Try These Three Great Chest Exercises

Last week we covered three great back exercises, so this week, we will focus upon the opposing chest muscles.

Pec Flye ” (Works the pectoral muscles, deltoids, triceps and core as stabilizers)

– Begin lying supine on a bench with the head resting comfortably on the bench.

– The feet can be placed on the floor or on top of the bench, as long as you can maintain a neutral spine throughout.

– Hold a dumbbell in each hand that will fatigue the pectoral muscles in 8-12 repetitions.

– Extend the arms fully out to the sides of your body keeping the elbow joint soft not allowing the arms to drop beneath the top of the bench.

– The knuckles should face the body with the thumbs pointing toward one another.

– Engage the pectoral muscles by driving the shoulders away from the ears; pull the navel toward the spine as you pull the arms across the mid-line of the body until the sides of the dumbbells lightly touch.

– Lower the arms slowly to the beginning position without permitting any movement in the elbow joint.

– Perform two-three sets of 8-12 repetitions, two to three times per week.

Bench Press ” (Works the pectoral muscles, deltoids, triceps and core as stabilizers)

– Begin lying supine on a bench inside of a power cage or Smith Machine with the head resting comfortably on the bench.

– The feet can be placed on the floor or on top of the bench, as long as you can maintain a neutral spine throughout.

– Choose a weight that will fatigue the pectoral muscles in 8-12 repetitions.

– Un-rack the barbell with both hands, placing the hands more than shoulder distance apart with the palms facing away from the body and the wrist joint straight.

– The arms should be fully extended above the chest with soft elbows.

– Then, slowly lower the barbell toward the chest until the arms are at approximately 90 degrees of elbow flexion.

– Immediately push through the palms of the hands pressing the barbell back to the beginning position.

– Keep the shoulders away from the ears and the navel pulled toward the spine throughout.

– Re-rack the barbell between sets.

– Perform two-three sets of 8-12 repetitions, two to three times per week.

Chest Cross Over – (Works the pectoral muscles, deltoids, triceps and core as stabilizers)

– Stand between a two-stack cable/pulley multi-station holding the handles that control each stack independently.

– Make certain you are able to hold the handles with the arms fully extended.

– Choose a weight that will fatigue the pectoral muscles within 8-12 repetitions.

– Stagger the legs front to back with the legs shoulder distance apart and the back heel down, the torso hinged from the hips approximately 10-15 degrees and both knees soft.

– Engage the pectoral muscles by driving the shoulders away from the ears, pull the navel toward the spine and avoid leaning backward as you cross the cables.

– Initiate the movement from the shoulder/chest complex, with the arms extended; pull the arms across, toward the midline of the body with the palms facing the floor and the thumbs facing one another.

– Then, slowly return to the beginning position without breaking form.

– Perform two-three sets of 8-12 repetitions, two to three times per week.

Next week, three great workouts to keep you fit throughout the fall season.

” Jackie Wright can be reached at her e-mail address: gllacs@comcast.net