GRIP IT AND RIP IT - CHEST WORKOUT

A full spectrum of angles need to be used for the chest to be worked effectively. Because of the number of attachments up the center of your chest, incline, level and decline is needed. The biggest mistake for chest workouts is that there is too much pressing of the arms. The shoulders need to go forwards from a backwards shrug position so the pecks can squeeze and fully contract.

 

 

Take the bench press for example as far as posture is concerned. Bench press is pretty awesome because it uses your triceps and front delts as supplementary muscles, but that is also why it can be bad for your chest-building-quest. You want your body to almost only be using your chest to press the bar and weights up so you need to watch your hand placement. A good rule it to put your middle finger where the small thin etch line is on the bar. Don't got too fast as the exocentric part of the rep (negative) is just as important.

 

 

 

 

Dips are a form of decline press to develop the lower part of the chest muscles. So why not just do decline press then? Those build mass and strength whereas dips is more of a detailed mission. The more you lean forward. you more of the chest versus triceps workout you get.

 

 

 

 

Doing an incline bench press (smith machine optional) puts more pressure on the top of the chest as it changes the position of effort on the muscle. You will likely have to adjust the weight here compared to flat bench as most people can not lift the same amount. It will also be a little more difficult to control the bar here so you'll really have to concentrate on posture - I would not suggest suicide grip here if you're in intermediate lifter.

 

You may already be doing these, but perhaps need a few modifications, or had the perfect posture, but now you're aware of the exact muscles you're working and why!

 

 

 

I hope this helps.

 

As Arnold says, "Lifting if the best sport out there. It not a destructive sport. Sound mind, sound body."