CHEST WORKOUTS: BEST WORKOUTS FOR YOU

WARNING Warm up is essential before your chest workouts!

Push-up (1st type)

1. Lie on a mat with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your toes on the floor.
2. Push up keeping your body straight in the plank position so only your hands and toes are touching the ground.
3. Lower yourself very slowly back to the ground stop just short of resting your body.
4. Push up again very slowly.
5. The key is to go very slowly and work as though you are straining against a force stronger than you are. Repeat until you fail. 

                     

Push-up (2nd type)

Same as above but alter the position of your hands. Do one set with hands wider apart and one with hands closer together.

Push-up (3rd type)

Same as (1st type) but have your feet resting on a box to elevate them.

Bench Press (1st type)

1. Lie on your back on a bench or narrow table (should not be wider than your shoulders) with a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your feet on the ground.
2. Keep your arms out to the side and elbows at 90 degrees and slowly push the dumbbells straight up into the air until they touch in the middle.
3. Lower slowly straining against the weight.
4. Change the incline of the bench so you work your upper chest (head up) and your lower chest (head lower).

                                                                     

Bench Press (2nd type)

Same as above but this time keep your arms in and push the dumbbells from your chest straight up into the air without bringing them together

Pull overs:

1. Lie on your back on the bench as before holding one dumbbell with both hands.
2. Push the dumbbell up in the air directly above your chest.
3. Slowly lower your arms behind your head until they are parallel with the floor.
4. Slowly bring them up again.

                                                                 

Dips:

1. You will need parallel bars available in most gyms for these chest exercises.
2. Grasp the bars and lift yourself up until your arms are fully stretched and your legs are dangling.
3. Slowly lower yourself until your shoulders are parallel with your elbows.
4. Push yourself back up again slowly.
5. Keep your body straight throughout and lean slightly forward as you dip to increase the stress on the chest.

                         

Barbell Bench press:

1. You will need a suitably weighted barbell and a rack.
2. Lie on your back on the bench with your feet flat on the floor, the rack should be directly above your head.
3. Grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and lift it off the rack.
4. Hold the bar above your upper chest.
5. Lower slowly until you nearly touch your chest.
6. Push the bar up again slowly.

             

Tips

• Each movement should be slow and controlled for maximum muscle stress.
• Do not allow gravity to do the work for you.
• Have a helper to hand when lifting heavy weights.
• Choose weights you cannot do more than about 8 to 10 repetitions with, aim to fail.
• Perform 3-5 sets of all chest workouts.