- Lie on a flat bench, holding a barbell on your chest with an overhand grip. (Your hands should be shoulder width apart)
- Get into starting position, raising the bar above your chest by extending your arms, but do NOT lock your elbows.
- Keeping your arms slightly bent, slower lower the weight in a smooth arc to a position behind your head by rotating your shoulders. (as if putting your hands in the air)
- Keep moving the barbell behind your head until you feel a slight stretch in your chest. Hold for a count of one.
- Return to the start position in a smooth revers arc.
- Continue holding the weight above your chest, then repeat.
Defined Chest Workout
8 min
·
7 exercises
About this workout
Defined Chest Workout is a free 8 min workout plan with 7 illustrated exercises for your arms, back and chest. Follow the workout online, save it to your WorkoutLabs Fit account or download it as a printable PDF.
Tap any exercise in the workout to see the muscles worked, clear exercise illustrations and step-by-step instructions. Each workout includes sets, reps, rest times and notes so you can follow the plan without guessing.
Workout details
- Duration: 8 min
- Exercises: 7
- Training focus: Arms, back and chest
- Format: Interactive workout and printable PDF
For more ready-made training plans, try WorkoutLabs Fit. You can follow visual workouts, build your own routines, manage your training calendar and track your progress. Sign up today to claim your free week.
Questions about this workout
How long does the Defined Chest Workout take?
The full workout takes about 8 minutes, covering 7 exercises with prescribed sets, reps and rest periods. Using the built-in timers and auto-advance keeps you on pace from start to finish.
What muscles does this workout target?
This routine primarily works your chest, upper back & lower traps, triceps. Tap any exercise in the workout to see a muscle diagram showing exactly which primary and secondary muscles it activates.
How often should I do this workout?
For best results, do this workout 2–3 times per week with at least one rest day in between, and pair it with sessions that target other muscle groups.
Can I download or save this workout?
Yes – you can download this workout as a free printable PDF using the download button, or save it to a free WorkoutLabs Fit account to follow it on your phone, customize the exercises and track your progress.
Defined Chest Workout
8 min
·
7 exercises
Barbell Pullovers
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
- Lie with your upper back perpendicular on a bench.
- Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor and flex your hips so that your body is in line.
- Grasp a dumbbell between your hands under the inner plate, palms facing up.
- Position the weight over your chest with your elbows slightly bent.
- Keep your elbows bent as you lower the dumbbell over your head until your upper arms are in line with your torso.
- To return to the starting position, pull the dumbbell up and over your chest.
Try to avoid raising your hips and maintain a small bend in your elbows throughout the movement.
Dumbbell Pullovers
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
- Lie with your upper back perpendicular on a bench.
- Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor and flex your hips so that your body is in line.
- Grasp a dumbbell between your hands under the inner plate, palms facing up.
- Position the weight over your chest with your elbows slightly bent.
- Keep your elbows bent as you lower the dumbbell over your head until your upper arms are in line with your torso.
- To return to the starting position, pull the dumbbell up and over your chest.
Try to avoid raising your hips and maintain a small bend in your elbows throughout the movement.
Primary muscle group(s):
Abs, Chest, Shoulders, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Biceps, Forearms, Triceps
- With slightly bent knees and a tight core, hold a medicine ball in front of you at hip-level.
- Begin by raising the medicine ball upward above your head with both hands.
- Keeping your elbows bent, forcefully throw the ball at the ground.
- Catch the ball as it bounces back up, and bring it back up above your head.
- Repeat this slam and catch movement.
Medicine Ball Push-Ups
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
- Kneel with feet together and toes tucked under. Bend forward placing your arms on the sides of a medicine ball, bending forward until you are in the plank position with legs straight out behind you.
- Lower your chest towards the ball, keeping the torso rigid and body in line. Lower down until your chest touches the ball, keeping your elbows in and slightly flared outwards.
- Press upwards to the starting plank position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Triceps
Secondary:
Abs, Chest, Shoulders
- Position yourself on all fours on a mat.
- Place your hands in front of you and shoulder-width apart.
