Ultimate Chest and Shoulder Workout

Chest and shoulders are the peanut butter and jelly of push training. Each move complements the other: chest work drives pressing strength while your delts stabilize and assist; shoulder work strengthens the joint so you can press more, safer.

Train them together and you’ll build a fuller chest, rounder “boulder” delts, and a stronger, more resilient upper body—in less total gym time.

In this guide you’ll get:

Two proven chest & shoulders workouts (A and B) you can run weekly
Programming tips for strength and hypertrophy
Anatomy 101 so you know what you’re training and why
A curated list of the best exercises with clear form cues

chest and shoulders

THE BEST CHEST AND SHOULDER WORKOUT ROUTINE

How to use these: Perform Workout A early in the week and Workout B 48–72 hours later. Big strength lifts come first, then higher-rep hypertrophy and isolation.

Chest & Shoulders Workout A (Strength First):

Barbell Bench Press — 4–5 sets × 5–8 reps (rest 3 min)
Barbell Overhead Press — 3–4 × 6–8 (rest 3 min)
Incline Bench Press (30°) — 3–4 × 8–12 (rest 2 min)
Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly — 3–4 × 8–12 (rest 2 min)
Chest Dips (forward lean) — 3–4 × 8–12 (rest 2 min)
Lateral Raise — 3–4 × 10–12 (rest 2 min)
Close-Grip Push-Up — 3–4 × 8–12 (rest 2 min)

Chest & Shoulders Workout B (Power and Hypertrophy):

Single-Arm DB Bench Press — 4–5 × 5–8 (rest 3 min)
Clap Push-Up (plyo) — 3–4 × 5–8 (rest 3 min)
Arnold Press — 3–4 × 6–8 (rest 3 min)
DB Chest Fly — 3–4 × 10–12 (rest 2 min)
Upright Barbell Row — 3–4 × 8–10 (rest 2 min)
Bent-Over Cable Crossover — 3–4 × 8–12 (rest 2 min)
Rear Delt Machine Fly — 3–4 × 10–12 (rest 2 min)

Coach’s note: Bench/press first while you’re fresh. Rear-delt and lateral work later keeps shoulders healthy and rounds out your look.

Programming Tips (Strength, Size, & Safety)

Weekly volume: Aim for 10–20 hard sets per muscle group (chest, delts). Newer lifters: ~10–14; advanced: ~16–20.
Rep targets:
- 5–8 reps = primary strength (heavy, long rests)
- 8–12 reps = hypertrophy (controlled tempo)
- 12+ reps = metabolic/pump work (shorter rests)
Progressive overload: Each week, add a rep, a set (up to ~5 per exercise), or small weight. When you hit the top of a rep range across sets with solid form, increase load.
Frequency & blocks: Run the plan 8–12 weeks. If you stall (no progress in load/reps for ~2–3 weeks), deload or switch primary variations.
Form > ego: Stable scapulae, full ROM you can control, and consistent tempo win long-term.

How to Pair This With the Rest of Your Week

Balanced split (3–4 days):
- Day 1: Chest & Shoulders
- Day 2: Legs
- Day 3: Back & Biceps
- Optional Day 4: Conditioning or accessories
Push-focused phase: Run Chest & Shoulders twice weekly, with Legs and Back & Biceps once each if your current goal is upper-body size.
Even growth (6-day split): Train each routine twice per week with smart volume management.

Quick Anatomy: What You’re Actually Training

Chest (pecs):

Pectoralis major (clavicular/upper & sternocostal/lower fibers): pressing, adduction, horizontal flexion.
Pectoralis minor: assists scapular movement; engages more with close-grip pressing and dips.
Serratus anterior & subclavius: stabilize the shoulder girdle so presses stay powerful and pain-free.

Shoulders (delts):

Anterior (front): heavily involved in pressing.
Lateral (side): shoulder abduction; key for width.
Posterior (rear): horizontal abduction & external rotation; critical for posture and shoulder health.

