Each person engaged in the gym appreciates the beauty and strength indicators, which he achieved with hard work. For the harmonious development of the entire muscle system, it is important to choose the right set of exercises, follow the daily routine and observe the sleep regimen.
At the same time, due attention should be paid to each muscle group. Some of them deserve it more, and some less, since their development takes place at different speeds. Training the pectoral muscles is an important part of the process. What chest muscle exercises in the gym can I use to achieve this?
Chest press
Every teenager dreams of a pumped up and massive chest. Arriving at the gym, all beginners first rush to the racks for bench press. In fact, this exercise is the most effective for working out not only the pectoral muscles, but also the entire top of the torso. Most people do it wrong. Consider several types of this exercise and figure out which muscle fibers are involved most with each method of bench press.
Bench press on a horizontal bench
We begin the consideration of this exercise for pumping the pectoral muscles with a description of the starting position. The athlete will lay his back on a horizontal bench. At the same time, it is important to monitor the continuity of three points: the shoulder blades and buttocks should lie on the bench throughout the exercise, and the legs should not be torn off the floor. Having taken the starting position, the athlete takes the bar with a grip a little wider than the shoulders. After a deep breath, you need to “tear” the bar from the racks and lower it to the level of the chest, while controlling movement. Further, the press phase begins to the position of outstretched arms, followed by exhalation.
This type of bench press from the chest develops not only the pectoral muscles, but also involves the triceps, the anterior bundle of the deltoid muscle and others.
What should be remembered when doing bench press on a horizontal bench?
To obtain the result, performing exercises for pumping up the pectoral muscles, it is important to strictly observe the implementation technique and safety rules. Here are some aspects to keep in mind when doing the chest press:
- Strong grip is important. Use a special tool to improve the grip of the palms with the bar or use gloves for bench presses. It is also important to protect your wrists from damage. To do this, do not roll your hands back or use elastic bandages to support them.
- The head should be pressed against the bench as tightly as possible;
- It is necessary to create a "bridge". This effect is created due to arching of the back, in which the buttocks and shoulder blades remain on the bench. This achieves a smaller amplitude of movement of the bar, the lower, stronger part of the chest is involved and the safety of the shoulder muscles.
- The feet should be on the floor with the entire area, which will ensure stability to the body.
Applying such tips and strictly adhering to the required technique, you will notice that exercises on the pectoral muscles in the gym will give a much brighter effect.
Incline bench press
Such exercises to strengthen the pectoral muscles are also useful for the clavicle, deltoid muscles, triceps and the front dentate muscle fibers. This type of chest press has similarities to the previous description, but there are differences. We will not draw a parallel, but simply consider the technique for performing this exercise to tighten the pectoral muscles.
The key factor when doing the bench press on an incline bench is its angle. It should be between 50 and 60 degrees. If this figure is exceeded, then there will be a danger of injury or create too much strain on the deltoid muscles. In the starting position, the grip should be wider than the shoulders. After removing the bar from the racks, you must lower the bar to the level of the clavicle. After that, you can press in the position of outstretched arms.
Reverse Tilt Bench Press
Such exercises on the pectoral muscles in the gym mainly involve their lower parts. In addition, when executed, triceps and “deltas” are very well developed. Thanks to this exercise, you can clearly form the contours of the lower chest. This method of "adjusting" your own figure is often used by professional bodybuilders. The bench press with a reverse slope also achieves maximum stretching of the pectoral muscles, which makes them elastic and promotes development.
To perform this exercise on the pectoral muscles in the gym, you need to sit on a bench with a reverse slope of about 30 degrees. Optimum grip width is slightly wider than shoulders. For convenience, it is better that the partner gives you the neck, after which, after taking a breath, you can lower the bar to the bottom of the pectoral muscles. After a light touch to the body, press should be performed to its original position.
Exercises with your own weight
What exercises to pump up the pectoral muscles, if you do not have a barbell or if you are still a beginner? In some gyms, racks are always occupied by “experienced” athletes, so beginners just can’t get through. In addition, if the physical form of a person is at a low level, then you should first prepare your body for strength exercises with shells.
Doing exercises with your own weight is very important for beginners for one more reason. As you know, a noticeable increase in muscle mass is observed under extreme loads. For the same reason, athletes are injured. Thanks to exercises with your weight, it will be easier for an athlete to avoid damage, which is especially important at the early stage of a long-term training process.
Pushups
Some exercises to pump up the pectoral muscles can be performed even at home. For example, push-ups from the floor. For the correct implementation of this exercise, you need to rest your hands on the floor, placing them wider than the shoulders. Next, take a deep breath and draw your chest closer to the floor. After this, you need to squeeze into the starting position and exhale.
It may seem that such an exercise is simple and ineffective, but it is not. In addition, depending on the position of the body, the load will be distributed to different muscle groups. For example, if you place your legs a little higher, then a noticeable load will be directed to the upper part of the chest. And if you lift the torso, then a significant part of the work will have to do the lower part of the pectoral muscles.
Dips
An even more effective exercise for training the pectoral muscles is push-ups on the uneven bars. When they are performed, it is possible to add loads by hanging the load to the athletic belt. Thanks to this exercise, the pectoral muscles become more elastic.
The mechanics of the exercise are simple. Starting position - stand on outstretched arms. With a breath, you need to lower your body as low as possible, and then return to its original position. Here, too, have their own tricks. From the position of the torso will depend on which muscle group is involved more. In order to train the chest, it is necessary to create an inclination forward, and for the triceps to work more, you should give the body the most even position.
Using dumbbells
Dumbbells are ideal for performing exercises to tighten the pectoral muscles. You can perform bench press, breeding and pullover style disciplines. Many professional strength athletes often practice side-to-side dumbbell lifting after a barbell press. Such an exercise helps to maximize the pectoral muscles and make them grow faster. In addition, as noted above, this effect can improve the indicator of elasticity and strength of muscle fibers. Often it is dumbbells that replace pectoral muscle trainers for women. Their proper use will help the fairer sex to achieve the results for which they came to the gym. It is important to remember that any exercise must be performed under the supervision of a trainer.