Adding lower chest exercises to your workout routine is a cherry on top for your overall physique, creating a defined and rounded appearance in the upper body aesthetics. Beyond this, targeting your lower pectoral muscles improves muscle imbalances that cause injuries and incorrect posture during exercise. Training your lower chest is also important as it supports arm movement, overall shoulder mobility, and stability, and helps with breathing.
In this article, we will identify the pectoral muscles active during lower chest exercises and explore the perfect workout program based on your goals.
Anatomy of the Lower Chest
To distinguish which exercises best fit your physique goals, it is essential to understand the anatomy of the muscles that you want to train. There are four main parts of the chest:
- Pectoralis major, the largest muscle that makes up the majority of the lower chest muscle
- Pectoralis minor, found underneath the pectoralis major, a thinner, triangular-shaped muscle that stretches horizontally across the ribs
- Serratus anterior, which is the muscle that extends from the lower shoulder to the ribs and is also called the “boxer muscle,” and finally,
- Subclavicus, a small muscle that allows you to raise your clavicle when taking a deep breath
| Know your pectoral muscles.
If you want to specifically improve the shape, definition, and strength of your lower chest, choose exercises that target your pectoralis major, which are mostly movements with a downward pressing motion or stretching its lower fibers.
What Are the Best Lower Chest Exercises?
For lower chest exercises, you can choose to train using either your body weight or equipment such as dumbbells, barbells, a cable machine, etc. Below are some of the best exercises you can incorporate into your chest workout routine; in later articles, we’ll deep-dive into each of them and discuss how they work to improve the condition of your pecs:
- Decline Bench Press: a compound exercise using a barbell or dumbbells is ideal for activating your pectoral muscles
- Dip Plus: a leaned forward, descending movement that increases your lower pec engagement
- Decline Dumbbell Flys: a stretching and contracting-focused exercise that maximizes muscle activation
- Cable Chest Press: this exercise isolates the lower chest with constant tension
- Push-ups (elevated or weighted): a great exercise to sculpt your lower pecs
- High Pulley Crossover or High Cable Fly: performed with a cable machine with adjustable pulleys to help isolate and define the lower chest
Make sure to practice proper form to achieve optimal results and prevent injury during any strength training programs. Now let’s go over the ideal workout split that you can incorporate into your routine.
Workout Split: Structuring a Lower Chest Routine
In building muscle mass, you would want to perform the exercises mentioned above for 2-3 sets with 8-12 reps, gradually increasing the weights, sets, or reps as you progress to continuously challenge your muscles to grow. Again, keep in mind that proper form is more important than loading heavier weights; only bring up a notch when you feel comfortable enough to do so.
Also, allocate a recovery period for your muscles to rest, so the ideal split for your lower chest routine would be to train 2-3 times a week. First, start by adding a few lower chest exercises to an existing workout plan, then gradually progress through a full-length lower chest routine to continue building on strength and definition.
Let’s Get Moving
Training your lower chest muscles doesn’t only promise you better upper body aesthetics, but it also brings about other benefits such as improved arm movement, helps with breathing, and increased strength and mobility. If you are committed to your fitness journey and want to see results for yourself, reach out to us and let us walk you through your workout routine. Alternatively, you can also check out our programs that can help you with conditioning and strength training!
FAQs
1. How often should I train my lower chest?
You should aim to train your lower chest 2-3 times per week, allowing adequate recovery time for muscle growth and strength development.
2. Can I develop my lower chest without using weights?
Yes! Bodyweight exercises like dips, push-ups, and decline push-ups can effectively build lower chest strength and definition.
3. Is the decline bench press necessary for lower chest development?
While the decline bench press is effective, it is not the only option. Dips, cable exercises, and push-ups also effectively target the lower chest.
4. What is the best rep range for lower chest growth?
For muscle growth, perform 8–12 reps per set. For strength, use 4-6 reps with heavier weight. For endurance, aim for 12–15 reps with moderate weight.
5. Why is my lower chest lagging in development?
Your lower chest may lag due to a lack of targeted exercises, improper form, or insufficient training frequency. Ensure you include a variety of lower chest exercises and progressively overload your muscles for growth.