Exercise for Chest

Barbell Bench Press Target Muscles:

Pectoralis major (mid chest).,Also used Anterior deltoids, Triceps.



Starting Position

Lie on your back on a flat bench, ideally with an attached barbell rack. If you have an excessive arch in your back, place your feet on the end of the bench or on a low step.

Hold the bar, with your hands just over shoulder-width apart, palms facing forwards.

Remove the bar from the barbell rack and position it directly over your chest with your arms fully extended (but not locked).



The Movement

Slowly lower the bar down to your chest. The bar should touch your upper chest just above your nipple line. Hold for a count of two.

Push the bar upwards in a slightly back­wards arc so that it ends up over your shoulders.



Tips

Keep your hips firmly on the bench. If you lift your hips to generate leverage, you will risk lower-back strain.

Do not arch your back as you push the bar upwards or you will reduce the amount of work done by the chest.

Do not bounce the bar off your chest or use the momentum of the weight to complete the repetition. Again, this reduces the amount of chest work and risks injury to the chest muscles.

Keep your palms facing forwards and your wrists straight.



Variations

Wide grip
Using a grip one and a half times shoulder­width apart places more emphasis on the pectorals (especially the outer part) and less on the triceps.

Narrow grip
Using a shoulder-width grip places more em­phasis on the triceps and the inner pectorals.

Machine
The press may be performed on a Smith machine or a chest press machine. This has the advantage of being safer and not requiring a spotter to pass you the bar. However, you are locked into a fixed, vertical plane of movement that does not accommodate the natural arc of the movement so that there is therefore less of a contribution from the accessory muscles. As a result the muscles gain less stimulation compared with a free-weight bench press.

Exercises for Chest umbbell Bench Press

Dumbbell Bench Press Target Muscles

Pectoralis major (mid chest),Also used Anterior deltoids, Triceps.



Dumbbell exercise like dumbbell bench press develops the chest equally well as the barbell bench press but allows a slightly greater range of motion, thus stimulating greater develop­ment. It requires more involvement of the stabiliser muscles to balance and control the dumbbells so you will probably need to use less weight.

Starting Position

Lie on your back on a flat or incline bench. If you have an excessive arch in your back, place your feet on the end of the bench.

Hold a pair of dumbbells, with your palms facing forwards and your arms fully extended, positioned over your shoulders.



The Movement

Slowly lower the dumbbells down to your armpit area.

Hold the position for a count of two; then press the dumbbells back to the starting position.



Tips

Keep your hips firmly on the bench throughout the movement.

Lower the dumbbells as far as you can, aiming for a maximum but comfortable stretch.

Keep the dumbbells over your chest area­ do not let them travel back towards your head.

Exercises for Chest : Incline Barbell Bench Press

Incline Barbell Bench Press Target Muscles

Pectoralis major (upper chest), Also used Anterior deltoids, Triceps, Pectoralis major.



Starting Position

Lie on an incline bench angled at 30-60° (the steeper the incline, the greater the stress on the upper pectorals and anterior deltoids). Ideally the bench should have an attached barbell rack.

Hold the bar with your hands shoulder­width apart, palms facing forwards. Remove the bar from the barbell rack so it is positioned directly over your collarbone with your arms fully extended.



The Movement

Bend your arms, allowing your elbows to travel out to the sides, and slowly lower the bar down to your chest.

The bar should just touch the upper part of your chest beneath your collarbone. Hold for a count of two.

Push the bar back to the starting position.



Tips

Do not arch your back as you push the bar upwards. This risks lower-back strain.

Do not bounce the bar off your chest or use the momentum of the weight to complete the repetition.

The higher you place the bar on your chest, the greater the work placed on the anterior deltoids rather than the upper chest.

Exercises for Chest :Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press Target Muscles

Pectoralis major (upper chest),Also used Anterior deltoids, Triceps, Pectoralis major.



Starting Position

Sit on an incline bench, angled at 30-60° (the steeper the incline, the greater the stress on the upper pectorals and anterior deltoids).

Pick up a dumbbell in each hand and place them on your thighs.

Lie on the bench, at the same time bringing the dumbbells to shoulder level. Your palms should face forwards.



The Movement

Press the dumbbells directly over your upper chest until your arms are fully extended. Hold for a count of two.

Lower the weights slowly until they are by your shoulders. You should achieve a! maximal but comfortable stretch.

Pause for a second before pressing them Upi agaIn.



Tips

Press the dumbbells in a straight line, not back over your head.

Do not set the angle of the bench too high otherwise the anterior deltoids will bel targeted and take much of the emphasisl away from the chest.

Exercises for Chest umbbell Flye

Dumbbell Flye Target Muscles

Pectoralis major (mid chest).
Also used Anterior deltoids, Pectoralis minor.



Starting Position

Lie on your back on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor. If you have an excessive arch in your back, place your feet on a step so that your knees are bent at 90°.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and hold them above your chest with your arms extended and palms facing each other. Bend your arms very slightly.



The Movement

Slowly lower the dumbbell out to your sides in a semi-circular arc. Keep your elbows locked in the slightly bent position throughout the range of motion.

When your upper arms reach shoulder level and you feel a strong stretch in your shoulders, return the dumbbells to the starting position, following the same arc. Do not pause at the bottom of the movement.



Tips

Maintain the slight bend in your elbows. Don't allow them to bend to 90° otherwise this turns the movement into a dumbbell press.

Do not allow your upper arms to go much below shoulder level as this could place excessive stress on the shoulder joints and risk muscle or tendon tears.



Variations

Incline flye
Performing flyes on an incline bench set at 30-45° increases the stress placed on the upper chest and anterior deltoids. It is therefore particularly good for developing mass and thickness in the upper chest.

Exercises for Chest : Pec Dec Flye

Pec Dec Flye Target Muscles

Pectoralis major (mid chest).
Also used Anterior deltoids, Pectoralis minor.



Starting Position

Sit on the seat of the pec dec machine, ensuring your lower back is pressed against the back support and adjusting the seat height so that your elbows and shoulders are level with the bottom of the pads.

Place your forearms against the pads. Check that your shoulders and elbows make a horizontal line.



The Movement

Move the pads towards each other until they just touch in front of your chest.

Hold for a count of two; then slowly return the pads to the starting position.



Tips

Contract your pectorals hard at the mid­ point.

Do not curl your shoulders forwards as you bring the pads together.

Move the pads in a smooth arc - do not jerk the pads together as this reduces the work on the pectorals.

Exercises for Chest : Cable Cross-over

Cable Cross-over Target Muscles

Pectoralis major (mid chest), Also used Anterior deltoids.



Starting Position

Attach the handles to two overhead pulley machines.

Hold the handles, palms facing down, and
stand midway between the machines with your feet hip-width apart or with one foot in front of the other for balance. Your arms should be fully extended so you achieve a good stretch in your pectorals.

Bend forwards slightly from the waist and maintain this position throughout the exercise.



The Movement

Draw the handles towards each other in an arcing motion, aiming for a point approxi­mately 30 cm in front of your hips.

When the handles meet, squeeze your pectorals hard and hold for a count of two.

Slowly return the handles to the starting position.



Tips

Keep your back erect and elbows slightly bent (at 10-15°) throughout the movement.

Focus on using your chest muscles to perform the movement - do not curl your shoulders forwards as you bring the handles together.

You can vary the angle at which you pull the handles down to place emphasis on slightly different areas of the chest.