How to improve chest muscles: Chest Exercises?
The chest muscles come in the upper body, it is one of the important and common muscle groups available in two major muscle groups. Chest muscles most of the people like train and target to pump up, and it is where we feel the first improvement in muscle growths and most people like to do mostly the chest workout.
The chest muscle is one of the most attractive muscles in men’s personality, it gives a perfect shape and size to your body and builds confidence, and motivates yourself or others towards the gym or in the bodybuilding field.
The Chest workout plan You need to decide based on the area you are targeting and the particular muscles you need to pump out.
Chest Anatomy
The chest divided into three parts.
1. Upper chest
The upper part of the chest muscle which connected to armpit and shoulder, and gives strength to the chest by the support of the shoulder joint.
2. Middle chest
The middle chest is supported by the upper and lower chest, it is connected slightly to lats muscle by side.
3. Lower chest
The lower chest is connected by to middle chest and slightly to lats muscles.
MUSCLES GROUPS IN CHEST
Pectoralis major
The dominant muscle in the upper chest and a major portion of the upper chest is a pectoralis major. This we can see in large fan-shaped muscle stretches from the armpit up to the collarbone.
The pectoralis major in down across the lower chest region on both sides of the chest. The two sides connect at the sternum or breastbone.
The pectoralis major connected with shoulders joints, and moves each joint in four distinct directions, it also helps to keeps the arms attached to the body. Injury occurrence is very rare to this muscle, but symptoms of pain include due to stretch of heavyweight.
Parts Of Pectoralis Major
1. Clavicular head
2. Sternal head
3. Abdominal head
Pectoralis Minor
The pectoralis minor is the underneath of the pectoralis major. This is a thin triangle-shaped muscle. The pectoralis minor provides strength to chest muscles.
Best Chest Workout Routine
Professional bodybuilding wisdom tells us that we can’t build muscle and lose fat at the same time.
For beginners, it is much important to separate your goals into two separate phases of the training process.
One workout plan for fat loss, which includes low-weight exercises with more reps performed, and the important fact to be noticed in low weight exercises muscles should get fatigued with no muscle damage.
Second plan to be the completion of heavyweight exercises with fewer reps. This will help you to build up muscles faster in rate.
You should have a chest workout plan twice a week, and a minimum of 6 exercises should be included one day.
The top best exercise for chest
Barbell Bench Press
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1. Chest
Secondary muscles
1. Lats
2. Shoulder
3. Triceps
How to do it:
1. Lie back on a flat bench, using medium width grip, a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms.
2. Lift the bar from the rack, hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be a starting position.
3. From the starting position, inhale, and begin the bar bring down slowly until the bar touches your middle chest.
4. Hold this position for a movement, push the bar back to starting position and exhale. (Note when pushing back to starting position using your chest muscles.)
5. When it reaches starting position hold for a movement, squeeze chest muscles, and hold the contracted position.
6. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
7. When it finished, place the bar on the rack.
Barbell Incline Bench Press
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1. Shoulder
2. Triceps
How to do it:
1. Load the bar to an appropriate weight for your training. Sit down on the incline bench, rest the back on the bench.
2. When you laid on the bench ensuring that your feet flat on the ground driving through to your hips, your back should be arched and your shoulder blades retracted.
3. Take a medium and pronated grip covering the ring bar, take the bar out from the rack, holding the weight above your chest with your arms extended. This will be your starting position.
4. Slowly lower the bar to the sternum by flexing the elbows. Maintain the control and do not bounce the bar off of your chest ( ensuring that your lats should stay tight and elbows drawn in).
5. After touching the bar to your torso with the bar, hold for a movement, then extend the elbow to return the starting position.
6. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
7. When it finished, place the bar on the rack.
Barbell Decline Bench Press
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1. Shoulder
2. Triceps
How to do it:
1. Sit down on the decline bench press, secure your leg at the end of the decline bench, and slowly lay down on the bench to the back resting position.
2. Using the medium width grip (that creates a 90 degrees angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and upper arms) this will be your starting position.
3. Inhale, bring barbell slowly down until you feel the bar is on your lower chest.
4. After a second pause, push the bar at the starting position, exhale.
5. When it reaches starting position hold for a movement, Lock your arms, squeeze chest muscles and hold the contracted position.
6. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
7. When it finished, place the bar on the rack.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1.Shoulder
2.Triceps
How to do it:
1. Lie down on the flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting on the top of your thighs.
2. The position of the dumbbell should be like your palm are facing each other.
3. Using your thighs to help raise dumbbells up.
4. Hold the dumbbells at your shoulder width with maintaining 90degrees angle upper arms with forearms.
5. Now rotate your wrists forwards so that the palms are facing away from you. Be sure to maintain full control of the dumbbells at all times. this will be your starting position.
6. Exhale, use your chest to push dumbbells up, lock your arms at the top of the lift, squeeze your chest, and hold for a second.
7. Inhale, and bring slowly down to starting position.
8. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
9. Give at least 30-second break, for recovery damaged muscles.
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1.Shoulder
2.Triceps
How to do it:
1. Lie back on an incline bench press with a dumbbell in each hand atop of thighs. The palm of your hand will be facing each other.
2. Push up the dumbbell with the help of using thighs, hold both at the shoulder width.
3. Now rotate your wrists forwards so that the palms of your hand are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
4. Be sure and keep full control of the dumbbells at all times.
5. Exhale, push the dumbbells up with your chest.
6. Lock your arms at the top, hold for a second, inhale, then start lowering dumbbells slowly at the starting position.
7. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
8. Give at least a 30-second break, for recovery of damaged muscles.
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1.Shoulder
2.Triceps
How to do it:
1. Sit down on the decline bench press, secure your leg at the end of the decline bench, and slowly lay down on the bench with holding dumbbells in each hand on the top of your thighs.
2. The palms of your hand will be facing each other, once you are laying down, move the dumbbell to your shoulder width.
3. Then rotate wrists forwards, so that palms of your hand are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
4. Keep the full control of the dumbbells at all the time. (Ensuing throughout the motion, the forearms should always be perpendicular to the floor)
5. Exhale, push the dumbbells up using your pectoral muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest and hold for a second.
6. Inhale, After a second pause, bring down the shoulder slowly at the starting position.
7. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
8. Give at least a 30-second break, for recovery of damaged muscles.
Dumbbell Flyes
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1.Shoulder
2.Triceps
How to do it:
1. Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each hand resting on the top of your thighs.
2. Then, using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width with the palms facing each other.
3. Raise the dumbbells up like you are pressing them, and hold this position, this is your starting position.
4. With the slight bend of elbows in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon. inhale, lower your arms out at both sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest. (Ensuring that throughout the movement, the arms should remain stationary, the movement should occur at the shoulder joint).
5. Exhale, return your arms back to starting position as you squeeze your chest muscles.
6. Hold the same for a second at the contracted position.
7. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
8. Give at least a 30-second break, for recovery of damaged muscles.
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1.Shoulder
2.Triceps
How to do it:
1. Hold the dumbbells on each hand, lie down on an incline bench that is set to an angle of no more than 30 degrees.
2. Extend your arms above you with a slight bend at the elbows.
3. Now rotate the wrists so that your palms of your hand facing you. This will be your starting position (ensuring that the pinky fingers should be next to each other).
3. Inhale, start slowly lower the arms to the side while the keeping arms extended and while rotating the wrist until the palms of the hand are facing each other. (Ensuring that at the end of the movements the arms will be your side with palms facing the ceiling).
5. Exhale, start to bring the dumbbells up to the starting position.
6. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
7. Give at least a 30-second break, for recovery of damaged muscles.
Decline dumbbell flyes
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1.Shoulder
2.Triceps
How to do it:
1. Sit down on the decline bench press, secure your leg at the end of the decline bench, and slowly lay down on the bench with holding dumbbells in each hand on the top of your thighs.
2. The palms of your hand will be facing each other, once you are laying down, move the dumbbell to your shoulder width.
3. Keep the arms perpendicular to the floor and fully extended. This will be your starting position.
4. With the slight bend on your elbow in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon, lower your arms out both sides in a wide arc until you feel stretch on the tour chest.(ensuring that throughout the movement, the arms should remain stationary, the movement should occur at shoulder joint).
