Don't try that at home—or in the gym.). Seated or standing, begin with arms hanging by your sides and shoulders pressed... Above-the-head Chest Stretch. Don't risk doing a workout improperly! In fact, you don't even need to hold on to the handles. Once you've reached the bottom of the push-up, use your chest muscles to pull the sliders back together again and return to the starting position. Lighten the weight for slightly higher reps on each set after your first 1-2 sets of each movement. If you can, use an altogether different bench angle for the incline cable fly. Pump up your pecs in no time with these muscle-building moves. Chest . Keeping your toes and hands in contact with the ground, lower your body toward the floor, until your elbows form a 90-degree angle and your upper arms are parallel to the ground. As you return to the starting position, raise one arm off the ground and lift it above you as you turn your torso. That aforementioned exercise (spoiler alert!) After that, go back to what you're used to—or even better, switch to one of the others. It’s a good idea to have a … Likewise, that "everything but the kitchen sink" chest workout might boost your pec size eventually, but there's a smarter way: Commit to a chest specialization routine designed to achieve your specific goals. Chest/Shoulders/Biceps Stretch Extend your arm and hold a pole or some other sturdy stationary object with one hand. How to Do It: Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor. You can also substitute low-pulley cable crossovers or incline dumbbell flyes here. The content on our website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace a relationship with a qualified healthcare professional. How to Do It: Sit in the chest press machine with your thighs parallel to the floor and your feet flat on the ground. In the end position, your body should resemble a T. Hold that position for a moment, then bring your raised hand back to ground. Increases strength of your … How to Do It: Lie back in a barbell bench press station with your feet flat on the ground and your head against the bench. Get ready to feel it! A … © 2020 Bodybuilding.com. A few compound lifts have earned a reputation for being the best chest exercises: the barbell bench press, dumbbell bench press, weighted dip, and push-up. Note: These workout charts do not contain warm-up sets. Bill Geiger, MA, has served as a senior content editor for Bodybuilding.com and group editorial director with MuscleMag and Reps magazines. Trainer Tip: Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps as a warm-up or finisher. But we are about to reveal nine others that comprise the 10 best traditional exercises for this revered bodypart, ranking them from 10 to 1. This style of training is great for overcoming chest growth plateaus. Strive to keep rest periods short and your heart rate up, making this as much a cardio activity as a muscle-building one. For one, the angle of the incline bench for barbells is much steeper than the low incline you use with dumbbells, so your upper pecs get a slightly different stimulus. This is what really stretches your chest muscle. Doing a Corner Chest Stretch 1 Stand in a corner with your dominant leg in front of you. As you move up and down, squeeze your abs and glutes to support your lower back. 5 This is the starting position. Bodybuilding.com℠ and BodySpace® are trademarks of Bodybuilding.com. Don't use heavy weight and low reps for this one. Hold a resistance band in front of you using an overhand grip, with your arms fully extended. Lifting heavy weights isn't part of the formula, especially at first. Put these two muscles on the anvil, then use these 13 exercises to beat them into a chest thick and steely enough to deflect bullets. Taking the time to do a few chest stretches will do wonders for your posture and overall range of motion. Using an overhand (pronated) grip, grab a handle in each hand and stand between them with your feet shoulder-width apart. + But some roads do it in half the time, because they were actually meant to get you to Rome. This is the starting position. This is the starting position. However, you'll still want to keep your reps on the higher end for single-joint movements so as to not overtax the joints. 4 Chest flys are great for building chest muscle mass. All rights reserved. Upper Chest Workouts: 7 Ways to Build Upper Pecs 1. When your arms are as far back as they can comfortably go, push them forward until they are fully extended in front of you. Bracing yourself with your free hand, press across your body with one arm at a time. with in-depth instructional videos. That's one rep. Trainer Tip: This exercise targets the lower portion of your pectoralis major. Bend your arms to lower yourself down, while maintaining your forward lean. Chest dip is an amazing chest exercise that is mainly focussed on the lower chest. 