Get the Best From Your Chest

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Incline and Decline Bench Press

Though often ignored, these exercises focus on the upper and lower parts of the chest. Use a heavy weight and perform lower reps to add size.  Use a lighter weight and perform higher reps to add definition.  For a rough guideline you should be looking at 6-8 reps with a heavy weight and 12-15 reps with a lower weight. Make sure you are strict with yourself on rest time between sets to provide maximum results.  Aim for no more that 60 seconds when using a heavy weight and no more than 30 seconds when using a lightweight.

With the incline bench press, you’ll need to do the following: (1) lie flat on a bench with your feet firmly on the floor; (2) your shoulder blades should now be firmly pressed against the bench with your chest sticking up; (3) you should now grip the bar with your palms in the forward position and raise it with your arms extended out; (4) now lower the bar to within an inch of your chest; and (5) you should again lift the bar until your arms are completely extended.  Similar to the incline, the decline bench press can be performed as follows: (1) lie flat on a bench with your feet firmly on the floor; (2) now lift the dumbbells straight up; (3) while slightly bending your elbows, you should now lower the bells until they’re in an arc; and (4) you should now raise the bells along the same arc until you’re back into the starting position.  When performing either of these exercises, one thing to remember is that though they do work the chest muscles, they do NOT directly target the fat stored within them.  

Press Up Triangle  

Try this technique to add a new twist to the standard press up (pushup) exercise.  Get in standard Pressup/Pushup position and place your hands together forming a triangle (thumbs of each hand extended adjacent to the index finger). For each set of press ups you perform, you should allot yourself the same amount of time to rest (example: one rep = one second of rest).  After five sets of 15 reps you can take a 60 second break and then begin the entire procedure again.  After you’ve begun to master this exercise, try only a 30 second rest in between and work your way up to 25 reps within a total of three sets.  This form of exercise adds more burn to the triceps and can help to work all the muscles in the areas in-and-around the chest.  It can also put a lot of strain on your arms, which is why the breaks listed above are vital for maintaining good blood-flow while performing the procedure.  

Swiss Ball Press Up

Balance your feet on a Swiss ball making sure that your arms run straight down to the floor from your shoulders.  Perform a press up pausing for 2 seconds at the bottom of the maneuver.  This will work the upper part of your chest as well as strengthening your core with the added challenge of keeping your balance on the Swiss ball. Aim for 3 sets of 10 to start and work your way up to 4 sets of 15 to really feel the burn.  This exercise is great when performed at the end of your chest session, as it really will require every last ounce of strength for you to complete the exercise.  

Cable Crossovers

This exercise is performed by using a cable pulley machine (the pulley has handles at each end and the center of the machine is locked).  While in the standing position, you’ll take the pulley’s handles and form a “T” with your arms extended from your body.  Bend at the waist so that your upper body is parallel to the floor.  Gripping the cable handles with you palms facing down, and making sure that your elbows are bent, pull the handles down until they are in line with your shoulders.  This is the starting position. While exhaling, bring the handles down in front of your chest.  Pause for a second and then return to the starting position while drawing in a deep breath. Use a weight that allows you to complete 6-8 reps to add size and 12-15 reps for a more cut look. A common mistake when performing a cable cross over is that men perform the exercise standing up and looking forward.  The more upward your stance becomes the more your shoulder will come into play and thus your shoulders will actually reap most of the benefits.

Drop Sets

To finish things off, perform a drop set on the seated bench press machine at the end of you chest session once a week.  What weight you start with obviously depends on your ability but try and start with a weight that enables you to only perform one repetition.  Then immediately drop the weight to the next one down and perform as many repetitions as you can until failure.  Allow yourself no rest and keep dropping the weight until you are on the lightest weight. Once completed get a drink and make sure you do not work your chest again for at least 72 hours so that it can repair itself.  
              
As growth and definition develops it’s vitally important that you do not over train your chest.  Too much training can make your shoulders roll forward and inward due to the tension of the chest muscle fibers.  So make sure that if you are working your chest extensively that you put equal effort in to working your upper back to keep yourself proportioned - mainly trapezius and rhomboid muscles.

 

 

 

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