Strengthen your chest with these exercises
What's the story
Building flexibility and strength in the chest muscles is essential for overall upper body fitness. A flexible chest can improve your posture, enhance your athletic performance, and reduce the risk of injury. Strengthening these muscles also contributes to better support for day-to-day activities. From push-ups to wall stretches, here are five exercises that can help you achieve the same in your chest muscles.
Tip 1
Push-ups for upper body strength
Push-ups are a classic exercise to target your chest, shoulders, and triceps. They build strength using your body weight as resistance. To do a push-up, start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor, then push back to the starting position. Aim for three sets of 10 repetitions.
Tip 2
Chest flyes with dumbbells
Chest flyes target stretching and strengthening the pectoral muscles. Lie on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended above you. Slowly lower the weights out to the sides while keeping a slight bend in your elbows until you feel a stretch across your chest. Bring them back together over your chest to complete one repetition.
Tip 3
Incline bench press for upper chest focus
The incline bench press hits the upper part of the pectoral muscles better than flat bench presses. Set an adjustable bench to an incline angle between 15% and 30%. Using either dumbbells or a barbell, press upwards from shoulder level until arms are fully extended before lowering back down slowly.
Tip 4
Pec deck machine for isolation exercise
The pec deck machine is specifically made for isolating and targeting the pectoral muscles effectively, minimizing other muscle groups' involvement. To use it, sit with your back flat against the pad and place your forearms against the machine's pads. Start by bringing your elbows together in front of you, ensuring you're squeezing through your chest muscles, then slowly return to the starting position. This exercise is ideal for focusing on the inner chest muscles.
Tip 5
Stretching routine post-workout
Incorporating stretches post workouts keeps the chest flexible, something that's important considering how intense push-ups are. Try standing arm circles or doorway stretches, where you place your forearm on a frame and lean forward. This mild stretch across the front torso helps prevent overextension and possible injuries, keeping the form in check throughout.