Your chest recruits extra support from your triceps near the top of the bench press, your deltoids assist mostly at the bottom and both help your chest in the middle.

These six exercises involve your secondary muscle groups to ensure a smooth movement throughout the bench press.

After your bench-press routine, pick one exercise from each section: A (upper chest and deltoids; B (middle chest); and C (lower chest and triceps).


A. Dumbbell Incline Press
Lie on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand (palms forward), your arms extended straight above your chest.

Lower the dumbbells until they're resting along the sides of your chest. Pause, then press the weights back up. (Hold them further apart to target the front deltoids.)

Get more: instead of keeping the bench always fixed at the one angle, try lowering it a notch from the highest angled position for the first set, then continue lowering the angle one notch after each set.


A. Parallel Dip
Grab the parallel bars of a dip station with a neutral grip and lift yourself so your arms are straight, but not locked. Bend your knees and cross your ankles.

Slowly lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are at least parallel to the floor. (The further you lower yourself, the harder your deltoids will work to push you back up.)

Pause, then push yourself back up to the starting position, keeping your elbows unlocked at the top to maintain tension in your chest muscles.

Get more: if you're too strong to benefit from the specified number of reps, wear a dip belt (start with 15 per cent of your body weight).

If you're not strong enough, take two seconds to lower yourself, then step up to get into the starting position and repeat.


B. Dumbbell Fly
Grab a pair of dumbbells that are lighter than those you use for bench presses.

Lie on a bench, holding them with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) above the middle of your pecs, arms straight up.

Maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, lower the dumbbells slightly to the back, until your upper arms are parallel to the flor and in line with your ears.

Then use your chest to pull the weights back up to the starting position, following the same arc-like route in reverse.

Keep your shoulder blades pinched together throughout and flex your pecs at the top of the movement.

Get more: use an overhand grip to lower the dumbbells until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.

As you use your chest to pulls the wights back up, slowly rotate your palms so they face each other about halfway up and face towards you at the top of the move.


B. Standing High-Cable Crossover
Attach two stirrup handles to the high cables of a cable-crossover station and stand sideways to weight the stack.

Grab the left handle with your left hand, the right with your right and stand in the middle. You may also want to take a step back; it's best to start with tension in the cables so there's resistance.

Pull your shoulder blades back and keep your elbows slightly bent.

Pull the handles down in a wide arc until your hands just pass each other in front of your midsection. Pause, then return to the starting position.

Get more: resist the urge to lean forward because it prevents your chest doing the work.

You can reduce forward momentum and add weight with one foot slightly ahead of the other, still keeping them shoulder-width apart.


C. Dumbbell Decline Press
Lie on a decline bench with your feet under the leg supports.

Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them above your head with your arms extended, but not locked.

Lower the dumbbells to the outer edges of your chest, just below your nipples. Pause, then press them back up above your head.

Get more: a decline position shrinks your range of motion, making it easier to lift heavier weights.

Start with dumbbells that are 15 to 20 per cent heavier than you typically lift when lying flat.


C. Medicine-Ball Push-Up
Kneel and place your hands along the sides of your medicine ball, spreading your fingers wide to help grip the surface (a soccer ball or a basketball will also work).

The space between your thumbs and index fingers should be diamond-shaped.

Balance your weight on the ball, then slowly extend your legs behind you to assume the push-up position.

Lower your body until your chest touches your hands. Pause, then slowly press yourself back up to the starting position.

Get more: perform one set to failure - the point at which you can't do any more repetitions.

Then immediately move your knees and continue until you reach failure again.

Decreasing the load this way allows you to push your muscles beyond their usual state of fatigue.