Chest exercises

The most popular bodybuilding exercise is bench press. But whyyyy? Maybe because men like breasts so much that they want big ones even for themselves? Nobody knows, but what you can tell for sure is that you can pretty much deduct everything about one’s fitness knowledge by looking at their chest.
The basic principle is to target your chest muscles from multiple angles and also to target them in various movement ranges. Therefore, there will be 3 exercise groups, and you should apply one exercise from each in a chest workout.

Instructions

  • you can wear belt at bigger weights
  • you can wear wrist wraps at bigger weights
  • watch your posture: scapulas always pressed to the bench, never extend your arms fully, never overstretch your chest or shoulder
  • fixate your position with a slight arch and tense legs
  • don’t be afraid of big weights
  • one exercise from each exercise group, 3 sets: (3×3=9 sets altogether)
  • rep range: 8-4, or even 6-4 if your execution is good enough

Incline angle

This is what distinguishes an expert from a layman. Everybody’s doing flat bench presses, and then they wonder that even a chicken has bigger breasts than they, so they start to accuse everyone who has bigger breasts than them of steroid usage. Including poor chicken! Have you heard people saying “nowadays they pump up the chickens with steroids, so they grow faster.” Well…

Simply the best. I’d include this in every chest workout. You can set the incline between 30 and 45 degrees. Using dumbbells compared to a barbell will not only take off the pressure from your shoulders, elbows and wrists, but will also target your chest muscles more, and allow you to maximize your gains.

Better only occasionally, focus rather on the dumbbell version.

I don’t recommend Smith machine to beginners, it takes over the control of the movement, so do it only if you’re more experienced or you are afraid the weight is gonna stay on you.

There are many, and some of them even beat the barbell version!

 

Flat angle

Most people only know this type, but it’s far less important than they think. Also, many people when train on a bench, raise their asses. For them: put your asses back on the bench!

You try it once, and when you get used to the movement, you’ll never want to go back to the regular bench press ever again. Using dumbbells compared to a barbell will not only take off the pressure from your shoulders, elbows and wrists, but will also target your chest muscles more, and allow you to maximize your gains. Moreover, you won’t need a spotter, but the gym staff will hate you for dropping the weights down.

Better to do only occasionally. You can test your strength or whatever, but remember that many people get injured from this exercise, and it’s also not so good for your shoulders, elbows, wrists either. I mean it’s still safe if done well, but not optimal for hypertrophy, so just check out the powerlifting plans if needed.

Only if you’re afraid that the weight is gonna stay on you. However, a bench press if executed properly won’t follow the path of the 100% vertical angle, so it’s rather a junk exercise than a real one.

There are some very good machines, I’ll show you them soon. They may be even better than free weights, trust me.

Peak contraction

If you’ve ever trained chest, you know that none of the presses will help you to achieve peak contraction for your muscles. That is why it’s useful to include an exercise for that very last part of movement range. Since this is for peak contraction (like in its name), and the majority of exercises may allow you to overstretch your chest and shoulder muscles: DO NOT OVERSTRETCH them during flies, extend your chest only until it is safe, utilizing full range of motion, and focus on the peak contraction part anyway, since the extended part of ROM gets already hit at all the other exercises.

There are many machines, they usually allow you maximum focus. The height is not that important. Your hands can be on a level with your shoulders as well as below or above them, feel free; even better if you change them from workout to another, but the majority ought to be hands below shoulder level.

It’s just over the top…you’ll occupy a machine that could have been used by multiple other people for multiple other much more useful exercises.

While compared to its benchy brother this exercise does not qualify as antisocial peasantry, I’d keep it only as a last resort, since it breaches the basic rule of exercise selection: if its form doesn’t work with heavy weights it should be ditched!

How come no dumbbell fly included? Arnold did them too and he was the King!

You are not a king, just a simple commoner. Using an exercise for peak contraction, while the only range it doesn’t work is actually at peak contraction doesn’t sound as a good idea. Arnold worked hard, be glad you live in an era when you have access to information and can be more efficient.

Isn't arching bad for hypertrophy?

You realize you don’t have to arch as if an exorcist would try to get rid of your constipation, right? Just make sure your body, joints, tendons and muscles are in a safe position, and you can channel all the strength where it belongs.

Why shouldn't I do negative bench press?
You can do anything you want as long as you make peace with them not leading towards your desired progress.
Do women really lose their breasts from training chest?

They lose fat if they get shredded, thus they loose breasts too. It has nothing to do with chest workout.

Why are you so against bench press? You must be weak lol

I am reptilian, we cannot do bench presses, and I’m just jealous, that’s the truth.

How about the pullover?

It’s called sweatshirt, honey. Pullover is the most useless exercise ever. I know, I know, Arnold did it…but he trained 5 times as much as you, and ate 5 times as much as well. It’s not like pullover made all the difference. Did you think you start to do it, and then suddenly you turn into a Mr. Olympia, or what?

It has begun!

April 5th, 2020|0 Comments

Hey all, it took me almost a year, but my blog-website combo is finally ready to go public. It's still not completely ready though, but I hope that by publishing I'll motivate myself more.

It has begun!

April 5th, 2020|0 Comments

Hey all, it took me almost a year, but my blog-website combo is finally ready to go public. It's still not completely ready though, but I hope that by publishing I'll motivate myself more.