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Upper Chest

The definitive ranking of the best bodypart exercises for building muscle

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Portrait of , reviewer of this exercise ranking
Reviewed by
Ranking basis
Scores rated from 1–5
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Last updated:
October 10, 2025
Rank
#
Exercise
Type
Score

Scoring

Weighted composite score reflecting each exercise’s hypertrophy efficiency, joint safety, stability, and real-world practicality

GPE

✧ Gains Per Effort

Measures how much muscle growth you get for the effort invested.
High scores = efficient exercises that yield maximum hypertrophy with minimal fatigue.

MMC

✧ Mind-Muscle Connection

Rates how easily the target muscle can be felt and isolated.
High scores = strong internal focus and tension control during execution.

Joints

✧ Joint Friendliness

Evaluates stress on joints and connective tissue.
High scores = smooth, joint-friendly motion with low irritation risk.

Ceiling

✧ Progression Ceiling

Reflects how far the movement can be progressively overloaded.
High scores = scalable long-term potential before plateauing.

Curve

✧ Resistance Curve Quality

Compares the exercise's resistance curve to the muscle’s natural strength profile.
High scores = aligns with muscle's strength curve + consistent resistance through the full range of motion.

Stable

✧ Stability Requirement

Assesses how much external stability the exercise provides.
High scores = highly stable setups that let you focus purely on output.

Setup

✧ Setup Friction

Assesses the time, coordination, and physical effort required to set up and initiate the exercise.
High scores = minimal friction before the first rep.

Equip

✧ Equipment Accessibility

Measures how easy it is to perform with common gym equipment.
High scores = simple setups available in most training environments.

ROM

✧ Range of Motion Clarity

Rates how clearly the start and end of the range are defined.
High scores = clean, repeatable reps with obvious mechanical endpoints.

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5
/
5

Gains Per Effort

Some text

5.0
4
/
5

Mind-Muscle Connection

Some text

4.0
4
/
5

Joint Friendliness

Some text

4.0
3.5
/
5

Progression Ceiling

Some text

3.5
4.5
/
5

Resistance Curve Quality

Some text

4.5
3
/
5

Stability Requirement

Some text

3.0
/
5

Setup Friction

3
/
5

Equipment Accessibility

Some text

3.0
2.5
/
5

Range of Motion Clarity

Some text

2.5
Incline Smith Machine Press
Incline Smith Machine Press
Smith Machine
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3.5
/
5

Gains Per Effort

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3.5
3
/
5

Mind-Muscle Connection

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3.0
2.5
/
5

Joint Friendliness

Some text

2.5
4
/
5

Progression Ceiling

Some text

4.0
5
/
5

Resistance Curve Quality

Some text

5.0
5
/
5

Stability Requirement

Some text

5.0
1.5
/
5

Setup Friction

suuuup

1.5
3
/
5

Equipment Accessibility

Some text

3.0
3.5
/
5

Range of Motion Clarity

Some text

3.5
Barbell
???
4.5
/
5

Gains Per Effort

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4.5
3.5
/
5

Mind-Muscle Connection

Some text

3.5
3.5
/
5

Joint Friendliness

Some text

3.5
4
/
5

Progression Ceiling

Some text

4.0
5
/
5

Resistance Curve Quality

Some text

5.0
3
/
5

Stability Requirement

Some text

3.0
1.5
/
5

Setup Friction

suuuup

1.5
4.5
/
5

Equipment Accessibility

Some text

4.5
3.5
/
5

Range of Motion Clarity

Some text

3.5

Learn about these bodypart exercises

5
/
5

Mind-Muscle Connection

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What is the bodypart?

In Plain English

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Biomechanical Definition

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Why does the bodypart matter?

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Key functions of the bodypart

Shoulder Flexion

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What makes a good bodypart Exercise?

criteria

How to program bodypart training

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Common mistakes lifters make with bodypart training

Flaring elbows

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What Works for bodypart Growth

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Bodypart strength curve

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Strength Curve

How force output changes from the lengthened to shortened position.

Force Range of Motion Lengthened Shortened

Interpretation

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