Forget Bench Presses: These 5 Exercises Will Transform Your Chest

Ask most gym bros to name their favorite chest-building exercise and they’ll probably say the bench press. Consequently, the bench press is included in most chest workouts and is arguably the most popular barbell exercise around.

After all, the bench press has a special place in strength training, and even non-exercisers will ask, “How much can you bench?”

However, despite its fame and popularity, the bench press is not always the best exercise for building picture-perfect pecs. As a former powerlifter, I agree that the bench press is an excellent strength exercise that can help build a powerful upper body.

But, for muscle building, it may not be as effective as many people believe.

I realize this is a controversial if not blasphemous point of view, but it’s based on more than 30 years of lifting and working as a personal trainer.

That’s not to say that the bench press is ineffective for everyone. But, in my experience, some people are what I like to call bench press non-responders. I’ve worked with a lot of people who got very little muscle growth from bench presses, but whose gains exploded when they switched to alternative exercises.

In this article, I reveal what I believe are the five best exercises that build pecs better than bench presses.

What’s So Bad About Bench Presses, Anyway?

Before I share the best bench press alternatives, it’s worth repeating that the bench press is NOT a bad exercise and that some people get excellent results from it. So, if you are happy with your bench press-driven pec growth, you should keep on doing what you’re doing.

That said, there are several reasons why the bench press may not be the best exercise for building your pecs. These include:

Chronic Shoulder Pain

The bench press has a reputation for causing shoulder pain. Torn pecs are also not uncommon. A lot of lifters find that their shoulder pain disappears when they replace the bench press with an alternative. Pain-free training will allow you to work out harder and longer than before, accelerating your gains.

Related: Bench Press Shoulder Pain: Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Tips on How to Prevent and Eliminate

You Aren’t Built to Bench Press

Most successful bench pressers share several anatomical traits, including robust shoulder joints, medium-length arms, and deep chests. Lifters who do not have these characteristics may find that bench presses are not just harder but less effective.

For example, long arms paired with a shallow chest mean that you have to move the bar through a much larger range of motion than your T-Rex, barrel-chest buddy. This reduces the amount of weight you can lift, potentially making bench presses less effective but more likely to cause injury.

You Use Your Deltoids More Than Your Pecs During Bench Presses

While post-exercise muscle soreness is not a reliable indicator that you’ve had a good workout, it does suggest which muscles were working the hardest. If your anterior (front) deltoids ache more than your pecs the day after bench pressing, your shoulders were probably doing more work than your chest.

I can’t explain why some people use their deltoids more than their pecs during the bench press, but I’ve seen this phenomenon enough to know that it is a pretty common issue. Needless to say, if you are training for bigger pecs, you don’t want other muscles doing all the work.

You’re an Ego Bench Presser

While very few lifters brag about how much they can T-bar row or lat pulldown, there are plenty who measure their success by how much they can bench press. That’s all well and good if you are a powerlifter.

However, focusing too much on how much you can bench press is not necessarily the best way to sculpt awesome pecs. A lot of lifters are driven to pile on as many plates as possible, obliterating good form and, consequently, turning the bench press into a less effective muscle builder.

While “more plates more dates” might make a good meme, this approach could be the reason that your pecs aren’t growing. Dropping the bench press from your training may be the only way to cure you of this progress obstacle.

Related: Bench Press Averages for 2025: The Latest Data by Age, Weight, Gender, and Experience

You Train Alone or At Home

Serious bench press accidents are all too common. A failed rep can cause the bar to come crashing down across your neck or chest. Using spotters will reduce this risk, and so too will bench pressing in a power rack.

But what if you train alone? Or maybe work out at home?

Bench pressing without a safety backup is a recipe for disaster. Even if you stop your set short of failure, you could still miss the J-hooks when reracking your bar and end up with the weight falling onto you.

The good news is that solo and home trainers still have access to plenty of great pec-building exercises, most of which can be done to failure in complete safety.

5 Exercises Better Than Bench Presses for Building Pecs

Whether you train alone, suffer from bench press-related shoulder pain, or are a bench press non-responder, the following exercises will help you build the chest of your dreams without bench presses.

Design your workouts around these exercises and see your chest explode into new growth!

1. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

The incline dumbbell bench press is, in my opinion, one of the best chest builders around. It’s shoulder-friendly, relatively safe to take to failure, and works the often-neglected upper pecs.

And it’s not only me who thinks this exercise is a superb bench press alternative; my point of view is echoed by four-time Mr. Olympia winner Jay Cutler. In fact, Cutler calls the incline dumbbell bench press, “the most important exercise in my routine.”  

Steps:

1. Set your bench to a 20 to 30-degree angle.
2. Lie on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells above your chest, palms facing down your body, i.e., an overhand grip.
3. Bend your arms and lower the weights down to the outside of your shoulders.
4. Pause in this stretched position for 1-2 seconds and then drive the dumbbells back up to arm’s length.
5. Continue for the prescribed number of reps.

Tips:

• Do not raise your bench above 30 degrees, as doing so decreases pec but increases deltoid engagement.
• You can also do this exercise with a neutral or palms-facing inward grip, which some lifters find more comfortable.
• Adjust your range of motion to reflect your flexibility and joint health.