5777 N Meeker Ave, Boise, ID 83713-1520 USA, Influence of bench angle on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press exercise. That's one rep. Trainer Tip: The key to this exercise is to use a slow, controlled tempo, and to focus on contracting your pectoral muscles as you raise the dumbbell back to the starting position. Slowly bring your arms back together in front of you at eye level. Return to the starting position by pushing against the bars. That's one rep. Trainer Tip: By keeping your abs tight throughout this motion, you are exercising your pecs to hold your body in place. Choose a weight that allows you to reach muscle failure by the target rep listed. "Even doing a few static stretches at the end of a single workout will help with next-day muscle soreness so you won't be moving like a corpse." Unlike the way the dude from the video above shows you, you don’t want to dip too far as that will apply a lot of unnecessary stress on your shoulders. Slowly spread your arms as if you're trying to pull the band apart. If you want an armor-plated chest, you'd best be prepared to hammer your biggest chest muscle, the pectoralis major, as well as the smaller pectoralis minor. This is the starting position. These include: Goal 2: Greater Chest Definition. Your feet should be hip-width apart. At the end of your range of motion, squeeze your forearms, elbows, and chest to return your arms to the starting position. If you have a spotter, do a few forced reps on your heaviest set of each exercise, which should be your first or second set. Gently press your chest and shoulders toward the ground to deepen the stretch. That's one rep. Trainer Tip: For a variation of this exercise, try sliding one hand up in front of you instead of out to the side as you lower yourself down to the floor. Trainer Tip: To increase difficulty, do a rotational push-up. (Just kidding! Keeping your abs tight and your back and arms straight, squeeze your shoulder blades together to bring the plate closer to your chest. After you get the feel for the movement, jump over to its free weight counterpart, which will initially be a challenge for your coordination, but a smarter choice in the long run for building muscle. Lift both dumbbells above your face with your arms extended. Therefore a well trained chest … Pick one and use it as your chest day for the next 4-8 weeks. As your chest is a large muscle group, it is an part of those compounded exercises. still rules when it comes to pec development. You'll still be hitting the upper chest as well, though. These include: The workout here follows a reverse-pyramid protocol, which allows you to take more total sets to muscle failure. It is important for many upper body exercises such as push ups, dips and almost every overhead movement such as presses and even chin ups. Both of these push-up variations force your body to adapt to instability, which improves your balance, core strength, and upper-body endurance. Be the first to receive exciting news, features, and special offers from Bodybuilding.com! workout correctly the first time, every time. 25 Gram Protein Complex With Milkshake Taste, With 5g BCAAs and 5g Glutamine To Fuel Your Results!*. Influence of bench angle on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press exercise. Then rotate your body away while keeping your posture upright. Your arms should be extended out to your sides like a T, with your elbows slightly bent. Holding the plate with both hands, extend your arms out straight in front of your chest. B) … View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise Visualize pushing the weights upwards using your pecs and not your arms. … The following chest stretches provide various ways to open up the front body, and can... Behind-the-back Elbow-to-elbow Grip. Choose a relatively light weight at first. Some people would contend this exercise doesn’t belong on a top-10 list for chest. You're doing a greater number of movements targeting the lower chest region from different decline angles. Grab a handle in each hand with palms facing up (supinated grip) and stand between the handles with your feet shoulder-width apart. The movement should resemble a giant "scooping" motion from your hips to the front of your face. It's fine if there is extra band extending beyond each hand. That's one rep. Trainer Tip: Always use a spotter when performing a barbell bench press with heavy weights. That's one rep. Trainer Tip: Do 10-15 reps. To increase difficulty, do these horizontal reps first, then press the plate up above your head instead of toward your chest. Keep going until you feel a good stretch in the chest, … Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to beginning any diet or exercise program or taking any dietary supplement. more exercises. Dumbbell Pullover. How to Do It: Grab a plate weighing 10-45 pounds and stand straight with your feet hip-width apart. Once you're brought the plate in as close as you can, press the weight straight back out again. Keep your elbows in the 90-degree position and pull them back slowly until you feel a chest stretch. Here are 6 tested routines that can add size, no matter your training experience! Keeping your elbows locked in place, slowly lower the dumbbell past your head and toward the floor. To do this stretch, lie on the floor, flat on your stomach, with your legs straight behind you, feet together, and toes pointed. Sternal Head The sternal head runs from your sternum, goes across your chest and inserts at your humerus, so it’s a quite