What is the best exercise to increase the size of my chest muscles?

Question

I am going nearly 3 years for a gym. My BMI is ok. My height is 173cm and my chest in 36 inch. Can I further expand my chest ?Is there any good exercise ?

Answer 1

The reality is there are 3 or 4 ways to expand your chest visually in order:

1. Chest Muscles
2. Lat Muscles
3. Shrink Waist
4. Enlarge Shoulders

A good starting point will be Dumbbell Bench Press (generally gets better range of motion than barbell), Dips, Barbell Rows, and Flies and/or Pec Deck if you have one. For some depending on your mechanics Dumbbell Bench Press could be done on a slight incline for better activation. Another exercise you might want to consider though isn't as common anymore is Pullovers which can be done laying using a dumbbell, ez-curl bar, or cable pulley system set to a somewhat low position.

With any of these exercises chest width is going to be when you can feel it in the outer portion of your chest a bit and lats. Wide grip bench press for example. Deep full range of motion benching with barbell or dumbbells, incline bench with a nice deep bottom, flyes that you really let sink in the outer part, etc... If you do everything with a regular/narrow grip and stop at or above your chest then you're going to put a lot more emphasis on chest thickness and triceps then on width.

Combine this with eating excess calories of course. You can't gain size anywhere if you're not eating some level of excess.

Answer 2

Do a balanced program, meaning, train your back as much as your chest and shoulders. Do high volume chest exercises e.g. Dumbbell or Barbell Bench press, weight push ups and dips, you should at least be bench pressing 1.2xbw before changing it up for something. Train higher volume with medium intensity.

Answer 3

Be careful with too much bench pressing if you have a job where you arms are outstretched all day as you may end up with rounded shoulders.