It can be intimidating to begin weight-based workouts if you are new to the gym or just starting your weight loss journey. It can be not easy to know where to begin with so many machines, techniques, and movements. Weight training can have a variety of health benefits.
These range from increasing muscle mass to increasing metabolic rate. The good news is that even if you start small, it can make a difference.
Anyone lifting weights is better off starting with the basics. This article will show you some of the best exercises for beginners to strengthen your chest and shoulders.

Workout Tips
With classic moves that you will easily recognize, you’ll be able to hit the chest and back with ease.
Use these tips to improve your workout:
- Beginners should do 1 set of 12-16 reps.
- Exercisers who are intermediate and advanced can do 1-3 sets with 8-12 repetitions, using weights that allow you only to perform the desired number.
- Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets.
- Warm up by doing some light cardio, like jogging or taking a quick walk. You can also warm up both your arms and legs using an elliptical.
- Do a 10-minute cool-down to help your body recover after a workout. You can do this by walking on the treadmill or riding a stationary bike. Folding stationary bicycles make great home gyms because they are compact and easy to use. Cooling down can help to lower your blood pressure and heart rate.
The Benefits of a Strong Chest and Shoulders
Your chest and deltoids are two of the most visible muscles. Broad shoulders and muscular pecs are hallmarks of athletic physiques. Your chest and shoulders are also some of the most important muscles for physical performance.
Athletic Performance
For sports such as football, basketball and swimming, it is important to have strong chest and shoulder muscles. Every athlete in strength sports benefits from having powerful pushing muscles.
When you throw or press away something, you need to have powerful pecs and shoulders.
Posture Improvement
By pulling your shoulders forward and helping you to stand straight, a balanced chest and shoulder development will improve your posture.
A tight pec can cause your shoulders to move forward, giving you the appearance of slouching. Strength training can improve flexibility and increase range of motion just as well as stretching.
Enhance Appearance
A well-developed chest, shoulders and upper body will give you a muscular and defined appearance. Appearances don’t matter. But confidence in your appearance will translate positively to other aspects of your life. For a bodybuilder to be successful, having massive pecs or delts is essential.
Four best chest and shoulder exercises for beginners
Beginners should start with lighter weights and simpler exercises. This will allow you to see results while learning the proper form. To get the best results, it is important to include upper body exercises in a program or plan that targets your entire body.
You can use this to ensure that you don’t neglect your other muscles as you focus on strengthening your upper body. Here are our four favourite beginner-friendly chest and shoulder exercises. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise program or routine.
Warm up your chest and shoulders
Warm muscles are more efficient than cold ones. Warming up before doing a chest and shoulders workout will prepare your muscles to do the work ahead, activate your central nervous system and increase blood flow. It may also reduce your risk of injury.
Do a series of ramp-up sets for the first exercise in the workout. In this case, it’s the bench press. The weight of your work sets will determine how many warm-ups you need to do. The more weight you have, the greater the number of ramp-up sets required.
One or two warm-up sets using the bar may be sufficient if your bench press requires a 10 lb weight plate on each side. If you are benching hundreds or even thousands of pounds, start with a lighter resistance and increase it gradually to prepare your muscles.
You shouldn’t feel tired after the ramp-up set. Instead, you should be ready and eager to continue once you have reached your goal weight.
BEST CHEST EXERCISES

