Best chest exercises with a barbell

Exercises where chest is a main mover and that need a barbell, EZ bar or trap bar, plus a bench at most. Best muscle growth rating first, with more weight on ratings several sources agree on. The full chest ranking covers every kind of equipment.

  1. 1Barbell bench press, start positionBarbell bench pressHorizontal pushBarbellVery good; among the better picks for the muscle. Also works front delts and triceps.
    Growth
    3.6 11 sources
    Injury risk
    2.6 5 sources
  2. 2Cambered bar bench press, start positionCambered bar bench pressHorizontal pushBarbellVery good; among the better picks for the muscle. Peak tension at a deep stretch. Also works front delts and triceps.
    Growth
    4.0 2 sources
  3. 3Wide-grip guillotine bench press, start positionWide-grip guillotine bench pressHorizontal pushBarbellVery good; among the better picks for the muscle. Also works front delts and triceps.
    Growth
    4.0 2 sources
    Injury risk
    4.5 2 sources
  4. 4Low incline cambered bar bench press, start positionLow incline cambered bar bench pressHorizontal pushBarbellVery good; among the better picks for the muscle. Peak tension at a deep stretch. Also works front delts and triceps.
    Growth
    4.0 1 source
  5. 5Barbell incline bench press, start positionBarbell incline bench pressHorizontal pushBarbellSolid; a reasonable default. Also works front delts and triceps.
    Growth
    3.2 5 sources
  6. 6Barbell decline bench press, start positionBarbell decline bench pressHorizontal pushBarbellSolid; a reasonable default. Also works front delts and triceps.
    Growth
    3.0 2 sources
  7. 7Wide-grip barbell bench pressHorizontal pushBarbellSolid; a reasonable default. Also works front delts and triceps.
    Growth
    3.0 1 source
  8. 8Feet-up barbell bench press, start positionFeet-up barbell bench pressHorizontal pushBarbellBelow average; better options exist for every goal. Also works front delts and triceps.
    Growth
    2.0 1 source
  9. 9Floor press, start positionFloor pressHorizontal pushBarbellBelow average; better options exist for every goal. Also works triceps and front delts.
    Growth
    1.7 3 sources

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