If you want to focus on improving your chest muscles, add two of the following exercises (1A and 1B, 2A and 2B, or 3A and 3B) to your workouts.
Note: If you want to improve the appearance of your body, it's not recommended to approach a single muscle group in a session. Instead, try performing a full-body workout three times a week.
1A. Barbell Bench Press
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Weight: Most men should be able to start with at least 95 pounds (25-pound plate on each side of a standard 45-pound bar). Adjust accordingly if needed.
Coaching Tips: Lie down on the bench and grab the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Plant your feet firmly on the floor for support. When you lift the bar, think about tearing it apart to create tension through your lats. Bring the bar down toward your chest in a controlled motion, and touch the bar just below your nipples. Explode back up as fast as you can.
1A. Barbell Bench Press Part 2
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Benefits: When it comes to adding strength and size, the bench press is the exercise you want to do. This exercise targets your chest, shoulders and triceps.
Frequency: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
1B. Medicine Ball Push-Ups
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Coaching Tips: Start in a push-up position, resting one hand on the ball and the opposite hand on the floor. Lower yourself until your chest is just above the floor, and press up.
1B. Medicine Ball Push-Ups Part 2
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Benefits: Being in an offset position will force your shoulders, chest and core to stabilize your body while conducting the push-up. While slightly elevated, your chest goes through a larger range of motion, increasing the activation of the muscles.
Frequency: 3 sets of 5 per side
2A. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
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Weight: Most men should be able to start with 30- to 50-pound dumbbells. Adjust accordingly if needed.
Coaching Tips: Set the bench to an incline of about 45 degrees. Lie on your back, and hold a pair of dumbbells directly above your shoulders with your arms fully extended. Lower the dumbbells in a controlled motion to chest level and explode back up. Keep your elbows relatively close to your sides, and keep your head on the bench.
2A. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press Part 2
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Benefits: This exercise targets the upper chest, shoulders and triceps. The dumbbells allow for a greater range of motion, which increases activation of the chest muscles.
Frequency: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
2B. Incline Dumbbell Fly
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Weight: Most men should be able to start with 15- to 30-pound dumbbells. Adjust accordingly if needed.
Coaching Tips: Lie on your back, and hold the dumbbells directly above your chest with your palms facing each other. With a slight bend in your elbows, slowly lower the weights in a semi-circular movement to chest level. On the way back up, squeeze your chest muscles. Focus on quality reps and a slower movement to help contract the muscles more.
2B. Incline Dumbbell Fly Part 2
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Benefits: This exercise provides a deep stretch of the chest muscles and works the shoulders.
Frequency: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
3A: Decline Bench Press
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Weight: Most men should be able to start with 30- to 50-pound dumbbells. Adjust accordingly if needed.
Coaching Tips: Set the bench to a decline around of about 30 to 40 degrees. Lie down on the bench with the dumbbells directly above your shoulders. Lower the dumbbells in a controlled motion to chest level and explode back up to the starting position.
3A: Decline Bench Press Part 2
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Benefits: The decline bench press targets your lower chest, shoulders and triceps.
Frequency: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
3B: Decline Fly
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Weight: Most men should be able to start with 15- to 30-pound dumbbells. Adjust accordingly if needed.
Coaching Tips: Set up the same way you did for the decline bench press. Keep a slight bend in your elbows and slowly lower the dumbbells in an arc away from your body. Once the dumbbells reach chest level, reverse the movement. Squeeze your chest at the top of the movement.
3B: Decline Fly Part 2
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Benefits: The decline bench places a greater emphasis on the lower chest and the shoulders.
Frequency: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
George Kalantzis
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George Kalantzis is a Marine, certified personal trainer and the strength camp coordinator at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, Mass. He credits his fitness expertise and success to his many experiences, such as deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq and training in Parris Island and the FBI Training Academy.
Links:
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Cressey Sports Performance
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