Isometric Chest Squeeze

Also known as: prayer press

Secondary muscles
Triceps, Delts
Body part
Chest
Position
Lying
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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Nothing moves during this one: with arms extended in front of you, you contract the pecs as hard as possible and hold the squeeze for time. That makes it usable anywhere with zero equipment, as a primer before pressing or a deload option, but the effort has to be near-maximal; a casual squeeze accomplishes nothing.

How to do the Isometric Chest Squeeze

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  2. Extend your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the ground, with your palms facing each other.
  3. Squeeze your chest muscles together as hard as you can, while keeping your arms straight.
  4. Hold this position for a few seconds, focusing on contracting your chest muscles.
  5. Release the squeeze and relax your chest muscles.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Imagine hugging a barrel rather than pushing a weight.

Muscles worked

Primary

Pectorals · Chest

On chest flies and cable crossovers the pecs pull the arms together in an arc and should feel a deep stretch at the bottom and a hard squeeze at the top.

Secondary

  • Triceps
  • Delts — Rear delt flies work the back of the shoulder as the arms swing wide, and the front delt assists on any chest fly.

Common mistakes

  • Elbows bending as you tire — this turns a fly into a press; set the elbow angle at the start and keep it constant for the whole set.
  • Going too heavy — flies are a stretch and squeeze movement, not a strength lift; you should be able to pause at the bottom without the shoulders rolling forward.
  • Stopping short of the stretch — let the arms open until you feel the chest or rear delts lengthen, then bring them back under control.
  • Not squeezing at the finish — the last few inches are where the muscle shortens most, so hold the contraction for a count before opening again.

Where it fits in a workout

Flies are an isolation movement for after the pressing or rowing is done. Pair a chest fly with a rear delt fly for a balanced superset.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without bodyweight

Easier and harder

When to talk to someone

  • Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
  • Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
  • Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

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More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.

Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.