1. Dumbbell Bench Press With Single Arm
The single-arm dumbbell press activates the pectoralis minor and major, as well as the anterior deltoid, to a certain extent. As a unilateral exercise, it also checks off some other boxes. It improves shoulder stability, helps identify and correct chest or shoulder imbalances, and gives you a wider range of motion compared to the barbell press.
How to perform a dumbbell bench pressing with one arm:
- As you lie on a bench with your arms extended, grab your dumbbells using a neutral grip. Keep the dumbbells parallel to your shoulders.
- Slowly bend your right arm while lowering the dumbbell to your shoulder.
- Slowly raise your dumbbell above your shoulder and straighten your arm.
- Do not switch sides until you have completed your reps on your right.
2. Dumbbell Chest Fly
It targets the pectoralis and anterior deltoids. Similar to the bench press exercise, changing to an inclined position will tweak the muscles that are working.
If you do this exercise on a flat bench, the lower head is the one that works the hardest. An incline bench will target the upper head. You can use a chest fly machine in addition to dumbbells; you can use heavier weights because it is more stable. Both have their advantages.
How to do a chest fly:
- Start by laying on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your arms outstretched to either side. Your palms should be facing up, and you should be holding dumbbells.
- Extend your dumbbells and arms in an arc above your head with your elbows slightly bent. Your palms should be facing each other, and your dumbbells should meet above your chest. With your arms fully extended, extend your dumbbells in an arc motion.
- Drop your dumbbells in an arc to your sides. When the dumbbells extend to both sides in a straight, horizontal line from your chest, stop your descent.
3. Bench Press
The flat barbell Bench Press is the first exercise for the chest and shoulders. This claim may be legitimate.
Powerlifters, bodybuilders and athletes use this exercise to build upper body strength and mass. If someone asks how much weight you lift, they’re probably referring to how much bench press you do.
Bench presses work not only the chest but also your shoulders. They are primarily focused on your front deltoid and triceps. When you start your chest workout with compound movements such as the flat bench, you will be able to use heavier weights and overload your pecs. This is the best way for you to stimulate muscle growth.
For your bench press sets, you’ll use the Pyramid Training System. This means that you start with a lightweight and increase each set. You then go from 12 reps to 6 in the last set.
4. Incline Dumbbell Press
The second exercise is the incline dumbbell push, which is one of the top chest exercises that emphasize your upper pecs.
Combining flat and inclined presses is a great way to build your chest muscles.
If you raise your bench higher, it will put more emphasis on the anterior deltoid than the pectoralis major. You can raise the backrest to a 30-degree angle. This will place more emphasis on your anterior deltoid than your pectoralis.
Dumbbells can provide a wider range of motion for chest presses, which could help to increase muscle mass. Many lifters also feel that dumbbells provide a natural movement range when performing an incline bench push. They are easier to get in the right position.
BEST SHOULDER EXERCISES
1. Arnold Press
This shoulder move is one of the most effective you’ll find. The Arnold press is designed to hit all three shoulders heads. This ensures that no part of your shoulder is missed.
How to perform the Arnold Press:
- Start with your elbows bent and your palms facing you.
- As you straighten your elbows, drive your dumbbells up while rotating your arms in a way that your palms face away from you.
- As you lower the dumbbells to shoulder height, rotate your palms so that they face you. Try to make sure that your left and right arms are moving in synchrony with each other.
2. Barbell Overhead Press
This exercise is a great way to strengthen the anterior, posterior, and lateral shoulder heads. Its effectiveness will prevent you from adding too many shoulder exercises to your weightlifting program. Massive shoulders are the only thing that we enjoy more than a gym routine.
We recommend starting with the dumbbell shoulder presses if you are new to exercise or unfamiliar with the over-the-shoulder press. As you become more familiar with the dumbbells and seated position, they will provide greater stability and control. Then, you can progress to the barbell.
How to perform the barbell overhead presses:
- Hold the barbell with your hands slightly wider and palms facing upwards while standing straight with your legs.
- Keep your hips and trunk still as you straighten your arms.
3. Face Pulls
This exercise is great for warming up and protecting your shoulder muscles. Face pulls work best with a cable and rope machine.
- Attach a cable to your machine and adjust it so the top of the cord is about the height of the forehead.
- Grab each handle with an overhand grasp, and then walk backwards to create tension in the rope.
- After you have positioned yourself (one foot forward for balance), remain upright and pull both rope handles to either side of your ears.
- Keep your elbows up throughout. Pause when your rear delts are stretched, or the middle of the cord is nearing your nose.
- Slowly return the handles to their original position.
4. Upright Row
The upright rows are the only multi-joint exercises that target the middle deltoid. They also work to build shoulder and trapezius strength and size. This is a key movement for weightlifters, particularly as a part of the clean’s high pull component.
The upright row has a bad reputation because it requires the arms to be raised above shoulder level while in a rotated internal position. When performed traditionally, this position can increase the risk of shoulder impingement.
The upright row can be performed safely by not elevating your upper arms higher than the shoulder level at the top. 11 By doing so, you turn it from a potentially dangerous exercise into a powerful mass-builder of the trapezius and shoulder muscles.

5. Bent-Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly
It’s a great way to finish your workout and target the rear delts. You can perform the rear-delt fly on a bench or with cables. The dumbbell bent-over flies are ideal for busy gyms.
- Use an overhand grip to hold a dumbbell with each hand. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Pull your shoulders back, bend forward and push your chest out.
- Your arms should hang below your chest. Pull your arms wide like a bird stretching its wings.
- When you feel tension in your shoulders, pause and slowly return your arms to their starting position.
Conclusion:
The chest and shoulder muscles are important for improving upper body strength and stability. They also contribute to a proportionate physique. If you want to avoid injuries and maximize your results, make sure to focus on proper form when performing exercises such as bench presses, shoulder presses, and push-ups.