When it comes to building an impressive chest, not all exercises deliver equal results.
Jeff Nippard, renowned natural bodybuilder and fitness educator, recently ranked every major chest exercise from best to worst—and his findings might surprise you.
Some beloved gym staples earned failing grades, while others claimed spots in his elite tier.
Understanding which movements truly maximize muscle growth can transform your training and save you countless wasted hours in the gym.
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The Three Pillars of Chest Exercise Excellence
Nippard’s ranking system isn’t arbitrary. He evaluates each exercise based on three critical factors that determine its effectiveness for building muscle.
First, an exercise must provide stretch under high tension. The pectorals need to experience significant mechanical tension while fully lengthened—this stretched position under load creates the optimal stimulus for hypertrophy.
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Second, the movement should feel comfortable with a smooth resistance profile. Pain-free execution with a strong mind-muscle connection and satisfying pump indicates an exercise worth keeping in your rotation.
Third, progression must be straightforward. Can you easily add weight or reps over time? Without clear paths to progressive overload, even comfortable exercises lose their muscle-building potential.
F Tier: The Worst Offenders
Some exercises simply don’t make the cut, no matter how popular they’ve become on social media.
Hex Press: All Hype, No Stretch
The hex press fails spectacularly on Nippard’s primary criterion. By keeping the arms bent throughout the movement, this exercise prevents the deep stretch necessary for optimal pec engagement.
The triceps take over instead, robbing your chest of the tension it needs. Without a meaningful mind-muscle connection or satisfying pump, the hex press offers virtually no advantage for chest development.
Progressive overload becomes nearly impossible with this awkward movement pattern.
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Plate Press: Even Worse
If the hex press disappoints, the plate press represents an even more questionable choice. The movement shares all the downsides of its cousin while adding uncomfortable ergonomics.
Attempting to squeeze a weight plate between your palms creates an awkward resistance profile. Progression potential is minimal, and the lack of stretch makes this exercise essentially worthless for hypertrophy goals.
D Tier: Theoretically Sound, Practically Lacking
Dumbbell Pullover: The Great Debate
The dumbbell pullover occupies controversial territory. Biomechanically, it should work the pecs alongside the lats and triceps, and EMG data confirms some pectoral activation.
But here’s the disconnect: most lifters simply don’t feel their chest working during pullovers.
While biomechanics suggests that the pecs are engaged during the exercise, alongside the lats and triceps, many lifters find that they don’t actually feel their pec muscles engaging during the movement.
Nippard notes that numerous clients have echoed this experience, reporting virtually zero mind-muscle connection with their pectorals. Top bodybuilders rarely incorporate pullovers as a primary chest builder.
The exercise seems far more effective for lat development, earning its spot in D tier for chest-focused training.
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B Tier: Solid but Not Spectacular
Several popular movements land in the respectable-but-not-exceptional category.
Decline Variations: Missing the Mark
Both decline barbell and dumbbell presses emphasize the mid-to-lower pecs. For most lifters, however, the upper chest represents the area needing the most development attention.
Decline movements also offer slightly less range of motion compared to flat or incline angles. The dumbbell version can feel particularly awkward during setup, especially when working with heavier loads that may require assistance to get into position.
These aren’t bad exercises—they’re simply not optimal for balanced chest development.
Push-Ups: Limited by the Floor
Bodyweight push-ups offer undeniable convenience. You can perform them anywhere without equipment, making them valuable for home workouts or travel situations.
Yet push-ups face two significant limitations. First, the floor restricts your range of motion, preventing the deep stretch that occurs when dumbbells or handles can travel past your torso.
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Second, progressive overload becomes challenging once you develop sufficient strength. Advanced lifters must perform extremely high repetitions to reach failure, which isn’t ideal for hypertrophy.
Adding resistance bands increases tension but compromises stability. Nippard recommends push-ups primarily as finishers rather than main chest-building movements.
A Tier: The Proven Standards
These exercises form the backbone of effective chest training, combining stretch, feel, and progression in reliable packages.
Flat Bench Press: The Classic
The flat barbell bench press delivers high tension when the bar touches your chest. Progressive overload is incredibly straightforward—simply add weight to the bar over time.