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BEST EXERCISES FOR A CHEST AND SHOULDER WORKOUT

As you can see, the chest and shoulders are a perfect upper body muscle mass match. The exercises we’re about to discuss are in one of two chest and shoulder workouts we've created for you.

The best exercises for a chest and shoulder workout are:

Barbell Bench Press
Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
Incline Bench Press
Dumbbell Chest Fly
Chest Dips
Bent-Forward Cable Crossovers
Clap Push Up
Close Grip Push Up
Arnold Press
Barbell Overhead Press
Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly
Rear Delt Fly Machine
Lateral Shoulder Raises
Upright Barbell Row

We've separated the chest and shoulder exercises so you can better understand the best moves for each.

8 Best Chest Exercises

Let's start with learning how to perform the best chest exercises.

1. Barbell Bench Press:

Both your pectoralis major and minor are activated in the barbell bench press, making it a must for chest and shoulder days. It also activates the anterior deltoids, enabling you to target one of the shoulder heads - no additional exercise required. When it comes to pushing exercises, the bench press is king.

Keep in mind: Whenever you use a flat bench for chest exercises, it targets the lower pectoralis muscles more so than the upper. For a well-rounded strengthening program, targeting the upper head (more on this in a few exercises!) is also important.

How to do the barbell bench press:

Lying flat on a bench, grasp the barbell with an overhand grip. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width. Keep your arms straight, and your shoulder blades retracted.
Bending your elbows, slowly lower the bar to your chest until your hands are above your elbows.
Push the barbell upward in a straight line by straightening your arms.

2. Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press:

The pectoralis major and minor, and to some extent, the anterior deltoid, are all activated in the single-arm dumbbell bench press. And as a unilateral movement, it checks some additional workout boxes, including improving your shoulder stability, identifying and correcting chest or shoulder imbalances on either side of your body, and providing you with a greater range of motion than the barbell bench press.

How to do a single-arm dumbbell bench press:

Lying down on a bench, grasp your dumbbells with a neutral grip, keeping your arms extended and the dumbbells in line with your shoulders.
Retracting your shoulder blades, keep your left dumbbell raised overhead while slowly bending your right elbow, lowering your right dumbbell down to your shoulder.
Straightening your arm, slowly push your dumbbell overhead until your arm is straight.
Lower back down on the same side; don’t switch to your left until your reps are complete on your right side.

3. Incline Bench Press:

The upper head of the pectoralis major puts in most of the work on an incline bench, which you should set to 30 degrees. If you have an incline much higher than this, you will take the work out of your chest and put it on your front shoulders instead¹.

Don’t worry: Even with the incline bench at 30 degrees, your anterior deltoids are still working.

How to the incline bench press:

Lying back on an inclined bench, grasp the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width with your palms upward.
Lifting the bar off the rack, fully extend your arms until the bar is overhead and your hands are above your shoulders.
Bending your elbows, slowly lower the bar to your chest.
Straighten your arms to press the barbell back up.

4. Dumbbell Chest Fly:

Arguably one of the best exercises for creating a well-defined chest, the dumbbell chest fly primarily targets the pectoralis major and the anterior deltoids. And similar to the bench press, switching to an incline tweaks the muscles working.

When you perform this move on a flat bench, the lower head works hardest, while an incline bench targets the upper head. In addition, while dumbbells are great for increasing your range of motion and forcing your muscles to work harder to stabilize, you can also use the chest fly machine instead.

Since it provides more stability, you can use a higher weight. Both variations have their benefits.

How to do a chest fly:

Lying with your back on a bench and your feet flat on the floor, start with your arms extended out to each side with your palms grasping dumbbells and facing upward.
With your elbows slightly bent, extend your arms and dumbbells above your head in an arc motion. Have your palms and dumbbells face each other, meeting above your chest with your arms fully extended above you.
Lower your dumbbells to your sides in an arc. Stop your descent when the dumbbells are in a straight line with your chest, extended to each side.
Begin pressing the dumbbells upward again.

5. Chest dips:

Ideally, use a dip station at your gym for to perform dips. It targets both heads of the pectoralis major, but more so the lower portion, the pectoralis minor, and your anterior deltoids.

