Shoulder
Pectoralis Major exercises
Shoulder flexion, adduction, and horizontal pressing.
65
Exercises
56
Primary target
Related exercise guides
Home equipment tiers prioritize bodyweight, walls, chairs, towels, bands, and household loads before gym-only equipment.
Aqua Paddles Standing Bent-Elbow Chest Fly
You stand shoulder-deep in a pool with a webbed paddle strapped to each hand. With your elbows bent and tucked at your sides, you sweep your hands together in front of your chest, then back out.
Band Chest Fly
You stand in a staggered stance with a band anchored behind you at chest height, holding one end in each hand. You bring your hands together in front of your chest in an arc, then return slowly.
Behind-Back Shoulder Stretch
Clasp hands behind back and lift to stretch front of shoulders and chest.
Behind-the-Back Assisted Internal-Rotation Slide
Stand tall and reach both arms behind your back. Hold the hand of the working arm with your other hand and slide it up your back as far as is comfortable.
Bench Press - With Bands
You lie on a bench holding a band handle in each hand, with the band anchored under the bench leg. You lower the handles until your elbows reach about 90 degrees, then press them back up. You may feel a squeeze across your chest.
Biceps Wall Stretch
Stretch your biceps using a wall. Good for improving elbow extension and reducing front-of-elbow tightness.
Bosu Platform Tilt Push Up
Set a balance trainer dome-side down with the flat platform facing up and grip its outer edges. Extend into a push-up plank. Lower into a push-up and press back up, keeping the platform level.
Burpee
Squat and place your hands on the floor, then kick your legs back into a plank. Lower your chest, bring your feet back in, and finish with a vertical jump. You may feel your whole body working and your breathing speed up.
Cable Chest Press
You sit with your back against a pad between two cable pulleys at chest height. You hold a handle in each hand with your elbows bent to about 90 degrees. You press the handles forward, then return slowly.
Chest Press With the Consecutive-Loop Elastic Band
You stand with each hand in a loop at the end of an elastic band that runs behind your upper back. You keep your hands at chest level, push them straight forward, hold briefly, and return under control.
Clock Push-Up
Start in a standard push-up plank. Lower your chest under control, then press up explosively so your hands leave the floor and shift about thirty degrees. Land softly and continue around the full circle.
Close Grip Push-Up
Push-up with hands close together to emphasize triceps. Good functional elbow exercise with bodyweight.
Clubbell Shoulder Abduction and Internal Rotation With Asymmetric Forearm Wrap
A standing arm sweep holding a clubbell in each hand. You lift both arms out to the sides at shoulder height, sweep them forward across the chest, and finish with one forearm covering your face.
Control Push Ups Back on the Pilates Reformer
You stand facing the footbar of a Pilates reformer with one or two heavy springs on. Your hands are on the shoulder blocks and the balls of your feet are on the footbar. You press the carriage out and in from your upper back without rounding your shoulders or dipping your hips.
Corner Pec Stretch
Stand in a corner and stretch both pecs at once. Great for opening up the chest after long periods of sitting.
Counter Push-Up
Push-up performed against a counter or elevated surface. Intermediate step between wall and floor push-ups.
Counter-Top Push-Up
Push-up against kitchen counter or sturdy surface. Progression from wall push-ups, more wrist loading.
Dead Bug Arm Reach
Lie on back and reach arms overhead while keeping back flat. Works core and shoulder control together.
Dip Machine
You sit in a dip machine with your back against the pad and choose a weight on the stack. You grip the moving handles with your elbows bent. You press the handles down by straightening your elbows, then return slowly.
Doorway Chest Stretch
Stretch chest and front shoulders in a doorway. Perfect for tight desk workers.
Doorway Pec Stretch
Stretch tight chest muscles in a doorway. Tight pecs contribute to forward head posture and neck strain.
Dumbbell Flyes
You lie on your back on a bench holding a dumbbell in each hand above your chest with a slight bend in your elbows. You lower both arms out to the sides in a wide arc. You may feel a stretch across the chest.
Floor Press
Chest press while lying on floor. Limits range of motion which is easier on shoulders.
Full Push-Up
Standard push-up from toes. Fundamental exercise for upper body pushing strength and elbow stability.
Hand-Release Push-Up
A bodyweight push-up on the floor. At the bottom, lift both hands briefly off the floor, put them back under the shoulders, and push up to the top.
Incline Dumbbell Press
Chest press on incline bench. Hits upper chest and front shoulders more.
Incline Push-Up
Push-up with hands on raised surface like bench or counter. Easier than floor push-up.
Incline Push-Up Depth Jump
Place the feet on a box and the hands on the floor between two steps. Lower, then push off the floor so the hands land on the steps, and repeat back down.
Internal Rotation at 90 Degrees Abduction With a Band
Stand with your arm out at shoulder height and your elbow bent to 90 degrees, holding a band handle. Keep your upper arm still and rotate your forearm forward until it is level.
Internal Rotation with Band
Rotate your forearm inward against a band. Works the subscapularis muscle of the rotator cuff.
Knee Push-Up
Push-up from knees instead of toes. Good stepping stone to full push-ups.
Landmine Floor Press
Lie on your back beside an anchored landmine bar. Grip its end in one hand and press to full extension, then lower until the elbow touches the floor.
