The main area of the body most people say they would like to
improve is the chest. The chest is the most prominent element of
the upper body and it contains the largest muscle. Building
muscle mass in your chest will boost your confidence and help
stabilize your shoulders. For these reasons, it is the
subsection of the body that lifters generally spend the most
time working on.
Here are some fundamental exercises to help increase muscle
mass in the chest.
Bench Press
Body Position – Good location is the most vital part of your
bench press routine. Lie flat on the bench so there is
continuous contact from buttock to back. The soles of your shoes
should be in contact with the floor at all times. Your bar
should be resting parallel to your eyes.
Movement – Continuously inhale deeply throughout the lifting
phase to supply more oxygen to your body. Carefully lift the bar
from its resting position and lower it to its destination - a
few inches above your chest. Ensure the bar does not sharply
fall on your chest, as a serious injury may occur.
Completion – Using a carefully controlled motion, press the
weight back to its starting point. Lock both elbows and use the
full extension of your arms to effectively build the entire
muscle.
Cable Crossovers
Body Position – Stand equidistant from two different cable
machines. Grab the cable from each using the nearest hand to it.
The handles should be level with your shoulders and your elbows
should be maximally bent. Provide a stable base for this
exercise by placing one foot slightly in front of the other.
Movement – Push forwards and downwards in a cross shape until
the cables become level with your waist. Exhale continuously
throughout your movement, and avoid injury by ensuring your
hands do not smash together.
Completion – In a careful and controlled motion, return the
cables to the starting position. If you let the weights snap
back quickly, you could risk potentially injure your arms.
Incline Press
Body Position – There are several different styles of press,
either with fixed or adjustable chairs. With either, you will
need to sit all the way back on the reclined seat, and the soles
of your feet should be in contact with the floor.
Movement – Lift the bar from its resting position and begin
carefully lowering it towards your chest. Take care not to drop
the bar, as this could cause serious injury.
Completion – Extend your arms and lock your elbows to press the
weight straight back up. This upper chest exercise should be a
fluid, continuous motion. Careful control is of paramount
importance.
Decline Press
Body Position – You will lie on the bench with your head lower
down than the rest of your body. Your feet will be strapped onto
the foot pads securely, and there will be continuous contact
between your back and the bench.
Movement - Lift the bar from its resting position and begin
carefully lowering it towards your chest. Take care not to drop
the bar, as this could cause serious injury.
Completion - Extend your arms and lock your elbows to press the
weight straight back up. It is sometimes difficult to gauge
whether the bar is perpendicular to the floor, because your head
is at an awkward angle, but the perpendicular motion is what
builds muscle mass in your lower chest area and the inner
portion of the chest.
Butterfly Press
Body Position – If you are using a machine, you will use the
seat provided and position your arms on the bar. If you are
using dumbbells, you will lie flat on your back on the bench
with one in each of your hands. You will raise the dumbbells to
the face- level starting point with your arms fully bent.
Movement – If you are using the machine, you will use your
inner forearms to move the weights in a preset arc-like motion.
If you are using dumbbells, you will use a fluid movement to
carefully move them toward each other. They will meet slightly
above your nose.
Completion - If you are using a machine you will move the
weights back to their resting position using the padded arms.
The machine will provide enough resistance to allow you to build
muscle mass. For maximal muscle growth using free weights, you
need to ensure the dumbbell travels down the exact same arc it
went up. The continuous resistance throughout the exercise will
be a priority if you are serious about building muscle.