Best Chest Exercises For Optimal Muscle Development

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Time to work out your chest?

It is one of the largest muscle groups in the body, and one people spend years working on in the gym. However, what are some of the most efficient chest exercises for a person to complete while heading to the gym?

This read will dive into this muscle group and how it has to be targeted for optimal development.

Understanding The Muscle

Before looking at the exercises, let’s assess what this muscle is all about for those who are hoping to maximize their time working out.

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The chest or pectoralis major begins at the anterior region of one’s clavicle down to the sixth rib. It spans across this region.

There are four functions for this muscle.

1) Adduction Of Humerus (Flapping Of Arms)
2) Flexion Of Humerus (Throwing)
3) Rotation (East-West Movement)
4) General Arm Attachment (Maintaining Shape)

Therefore, all four movements have to be considered while building the perfect chest routine.

This muscle group is also comprised of two sections. The upper and lower chest. These regions of the pectoralis major have to be targeted specifically for optimal growth.

Bench Press (Incline/Regular/Decline)

This is the heart of your workout. Without the bench press, a chest workout is incomplete.

image7_smallThere are three angles a person can work with while completing this movement. It is best to rotate through all of them during a workout for optimal development.

The incline bench press hits one’s upper chest. This should be done at a 35-degree angle using weights (barbell) to avoid putting stress on the shoulders. Anything higher will start to put the focus towards your shoulders.

The decline bench press is aimed for the lower chest. This should be done all the way down to enable a full range of motion. When doing this movement, please do get a spotter as the weight can put one into a vulnerable position. If there is no spotter, do a lighter weight which is easier to manage.

The last bench press variation is the regular bench press. This is done on a flat bench. It is used as a means to target the entire chest and is an excellent addition to your workout.

For those who don’t have a barbell, the same movement can be done using dumbbells. It is all about adding enough weight to initiate growth. Aim for 8-10 reps per set.

Push Ups

The pushup itself is one of the best chest exercises on offer. The idea is to press up and down with one’s body. However, there are multiple ways of doing this just like the bench press. It is recommended to go through all of these variations during a workout.image3_small

Variations include

1) Decline Pushups (Toes On A Bench/Chair)
2) Incline Pushups (Hands On A Bench/Chair)
3) Narrow-Grip Pushups (Hands Close Together)
4) Single Leg Pushups (One Leg In The Air)
5) T-Pushups (Wider Grip)

Look to race through all of these variations to hit the chest in a complete manner.

For those who are seeking to intensify their routine, it is best to add weight into the equation. A simple 10 lb. plate can be placed on your back to increase how much is being lifted. As time goes on, you can continue to increase the weight on your back.

Make sure to only increase at such a rate, where 8-10 reps can be completed in one go.

Cable Flys

image6_smallThe last chest exercise a person can look at for their routine would be “cable flys”. These are great as they work well for the inner portion of one’s chest. The idea is to bring the cables inwards with enough resistance. This is going to hit the chest from a new angle.

Most pressure movements are straight up and down.

Cable flys are different because there is a free range of motion. A person can go from down to up or side to side. It is all about variation with the chest and it is best to mix things up.

Go through all of these chest exercises and watch as the results pour in. This is a muscle group which requires hard work, but will grow rapidly for those who put in the time and build that mind-muscle connection.

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