5. Inhale, while you performing this portion of the movement.
6. Exhale, return your arms back to starting position as you squeeze your chest muscles.
7. Hold the contracted position for a second.
8. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
9. Give at least a 30-second break, for recovery of damaged muscles.
Flat bench cable flyers
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1.Lats
2.Shoulder
3.Triceps
How to do it:
1. Position a flat bench between two low pulleys so that when you are laying on it, your chest will be lined up with cable pulleys.
2. Lie down on the flat bench, keep your feet on the ground.
3. Have someone hand you the handles on each of your hands.
4. You will grab each single handle attachment with palms up grip.
5. Extend your arms by your side with the slight bend on your elbows.( Ensure that this bend constant through the whole movement, your arms should be parallel to the floor) this will be your starting position.
6. Now start lifting the arms in a semi-circle motion directly in front of you by pulling together, until both hands meet at the top of the movement.
7. Squeeze your chest as you perform this motion and breathe out during the movement, hold the contraction for a second at the top. (ensure that at the top position this movement, your arms should be perpendicular to your torso).
8. Slowly come back to the starting position.
9. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
10. Give at least a 30-second break, for recovery of damaged muscles.
Incline Cable Flyes
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1.Shoulder
2.Triceps
How to do it:
1. To get yourself into the starting position, set the pulleys at the floor level or lowest level possible on the machine that is below your torso.
2. Position an incline bench (set at 45 degrees) between two pulleys. Select a weight on each one and grab a pulley on each hand.
3. With a handle on each hand, lie on the incline bench and bring your hand together at arm’s length in front of your face. This will be your starting position.
4. With the slight bend of your elbow( in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon ) lower your hand both sides in a wide arc until you feel stretch on your chest. breathe in as you perform this portion of movement…(ensuring that throughout the movement, the arms should remain stationary, the movement should occur at shoulder joint).
5. Return your arms back to the starting position as you squeeze your chest muscles and exhale.
6. Hold the contracted position for a second.
7. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
8. Give at least a 30-second break, for recovery of damaged muscles.
Cable Crossover
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1.Shoulder
2.Triceps
How to do it:
1. To get yourself into the starting position, place the pulleys on the high position( above of your head), select the resistance to be used and hold the pulleys in each hand.
2. Step forward in the front of an imaginary straight line between both pulleys while pulling your arms together in front of you. Your torso should have a small forward bend from the waist. This will be your starting position.
3. With the slight bend of your elbow( in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon) extend your arms to the side(straight out both sides) in a wide arc until you feel stretch on your chest. breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.(ensuring that throughout the movement, the arms should remain stationary, the movement should occur at shoulder joint).
4. Return your arms back to the starting position as you breathe out. Make sure the same arc of motion used to the lower weight.
5. Hold for a second at the stretching position.
6. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
7. Give at least a 30-second break, for recovery of damaged muscles.
Low Cable Crossover
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1.Shoulder
2.Triceps
How to do it:
1. To move the starting position, place the pulleys at the low position, select the resistance to be used, and grasp a handle in each hand.
2. Step forward, gaining the tension in the pulleys. Your palms should be facing forward, hands below the waist, and your arms straight. This will be your starting position.
3. With the slight bend in your arms, draw your hand s upward and toward the middle of your body. Your hands should come together in front of your chest, palms facing up.
4. Return your arms back to the starting position after a hold in a second.
5. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
6. Give at least a 30-second break, for recovery of damaged muscles.
Butterfly
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1. Back
2.Shoulder
How to do it:
1. Sit on the machine with your back flat on the pad.
2. Take hold of the handle, ensure that your arms should be positioned parallel to the floor, adjust the machine accordingly. This will be your starting position.
3. Push the handles together slowly as you squeeze your chest in the middle. Breathe out during performing this movement and hold the contraction for a second.
4. Inhale, and return to the back at starting position slowly until your chest muscles are fully stretched.
5. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
6. Give at least 30-second break, for recovery damaged muscles.
Pec Deck Flyes
Muscles targets:
Primary muscles
1.Chest
Secondary muscles
1. Shoulder
How to do it:
1. Sit on the machine’s seat and press your elbow into the pads, relaxing your forearms and wrists. This will be a starting position.
2. Inhale, and force the pads together until they touch in front of your chest.
3. Exhale, and slowly return to starting position.
4. Repeat the sequence for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
5. Give at least a 30-second break, for recovery of damaged muscles.
Dumbbell Pullovers