Leverage Chest Press
You sit in a chest-press machine with your back supported and a handle in each hand near the middle of your chest. You press both handles forward by straightening your elbows. Then you return slowly.
Leverage Incline Chest Press
Sit on a plate-loaded incline press machine with the handles near the top of the chest. Press the handles forward, pause briefly, then return to just above the start without touching the stops.
Medicine Ball Floor Press
You lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, holding a medicine ball over your chest in both hands. You press the ball upward, then lower it with control.
Medicine Ball Push-Up With Both Hands on the Ball
You hold a plank with both palms on the sides of a medicine ball and your shoulders directly over it. You slowly lower your body toward the ball with your torso rigid until your chest nears it, then press back up.
Offset Single-Arm Chest Press
You lie diagonally across a flat bench with the top of your back on it, one hand holding the bench above your head, feet flat and hips pressed up. You press a weight with the other arm, lowering the elbow below the bench, then press back up.
One-Arm Kettlebell Floor Press
You lie on the floor holding one kettlebell at chest level, with your upper arm resting on the floor and your palm facing in. You press the kettlebell straight up toward the ceiling, then lower it back. You repeat on the other side.
Parallette Archer Push-Up
Start in a straight-arm push-up between two wide parallettes. Sink toward one side so that arm bends while the other stays straight, then press back to centre.
Parallette Dips
Support the body on locked arms between two parallettes. Bend the elbows to about ninety degrees, then press back to lockout.
Pec Minor Doorway Stretch
Use a doorway to stretch the front of your chest and shoulders. Opens up tight pecs that contribute to rounded posture.
Pike-to-Cobra Push-Up
From a push-up position, lift the hips into an inverted V. Swoop the upper body down and forward under the hands, then rise into a cobra with the arms extended.
Plyometric Push-Up
Push-up with explosive push-off phase. Hands may leave ground. Advanced exercise for power development.
Prone Press-Ups (McKenzie Press-Up)
Press your upper body up while keeping hips on the floor. This extension exercise is a cornerstone of disc-related back pain treatment.
Push Up Top on the Pilates Wunda Chair
You stand between the pedal and the chair edge with one hand on the chair top and one on the pedal, and walk your feet back into a plank. You lean forward as your pedal-side arm bends and lowers you into a push-up.
Push-Up Handles Support Hold
Hold top push-up position using handles to keep wrists neutral. Builds strength while protecting wrists.
Push-Up With a Resistance Band Across the Shoulders and Under the Palms
You hold a push-up position with a band draped across your shoulders and pinned under both palms. You lower your chest toward the floor, then press back up against the band.
Ring Dip
You start in a top support position on a pair of gymnastic rings with your elbows straight. You bend both elbows to lower your body between the rings, then press back up to the top.
Safety Squat Bar Bench Press
You lie on a flat bench and hold a safety squat bar over your chest. You lower the bar to your chest and press it back up.
Scapular Push-Up
In plank position, only move shoulder blades - no arm bending. Builds scapular control.
Seated Bump-Ball Chest Press
You sit tall holding a soft ball at chest height with a hand on each side. You squeeze the ball between your palms. Then you slowly extend both arms forward and hold.
Seated Chair Press-Up
Sit on a sturdy chair with both hands flat on the sides of the seat at shoulder level. Straighten your elbows to press your body up off the seat, hold, then lower slowly.
Seated Chest Stretch
Sit upright away from the chair back with your shoulders drawn back and down. Reach both arms out to the sides at shoulder height, then ease your chest forward and up. You may feel a stretch across the chest.
Single Bar Dip
You hold a straight-armed support above and just behind one horizontal bar, gripping its top. You bend your elbows to lower your body, then straighten them to rise.
Single-Arm Medicine Ball Push-Up
You hold a push-up plank with one hand on top of a medicine ball and the other hand on the floor, shoulders over your hands. You slowly lower your body toward the ball with your torso rigid, then press back up.
Slider Archer Push-Ups
Start in a push-up plank with both hands on slider discs. Lower while one arm slides wide to the side and the other bends, then press up and pull the sliding arm back in.
Slider Push-Up With Forward Hand Reach
Start in a push-up plank with one hand on a slider disc. Lower through the push-up while that hand slides straight forward. Press up, pull the hand back, then switch the disc to the other hand.
Spinning Bike Handlebar Push-Ups
Keep pedalling a stationary cycling bike while the chest lowers toward the handlebars on bent elbows and presses back up.
Standard Push-Up
Classic push-up from toes. Fundamental upper body exercise.
Straight Arm Pulldown
Pull cable down with straight arms. Isolates lats without bicep involvement.
Suspended Push-Up
You grip a hanging strap handle in each hand and lean forward into a push-up plank with your arms straight. You keep your torso straight and lower slowly by bending your elbows. Then you press back up.
TRX Atomic Push Up
Set a straight plank with your hands on the floor and both feet in suspension straps. Do a push-up, then pull both knees under your chest into a tuck. Extend the legs back out to start the next rep.
Wall Push-Up
Push-up against a wall. Perfect starting point for building upper body strength.
Wall Push-Up
Push-up against wall. Minimal wrist load. Good starting point for wrist weight-bearing progression.
Wall Push-Up (Hand Focus)
Push-ups against a wall to introduce upper body weight bearing through hands. Easier than floor push-ups.