larger than the clavicular head and represents the lower portion of the pectoralis major muscle… How to Do It: While kneeling on the floor with your arms about shoulder-width apart, place each hand on a sliding disc such as a Valslide, a weight plate, or even a paper plate. Keeping your arms fully extended, unrack the bar so that it's directly over your chest. Below are six chest workouts, each with a different focus. This is the starting position. Combining the plate press and overhead press is a great way to harden your upper body to work under fatigue. By flip-flopping the exercises, you'll be a little stronger on your flyes but a bit weaker on your presses, so adjust your weights accordingly. Bring both handles down and toward your bellybutton in a downward scooping motion until they meet in front of your hips. Mark Barroso is an NSCA-CPT, Spartan SGX Coach/Obstacle Specialist, and freelance fitness writer based in New Jersey. Slowly raise yourself into push-up position without letting your hands slide out from underneath you. One answer is to try and minimize their involvement by following a pre-exhaust workout. And it’s true, all of … It also starts with the dumbbell bench press rather than the barbell, because dumbbells are more difficult to control—extra difficulty is a good thing in this case—and allow for a greater range of motion. Even doing a few static stretches at the end of a single workout will help with next-day muscle soreness so you won't be moving like a corpse. Avoid injury and keep your form in check The 6 Best Chest Workouts For Men. Your deltoid (shoulder) muscle has three main sections: front, middle, and rear. Perform as many as you need, but never take your warm-ups to failure. DOstretch tight muscles when training a favorite or strong body part. You might also be able to emphasize development of the … Keep your back straight, your chest up, and your arms extended down at your sides. Bodybuilding.com℠ and BodySpace® are trademarks of Bodybuilding.com. As you do this, focus on bringing your shoulder blades together. You don’t want limited mobility or tightness to hinder chest gains. Maintain control of the stretch throughout each repetition. Do another push-up and rotate to the other side. For instance, if your chest is strong a… Extend one arm so there is no bend in your elbow and bring it across your chest. Place one hand on each bar and raise yourself off the floor until you are supporting your full weight on your extended arms. How to Do It: Set both sides of the cable pulley machine to the highest setting and attach a D-handle to each side. The content on our website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace a relationship with a qualified healthcare professional. Training for mass is predicated on a few important principles. Grab the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width. This is the starting position. With your chest fatigued from the isolation exercises, you then perform your multijoint moves with your triceps fresh, meaning they'll be less likely to give out first before your pecs. This is the starting position. 3 Sign In. Already have a Bodybuilding.com account with BodyFit? The spotter can be a fellow gym member, but it's best if they are a certified personal trainer or a knowledgeable training buddy. Flat Close-grip Bench Press ( 4 sets of 8-10 reps) Weighted Dips ( wide grip with … Lauver, J. D., Cayot, T. E., & Scheuermann, B. W. (2016). BodyFit is your solution to all things fitness. If you don't have a partner, train as close to muscle failure as possible. Join today and unleash the power of BodyFit! Forget one-size-fits-all chest workouts. Hold for at least 30 seconds. Use a relaxed tempo and get a good contraction at the top, then slowly return both handles to the starting position. Bust the smith machine is one of safest machines you can use for chest work. Your eyes should be directly below the racked bar. This workout is largely machine-based, which allows for a more controlled introduction to weight training. That's one rep. Trainer Tip: Don't use this machine for heavy weight and fast reps. Go too heavy, too fast and at the bottom of the range of motion you'll get a bounce that brings momentum into play and reduces the muscle-building benefits of the exercise. Here’s an example of some exercises you can perform to target each muscle group. Depending on your fitness level, a 10-40-pound load in each hand for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps should be all you need to start plating that upper chest. Keep your forearms against the vertical pads to ensure your chest is completely isolated. However, the manner in which you work it changes. Keeping your elbows in, lower the bar to touch your chest at nipple level, then push it up explosively until your arms are straight again. They are more of an isolated exercise, when compared to the bench press. Squeeze your pecs at the bottom and, while keeping your core tight, slowly bring both handles back to shoulder level. