8 Best Lower Chest Exercises for Bigger, Bolder Pecs

Summary 

1. Chest Dips: Working your upper, central, and lower chest, dips give you rounded pecs.
2. Seated Machine Fly: This exercise builds muscle and strength by targeting lower pecs and upper pecs simultaneously.
3. Cable Crossover: This exercise is perfect for a thorough push-day, working your chest, shoulders, core, and arms.
4. Decline Dumbbell Press: Decline dumbbell press are a lower pec burner.
5. Dumbbell Pull-Overs: While this exercise targets your chest and lats both, correct form will help you build your pecs.
6. Decline Bench Press: Positioned at 15°-30° angle, this exercise works your lower chest to give you ripped pecs.
7. Seated Chest Press: This exercise works your lower pecs, front delts, and triceps.
8. Decline Dumbbell Fly: With a declined angle, the movement exerts the full load of dumbbells onto your lower pecs.

If you can’t access the gym, then you can go for at-home chest exercises to do.

How To Workout Lower Chest – A Chest Day Cheat Sheet for the Gym

If we’re being honest, who doesn’t like big, buffy, rounded pecs? From making you look like superman to improving your posture, a strong chest is at the core of a well-earned physique. In fact, it gives you the strength to carry out your daily activities.

Any activity that involves lifting, pushing, squeezing, pulling, or holding – strong pecs to the rescue! And a strong, well-built chest gives you a sturdy posture that exudes confidence.

Understanding the Anatomy of Your Chest

Before you gobble down your pre-workout or lift those weights, it’s important to understand the anatomy of your chest. This will nurture your mind-muscle connection to improve your chest muscle engagement.

Your chest is construed of one major muscle group – pectoralis major or pecs. The pecs are like the dumbbell rack in your gym. The clavicular head is like the upper rack – connected to your collarbone.

The sternal head is like the lower rack – it is the bulkier part of the chest. And this makes working your lower chest even more important!

Choosing the Right Workout Clothes for Your Chest Days

If you’re not comfortable during your workout, it just won’t go as well as you want. This is why it’s important to choose the right type of gym wear when hitting chest.

Make sure your workout clothes are:

• Comfortable
• Supportive
• Breathable
• Easy to move in

Some options for chest days include:

• Tanks
• Stringers
• Performance or compression tees
• Oversized tees

With the workout clothes covered, it’s time to start building those pecs. So, if you’re ready to be the envy of every eye, then here’s a complete chest day cheat sheet for you with our top picks!

Best Lower Chest Workout

Chest Dips

• Targeted Muscles: major and minor pecs, front delts, triceps, traps, upper back, and lats.
• Sets: 3.
• Reps: 6 to 10 reps as warmup, 15 to 30 reps as a finisher.
• Rest: 2-2.5 minutes.

How to Perform Chest Dips?

• Use dip bars or parallel bars.
• Hold the handles shoulder-width apart.
• Extend your arms and shoulders while lifting yourself up slightly.
• Cross your feet for stability and activate your shoulder blades.
• Lean your torso forward for chest engagement.
• Push up until arms are fully extended.
• Lower your torso with elbows close to your body.
• Keep spine neutral to avoid rounding upper back.
• Maintain control to avoid momentum.
• Aim for 90° elbow angle or full pec stretch.
• Drive hands into the handles while retracting your shoulders.
• Complete 6-10 reps with added weight.
• Finisher: 15-30 bodyweight reps or to failure.

Source: Men's Health

Seated Machine Fly

• Targeted Muscles: lower pecs, front delts, and triceps.
• Sets: 3.
• Reps: 10 to 12 reps.
• Rest: 45-60 seconds.

How to Perform a Seated Machine Fly?

• Adjust the machine height for arms and shoulder pads alignment.
• Begin with lighter weight if you’re a beginner.
• Maintain a 57° elbow angle to engage your chest.
• Grab handles one at a time with a loose grip.
• Sit with your hips and shoulder blades grounded, chest forward, and head against headrest.
• Keep position stable and reel handles to chest.
• Squeeze your pecs, as if about to punch one another each other.
• Imagine hugging a tree with your arms embracing the trunk.
• Avoid over-stretching arms to prevent injury.
• Keep shoulders stable to prevent flinging.
• Maintain chest engagement, pull handles in, and extend arms back up.
• Complete 10-12 reps per set.

Source: Cheat Dumper

Cable Crossovers

• Targeted Muscles: lower pecs, front delts, triceps, and core.
• Sets: 3.
• Reps: 10 to 12 reps.
• Rest: 45-60 seconds.

How to Perform Cable Crossovers?

• Set cable high and use weights you’re comfortable with.
• Beginners start light while advanced can lift heavier.
• Stand in the centre and pull the cables down.
• Lean slightly forward for a staggered stance.
• Align cable with arms, parallel to lower pec line.
• Arms < 90° from body for range of movement.
• While releasing arms, contract upper back for stability.
• Bend elbows slightly when stretching arms.
• Drive arms downward and ahead.
• Avoid arm flinging or excessive pushing.
• Create butterfly wing motion and squeeze your chest.
• Imagine holding a pencil between pecs.
• Repeat 10-12 reps per set.

Source: Greatist

Decline Dumbbell Press

• Targeted Muscles: lower pecs, mid pecs, front delts, and triceps.
• Sets: 3.
• Reps: 10 to 12 reps.
• Rest: 45-60 seconds.

