Reverse Grip vs. Regular Grip Chest Press

Same basic movement. Different grip. Different emphasis.

Both variations are great for building upper-body strength—but changing your grip can shift which muscles are doing more of the work.

REGULAR CHEST PRESS

Palms face forward with elbows angled slightly away from the body.

🔥 Primary muscles worked:

• Pectoralis major — your main chest muscle

• Anterior deltoids — front of the shoulders

• Triceps — back of the arms

Benefits:

✔️ Great overall chest builder

✔️ Allows you to press heavier loads

✔️ Builds pushing strength

✔️ Targets the mid/lower fibers of the chest well

REVERSE GRIP CHEST PRESS

Palms face toward you with your elbows naturally staying closer to your sides.

🔥 Primary muscles worked:

• Pectoralis major

• Upper/clavicular fibers of the chest

• Triceps

• Anterior deltoids

Why try the reverse grip?

✨ More upper-chest emphasis — Research suggests a reverse grip can increase activation of the upper portion of the pec compared with a traditional grip.

✨ Different stimulus — Changing your grip challenges familiar muscles in a new way without needing a completely different exercise.

✨ Elbows stay more tucked — The reverse grip naturally encourages the elbows to travel closer to the torso rather than flaring wide.

✨ Great for variety — You don’t always need a new move to create a new challenge. Sometimes a small change in grip is enough!

FORM TIP 👇

For a reverse-grip dumbbell chest press, keep your wrists stacked over your elbows and your elbows relatively close to your sides. Lower with control, then press the dumbbells up while maintaining the palms-toward-you grip.

Neither version is necessarily “better.” The regular chest press is a fantastic overall chest-strength exercise, while the reverse grip is a great variation when you want to change the stimulus and put a little more emphasis on the upper chest.

Try both in this weeks TOTW “Who’s With Me” and let us know which grip you prefer!! 💪

Find a class at www.surge-fit.com/find-a-class