The resistance profile feels smooth for most lifters. However, shoulder discomfort represents a common complaint that prevents the flat bench from reaching S tier status.
Incline Bench Press: Upper Chest Emphasis
Research shows the incline bench press produces comparable activation in the lower and mid pecs while significantly boosting upper pec engagement. One study specifically demonstrated additional upper chest growth from incline work.
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For lifters seeking fuller, more balanced chest development, the incline angle offers distinct advantages. The resistance profile mirrors the flat version with a strategic shift in muscular emphasis.
Flat Dumbbell Press: Depth Advantage
Dumbbells unlock a critical benefit: they can travel past your rib cage, creating a deeper pec stretch than barbell variations allow. This enhanced range of motion typically produces a more substantial chest pump.
Initial progression remains simple—add weight or reps as you adapt. However, advanced lifters eventually encounter practical limitations.
When working with very heavy dumbbells, the sheer size of the weights becomes cumbersome. Many gyms also cap their dumbbell racks at weights that strong lifters can exceed.
Incline Dumbbell Press: Best of Both Worlds
This movement combines the deep stretch of dumbbell work with the upper pec focus of incline angles. For many lifters, it represents the single most effective free-weight chest builder.
Like its flat counterpart, progression eventually faces dumbbell size constraints at advanced strength levels. Despite this limitation, the incline dumbbell press earns its A tier ranking through superior muscle recruitment and feel.
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S Tier: The Elite
Only movements that excel across all three criteria—stretch, feel, and progression—earn Nippard’s highest distinction.
Machine Chest Press: Underrated Excellence
The machine chest press might surprise those who consider free weights inherently superior. Yet this movement checks every box for optimal muscle growth.
Stretch and tension? The machine provides deep pec stretch with consistent tension throughout the entire range of motion.
Feel? The locked-in movement path enhances mind-muscle connection, often producing a more intense pump than free-weight alternatives.
Progression? Adding weight or reps couldn’t be simpler—just move the pin to a heavier weight stack.
Machines also offer a critical safety advantage: pushing to true muscular failure carries significantly less risk compared to barbell work. You won’t get pinned under a bar if you can’t complete a rep.
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The caveat? Machine quality matters tremendously. A well-designed chest press with proper biomechanics earns S tier status, while poorly engineered machines may feel awkward or uncomfortable.
Dips: Progressive Perfection
Dips provide exceptional pec stretch and tension, particularly when performed with a forward lean and full range of motion. The progression options make this exercise especially valuable.
- Beginners: Start with assisted dips using a machine that counterbalances bodyweight
- Intermediate: Progress to full bodyweight dips, adding reps or slowing the tempo
- Advanced: Attach additional weight using a dip belt, increasing load over time
This clear progression path from assisted to heavily loaded makes dips accessible to lifters at any level while providing years of growth stimulus.
One important note: lifters experiencing shoulder discomfort should approach dips cautiously. The deep stretch position can aggravate existing shoulder issues for some individuals.
Building Your Optimal Chest Routine
Nippard’s ranking system offers more than academic interest—it provides practical guidance for program design.
Prioritize S tier movements as your primary chest builders. A well-designed machine press or weighted dips should anchor most chest sessions, providing the highest return on training investment.
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Supplement with A tier exercises for variety and to address specific weaknesses. Incline work deserves particular attention, as upper chest development creates the appearance of fuller, more impressive pectorals.
Use B tier movements strategically. Push-ups make excellent finishers when performed to failure, adding metabolic stress after heavier compound work.
Skip the F tier entirely. No amount of Instagram popularity can overcome fundamental biomechanical flaws. Your training time is valuable—invest it in movements that actually deliver results.
The key to long-term progress lies not just in exercise selection but in consistent progressive overload. Choose movements that feel good for your body and allow steady increases in weight or reps over months and years.
Listen to your shoulders. If an exercise consistently causes pain despite proper form, substitute it with a comparable movement that feels better. No single exercise is irreplaceable.
Sources
- Research on incline bench press and upper pec development: Multiple studies confirm preferential upper chest activation with incline angles
- EMG data on dumbbell pullovers: Shows pec activation alongside lats and triceps, though practical application varies
- Biomechanical analysis of chest exercise range of motion and stretch positions
