Bodybuilding Chest Exercises
Jay Cutler, Mr. Olympia 2009
The Pectoralis major (the pecs), the chest muscle group, is the largest muscle group in the upper body. Therefore, to work the upper, lower, inner and outer pecs, many very specific chest exercises are required. The appearance of a physique is really set off by a good looking chest.
If you have some knowledge about bodybuilding then you should know that even beginning bodybuilders know that in order to build and develop yours muscles, you have to tear them down with exercise and rebuild it with a high-protein diet. A high-protein diet does not mean that you have to have 500 grams of protein daily to rebuild your muscles! That would definitely make the supplement companies very happy but also thin your wallet. A high-protein diet means that you should have 1 gram of protein per kilogram per bodyweight which falls somewhere between 70-120 grams per day. A bodybuilding diet should be at least 25% protein and 40% natural, unrefined carbohydrates, with the balance being in fats and fibers.
The bodybuilding chest exercises should be done once per week so that you allow the muscle group some time to recuperate once you work them really hard. While doing the chest exercises, other muscles will get worked in this workout, but only as secondary to the chest exercises. The chest exercises involve barbells, dumbbells and body-resistance moves.
The chest exercises should be performed in the order of descending strength of the muscle parts (i.e. begin with the chest exercises for which you use the heaviest weight, and then work down the ladder from there).
For an intermediate level bodybuilder, most chest exercises will be three sets of eight to ten repetitions each. An advanced level bodybuilder should consider raising that to five sets of six to eight reps with heavier weights.
Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press
Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
With your feet planted flat and squarely on the floor, lie flat on the bench and grip the bar at about double shoulder width. Lower the barbell to your upper chest-lower neck region, pause, and return to overhead.
Start with a one warm-up set using moderate weights. For the next sets, do eight to ten repetitions with the maximum weight you can handle.
Make sure that you perform the movement in good form, slow and smooth and pause at full contraction. You should not be bouncing the weight on your chest. To Avoid injury to your neck, avoid arching your back or lifting your buttocks off the bench as this will place strain on you lower neck.
Incline Front Barbell Raise
Begin with the barbell grasped palms down and your arms facing straight down, using an incline bench and a lighter weight barbell. Raise the weight smoothly overhead, continuing until your arms are extended behind your head, then lower the barbell back to the starting position.
Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes
Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes
Lying on a flat bench holding moderately heavy dumbbell in each hand, begin with arms in the vertical position (straight up), palms facing each other. Lower the weights to your sides with a slightly bent arm at the elbow until you feel a good stretch (arms parallel with the floor). To avoid shoulder joint injury, try not to hyperextend your shoulder join by not lowering your arms any further and using excessively heavy weights. Lift the weights back to the starting position to complete a whole rep.
Wide-Grip Barbell Incline Press
Using an incline bench, start with the barbell straight overhead. Lower the weight to your upper chest-lower neck area. Use a weight that exhausts your muscles at eight to ten reps.
Wide-Grip Barbell Incline Press
Wide-Grip Barbell Decline Press
Begin with your arms perpendicular to the floor, using a decline bench. Lower the weight slowly to your neck and perform eight to ten reps.
Flat Bench Dumbbell Press
On a flat bench holding two dumbbells, press the dumbbells up until your arms are fully extended. Bring dumbbells down until your arms are almost parallel with your shoulders. Use heavy weights for eight to ten repetitions.
Flat Bench Dumbbell Pullover-Press-Lateral fly
Beginning the move with the weights at your chest and using medium weight dumbbells , rotate the dumbbells past your head towards the floor. In one movement, bring them back to your chest and press them overhead and then immediately perform a lateral fly with your arms bent at the elbow.
Close Hands Push-Ups
Lying on the ground with feet and hands as contacts. Position your hands directly under your shoulders. Keeping your body rigid like a plank throughout the movement, lower yourself down until your chest almost touches the ground. Perform the push-ups slowly and for as many repetitions as you can.
These chest exercises complete your chest workout, which you should do once a week. Now bring on those ripped chest muscles!
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