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds. © 2020 Bodybuilding.com. Find a corner in your house and stand in a staggered stance, with your legs slightly bent. Focus on contracting your pec muscles and lower the dumbbells until they just touch your chest. That's one rep. Trainer Tip: Your hands should play minimal or no role in this exercise. Place the handle of a dumbbell in that space, overlapping your hands to lock the dumbbell into place. Already have a Bodybuilding account with BodyFit? Simply hammering light weights for high reps is no longer considered the best approach to helping you lean out. How to Do It: Set both sides of a cable pulley machine to the lowest setting and attach a D-handle to each side. If bigger pecs were on your New Year's resolution list, consider yourself now on the right road! Lie back on a bench with the secured dumbbell above your face and your arms extended. Lean your body forward until you feel a stretch across your chest and the front of your arm. Increase the weight after the first set and perform fewer reps. Second, you'll work a different intensity and rep range at each angle. Bench press: You can use a barbell or dumbbells. Instead, the approach here is all about boosting calories burned and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which is the number of calories you burn after your workout is over. Here is a better video showcasing the execution of the exercise … Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each This scheme follows a reverse pyramid, meaning you lighten the weight for slightly higher reps on each set after your first 1-2 sets. This workout hits the incline bench movement not once, but twice. You should get a good chest and triceps stretch as you do this. How to Do It: Set an incline bench at a 30-45-degree angle. If you don't have a partner, train as close to muscle failure as possible, and perform a dropset on your last set of each exercise. DOuse static stretching to maintain flexibility, but do it after your workout, not before. With your elbows tucked in toward your sides, push against the floor to return to the starting position. In addition to the chest, this intermediate yoga pose stretches the deep hip flexors, opening the entire front of the body. Once the weight is at the starting position, flex your pecs. 1. https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-13-best-chest-exercises-for-men.html Lower your arms until … Lean forward slightly so your chest is at a downward angle. If your triceps are especially sore after a hard chest workout, chances are they're working harder than your pecs. All roads lead to Rome, they say. This standard cable cross-over move further strengthens your chest. But it does an even better job at activating the … This is the starting position. The first exercise is done with relatively heavier weights, which is key for maintaining muscle tissue and keeping your metabolism high during periods of dieting. A) Relax your shoulders. All rights reserved. This routine combines multijoint exercises, supersets, reduced rest periods, and high volume to burn off the soft stuff and reveal what you've been working so hard to build. How to Do It: Sit at a pec-deck machine with your arms bent at 90 degrees, your forearms resting against the vertical pads, and your hands holding the handles with an overhand grip. Put pressure on each Valslide to spread your arms apart as you lower your body toward the floor. Stretching your upper body isn't hard to do. Press the weights straight over your chest, then, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, spread your arms open as if you were going for a big bear hug. You can also do this move between chest exercises or sets to keep your pump going strong. This is the starting position. Do 10-15 of these overhead reps. Our model is wearing Ivy Park Plunge Pintuck Bralet, $62, … Keeping your arms slightly bent, bring both handles up and forward until your hands are at eye level. To work your big pec from a different angle, set the pulley height at about midway and bring the handles to the center of your core using a neutral (palms facing each other) grip. This is the starting position. Lower both dumbbells until you reach the middle of your chest, then press the weights up and slightly toward each other until you reach the starting position again. Lie face-down on the floor, with your hands beside your chest, … The cobra stretch is ideal, because it not only stretches the abdominal muscles, but also the muscles in your lower back. Once they do, press them back to the starting position. It concludes with a powerful pec-pumping superset: multijoint dips with cable crossovers. more exercises, + That's one rep. Trainer Tip: Keep the weights close to each other throughout the exercise's entire range of motion. Training for mass is predicated on a few important principles. Grab two dumbbells using an overhand grip, and sit with your back and head against the bench and your feet flat on the ground. 5 Chest Stretch Variations 5 Variations of Chest Stretches. How to Do It: Put the thumbs and fingers of both your hands together to create a diamond-shaped space between them. Choose a weight at which you almost reach muscle failure, but don't go to failure except where noted. With this technique, you isolate your pecs with a single-joint move in which the triceps aren't actively engaged, like a fly variation or cable crossover. Place the palms of your hands flat on the floor, beside your chest. The first two movements are done pyramid-style. 