Total Gym Chest Exercises

Watch trainers demonstrate Total Gym chest exercises, including chest presses, flys, push-ups and pullovers. Select an exercise to watch the movement, review the instructions and get a Pro Tip to help guide your form.

  • Total Gym wide grip chest press demonstration 0:12

    Chest Press Wide Grip

    Chest

    Setup: Lie on the glideboard and hold the handles with a wide grip.

    How to perform it: Press the handles away from your chest, extending your arms without locking your elbows. The wide-grip chest press targets the pectoral muscles, with the shoulders and triceps assisting the movement.

    Pro tip

    Lower until you feel the stretch across the chest, then drive back up. Depth is the point of going wide.

  • Total Gym chest fly demonstration 0:15

    Chest Flys

    Chest

    Setup: Lie on the glideboard and open your arms with a handle in each hand.

    How to perform it: Begin with your arms extended above your chest and open them outward in a controlled arc. Bring your arms back together to complete the repetition. Chest flys primarily target the pectoral muscles, with the shoulders helping control the movement.

    Pro tip

    Set the elbow angle at the start and do not change it. A fly that turns into a press has stopped being a fly.

  • Total Gym incline push up demonstration 0:15

    Incline Push Ups

    Chest & Core

    Setup: Place your hands on the board and maintain a straight body position.

    How to perform it: Lower your chest toward the support surface by bending your elbows, then press back to the starting position. Incline push-ups work the chest, triceps and shoulders while the core helps maintain body alignment. The difficulty depends on the setup and the amount of body weight being supported.

    Pro tip

    Brace like a plank before the first rep. The board punishes a sagging middle immediately.

  • Total Gym incline chest fly demonstration 0:11

    Incline Chest Fly

    Upper Chest

    Setup: Lie on the glideboard and sweep your arms together at an upward angle.

    How to perform it: Bring your arms together along an upward path, following the demonstrated incline setup. This fly variation targets the pectoral muscles, with the angle changing the emphasis compared with other chest fly movements. The shoulders also help control the arm path.

    Pro tip

    Bring the hands together over the collarbones, not the stomach. Where the hands meet decides which fibers work.

  • Total Gym dips with legs up demonstration 0:12

    Dips with Legs Up

    Lower Chest & Triceps

    Setup: Lift your legs while performing the demonstrated dip movement on the glideboard.

    How to perform it: Perform the dip using the setup shown in the demonstration, controlling the lowering and pressing phases of the movement. Dips primarily engage the triceps and can also involve the chest and shoulders. The leg position adds a further demand on body control.

    Pro tip

    Lean the chest slightly forward through the press. Staying bolt upright hands the work back to the triceps.

  • Total Gym single arm lateral chest fly demonstration 0:21

    Single Arm Lateral Chest Flys

    Chest & Core

    Setup: Lie on the glideboard and sweep one arm across the chest at a time.

    How to perform it: Move one arm across the chest against the cable resistance, then return to the starting position with control. Training one side at a time allows you to focus on each arm independently while your core helps stabilize your torso.

    Pro tip

    Match the arc on both sides. The weaker arm will want to shorten its sweep, and that is exactly the half worth doing fully.

  • Total Gym chest fly biceps curl overhead press combo demonstration 0:27

    Combo Chest Fly, Biceps Curl & Overhead Press

    Upper Body Combo

    Setup: Lie on the glideboard and perform three upper-body movements in sequence.

    How to perform it: Combine a chest fly, biceps curl and overhead press into one continuous exercise sequence. This combination works the chest, biceps and shoulders, allowing you to move between several upper-body movements in a single routine.

    Pro tip

    Finish each movement fully before starting the next. A blurred combo trains nothing well.

  • Total Gym decline chest fly demonstration 0:13

    Decline Chest Fly

    Lower Chest

    Setup: Lie head-down on the glideboard and sweep your arms together.

    How to perform it: Bring your arms together in a controlled arc using the demonstrated decline setup. The change in body angle alters the line of resistance compared with other chest fly variations. The movement primarily works the pectoral muscles, with the shoulders helping guide the arms.

    Pro tip

    Slow the opening half right down. The stretch under load is where the decline fly earns its place.

  • Total Gym pullover demonstration 0:16

    Pullovers

    Chest & Lats

    Setup: Lie on the glideboard and move your arms from overhead toward your hips.

    How to perform it: Sweep your arms from an overhead position toward your hips in a controlled arc. Pullovers involve the chest and latissimus dorsi, or lats, with the shoulders helping control the movement throughout the range.

    Pro tip

    Keep the arms long with just a soft elbow bend. Bending more turns it into a triceps exercise.

  • Total Gym Hug A Tree chest fly demonstration 0:12

    Hug A Tree

    Chest

    Setup: Sit on the glideboard and sweep your arms together in a wide arc.

    How to perform it: Bring your arms together in front of your body as if wrapping them around a large tree. This chest fly variation emphasizes horizontal arm movement and primarily targets the pectoral muscles, with the shoulders assisting the motion.

    Pro tip

    Imagine the tree is wider than your arms. Reaching around something keeps the elbows soft and the chest doing the hugging.

  • Total Gym chest stretch demonstration 0:21

    Chest Stretch

    Stretch & Recovery

    Setup: Sit on the glideboard and open your arms while holding the cables.

    How to perform it: Open your arms to create a gentle stretch across the chest, following the position demonstrated in the video. Keep the movement controlled and within a comfortable range. This exercise can be included in a warm-up or cooldown routine, depending on your needs and the guidance provided for your Total Gym model.

    Pro tip

    Breathe out as the arms open and let the stretch deepen on its own. Forcing range is the one mistake a stretch punishes.

How to Choose Total Gym Chest Exercises

The right Total Gym chest exercises depend on your training goals, current ability and the movements you can perform with proper form.

  • For chest pressing movements

    Chest Press Wide Grip and Incline Push Ups involve pressing movements that work the chest, with the shoulders and triceps assisting.

  • For chest fly variations

    Chest Flys, Incline Chest Fly, Decline Chest Fly, Single Arm Lateral Chest Flys and Hug A Tree use variations of an arm-sweeping movement to target the pectoral muscles.

  • For combined upper-body movements

    Combo Chest Fly, Biceps Curl & Overhead Press combines chest, arm and shoulder movements in one sequence.

  • For chest and lat engagement

    Pullovers involve the chest and latissimus dorsi, or lats, through a controlled overhead-to-downward arm movement.

  • For stretching

    Chest Stretch provides a controlled movement intended to stretch the chest muscles.

Choose exercises that suit your current fitness level and follow the instructions for your Total Gym model. Start with a manageable resistance level and prioritize controlled movement over speed or the number of repetitions.

Explore More Total Gym Exercises

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Got questions?

Total Gym Chest Exercise FAQs

What chest muscles can you work on a Total Gym?

Total Gym chest exercises primarily target the pectoral muscles. Depending on the movement, the shoulders and triceps also contribute, while exercises such as pullovers can engage the lats.

What is the difference between a chest press and a chest fly?

A chest press involves pushing the handles away from the body by extending the elbows. A chest fly uses a more arcing arm movement with the elbows slightly bent. Both work the chest but use different movement patterns.

Can beginners do chest exercises on a Total Gym?

Yes. Beginners can start with suitable exercises and a manageable resistance level, focusing on controlled movement and correct positioning. Choose variations appropriate to your ability and follow the equipment instructions.

Should you stretch your chest before or after a Total Gym workout?

A gentle chest stretch can be included in a warm-up or cooldown, depending on your routine. Before exercise, use movements appropriate for preparing to train; after exercise, stretch within a comfortable range without forcing the position.