BEST EXERCISES FOR CHEST
180-DEGREE TWISTING DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS
If you're like me and have suffered a torn
pec while benching, you'll agree that the barbell bench press is not ideal for
everyone. I also find that my shoulders take over when I'm doing the flat and
incline bench, so I prefer to use the dumbbell chest press instead.
But I don't just do any chest press. I add
a twist—literally—in order to utilize the benefits of a supine or reverse grip.
A study performed in my home town of Toronto determined that when subjects used
a supinated grip during an isometric hold of the flat bench press, it resulted
in increased activity for the upper portion of the pectoralis major as compared
to a regular pronated grip.
How
to perform this exercise
1.
Lie back on a bench holding two
dumbbells with a standard grip (palms forward) and arms extended over your
chest.
2.
Slowly lower the dumbbells to
your outer chest, then press and rotate 180 degrees as you push back up to
starting position. You should have a supine grip with your pinkies inward and
palms facing your face at the top of the movement. Hold this peak contraction
for 2 seconds before lowering into the next rep.
3.
Keep your shoulders back and
down during the press to maximize pec involvement and minimize delt takeover.
LOSE-GRIP
WEIGHTED PUSH-UP
The push-up is a great exercise, but you
have to do it a certain way in order to maximize chest activity. Try using the
close-grip weighted push-up as a finishing move after you're done trashing your
chest with the weights. The narrow hand position brings out the inner pecs and
the added weight across the back elevates this from an everyday move to a pec
destroyer.
Back in 2005, researchers at the Mayo
Clinic tested 11 men and 29 women to determine the effect of three different
hand positions when performing the push-up: shoulder-width, wider, and
narrower. The study showed the EMG activity in the pectoralis major was
greatest during push-ups with a narrow hand position.
How
to perform this exercise
1.
Start in a push-up position
with your hands about six inches apart. Add resistance by wearing a weighted
vest or have a training partner place a weight or sandbag on your back.
2.
Slowly lower your chest to the
ground and press back up until you fully extend your elbows.
KETTLEBELL
FLYE
Kettlebells are harder to grip than
dumbbells, which makes you work harder for each rep. Using kettlebells for
chest flyes will cause your pecs to recruit more muscle fibers to fight the
weight hanging below your palms. Start with kettlebells that are 10 pounds
lighter than what you would use on a standard dumbbell flye.
If you find yourself bending your elbows
during the lowering phase, choose a lighter weight to ensure proper form. You
want this to be a full-range flye, not a half-flye, half-press.
How
to perform this exercise
11.
Hold the kettlebells over your
chest as you did in the press, but turn your palms to face each other.
22.
Using a wide arc from the
shoulders, lower your arms with elbows slightly bent until you feel a good
stretch across the chest. Pause and contract the pecs against the extra
resistance that the kettlebells provide at the bottom range.
33.
Squeeze your pecs as you bring
your arms back up in a wide hugging motion. Keep your shoulders back and
squeeze your pecs together at the top of the motion.
FORWARD-LEANING
DIP
The dip is no joke. It's a tough compound
exercise that makes great use of your bodyweight. However, dips are usually
performed in an upright position to target the triceps. By simply adding a
forward lean to this already-effective exercise, you'll stimulate more chest
activity.
You can attempt to do this on your own, but
if you really want to get the proper angle you'll need a training partner to
help you get into the right position. You can easily make it more challenging
by adding weight via chains or a belt.
A word of caution for people with any
shoulder issues: Start with a small range of motion and listen to your body to
determine how deep you can go. I always advise getting a full range of motion,
but not at the risk of injury.
How to perform this exercise
1.
Place your hands on the bars
and push yourself up until your elbows are locked. Cross your legs back with
your knees bent, core tight, and hamstrings and glutes braced.
2.
Have your training partner hold
and pull your legs back until you're in a forward leaning position, using just
enough assistance to get you into the right angle. Your body should be at
approximately a 30-degree angle to the ground.
3.
Lower yourself until your
shoulders are lower than your elbows, or you feel a good stretch across the
chest. Listen to your body and don't push through shoulder pain.
4.
Push yourself up by extending
your elbows to 180 degrees for a full range of motion. Visualize the pec
squeeze as you drive up.
No comments:
Post a Comment