5 BEST CHEST WORKOUT and EXERCISES

The most significant thing while doing chest workout is to understand the best exercise moves. It is coupled with solid diet and supplements for gaining strong muscles to bust through in no time.

It all starts from chest exercise. So, here are the top 5 best chest exercises to build your physical strength as well as the largest muscles of your chest:  

1. Barbell Bench Press

Position yourself flat-back on the bench and your feet on the ground. Hold the barbell with your palms upwards and thumbs around the bar to maintain form. To maintain form you can always use wrist wraps to prevent losing grip from sweaty palms.

Buttocks should be straight on the bench while you’re pressing the barbell up. Position it over upper-chest while keeping your wrists and elbows straight. Inhale while lowering the bar and then press the bar up by steadily exhaling out. Focus on the area you are working on and squeeze your pecs to really feel the muscles contract.

Remember;

• Your arms should be parallel to the barbell
• Your shoulders should be locked back, with your shoulder blades tightly together
• Your hands should be roughly wider than shoulder width apart on the barbell
• While you perform your rep, focus on squeezing your chest together
• When the bar touches your chest, it should be just below your nipples

2. Dumbbell Chest Press

There are a number of different techniques you can use for this; flat/ incline/ decline. Depending on which area of the chest you want to work on, adjust your bench to suit accordingly. Incline chest works the upper part, flat works the middle and outer and decline works the lower part of your chest.

If focusing on the upper chest area, fix the bench to a 30-45 degree angle and sit with your feet flat on the floor and your back on the bench.

Lift the dumbbells to chest height with your palms facing forwards & remember to inhale on the way down and exhale while pushing them away. When pushing the dumbbells away from your chest, ensure you maintain control of your form and weights without letting the dumbbells touch at the top. Pause at the top for a second to feel the contraction in your chest, then bring the weights down slowly while breathing in.

Remember, this workout is to really focus on your upper chest area so really use your pecs to power the movement.

3. Push-ups

Push-ups are a great way to get a full range of motion in your chest area and develop an increase in strength as well as definition and size. This can be included mid-workout or at the end of your workout to give your chest that burn.

In addition to your chest, you’ll find this workout also works your secondary muscles like the arms, and shoulders.

Tight your abdomen, keep your neck and back in alignment with your spinal-cord, lower yourself steadily and then press yourself up. Your elbows should be close to your sides and hands under your shoulders.  

4. Pec Deck

This machine based workout really helps increase strength and muscle mass in the chest as well as supporting muscles (i.e your pectoralis major).

To really see the benefits, it’s important you get your form correct. Follow these steps to ensure you get the best out of your workout;

1. Select an appropriate weight with which you feel comfortable
2. Sitting on the seat, press your back firmly against the back of the platform with your feet flat on the floor.
3. Grab one handle of the machine with each hand & rest your forearms on the resting pad of the handle. Bend your arms at a 90 degree angle and keep your elbows at chest level.
4. Grabbing the handles, pull your arms inwards towards your body while contracting your pectoral muscles. The arm pads/ handles should now be at around chest level. Hold this position for a few seconds to feel the tension in your pectoral muscles. Then slowly release back to the starting position.
5. Repeat this for the desired number of reps/ sets to complete the exercise.
   
   

5. Dips

Standing in between the bars, hold the handles/ bars firmly on either side while keeping your elbows straight and your head in line with your torso.

Raise your feet from the floor using your tricep and chest muscles & slowly lower yourself while bending your elbows. To stabilize yourself, it can help to bring one leg across the other

Keep in mind that your legs should be under your body and wrists straight to prevent the body from tilting.

Push yourself into the parallel bars and exhale to return to your starting position at the top. While doing dips, keep your body vertical. You should feel more tension on your triceps and chest area however if you are feeling pain in your elbows, review and correct your form.

Conclusion

These are just some of the exercises to develop your chest however there are number of other exercises you can incorporate into your workout.

Remember, it’s not all about lifting the heaviest weights, it’s more important to have correct form, breath properly and contract your chest during each movement to fully work your chest and get the most out of your exercise.

Which chest workouts do you incorporate into your training plan? Comment below...