What Machine Strengthens Your Chest?

The pectoralis major, or pecs for short, is your main chest muscle. Responsible for drawing your arm inward and downward across your body, the pecs are one of those muscles that you can see whether you are wearing clothes or not. A deep, broad chest is the height of manliness and also important for sports like boxing, baseball and football, as punching and throwing movements all strongly involve your pecs. There are a number of machines you can use to strengthen your chest muscles.

  1. Chest Press Machine

    • Bench presses are one of the best chest strengthening exercises but they are not without drawbacks. If you are lifting heavy weights you need to work out with a spotter so if you are unable to complete a rep, he can provide assistance so you don't get stuck under the bar. There are no such worries with a chest press machine. Once the machine is set up properly, you can feel safe in the knowledge that you are free to work to your limit without having to worry about getting pinned by the bar.

    Pec Deck

    • The pec deck, also known as the butterfly machine, is an isolation exercise targeting your pectoralis major muscles. Isolation exercises involve movement at a single joint, whereas exercises such as pushups and chest presses involve multiple joints and are categorized as compound exercises. Pec decks allow you focus your efforts on your pecs without too much involvement from your arms. Peck deck designs differ from one manufacturer to the next and where some models use elbow pads, others have fixed handles on which you push to raise the weights.

    Cable Crossovers

    • There are a number of exercises you can perform using an adjustable cable machine but arguably, the most common is the cable crossover, which is also known as the cable fly. You can move your arms in one of three directions when performing this exercise -- from high to low, horizontally and from low to high. These variations emphasize your lower, middle and upper pecs, respectively. Try to ensure the majority of the movement comes from your shoulders and not from your elbows when performing variations of the cable crossover. That way, your pecs will do most of the work.

    Smith Machine Bench Press

    • You can use a Smith machine to replicate incline, flat or decline barbell bench presses to target your upper, middle or lower pecs, respectively. Twin vertical rods guide the bar so it only moves vertically and to prevent injury, the lowest point the bar can descend to can be limited by using a safety catch. Because of the guided movement, you are free to focus working your pecs as hard as you can and without the need for spotters or the worry of getting pinned by a heavy bar.