Chest Exercises
The chest is made of two main muscles – the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is on top of the pectoralis minor and is responsible for the appearance of the upper chest between the shoulders. Second only to biceps, the chest is the most impressive feature on a well-sculpted man. And women should not feel left out because strong pectoral muscles can help create a perky bust line. Typically, men are built to be stronger in the upper body so it is easier for them to focus on shaping, sculpting, and strengthening their pectoral muscles. This is one reason men excel in contact sports like football and rugby that rely on a lot of shoving. Women can also benefit from strengthen pectoral muscles is they play tennis or swim.
All day, people from all walks of life are engaging their pectoral muscles. Whatever you do that calls for pushing something – a stroller, shopping cart, mail trolley, or lawn mower – engages the pectoral muscles. Even sitting and typing on a computer engages your chest muscles at a low level. This results in hunched shoulders, which are not attractive.
When you are training to build up larger pectoral muscles, do not neglect to train your back and triceps. Failure to do so will result in an unbalanced appearance and unnecessary strain on your back. It is never attractive or healthy to focus so narrowly on a single muscle group that it grows out of proportion to the rest of your body.
Workout-X® has more than 90 different chest exercises to choose from. It is likely though, that serious body builders and strength trainers will always include a bench press in their regular workout rotations because it truly is the gold standard for strengthening the pectoral muscles. Sure, there are different variations to mix it up a little, like placing your hands closer on the barbell (to focus on the triceps) or wider (to narrow focus onto just the pectorals), but the main grip used is a middle distance one that allows you to take advantage of the power in your pectorals, triceps, and shoulders. The key to an effective chest exercise is to make sure you are incorporating the triceps and shoulders so the pectoral muscles do not get overly stressed.
Like with any exercise, when you are working on your chest exercises, form is important. Sloppy form can, at the least, make you appear uneven, or at worst, be dangerous and result in injury. Always take a moment to assess your body positioning before you lift any barbells or dumbbells and start your training. Consider using dumbbells for your flyes and bench presses to make sure your stronger side is not compensating for your weaker side.
