Most chest workouts over-rely on flat pressing. You get thickness in the middle and not much else. This four move routine covers multiple angles in a single session, so nothing gets neglected.
The sequence of exercises goes from compound to isolation to bodyweight. You start heavy while you’re fresh, move to progressively more isolated work as you go. We’ll finish with a bodyweight movement to pull everything together. The workout finisher is an ab circuit and you’re done in under 45 minutes.
Working sets follow a 15-to-8 rep ladder. Start with a weight you can control for 15 reps, add load each set, and push toward 8 on the final set. On compound movements(Incline Press in this workout), run one light warm-up set before the repetition ladder to prime the joints.
The Workout at a Glance
| Exercise | Warm-up | Working Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inclined Hammer Press | 1 × light | 3 | 15 / 12 / 8 |
| Dumbbell Fly | — | 3 | 15 / 12 / 8 |
| Cable Fly | — | 3 | 15 / 12 / 8 |
| Dynamic Push-up | — | 3 | 15 / 10 / 10 |
| Bicycle Crunch | — | 3 | 20 each side |
1. Inclined Hammer Press
The compound opener at the start of this routine rotates depending on what’s available. This session the incline hammer press was free, so that’s where it started. The fixed path is the reason I prefer the machine when it’s an option. I have an old pec tear and a barbell incline press at the same weight puts significantly more demand on my shoulder and chest. The machine takes that out of the equation and lets me load up without the shoulder stabilization a free weight requires.
Run one warm-up set at a light weight to get the shoulders moving before you load up. Then work through three sets, adding weight each time and letting the rep count drop from 15 down to 8.
Set the seat so you feel the press in the upper chest. If the tension moves into the front delts, the seat is too upright. Adjust before you start your working sets, not halfway through.
Sets: 1 warm-up + 3 working | Reps: 15 / 12 / 8 (ascending weight)
2. Dumbbell Fly
After the press, move to dumbbell flies. This is a stretch focused movement. The goal is to open the chest at the bottom of the rep, not to move heavy weight.
Sets: 3 | Reps: 15 / 12 / 8 (ascending weight)
Keep a slight bend in the elbows throughout. Lower until you feel a deep stretch across the pecs, then bring the dumbbells back together without fully locking out at the top. Tension should stay on the chest the whole time. I like to rotate my hands inwards, so the dumbbell is more vertical, at the lower part of the movement. This takes tension off my biceps so I can get a longer stretch in the chest.
Keep your weights moderate. Form breaks down fast on flies when you go too heavy, and the movement stops being a fly and starts being a press. Use the same 15-to-8 ladder and treat the weight selection seriously on the first set. I usually start with 10 pound dumbbells on the first set, and walk up 5 pound increments for each set.
Dumbbell flies come before cables here because the movement is less isolated. You have more say over the path of movement. That said, if the cables are free and the dumbbell bench isn’t, swap the order. It won’t change the result.
3. Cable Fly
Cable flies hit the inner chest in a way dumbbells can’t. The cable keeps constant tension through the full range of motion. When your hands meet at center, squeeze hard and hold for a beat before you release.
Set the pulleys at chest height or slightly above. Step forward until you feel a stretch when your arms open wide. Keep your torso upright. Avoid rocking into the movement to generate momentum. Some cable racks have the handles closer than others. I use adjusting my position(forward/back) to ensure that the path of the cables is perfect for hitting the chest.
If your front delts are taking over, raise the cables higher and focus on squeezing at the center of your chest, not just bringing your hands together.
Sets: 3 | Reps: 15 / 12 / 8 (ascending weight)
4. Dynamic Push-up
Place a yoga block flat on the floor at chest level. Start in a push-up position with both hands on the floor, one hand beside the block.
Perform an explosive push up. At the top, land with one hand on the block and the other extending behind your body. I hold this position for a second to ensure I fully completed the movement. Using the hand that’s on the block, press off a bit and send it back to outside the block. The other hand comes back down at the same time. Both hands should land simultaneously. Then we repeat with the other hand.
Regression: If the explosive pushups are too much, you can modify this exercise but keep the essence of it. Simply do a pushup with the yoga block between the chest. You can a) tap one hand to the block at a time or b) try moving one hand to the block, hold a single arm pushup position and extend the other back. You can try these variations to build up to the ballistic/dynamic version.
The block shifts the loading to one side at a time. By this point you’ve done the weighted work including the press, the flies, the cables. This movement pulls it all together. Keep your core braced throughout. If the lateral shift is new to you, slow it down first and build the pattern before adding speed.
Sets: 3 | Reps: 15 / 10 / 10
Ab Finisher: Bicycle Crunches
Close out with bicycle crunches. The reason it goes here rather than at the start: high rep, no load. It won’t affect how you feel for tomorrow’s session. Your core has been braced through every set already, this is just finishing what’s started.
Lie flat on the floor, hands lightly behind your head. Bring one knee in while rotating the opposite elbow toward it. Extend the other leg out long. Alternate sides in a slow, controlled rhythm. Do not rush it and do not pull your neck. I keep my hands indexed at my temples to ensure I’m not pulling on my neck.
Three sets of 20 reps per side. Rest 45 seconds between sets. Slow reps with full rotation will do more than fast reps that are really just leg pumps.
Sets: 3 | Reps: 20 each side | Rest: 45 sec
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I train chest with this routine?
Once a week is enough for most. Chest overlaps with shoulder and tricep pressing on other days. One dedicated chest session per week gives enough stimulus without creating recovery issues from overlapping pressing work.
Can beginners do this workout?
Most of it, yes. The hammer press and flies are accessible from the start. The cable fly requires a bit of setup familiarity but nothing difficult. The dynamic push-up has a regression section above. Start there and build toward the full version.
What if I don’t have a yoga block for the dynamic push-up?
Any stable elevated surface at roughly the same height works. A folded towel, a small weight plate, or a thick book all do the same job. The goal is just elevation under one hand.
Why do the ab work at the end and not as a warm-up?
High-rep ab work done at the start can compromise core stability on the weighted sets. Doing it last keeps your core fresh for the press and flies. It also fits the finisher pattern: high rep, no load, nothing that carries into the following day’s recovery.