Don’t wait for the bench to get a breast pump.
Last updated on December 19, 2025
You’re in a crowded gym, all the benches are taken, it’s chest day, and you feel like your chest pump hopes are defeated. You don’t need a bench to build big, strong pecs. A suitable variation of exercise can get the job done. At the end of August 2025, a bodybuilder Simeon Panda shared his favorite printing techniques and the flies upper, middle, and lower pecs.
Flat Bench Alternatives
The flat bench press is a proven mid-pec builder for the second time that recruits the triceps and front delts. However, evidence shows that dumbbell and bench presses provide similar chest performance.
2023 study on Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found no significant difference in hypertrophy between dumbbell, barbell, and Smith machine press. (1) Cable compression also activates the sternum with an EMG test. (2)
Change Options
- Smith Machine Flat Press
- Flat Dumbbell Press
- Machine Press
- Cable Bench Press
Cline Press Workarounds in a Packed Gym
The incline bench press targets the upper pec fibers, but some may find it causes discomfort in the front delts and rotator cuffs.
Three incline options can address these issues. Incline dumbbell press fires up the upper pecs and engages the glutes more than the barbell, which helps build strength. (3)
The Smith incline press offers a safe, guided bar technique, but it may not engage the muscles like free weights; participants in one study lifted about 3% more with the barbell bench press. (4)
Other options include a cable or press machine. Measurements from a 2020 study found that the seated chest press with a neutral grip resulted in greater upper chest activity compared to the overgrip bench press. (5)
Change Options
- Smith Machine Incline Press
- Dumbbell Press
- Cable Bench Press
A Variety of Planes That Simulate the Pec Deck
As a pec deck, dumbbell variations and cable flyes isolate the pectoralis major. Data from Journal of Sports Science and Medicine tested muscle activity in flies. They found that the static variation provided the same stimulus to the pec deck due to constant tension. (6)
Change Options
- Static Cable Flies
- Fixed cable Flies
- Incline cable Flies
- Cline Dumbbell Flyes
Lower Pec Drives Greater Growth
Lower pec development is key to the “shelf” aesthetic. Panda’s answer is dumbbell pullovers. It’s another powerful technique, but the degree of pec opening varies depending on the angle of the shoulder. (7)
Decline presses on the Smith machine or with dumbbells target the lower pecs. Dumbbells are slightly higher in muscle engagement, making them a solid choice as a workout finisher. (8)
Change Options
- Smith Machine Decline Press
- Decline Dumbbell Press
- Dumbbell Pullovers
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References
- Haugen ME, Vårvik FT, Larsen S, Haugen AS, van den Tillaar R, Bjørnsen T. The effect of free-weight vs. Machine-based strength training for maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance – a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2023 Aug 15;15(1):103. doi: 10.1186/s13102-023-00713-4. PMID: 37582807; PMCID: PMC10426227.
- Signorile JF, Rendos NK, Heredia Vargas HH, Alipio TC, Regis RC, Eltouky MM, Nargund RS, Romero MA. Differences in Muscle Performance and Kinematics Between Cable-Based and Optional Weight Training. J Power Cond Res. 2017 Feb;31(2):313-322. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001493. PMID: 28129277.
- Christian JR, Gothart SE, Graham HK, Barganier KD, Whitehead PN. An Analysis of Upper Muscle Activation Among Various Chest Compression Techniques. J Power Cond Res. 2023 Feb 1;37(2):265-269. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004250. Epub 2022 Aug 24. PMID: 36026487.
- Saeterbakken AH, van den Tillaar R, Fimland MS. Comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength for three chest press exercises with different stability requirements. J Sports Sci. 2011 Mar;29(5):533-8. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2010.543916. PMID: 21225489.
- Muyor JM, Rodríguez-Ridao D, Oliva-Lozano JM. Comparing Muscle Activity Between Horizontal Bench Press and Seated Chest Press Exercises Using Several Grips. J Hum Kinet. 2023 Apr 20;87:23-34. doi: 10.5114/jhk/161468. PMID: 37229415; PMCID: PMC10203828.
- Solstad TE, Andersen V, Shaw M, Hoel EM, Vonheim A, Saeterbakken AH. Comparison of Muscle Performance between Barbell Bench Press and Dumbbell Flyes in Resistance-Trained Men. J Sports Sci Med. 2020 Nov 19;19(4):645-651. PMID: 33239937; PMCID: PMC7675616.
- Teixeira LFM, Gomes WA, DA Silva JJ, Magalhaes RA, Marchetti PH. Differences Between Pullover and Pulldown Exercises on Maximal Isometric Force and Myoelectric Activity in Recreationally Trained Men. Int J Exerc Sci. 2022 Jun 1;15(4):797-807. doi: 10.70252/SYAL7537. PMID: 35992501; PMCID: PMC9362894.
- Trebs AA, Brandenburg JP, Pitney WA. Electromyography analysis of 3 muscles surrounding the shoulder joint during chest compression exercise at several angles. J Power Cond Res. 2010 Jul;24(7):1925-30. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181ddfae7. PMID: 20512064.
Featured image: @simeonpanda on Instagram
