While it’s true that most lifters display better development in the lower portion of the chest than the upper, there are some that do have trouble creating a well-delineated, massively thick lower pec line. And even though this scenario applies to the minority of pectoral-pumping, chest-chasing individuals found toiling away in gyms all over the globe, it’s still an issue worth addressing.
So, let’s dive right in and take a look at the five best (in no particular order) exercises for maximizing development of the lower chest.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
The Barbell Bench Press
Without a doubt, this is the king of all lower pec builders, and is likely a part of nearly everyone’s weekly chest routine. It was the cornerstone movement for such legends as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu, and many more. Done correctly, the bench press will add slabs of mass to not only the lower chest, but also the pectorals in their entirety.
Tips: Make sure your torso is in the correct position throughout every rep of each set. Begin by planting your feet firmly on the floor. Put a slight arch in the lower back and raise the ribcage up high. Shrug the shoulders down and back into the bench. Lower the bar with control to about the level of your nipples.
While not as popular as flat or incline presses for chest on a Smith machine, this is an excellent movement for targeting the lower portion of the chest. Because the bar moves in a fixed plane, you can focus all of your intention on stretching and contracting the pecs, rather than on balance and stabilization of the bar.
Tips: By utilizing a flat bench and manually declining it with the use of weight plates, aerobic steps, or various boxes, one can vary the pressing angle from set to set (or workout to workout), in order to recruit different sets of muscle fibers.
This exercise is highly underrated as a lower pec builder, but in my opinion, it’s just as effective as the berbell bench press. Heavy dips were a major part of my early chest-training programs, allowing me to eventually get to a point where I could do 10 perfect reps with a 180-pound dumbbell hanging from my waist.
Tips: In order to maximally engage the pectorals while performing dips, you should lean the torso forward at a 45-degree angle (and keep it there) during both the eccentric and concentric portions of each rep. Additionally, make sure to lower your torso far enough to feel a stretch through the pecs, but don’t completely lock out at the top.
Flye movements are essential for helping to build the chest, and nothing will emphasize the lower pec line as much as the decline version. The stretch that can be achieved during a flye motion is far greater than one can get while pressing, which in and of itself means that some form of flye should always be utilized when pursuing pecs.
Tips: As mentioned above with the barbell bench press, make sure to set the torso correctly before beginning the movement. Keep a slight bend in the elbows, and make sure to get a deep stretch through the pecs on every rep. Vary the angle of decline to activate more motor unit pools.
Alternative: Decline Cable Flye (Note: The cable version allows for a peak contraction at the top of each rep).
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Dustin Snipes / M+F Magazine
Cable Crossover (From Upper Pulley)
Many lifters consider this a shaping movement and not a real muscle builder, but in all honestly, this distinction does not exist. Any exercise can and will build muscle when performed with enough resistance, focus and intensity. Cable crossovers are excellent for targeting the lower area of the pectorals because of the plane of motion in which they move through. Additionally, they allow for a powerful stretch at the top and a solid peak contraction at the bottom, each of which can help ignite growth.
Tips: Bend at the waist about 30 degrees and make certain your ribcage is pushed outward while the shoulders remain down. Always achieve a full stretch at the top before slowly, but forcefully, squeezing the cables together at the bottom (directly in front of the belly button). Hold the contraction for one to two seconds while focusing on flexing the lower pecs hard.