Lean forward when performing this movement to target your chest. Keeping your body upright causes your triceps to do more work - not what we want on chest and shoulder day!

How to do a chest dip:

At your dip station, position your hands on the parallel bars with a neutral grip.
Bending your elbows, lean forward and slowly lower your body until your forearms are parallel to the ground and your shoulders are below your elbows.
Straighten your elbows, pushing through your palms, to drive your body upward to the starting position.

6. Bent-Forward Cable Crossovers:

Another isolation exercise for targeting the pectoralis major and minor, bent-forward cable crossovers is an isolation move that creates an ultra-defined chest.

Pro tip: Slightly crossing your hands in front of you will further engage your chest muscles. In addition, you can switch up the angle of your upper body to specifically target the upper, middle, or lower chest.

How to do bent-forward cable crossovers:

Set your pulleys on the cable machine to slightly higher than your chest. Grab the handles of each pulley with your palms down, and step two feet in front of the pulleys.
Bend forward. Retract your shoulder blades to push your chest out, and stagger your feet one in front of the other. Keep your back straight.
Pull the pulley handles down, with your elbows and shoulders in line.
With a slight elbow bend, pull down on the pulley handles, across your body. Your hands should be extended downward in front of you, crossing over each other.
Reverse the movement to return to start.

7. Clap Push-Up:

The standard push-up does an excellent job of hitting the entire chest, and in the beginning stages of your fitness journey, you may want to start with a classic push-up and work your way up to this move.

The clap push-up also does a great job of hitting the pectoralis major and minor (and of course, those front deltoids), but it takes it up another notch by adding a plyometric element into the mix.

The plyo targets your fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are larger and more powerful. When you force your fast-twitch muscle fibers to contract, more muscle fibers become engaged in the movement, resulting in more power in your chest and more muscle growth. There are endless push-up variations that target the chest, so don't be afraid to mix it up with other options as well.

How to do the clap push-up:

Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart. Your feet should be slightly closer than shoulder width.
Slowly lower to the ground by bending your elbows, keeping your elbows tucked in by your sides.
When you’re just above the ground, push off from your hands explosively. Push powerfully enough to lift them off the ground, and quickly clap your hands together before landing.
Land back in the starting plank position, bending your arms slightly when landing.

8. Close-grip Push-Up:

When it comes to the close-grip, or diamond, push-up, your first thought may be triceps. But this variation also does an excellent job of targeting the pectoralis minor, a feat many exercises cannot achieve.

If that's not enough to convince you, this may: Research shows that the close-grip push-up activates your pectoralis major more than standard or wide-grip push-ups². That’s reason enough to include it in your chest and shoulder day!

How to do the close-grip push-up:

Form a diamond shape with your hands by placing your index fingers and thumbs so they touch.
Assume the plank position, and lower down to the ground.
Straighten your elbows to raise your body upward, back to the starting position.

6 Best Shoulder Exercises

Time to learn how to perform each of the best shoulder exercises to include in your program.

1. Arnold Press:

You’ll be hard-pressed (no pun intended) to find a shoulder move as effective as this one. The Arnold press hits all three shoulder heads, ensuring no part of the shoulder is left behind.

This exercise is included in almost all of our programs, including our Ultimate Shoulders And Arms Workout!

How to do the Arnold press:

Grab your dumbbells, and begin with your elbows bent with your palms facing your shoulders.
Straighten your elbows to drive your dumbbells upward while simultaneously rotating your arms to face your palms away from you.
With your arms fully straightened and palms outward, bend your elbows, rotating your palms back to face you as you lower your dumbbells back to shoulder height. With each rep, try to ensure your right arm and left arm are moving in sync with each other.

2. Barbell Overhead Press:

Another excellent shoulder exercise for strengthening the anterior, lateral, and posterior shoulder heads, the efficiency of this move prevents you from including too many shoulder exercises into your weight-lifting routine. The only thing we love more than an efficient gym regimen is massive shoulders.