- Now bring your hands in towards the center until the tips of your index fingers and tips of your thumbs are touching. This creates a diamond shape between your hands. Your elbows and wrists should be in line with your chest.
- With your fingers facing forwards, lift off your knees so that your body forms a straight line and just your hands and toes touch the floor.
- Keep you pelvis straight and abs engaged and aim to keep a straight back throughout the movement.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the floor, aiming to touch your chest to the top of your hands. Pause briefly.
- Return to the starting position by extending your elbows and lifting your body off the floor again.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
- Get into position by placing your hands flat on the floor, directly below your shoulders.
- Extend your legs out behind you, with only your toes and balls of your feet touching the floor.
- Hold your body up and keep your back straight by tightening your abdominal muscles.
- Your neck and head should be bent slightly back.
- Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows until your chest is just above the ground or you feel a stretching of your chest and shoulders. Hold for a count of one.
- Press upwards from your chest and shoulders, straightening your arms as you return to the starting position. Hold for a count of one.
- Repeat.
Decline Barbell Bench Press
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Triceps
- Set a barbell in a weight rack at the low end of a decline bench, making sure it is at a height you can reach without fully extending your arms.
- Secure your feet under the stirrup, bar or strap at the high end of the bench and lie flat on your back with the rack slightly behind you.
- Using an overhand grip, grip the bar with your hands slightly wider than your shoulder width apart.
- Push up to lift the bar from the rack and hold it directly over you with your arms locked.
- Bend your elbows to slowly lower the barbell until it slightly touches your chest, inhaling as you do so.
- Drive the weight back up by contracting your pec muscles and return to the start position, exhaling as you do so.
- At the top of the movement, lock your arms and squeeze your chest muscles.
If you are new at this exercise, you should use a spotter. If no spotter is available, then be conservative with the amount of weight used. Do not let the bar drift too far forward, it should touch down your lower chest only. Don't bounce the weight off your chest. Keep full control of the barbell at all times. When performing this exercise, use a 2:1:1 count. That is a count of two on the downward movement. Pause for a count of one. A count of one one the upward movement. You can also use dumbbells or exercise bands to perform this exercise.
Single Arm Medicine Ball Push-Ups
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Forearms, Shoulders, Triceps
- In a push-up position, place one hand on top of the medicine ball and other hand on floor, slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
- Keep one arm straight on floor and other arm bent with your hand on the ball. Straighten body and set feet shoulder width apart.
- Lower body until you feel a stretch in your shoulder and / or chest.
- Push body up in a rapid motion.
- Repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
- Get into position by placing your hands flat on the floor, directly below your shoulders.
- Extend your legs out behind you, with only your toes and balls of your feet touching the floor.
- Hold your body up and keep your back straight by tightening your abdominal muscles.
- Your neck and head should be bent slightly back.
- Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows until your chest is just above the ground or you feel a stretching of your chest and shoulders. Hold for a count of one.
- Press upwards from your chest and shoulders, straightening your arms as you return to the starting position. Hold for a count of one.
- Repeat.
Decline Dumbbell Flyes
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest, Triceps
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders
- Place a pair of dumbbells on the floor next to a decline bench. Secure yourself in the bench. Pick up dumbbells and hold them above you with a slight bend in the elbow.
- Keeping the dumbbells in line with your chest, slowly open up your arms to the sides.
- Stop when your upper arms are parallel with the floor.
- Squeeze your chest muscles and slowly return to starting position. Repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Shoulders, Triceps
- Adjust the pulley lever to be below you. Stand in the center of the pulley machine while holding both handles. Brace your abdominals and take a step forward.
- With your chest up, bring the handles up and to the front of your body. The handles will meet at shoulder height.
- Pause to feel the contraction in your chest then slowly lower the handles to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
- Holding a pair of dumbbells, sit on a flat bench and slowly lower yourself back.
- Keep a tight core as you push the dumbbells above your chest. The dumbbells will be facing one another and held together.
- With a slight bend in the elbow, open up your chest and slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides.
- When the dumbbells are parallel with the ground, pause, and return to the starting position.
Decline Bench Dumbbell Press
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Shoulders, Triceps
- Sit on a decline bench and place your feet under the leg brace. Rest a dumbbell on each thigh.