2. Ring Push-Ups

A lot of people are surprised to learn that push-ups can be as effective if not better than bench presses for building bigger pecs. However, this isn’t just my opinion, research from PubMed also supports the efficacy of push-ups for building muscle (1).

While there are numerous effective push-up variations to choose from, in my experience push-ups on gymnastic rings are one of the best bodyweight pec workouts around. Rings force you to stabilize your arms much more than conventional push-ups, which increases pec engagement.

Steps:

1. Adjust your rings so they’re a few inches above the floor.
2. Grip the bottom of the rings and walk your feet out and back until your body is straight. Brace your core.
3. Bend your arms and lower your shoulders down to your hands. Pause in this stretched position for 1-2 seconds.
4. Extend your arms and repeat.
5. Continue repping out until you are close to failure.

Tips:

• Shorten the straps and raise the rings to make this exercise easier.
• Elevate your feet to make this exercise more demanding.
• You can also do this exercise with a suspension trainer, e.g., a TRX or similar.

3. Wide Grip Parallel Bar Dip

Parallel bar dips are usually thought of as a triceps exercise. However, done with a wide grip, dips are also a very effective chest builder. In fact, before the invention of the bench press, dips were the chest exercise of choice for many bronze-era bodybuilders.

Like push-ups, you can do dips to failure with no fear of getting crushed under a heavy weight. They also provide a great pec stretch which research suggests is important for maximizing hypertrophy (2).

Steps:

1. Use dipping bars that are wider than shoulder-width apart. The closer your grip, the less chest engagement there will be.
2. Grip the bars with your palms turned inward. Support your weight on straight arms.
3. Bend your legs and push them as far back as possible; the more inclined your torso, the greater the pec activation.
4. Bend your arms and descend until you feel a deep stretch in your pecs, allowing your elbows to flare outward.
5. Straighten your arms and push yourself upward, stopping just short of lockout to keep the tension on your pecs. Push in as well as down to maximize pec engagement.
6. Descend and repeat.

Tips:

• Use a dipping belt or weighted vest to make this exercise more intense.
• Adjust your range of motion to reflect your flexibility and joint health.
• Stretch a resistance band between your bars and kneel/stand on it for assistance if required.

4. Dumbbell Floor Press

No bench? That’s no problem if you make floor presses part of your upper body workouts. As the name implies, you do floor presses while lying on the ground, making it ideal for anyone who trains at home.

As an added benefit, the dumbbell floor press is very shoulder-friendly and I know several powerlifters who do this exercise when shoulder pain would otherwise prevent them from training.

While you can do this exercise with a barbell, dumbbells are arguably easier to manage and make for a more accessible exercise.

Steps:

1. Lie on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells over your shoulders with your palms facing down your body, i.e., an overhand grip.
2. Bend your elbows and lower the weights down until your triceps lightly touch the floor.
3. Drive the weights back up, pause, and repeat.

Tips:

• You can do this exercise with straight or bent legs as preferred.
• Do this exercise with a single dumbbell to develop one side of your chest at a time.
• Only do this exercise with a barbell if you have a spotter on hand or are using a power rack.

5. Chest Press Machine

You’ll often see elite bodybuilders doing machine chest presses. The reason for this is simple: they work! Doing chest presses on a machine allows you to train to failure in safety while keeping your muscles under near-constant tension.

There are lots of great chest press machines around, and most gyms have a couple of different models, so choose the one that feels most comfortable and effective.

Steps:

1. Adjust the seat height so the handles are in line with your mid-chest.
2. Hold the handles with an overhand grip.
3. Extend your arms and push the handles away from you, stopping just before locking your elbows.
4. Bend your arms and lower the weight until you feel a stretch in your pecs. Do not let the plates come together.
5. Continue for the prescribed number of reps.

Tips:

• Use the machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, as they all work a little differently.
• Push your hands inward as well as forward to maximize chest engagement.
• End your chest press workout with a few drop sets to maximize pec stimulation and growth.

Closing Thoughts

Contrary to popular opinion, the bench press is not the only way to build bigger, stronger pecs. In fact, for some lifters, it’s not a very productive exercise.

If bench presses are uncomfortable or fail to deliver the results you want, it’s probably time to drop them from your training.

Thankfully, there are plenty of exercises that, in my experience, are every bit as effective as bench presses for building the pecs of your dreams. Design your workouts around the exercises in this article and get your chest training back on track.

References:

1. Kikuchi N, Nakazato K. Low-load bench press and push-up induce similar muscle hypertrophy and strength gain. J Exerc Sci Fit. 2017 Jun;15(1):37-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jesf.2017.06.003. Epub 2017 Jun 29. PMID: 29541130; PMCID: PMC5812864.
2. Warneke K, Lohmann LH, Lima CD, Hollander K, Konrad A, Zech A, Nakamura M, Wirth K, Keiner M, Behm DG. Physiology of Stretch-Mediated Hypertrophy and Strength Increases: A Narrative Review. Sports Med. 2023 Nov;53(11):2055-2075. doi: 10.1007/s40279-023-01898-x. Epub 2023 Aug 9. PMID: 37556026; PMCID: PMC10587333.

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