulders and elbows.
Barbell bench press (flat bench)
Pressing the barbell on the flat bench is one of the most popular compound exercises in the gym. Those who want to effectively build and enlarge their chest muscles should opt for barbell pressing. This fundamental exercise can do more than just activate the chest muscles. Additionally, you work your triceps (musculus triceps brachii) and the front part of the deltoid muscles (musculus deltoideus pars clavicularis). By the way, this exercise is one of the three disciplines in powerlifting.
Barbell pressing on the flat bench is equally suitable for beginners, advanced individuals, and professionals. With the traditional variation, you target the mid-chest area, while slight variations engage other target muscles.
Dumbbell covers / dumbbell sweaters
Dumbbell pullovers enjoyed great popularity in strength training for many years. Over time, however, other exercise variations for chest muscle training took center stage. Nevertheless, figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger claim that dumbbell pullovers were mainly responsible for their chest volume. Improper execution, however, poses a risk of shoulder injuries.
Not suitable for beginners. Those who master dumbbell pullovers and incorporate them into their training not only target their mid-chest but also find dumbbell pullovers ideal for training their broad latissimus dorsi muscles.