Email a Friend |
Best of the Chest Exercises
A massive, rugged, muscular chest is right up there on the list of most body builders, both pro and amateur. Unfortunately, there is so much bad information out there when it comes to properly training the pecs that chests like I just described are becoming rare these days.
The first key to building the chest you need is to choose exercises that powefully stimulate the pectoral motor units. The first movement that springs to mind for most bodybuilders when they think of pectoral exercises is the barbell bench press. But the bench press is not a great pec builder unless you happen to have the optimal leverage for it. In addition, most people do the bench press incorrectly. If you put together bad leverages and bad technique it is no surprise why you feel the bench more in your delts and triceps than in your chest!
I am going to show you 3 of the best chest exercises. It is important to keep in mind that if these are done with bad technique you are cutting your muscle growth short and may be setting yourself up for injury. To prevent this from occurring make sure to get some technique tips from an expert so that you can build the chest you want without getting hurt.
Flat Paused Bench Presses
I know I just finished saying that the barbell bench press is not the best chest building exercise, however there are certain variations that work the chest well, assuming you perform them properly. The paused BB bench press is one possible variation. By pausing the bar at the chest for 1 to 5 seconds before pressing it back up you eliminate the stretch reflex and lose any stored energy you created while lowering the weight. This will make pressing the weight back up much harder, but it will also force your pecs to produce a massive amount of force in order to press the bar from your chest back to lockout.
Standing Low-to-High Cable Crossovers
Even though different versions of the bench press are good for variety, to really isolate on the chest you need to work on the flying motion. This can be done with a variety of exercises, but I really like standing cable crossovers here because of the consistent tension the pulley gives you during the complete range of motion. The key is to concentrate on a good stretch at the start and continuing to keep constant tension on the chest during the whole set. This is a fantastic concluding movement to any chest training session.
Inclined Dumbbell Bench Presses
One of the most common complaints of bodybuilders is not just their overall chest mass, but their upper chest mass in particular. Incline movements are a great solution to this because they target the clavicular portion of the chest, which gives the appearance of a higher chest, without giving you man boobs. The use of dumbbells is a good addition here as they allow for a deeper stretch in the bottom of the movement. This deep stretch activates a lot of untrained muscle fibers in the upper pectorals which can jump start new growth to occur.
Keep in mind that while these exercises are fantastic for building a muscular chest, they must be done with the right technique in order to get the most from them.
The first key to building the chest you need is to choose exercises that powefully stimulate the pectoral motor units. The first movement that springs to mind for most bodybuilders when they think of pectoral exercises is the barbell bench press. But the bench press is not a great pec builder unless you happen to have the optimal leverage for it. In addition, most people do the bench press incorrectly. If you put together bad leverages and bad technique it is no surprise why you feel the bench more in your delts and triceps than in your chest!
I am going to show you 3 of the best chest exercises. It is important to keep in mind that if these are done with bad technique you are cutting your muscle growth short and may be setting yourself up for injury. To prevent this from occurring make sure to get some technique tips from an expert so that you can build the chest you want without getting hurt.
Flat Paused Bench Presses
I know I just finished saying that the barbell bench press is not the best chest building exercise, however there are certain variations that work the chest well, assuming you perform them properly. The paused BB bench press is one possible variation. By pausing the bar at the chest for 1 to 5 seconds before pressing it back up you eliminate the stretch reflex and lose any stored energy you created while lowering the weight. This will make pressing the weight back up much harder, but it will also force your pecs to produce a massive amount of force in order to press the bar from your chest back to lockout.
Standing Low-to-High Cable Crossovers
Even though different versions of the bench press are good for variety, to really isolate on the chest you need to work on the flying motion. This can be done with a variety of exercises, but I really like standing cable crossovers here because of the consistent tension the pulley gives you during the complete range of motion. The key is to concentrate on a good stretch at the start and continuing to keep constant tension on the chest during the whole set. This is a fantastic concluding movement to any chest training session.
Inclined Dumbbell Bench Presses
One of the most common complaints of bodybuilders is not just their overall chest mass, but their upper chest mass in particular. Incline movements are a great solution to this because they target the clavicular portion of the chest, which gives the appearance of a higher chest, without giving you man boobs. The use of dumbbells is a good addition here as they allow for a deeper stretch in the bottom of the movement. This deep stretch activates a lot of untrained muscle fibers in the upper pectorals which can jump start new growth to occur.
Keep in mind that while these exercises are fantastic for building a muscular chest, they must be done with the right technique in order to get the most from them.
Article Source: www.Content-Syndication.org
Article Tags
muscle building, bodybuilding, muscle growth, build muscle, body building, best chest exercises, exercise for chest mass, bodybuilding exercise technique guide, exercise guide, chest exercises, exercises to build chest strength, exercises for pecs, pectoral exercises
About the Author
See video and get tips on paused bench press and other exercises in the free body building exercises technique guide
Rating: Not yet rated
