Three Accessory Lifts For Building A Bigger Chest and Bigger Arms

In the world of strength training, the Bench Press is often the first lift men seek out, with the main goal of building a broader, bigger chest and veiny, defined arms. Once the Bench Press has inevitably tapered and even plateaued, there are a few options that can offer you the most 'bang for your buck' to get you to the next level. Those three lifts are the Decline Close-Grip Bench Press, Incline Bench Press, and Weighted Dips. These lifts are often overshadowed by their more popular counterparts. However, each of these exercises plays a vital role in developing upper body strength, specifically targeting the triceps, chest, and shoulders. It’s crucial to analyze their effectiveness and understand why they deserve a place in your training regimen.

The Decline Close Grip Bench Press

The Decline Close-Grip Bench Press

The decline close grip bench press is an underrated gem in the realm of pressing movements. This exercise emphasizes the triceps while also engaging the lower portion of the pectoral muscles. By positioning the body on a decline, we shift the focus away from the shoulder joint, allowing for a more concentrated effort on the triceps. Too many lifters skip the decline close-grip bench because it’s awkward on most racks and “feels weird,” but that odd angle delivers a mechanical advantage for your triceps and lower pecs that flat pressing can’t match. By shortening the pecs just enough, the decline position shifts more of the load onto your triceps without turning your shoulders into protestors. If your flat close-grip bench stalls in mid-range, this variation will expose and eradicate that weak zone, setting you up to rip through lockouts on every pressing movement.

The Incline Bench Press

The incline bench press is another powerful tool in the strength athlete's arsenal. By adjusting the bench to an incline, we shift the focus to the upper chest and shoulders, promoting balanced muscle development. Mistakenly, this lift is often relegated to warm-up status with light weights and high reps. Treat it like a main lift instead, loaded heavy for controlled, full-range reps, and it becomes a crucible for shoulder stability and upper-pec contribution. You’ll forge rigid scapular control and teach your anterior delts and clavicular fibers to carry real weight uphill—skills that translate directly into a stronger flat bench and a more confident overhead press. Skip the half-hearted approach and incline bench will reward you with a rock-solid pressing foundation.

Weighted Dips

Weighted Dips are a compound exercise that should not be overlooked. They are perhaps one of the most effective movements for building triceps and chest strength simultaneously. Bodyweight alone is capable of humbling you; add plates to the equation and Dips become an endlessly scalable tool for building lockout strength, thickness through the pecs, and sleeves-ripping triceps. No other assistance lift feeds your pressing groove so directly or enforces the depth and control you need to press like a machine.

A Bigger Chest and Arms

Stack these three lifts in your program and you’re not juggling extra fluff—you’re wielding three precision tools that reinforce each other. The decline close-grip bench shreds weak lockouts, the incline press locks in your pressing cradle, and weighted dips deliver raw mass and groove repetition. Ignore any one of them and you leave a glaring hole in your pressing chain. Use all three with purpose, progression, and respect, and you’ll build a bigger chest and set of arms that doesn’t just look strong—they actually performs under the bar.