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Chest Exercises: These Include Your Entire Upper Body. Bottom Line? Important!
Getting Started with Chest Exercises
Developing powerful pecs through chest workouts is one of the most sought-after appearances by body builders and/or general fitness gurus. As a matter of fact, most men tend to overtrain their pecs. In contrast, most women are afraid of working their chest in fear of feeling or looking "manly". Why would this be? Well, having a large chest gives a "strong-like-bull" appearance – seemingly invincible and immovable, a warrior in training if you will. In most cases, people see bigger as being better from an aesthetic standpoint. In fact, many men seek pectoral implants more often than "other" enlargements. If you want a big chest so badly, why don't you just get to the gym and do some chest workouts?
Don’t run away yet, ladies! A strong chest is as important for you as it is for men! Doing a set of bench press doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll bulk up like Schwarzenegger. It’s the method and not the simple act of working out your chest that’ll steer you towards the goal you want whether you want to bulk up or tone up!
So I’ve gotten pretty detailed with your pecs so far – where they are and what they do – but what are the real life benefits to chest workouts? Why should you head for the bench press at the gym? • You’ll be able to push more stuff! Whether it’s a heavy shopping cart or a tackling dummy, you’ll get more bang for the buck. • Remember that your pecs are also there to stabilize the shoulder joint (also known as the glenohumeral joint). Many debilitating shoulder injuries can be avoided if you just do some chest exercises! • Men like to work their chests, and women like their men to have big chests. So there’s the aesthetic factor and possibly the motivation. With everything in consideration, be realistic with your goals! To make a long story short, inclined, declined and flat bench presses work your upper, lower and middle pectoral regions, respectively. Easy, right? Here’s a more detailed explanation...
Your pectorals are large muscles and therefore require more work to maintain. In other words, you should do more sets with larger muscles than for smaller ones. For example, you may want to do between 4 and 10 sets of chest exercises (not all of the same exercise!) in each workout. If you’re just beginning, however, you should just start with one or two sets to avoid injury, avoid overtraining and avoid a weight plateau. Did you catch that? Remember, do not overwork any individual muscle! This is a sure-fire way to fail quickly. Vary your workout and do some different exercises in each session to make sure you’re getting full benefit out of your chest workouts. Yes, I know you’re anxious to get under the bar and bench about 600 pounds, but even the biggest and strongest bodybuilders on the planet start with a warm up routine, mostly consisting of stretches and lifting very light weights. On that note, it’s important to change the order in which you do your chest exercises in successive workouts. Why? Your body adjusts to a stimulus. If you keep changing the stimulus load and frequency (as outlined in a periodization workout), your muscles must be ready for everything at all times. This means you’ll be stronger for longer! Do the difficult exercises earlier in the workout and save the less-difficult exercises for afterwards. When this routine settles in, switch it up! The key is to keep changing the stimulus. Let’s also take the example of always performing the flat bench press before your chest flys. Chances are that you’ll never have full strength during your chest flys because you’ve already worn yourself out with the bench press. In other words, this is a fantastic way to reach a plateau, if that’s what you’re into. Have variation to your workouts! This doesn't only apply to chest exercises, but also to any other muscle group and often many aspects of life. After all, who wants to constantly do the same thing? Even if this is what your job entails, enjoy some variation at the gym! A great way to add variety is to integrate pushup workouts into your daily routine. These are excellent exercises that are cheap and extremely versatile. Not only do the mostly work the chest and arms, but they also engage the core muscles to ensure stability, flexibility and overall strength. Check the table below for some great pushup variations!
Most guys who do chest workouts and develop a strong chest worry about developing some hot "moobs" when they eventually stop lifting. If you haven’t heard this term, it’s a man with a bosom. How did this come about? Well, a lot of guys who stop lifting tend to gain weight in their later years or mid-life crisis. They say they’ll develop breasts that jiggle more than their wives’ and feel they should start investing in the “Bro” coined by Kramer in the Seinfeld sitcom (instead of a bra…O.K., not funny). The fact of the matter is that this is a complete myth and untrue! Basically, if you stop exercising, you’ll get fat everywhere, not just in your chest. If man’s breasts have grown, chances are that his whole body has grown to match. Just keep yourself on track and you won’t have to worry! In the grand scheme of things, this is purely an aesthetic concern. No matter your age, body type, gender, walk of life or job description, it’s important to work your chest, legs, arms and everything else in order to give yourself a chance at a long, healthy life. A Final Note This rather large body of text may be somewhat daunting, but have no fear! Doing chest workouts aren't hard or particularly dangerous. Many of the things I've mentioned to avoid can cause damage over the long term. However, when performing any chest workouts or any sort of free weight or barbell exercise, it's highly recommended to use a spotter. Use the right amount of weight and don't get stuck under the bar! Let’s get your chest workouts started! I’ve provided some illustrations, pointers and techniques for the most common chest exercises in the table below. Enjoy!
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