Chest Exercises

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The flat bench press is one of the most effective lifts when exercising the chest. However, you can not develop outstanding pectoral muscles on the bench press alone. With that said, here are some other very useful chest workouts that will help you to develop your pecs:

Flat bench press (regular old bench press):
1. The bench press will stimulate most of the pectoral muscles, as well as your triceps, biceps, and a small portion of your shoulders. In order to bench correctly, you must go, at the most, at least two inches from your chest when bringing the barbell down.

2. When lifting the barbell from your chest, arms must be fully extended. Also, your hands must be more than shoulder width apart by at least three inches on each side.

3. Also, when benching, just go slow and concentrate on good form (as you should with any lift).

Incline press:
1.The incline press will exercise the outside and bottom of your pectoral muscles, as well as your shoulders.

2. On an inclined bench, make sure your hands are spaced widely (a couple inches more than shoulder width apart on each side) on a barbell.

3. Extend the barbell above your head, making sure the bar is parellel to your chest.

Decline press:
1. The deline press will exercise the inside and middle/top of your pecs as well as your triceps.

2. On a decline bench, extend your arms upwards.

3. Keep the bar an inch or two above your chest before extending the bar upwards.

*You will be able to lift more weight on the decline press than on the incline press.

Flat dumbbell flies:
1. The flat dumbbell flies will exercise the inside of your chest and your biceps.

2.Laying down on a bench, take your dumbbells and start with arms extended, with the dumbbells touching.

3. Bring the dumbbells down until they are even with your chest (the whole time, keep your arms in a position as if they were hugging a large tree).

Sitting machine flies:
1. On a flies machine, set the handles so that your arms are reaching behind you at the starting position.

2. Keep your arms in a position as if you were hugging a large tree and bring your hands together until they touch.

Incline dumbbell press:
1. The incline dumbbell press will work the same muscles as a regular incline press.

2. On an incline bench, with one dumbell in each hand, extend both hands upwards until the dumbells are touching.

*This lift will help to stabilize your pectoral muscles.

Decline dumbbell press:
1. On a decline bench, with one dumbell in each hand, extend both hands upwards until the dumbells are touching.

*This will help to stabilize your pectoral muscles.

Squatting overhead chest extensions:
1. Squatting overheads will work the inside of your pecs, your lats, your triceps, and your shoulders.

2. Put your shoulder blades on a flat bench, with your feet on the floor (Do not straddle the bench like normal. Your body and the bench should be perpendicular like an upper case T, with your body sticking out away from the bench).

3. With your knees bent and you back arched, take a single dumbbell and extend it above your head (both hands on the top of the dumbbell).

4. Lower the dumbbell until you can feel the strain in your sides.

Guided one rep bench press (Very useful for increasing your max on bench!):

1. On a guided flat bench press, start with the barbell resting on the stops so that it is about an inch from your chest.

2. With the bar starting at your chest, simply push the bar up until your arms are fully extended, and rack it.

*Do this exercise after you flat bench every time you workout your chest, and you should see an increase in your bench. This exercise is for helping you to push through that one point during your bench where you begin to struggle.

Flat dumbbell bench press:
1. This works the same muscles as a regular flat bench press, and is performed the same. However, the only difference is that it helps to stabilize and strengthen each pectoral muscle separately (like any other dumbbell exercise).

2. On a flat bench with a dumbell in each hand, extend your arms upwards.

3. Do not let the dumbells touch when your arms are fully extended. This will help to simulate a barbell bench press, except it will help to stabalize your pecs.

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