If you are in the beginning stages of your workout journey or are unfamiliar with the overhead press, we recommend beginning with the seated dumbbell shoulder press. The seated position and the dumbbells create more stability and control as you familiarize yourself with them. You can then progress to the barbell.

How to do the barbell overhead press:

While standing with your legs straight, hold the barbell on your upper chest with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, and your palms upward.
Straighten your arms to press the bar above your head, keeping your trunk and hips still throughout the movement.
Slowly lower the barbell back down to your upper chest.

3. Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly:

As you can see from our chest exercises above, the front deltoids unintentionally get a lot of love. Unfortunately, the rear delts aren’t as lucky, so targeting them is crucial for achieving a rounded and defined shoulder.

A good strategy for isolating your posterior deltoids is avoiding overly heavy weights. Too much weight forces other muscles to step in to help, defeating this exercise's intended purpose.

How to do dumbbell rear delt flyes:

Standing with a dumbbell in each hand, place your feet shoulder-width apart.
With your knees slightly bent, push your hips back and lean your torso forward.
Start with your weights hanging down toward the floor, palms facing each other, with a slight elbow bend.
Lift your dumbbells to your sides until they line up with your shoulders. Make sure to avoid raising your shoulders.
Slowly lower your dumbbells back to the starting position.

4. Rear Delt Fly Machine:

We like a mix of dumbbells and machines in our workouts as they both have advantages. Compared to the dumbbell version, the fly machine provides more stability, enabling you to use more weight than the dumbbell variation. It's one of the best isolation exercises for your rear deltoids.

The machine version also requires less control than dumbbells, meaning you can still do them just as effectively toward the end of your workout when you’re tired. Pay attention to your hand position as it can make or break your rear delt activation.

Research shows that using a neutral grip with your palms facing each other increases your posterior shoulder activation compared to a pronated grip³.

How to do the rear delt fly machine:

Sit facing the rear delt machine. Place your chest against the chest pad, and keep your back straight. Grab the handles in a neutral position with your palms facing each other; keep a slight bend in your elbows.
Bring the handles backward until they line up with your shoulders.
Contract your rear delt before slowly returning to the start position.

5. Lateral Shoulder Raises:

The lateral shoulder raise does a great job of working one specific portion of the deltoid. Any guesses as to which one? If you guessed the lateral deltoids, you are correct!

Lateral shoulder raises play an incremental role in achieving large deltoids and is beneficial for improving shoulder mobility - something everyone benefits from.

How to do a lateral shoulder raise:

Stand with dumbbells in each hand, hanging by your sides.
Begin lifting the weights to your sides, stopping when your arms are parallel to the floor with a slight bend in the elbows. Don't raise your shoulders during the movement.
Slowly lower the dumbbells back to your sides.

6. Upright Barbell Row:

The upright row targets the anterior, lateral, and posterior deltoids, making it an effective and efficient exercise for shoulder days. We selected the barbell variation as it allows you to use higher weights, but you can also dumbbells for this exercise.

Just be prepared to move down in weights with dumbbells so you can perform this move safely, as a lot of people experience shoulder pain with upright rows.

How to do an upright barbell row:

Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, keep your back straight, chest high, and an overhand grip to grasp your barbell.
Slowly bend your elbows to raise the bar toward your chin. Stop once your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Straighten the elbows, lowering the bar back to its starting position.

chest and shoulders routine

Chest & Shoulder Workouts: Final Takeaways

You now have a solid understanding of the chest and shoulder muscles, and more importantly, two muscle-building workouts designed for serious gains. It’s now up to you to get to the gym and give every exercise, set, and rep nothing but your best.

One parting thought: Don’t let your dietary habits sabotage your gym progress. Effort in the kitchen is just as crucial as the work you put in at the gym.

Hit your protein goals to build muscle, practice mindful eating, and educate yourself on the best supplements and nutritional guidelines to optimize your gym efforts.

If you're following a chest and shoulder workout, pair it with our Ultimate Leg Workout and Ultimate Back & Biceps Workout to train all major muscle groups each week!