46. Exercises For Chest:
Description
This article is from the Fitness FAQ, by Jeff Gleixner (glex@cray.com) with numerous contributions by others.
46. Exercises For Chest:
BENCH
Set-up: Lying on a bench, feet firmly on floor, butt, back,
shoulders, and head on bench. Roll shoulders back and down so
the shoulder blades are firmly pressed against the bench and
the chest is sticking up (high). Arms straight and above
shoulders, palms facing the feet.
Movement: Bend arms so the elbows move away from the rib cage and
the hands move down in a slight arc, until they are about even
with the sternum (nipple) and your elbow is at about a 90-degree
angle. Push up and back to the starting position, again in
a slight arc. To keep the deltoids from doing too much work,
don't allow the rear deltoids to come off the bench, especially
the last few inches when pushing the weight up. They should
remain in the same position throughout the movement.
Adding Resistance: Dumbbells give a wider range of motion.
Barbells and a good bench are usually used.
Variations:
Grip - The wider the grip the more the outer area of the
chest is worked. (Nearer the deltoids). A narrow
grip works the middle of the chest and triceps. A 2-6"
wider than shoulder grip is common and will work most of
the chest.
Flat bench - Works the middle and to some degree the upper
and lower part of the chest.
Incline bench - Works the upper area of the chest and the front
deltoids are worked more than the flat bench. A 30-degree
bench is all that's needed, more than that and the deltoids
begin to take the brunt of the load.
Decline bench - Works the lower area of the chest and reduces
the load on the front deltoid.
Muscles Worked: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders (Posterior Deltoids)
DIPS
Set-up: Hands supporting full body weight on a Dip bar, hands
facing each other. Knees bent so they're ahead of the body,
chin on, or near, chest. Body should form a crescent shape
and it should be keep during the exercise.
Movement: Lower body until chin is near the height of the bar.
Let elbows flare out, keeping them parallel to each other
will turn this into a tricep exercise. Concentrate on the
chest pulling the elbows/deltoids together and press the
body upward back to the starting position.
Adding Resistance: Weight belt or a dumbbell/weight held by
crossing the feet or placed on the calves by another person.
Variations:
- Can be done by using 2 benches, bar stools, parallel bars, etc.
- If the Dip bar makes a V-shape use the wider end.
- Reverse the grip so the palms are facing away from each
other.
Muscles Worked: Chest (outer), Triceps
FLYES
Set-up: Lying on a bench, feet firmly on floor, butt, back,
shoulders, and head on bench. Arms slightly bent and slightly
wider than shoulders, palms facing each other.
Movement: Keeping a slight bend in the arms slowly move them in
an arc away from the body. Lower them until a comfortable
stretch is felt in the chest/deltoid area. Raise them along
the same arc back to the starting position. To keep stress
on the chest keep the hands just wider than the shoulders at
the top (start) of the movement.
Adding Resistance: Dumbbells are usually used, can also use
a low pully machine, or a Pec Deck machine.
Variations:
Pec Deck - Place elbows and hands on pad. Keep head up and
chest up (out) throughout exercise. Push with the elbows
not the hands.
Incline Flyes - Works the upper outside of chest.
Decline Flyes - Works the lower outside of chest.
Muscles Worked: Chest, Shoulders (Posterior Deltoids)
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