How to Perform Decline Dumbbell Press for Lower Chests?

• Adjust bench to 15° angle with your feet under the hook.
• Place dumbbells on thighs and arch your back.
• Roll shoulder blades into the bench.
• Lift weights with your arms fully extended.
• Keep dumbbells perpendicular, in line with your shoulder.
• Lower the weights in a slight curve to target lower chest.
• Avoid dropping below the shoulder plane.
• Tuck elbows for maximum tension in your pecs.
• Extend your arms without hyperextending back.
• Repeat 10-12 reps per set.

Credits: MakeAGIF

Dumbbell Pull-Overs

• Targeted Muscles: lower pecs, mid pecs, lats, front delts, and triceps.
• Sets: 3.
• Reps: 10 to 12 reps.
• Rest: 45-60 seconds.

How to Perform Dumbbell Pull-Overs?

• Extend your elbows and keep them tight for chest engagement.
• Choose a flat bench.
• Lie down with a slight arch in your back.
• Push shoulder blades into the bench for stability.
• Grab dumbbells with thumbs underneath.
• Extend your arms as the weight pushes you down.
• Push weight back up, with press on the outer hand to prevent elbow bend.
• Puff chest out and move your arms vertically above upper abs.
• Squeeze your pecs during the movement.
• Repeat for 10-12 reps per set.

Source: Very Well Fit

Decline Bench Press

• Targeted Muscles: lower pecs, mid pecs, front delts, and triceps.
• Sets: 3.
• Reps: 10 to 12 reps.
• Rest: 45-60 seconds.

How to Perform Decline Bench Press?

• Adjust the bench to 15° angle.
• Place your feet under the hook to keep them grounded.
• Arch your back slightly with hips on bench.
• Grab the barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart.
• Lift the barbell and bring it down to lower chest.
• Curve bar slightly when bringing it downward.
• Push back while squeezing your pecs.
• Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Source: Men's Health

Seated Chest Press

• Targeted Muscles: lower pecs, mid pecs, front delts, and triceps.
• Sets: 3.
• Reps: 10 to 12 reps.
• Rest: 45-60 seconds.

How to Perform Seated Chest Press?

• Adjust seat height to chest level.
• Set machine upward to target lower pecs.
• Sit with your feet at 90° angle.
• Press head into headrest to maintain a neutral spine.
• Roll your shoulder blades into the seat for back arch.
• Keep your wrists straight to avoid injury.
• Tuck your elbows slightly inward at 30-35° angle.
• Hold the bar from the outside and push with your chest.
• Squeeze your pecs to engage muscles.
• Let your chest stretch when lowering the bar and push after a 2 second pause.
• Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Source: DMoose

Decline Dumbbell Fly

• Targeted Muscles: lower pecs, front delts, and triceps.
• Sets: 3.
• Reps: 10 to 12 reps.
• Rest: 45-60 seconds.

How to Perform a Decline Dumbbell Fly?

• Adjust the bench to 15° angle.
• Place your feet under the hook for stability.
• Extend your arms horizontally with a slight elbow bend.
• Push with your chest to start.
• Squeeze your elbows as arms meet.
• Extend your arms over your chest to keep tension in your pecs.
• Lower your arms, letting your elbows bend.
• Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Source: nanbf

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Why Lower Chest Muscles are Important?

If you want to build a solid chest with well-rounded pecs, then you need to focus on your lower chest. Most men overlook their lower chest muscles while only focusing on building their upper and mid chest areas. The problem is – this routine won’t give your dream pecs!

Two reasons why lower chest muscles are super important are:

Aesthetics

A strong and sculpted lower chest adds bulk to your overall chest, giving you the bodybuilder aesthetics, you want.

Function

Lower chest muscles play a vital role in your daily activities involving lifting, pushing, and moving.

5 Benefits of Training Your Lower Chest

Some of the key benefits of training your lower chest include:

1. Improved breathing.
2. Better range of motion in the shoulder and arms area.
3. Strength building that helps you with pushing, carrying, and lifting.
4. Giving you an overall chiseled and toned appearance.
5. A steady posture that not only radiates confidence but also prevents back pains in the longer run.

Important Tips & Techniques 

Activate Your Pecs with The Right Angle

When working your lower chest, make sure you find the angle that targets your lower pecs. This is crucial to get the full scale of movement in the muscle you are working.

To find the right angle, opt for:

• Lift light weights to begin with
• Decline movements with the bench between 15° to 30 ° angle
• Maintain arch in your back with shoulders and hips into the bench or seat
• Keep your elbows tucked in during workout with a 45° angle between upper arms and torso

Warmup With Secondary Muscles First

Here is the thing – when you are doing lower pec exercises, your secondary muscles like shoulders and triceps get activated as well. During your lifts, they are likely to fail first. As a result, you will not be able to get the most out of your chest.

To avoid working your supplemental muscles, start by warming them up first. You can do this with:

• Rope triceps push-downs
• Triceps overheads
• Side lateral raises with cables or dumbbells
• Front raises

Key Takeaways 

Building your lower pecs is a lot of grunt work. It takes consistency, discipline, and a lot of training. But without them, your chest will not be buffed up like a superhero’s.

To build a strong chest, you need to work your upper, mid and lower chest – all three in isolation. So, make sure you give each muscle group the training it deserves.