- Grab hold of the dumbbells with an overhand grip and lie back on the bench.
- Position the dumbbells on either side of your chest. Your palms should face outwards and your arms should be bent under each weight.
- Slowly press the dumbbells up from the elbows until your arms are fully extended over your chest.
- Return to the starting position by lowering the dumbbells to either side of your chest again. You should feel a slight stretch in your chest and shoulders.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
- Lie on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
- Start by holding the dumbbells slightly wider than shoulder width apart above your shoulders. Your palms should be facing forward.
- Slowly bend your elbows until they are at a 90 degree angle and your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
- Push the weights up by straightening your arms.
- As you push the weights up, move your arms in an arc to bring the dumbbells together, until they meet over the center of your chest. Hold for a count of one.
- Lower the dumbbells by slowly bending your elbows back to 90 degrees.
- Continue lowering your arms until they are a little lower than parallel to the floor. (Your elbows should be pointing slightly towards the floor and you should feel a stretch in your chest muscles and shoulders.)
- Repeat
Be sure to concentrate on a balanced movement when lifting the dumbbells. Use both arms equally spaced and moving at the same speed.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
- Set up a bench or stable elevated surface. Begin with both hands on the bench at shoulder-width or just outside of shoulder-width.
- Place your feet straight behind you while you tighten your abs and engage the hips. Your hips should not dip or elevate too high during the movement.
- Slowly lower yourself towards the bench. Once your upper arms are parallel with the floor, pause, and return to the starting position.
Workout done!
Exercises done
of 7
Total time
Access 1000+ more workouts, build your own plans and track progress with Fit
Start my free week
Free 7-day trial • No charge today
We're not done yet!
Exercises done
of 7
Approx. time left
32:15
You can switch gender of illustrations here
Got it
Swap that with...
What's new
Recently added
- Copy calendar contents between clients (Jan 19)
- Disable messaging for individual clients (Jan 19)
- Sort your client list in a few practical ways (Jan 19)
- Message multiple or all of your clients at once (Jan 17)
- 10 new exercises (Jan 10)
- Sidebar 'notepads' for privates notes (Dec 23)
- Supersetting functionality (Nov 22)
- 15 new exercises (Nov 12)
- Clients can now move workouts (Nov 7)
- 15 new exercises (Oct 10)
- 9 new exercises (Sep 14)
- 10 new exercises (Aug 30)
- Share workouts on Instagram and browser notifications (Aug 29)
Coming soon
- Your branding in client email notifications
- Share workouts on Pinterest
- Tools and resources to help you find new clients
Get more updates on Twitter
Uh oh! 5 workouts in your calendar will be permanently overwritten. Proceed?
The 5 mile run at the park with Mary custom activity will be deleted. Proceed?
Permanently delete ALL FUTURE WORKOUTS and activities in your calendar? This cannot be undone.
You've used your
5 free workouts limit. Start a free 7-day Fit trial to keep training, save workouts and build your own plans 👍
5 free workouts limit. Start a free 7-day Fit trial to keep training, save workouts and build your own plans 👍
Free 7-day trial • No charge today
Committed? Upgrade to yearly and save 25%!
Our yearly subscription is only $89.95 – $29.45 less than paying monthly*. That’s only $7.49/mo!
*$9.95/mo x 12 months = $119.40
OMG YES! Switch to yearly
, join thousands of users worldwide!
★★
★★
★★
★★
★★
4.5 user rating
Enjoy hundreds of workouts
or edit and create your own
Follow simple illustrations
with videos and written instructions
Manage your calendar
to get fit on your schedule
I'm committed 💪
$89.95
per
year
year
Comes to $7.50/mo
Save 25%
Best value &
popular option
popular option
One step at a time
$9.95
per
month
month
billed monthly
Where should we send
the workout link? 📲
the workout link? 📲
We’ll never call or send spam, and your number will
remain private. 🔒 or view the workout here
remain private. 🔒 or view the workout here
We’ll never call or send spam, and your
number will remain private. 🔒
number will remain private. 🔒
Delete forever?
Yep, toss it!