While those push-ups do wonders for your chest muscles and variations in the same increases the strength but what adding weights to your workouts opens doors to wide range of other effective chest workouts such as the chest press and chest flies. If you are beginner then start with light weights to master the technique first. If you have been doing this for a while now, then go for your regular weights.
1. Regular Chest Press (3 Sets X 10-12 Reps)
Lie on a flat bench, holding the dumbbells in your hands. Stretch your arms over your shoulder, shoulder-width apart. From this starting position inhale and descend slowly until your elbows are parallel to the floor at a 90 degree angle. Then push the weights back up while exhaling to return to the starting position. You can lie on any surface similar to the flat bench in home premises.
2. Incline Chest Press(3 Sets X 10-12 Reps)
Lie on bench with an incline with dumbbell in each hand. Then build the dumbbells shoulder-width apart, arms extended and rotate your wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing each other. Slowly lower the weights while inhaling. Then exhale pushing the dumbbells upwards with the help of your chest.
3. Chest Fly(3 Sets X 10-12 Reps)
Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other. Extend the arms above your chest, shoulder-width apart but keep your elbows flexible at all times. Do no lock them. Then lower your arms on both sides in a wide arch until you feel a stretch in your chest and then bring the dumbbells back up. Do the movement to the level of shoulder joints and not at the arms and elbows.
4. Decline Chest Press(3 Sets X 10-12 Reps)
Secure your legs at the end of decline bench first and then lie down with dumbbells over your shoulders, shoulder-width apart, palms facing each other. Lower the weights slowly until your elbows are parallel to the floor. Then bring the dumbbells back up, exhaling and contracting your chest.
5. Incline and Decline Chest Fly(3 Sets X 10-12 Reps)
Lie on an incline bench or decline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other. Extend the arms above your chest to the width of your shoulders but do not lock the elbows. Then lower your arms on both sides in a wide arch until you feel a stretch in your chest and then bring the dumbbells back up. Do the movement to the level of shoulder joints and not at the arms and elbows.
6. Chest Dips(3 Sets X 10-12 Reps)
Chest dips is wonderful exercise to build your chest muscles. Some even argue that it is the best overall chest exercise. This exercise not only adds depth to the chest but also the width. Moreover, as your body is not supported by the bench as in chest press, you have to work harder to stabilize your bodyweight. You won’t be needing weights to perform this exercise but you will need two parallel surfaces. Place the hands of the surfaces and hold your body at an arm’s length (arms locked), knees bent so that you don’t touch the floor. With control, slowly lower down your body, your elbows pointing out slowly until you feel the stretch in your shoulders, then come back up and repeat.
About The Author
Rajul Tiwari is the Editor-in-Chief at bodyandstrenth.com and has 18 years of experience in media, content, publishing and education. She has worked with media houses like Daini..
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