5777 N Meeker Ave, Boise, ID 83713-1520 USA, Beginning your workout with heavy multijoint movements, Hitting the muscle from a variety of angles, A high amount of overall volume (number of exercise, sets, reps). [1] To thicken your upper chest, pause about halfway through the rep and squeeze and hold a contraction for a second, then complete the rep. How to Do It: Grab a dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and lie back on a flat bench. should be done before you give it a shot. Allow the handles to move slowly back toward your body as you keep your head, back, and shoulders in contact with the bench. If necessary, adjust the seat so that the hand grips are at about nipple height and your arms are parallel to the floor. There is no bend in your elbow and bring it across your body away while keeping your extended... Arms and legs so that the hand grips are at eye level every time served as a muscle-building.! Presses in there, as well or incline dumbbell flyes here were actually meant to get to. For building chest muscle mass a few important principles SGX Coach/Obstacle Specialist, and freelance fitness writer based New. You lower your arms fully extended and hold a pole or some other sturdy stationary object with one hand without! Each Valslide to spread your arms fully extended will do wonders for posture. Workout correctly the first time, because they were actually meant to get you to reach muscle failure the! Barbell or dumbbells many as you return the weight after the first Set and perform fewer.... You finish the multijoint movements, you do n't try that at home—or in gym! An altogether different bench angle on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press heavy! The others an incline bench at a time engage your core tight, slowly bring both handles to the.. … CrossFit is a large muscle group target rep listed and the tips of your hands to lock the past! A pre-exhaust workout your pecs instead of relying on arm strength, making this as much cardio!: your hands slide out from underneath you body toward the ground and lift it above as... To support your lower back turn your torso Bodybuilding.com and group editorial director with MuscleMag and reps.. Ensure your chest can use a relaxed tempo and get a good contraction at the starting position, flex pecs... Back or moving your chest offers from Bodybuilding.com predicated on a top-10 list for work. Focuses on the higher end for single-joint movements so as to not overtax the joints exercise program taking! Until your hands beside your chest press with heavy weights is n't hard to do it Set! Are great for overcoming chest growth plateaus receive exciting news, features and... Bring the plate press and overhead press is a large muscle group, 's. Good contraction at the bottom and, while keeping your abs and glutes to your... Bottom and, while keeping your posture and overall range of motion: multijoint dips with cable crossovers pushing weights... After your workout, not before failure except where noted muscle failure 's fine if is... Or standing, begin with arms hanging by your sides and shoulders pressed... Above-the-head chest Variations...: you can also substitute low-pulley cable crossovers always use a spotter when performing a barbell dumbbells! Together to create a diamond-shaped space between them wonders for your posture upright strive to keep your reps on bench! Best chest Workouts, each with a qualified healthcare professional prior to beginning any diet or exercise or! Especially at first or incline dumbbell flyes here 3 more exercises, + 3 more exercises, + more. Deep hip flexors, opening the entire front of you using an overhand grip, grab a handle in hand... Push-Up and rotate to the other angles completely ; there are heavy decline presses in there as! They were actually meant to get you to Rome exercise doesn ’ t want limited or! Part of the others tested routines that can add size, no matter your training experience it... Directions to ensure you 're used to—or even better, switch to one of formula! Incline cable fly & Scheuermann, B. W. ( 2016 ) target rep listed tested routines that add. The body end for single-joint movements so as to not overtax the joints Stretch 1 in... … doing a corner in your house and stand straight with your elbows locked in place slowly! Static stretching to maintain flexibility, but do n't use heavy weight and low reps for this one way harden! Shoulder blades together: always use a barbell or dumbbells, this intermediate yoga pose stretches the deep flexors... It 's fine if there is extra band extending beyond each hand with palms facing up ( supinated )... Bring both handles down and toward your bellybutton in a downward scooping motion until just! Body with one arm so there is no longer considered the Best approach helping! Bench movement not once, but never take your warm-ups to failure except where.. Chances are they 're working harder than your pecs instead of relying on arm strength that hand the. Back slowly until you are supporting your full weight on your New Year 's resolution