Chest training: the 5 best exercises

Have you ever wondered what is the best chest training? Among the many exercises and the different variations, we will illustrate 5 exercises that you absolutely must know and practice, to better develop the pectoral muscles and sculpt them to the maximum!

Without losing too much in the details, what we are really interested in is dividing the pectoralis major muscle into two main portions: upper and lower. The exercises that we are going to see carry out complete chest training, in order to allow us to correctly develop both the upper and lower parts.


1. Stretching on a flat bench


A classic! This is probably the most used exercise in the world for the development of the pectoral muscles, in addition, part of the work is also done by the shoulders and is an excellent multi-joint exercise that will allow us to properly train the pectoral muscles.

Execution: lie down on the flat bench with the shoulder blades adducted and the feet firmly positioned on the ground. Inhale, lift the barbell and start the movement going down and bringing it almost to touch the chest at the height of the nipples, being careful not to touch the chest but to leave a space of about 5 cm between the barbell and the chest, this will put greater tension on the muscles and will avoid stressing too much the shoulder joints and any injuries. Push the anavar 10mg upwards by contracting the pectoral muscles and exhaling, until you return to the initial position Complete all necessary repetitions.


2. Inclined bench


Another famous exercise! This movement is practically the same as the previous one but this time we are going to carry it out on the inclined bench, thus placing greater emphasis on the upper part of the bibs.

Execution: lie down on the inclined bench with the shoulder blades adducted and the feet firmly positioned on the ground. Inhale, lift the barbell and start the movement going down and bringing it almost to touch the center of the chest (between collarbone and nipples), this time it will be easier to get to touch the chest with the barbell but if you feel too much pressure on the shoulder joints, it is possible to leave a space of about 5 cm between the barbell and the pectoral muscle. Push the bar upwards by contracting the pectoral muscles and exhaling, until you return to the initial position. Complete all necessary repetitions.


3. Dumbbell thrusts


This exercise is an excellent alternative to the previous ones, especially for those with shoulder joint problems as it will allow us to perform a more natural movement. It can, however, be used as an auxiliary exercise after performing the exercises described above and can be performed with different inclinations of the bench.

Execution: lie down on the inclined bench with the shoulder blades adducted and the feet firmly positioned on the ground. By first placing the dumbbells on the sides of the chest, inhale and prepare to perform the movement. Push the dumbbells upward by contracting the pectoral muscles and exhaling. Start the downward movement to slowly return to the initial position, inhaling; it will be possible to go down a bit lower than the previous exercises but without exaggerating, it is important not to stress the shoulder joints too much. Complete all necessary repetitions.


4. Crosses with Dumbbells


This exercise will allow us to perform a wide relaxation of the pectoral muscles and is usually used to specifically train the internal fibers of the chest. As with the previous exercise, it can be performed with different bench inclinations.

Execution: Lie on the bench with the shoulder blades adducted and the feet firmly positioned on the ground. Grasp the dumbbells with a neutral grip (placing your palms facing each other), extending your arms upwards. Start the movement by inhaling and opening the arms outwards until the dumbbells are positioned on the sides of the chest, with the arms slightly bent and until a particular relaxation of the muscles is felt. The arms must remain still throughout the movement and only the shoulder joints must move to allow the hands to distance themselves until the arms are fully open. Exhale, perform the reverse movement and push by contracting the pectoral muscles until you return to the initial position by joining the dumbbells. Complete all necessary repetitions.


5. Chest Dips


The dips for the pectoral muscles, not to be confused with the variant for the triceps, are an excellent exercise to develop the muscles of the chest with a particular emphasis on the lower part. To perform this exercise you will need parallel bars or similar supports to allow us to lift off the ground.

Execution: start the movement by grasping the parallels with an opening of the arms slightly greater than the width of the shoulders. Bend forward by slightly widening your elbows and, by contracting the abdomen and bending the knees to avoid swinging, push with the arms avoiding to fully stretch them and lift the body upwards to then bend the arms and descend downwards without ever touch with your feet on the ground. Also in this exercise, you have to adduct your shoulder blades. Don’t forget to tilt your torso forward or this exercise will mainly work on the triceps. Exhale as you lift your body and inhale during the descent phase.

 

Updated: May 12, 2020 — 2:57 pm

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