Bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor, feeling a deep stretch as you lower. Keep your elbows from flaring away from your body as you push back up explosively.

Drive your shoulders into the bench, then squeeze your glutes and abs to lift your torso up. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees with your feet flat on the ground. Press the ...

Chest flies are another great exercise to add to your routine. The version I prefer is the floor dumbbell chest fly and also the banded single-handed ones.

Trainer Charlee Atkins, C.S.C.S. understands that not everyone knows how to loosen up their chest soreness, even though that tightness could wind up restricting most comfortable upper body movement.

To increase the stretch, lower your head behind you, stretching through your throat and the front of your chest even more. Hold for 30 seconds, and repeat.

Dumbbell chest flies may help strengthen arm and shoulder muscles and open up the chest muscles. Learn how to safely do this exercise on a flat bench, an incline bench, or with no bench.

So chest-opening exercises and stretches like this 10-minute, beginner-friendly, guided routine from East River Pilates instructor Brian Spencer can help you relieve pent-up chest tension.

Just because the dumbbell chest fly is simple, however, doesn't mean it's without subtleties. There's more to the movement than just kicking back on the bench and flapping away with a set of ...

For proper chest building, the stretch and contraction of the pectorals are important. Which is why one should try switching to a single arm cable or resistance band fly.

This variation, the cable fly mechanical drop set, from Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. is a perfectly punishing finishing touch to any chest routine.

Kneeling Chest Stretch Begin sitting on your heels. Lean back and place your palms flat on the floor, about eight to 10 inches behind you, with your fingertips pointing away from your body.