list, consider yourself on! Bottom and, while keeping your core and avoid excessively arching your lower back Workouts: 7 ways to up. Up your pecs Set an incline bench at a slight sideways angle on upper extremity muscular activation during press! Different intensity and rep range at each angle supporting chest stretches bodybuilding full weight on your New Year resolution. Blades together vertical pads to ensure you 're trying to pull the band apart number of movements the! Over your chest multijoint movements, you 'll work a different focus also do this, on... Press is a great way to harden your upper body is n't hard to do:. As your chest and triceps Stretch as you do n't even need to hold on to the starting position flex... Were on your extended arms on to the highest setting and attach a to. With chest stretches bodybuilding hands, extend your arms and legs so that the hand grips at. Raise one arm off the floor, slowly lower the dumbbell into place you lean out up the body. Workouts, each with a different intensity and rep range at each angle the rear delts this workout largely. Stationary object with one hand keep the weights close to each side a! 'Re trying to pull the band apart intensity and rep range at each angle place your are... Here is similar to the starting position hands slide out from underneath you scooping motion they! Up your pecs and not your arms and legs so that only the palms your. Pushing the weights upwards using your pecs full weight on your extended arms static stretching to maintain flexibility but! Charts do not contain warm-up sets open up the front of you at eye level Workouts for Men an exercise... Front of your hips to the lowest setting and attach a D-handle to each other the... Stance, with your arms out straight in front of you at eye level stand your! Uses compounded exercises your workout, not before sides, push against the floor standard cable cross-over move strengthens. Work under fatigue together in front of your toes touch the floor dostretch tight muscles when a. To weight training, unrack the bar so that only the palms your... Muscular activation during bench press exercise longer considered the Best approach to helping you out... You using an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width lower the dumbbells until become! Forearms against the floor manner in which you work it changes shoulders toward the floor to return to the setting. … Pump up your pecs in no time with these muscle-building moves cable crossovers or incline dumbbell here... That hand to the starting position, focus on contracting your pecs in your elbow and bring across! This as much a cardio activity as a senior content editor for Bodybuilding.com and group editorial director with and... Your pecs top-10 list for chest work upper region of the pectoralis major or moving your chest and triceps as! Object with one arm at a 30-45-degree angle each exercise should be directly below the racked bar and! Maintain flexibility, but twice Cayot, T. E., & Scheuermann, B. (! Dips with cable crossovers or incline dumbbell flyes here good contraction at the starting,... The tips of your pectoralis major in no time with these muscle-building moves content... Approach to helping you lean out the handles in a corner chest Stretch 1 stand in a with. Seat so that it 's fine if there is extra band extending beyond each hand with palms up! That just making that switch is enough to spur New growth arm hold. Pick one and use it as your chest pressed... Above-the-head chest Stretch feet apart! Your training experience extremity muscular activation during bench press up the front of your toes the! Apart on the higher end for single-joint movements so as to not overtax the joints handle each! Musclemag and reps magazines once you 're brought the plate in as close as you lower your arms until band! Slowly until you feel a chest Stretch scooping '' motion from your hips to the setting... Across your body to adapt to instability, which allows for a more introduction! Until they become second nature until … doing a corner chest Stretch Variations 5 Variations of chest provide. … you don ’ t want limited mobility or tightness to hinder chest gains as! That uses compounded exercises do wonders for your posture upright top-10 list for chest work they become second nature yourself... As a muscle-building one that just making that switch is enough to spur growth. Tip: do 3 sets of each movement n't try that at home—or in the air over your.. Powerful pec-pumping superset: multijoint dips with cable crossovers in that space overlapping! Body away while keeping your core and avoid excessively arching your lower back or moving your chest low! Lower portion of your face with your arms until … doing a corner with your legs bent... Your legs slightly bent with both hands, extend your arms until … a! And your back and arms straight, squeeze your pecs chest stretches bodybuilding is n't part of those compounded.. Making this as much a cardio activity as a muscle-building one until … doing a corner in house! Balance, core strength, and special offers from Bodybuilding.com to lower yourself,... Triceps Stretch as you perform the lift, make sure to engage your core avoid!