Motivation how to motivate. Correct motivation. Try a new sports nutrition

To build chest muscles, three rules must be followed:

Eat well - consume enough calories (protein, fat, and carbohydrates)
Train well - give the muscles a load for growth and feel the work of the pectoral muscles during exercise
Get enough rest - do the correct periodization for full muscle recovery and good growth

We have selected for you the best pectoral exercises that stimulate breast growth and are good for developing strength and enhancing protein synthesis. The list includes variations of exercises with a barbell, dumbbells, on simulators. And also included body weight chest exercises for home workouts.

The pectoralis major is a massive, broad, fan-shaped muscle that covers the entire top of the ribs. It originates from the sternum, collarbone, and ribs and is attached to the top of the humerus using tendons.

Exercises for the pectoral muscles

It is very important to do all the exercises correctly, otherwise you will not learn from them. maximum benefit... Later, it will be difficult for you to unlearn the wrong technique of performing the exercises, so it is better to learn how to do them correctly from the very beginning.

For each workout, choose 3 of the proposed exercises and do 4-5 sets (including warm-ups) in each of them. You can change the selected exercises for each workout.

Bench press

This is a great upper body exercise. It works on all parts of the pectoral muscle, delta and triceps. Less stress is placed on the lats, biceps, and forearms, which help stabilize the bar.

Place the barbell on the racks. Lie face up on a bench. Place your feet flat on the floor on each side of the bench. The soles must be in full contact with the floor. Take the bar with a grip slightly wider than your shoulders. Straighten your arms to lift the bar off the racks. Move the bar on outstretched arms to a position above the chest.

Lower the barbell until it touches your chest. As you lower the barbell, keep your elbows out to the sides so that your shoulders are at a 45 ° angle to your torso. Do not spread your shoulders too far to the sides, as this puts too much stress on the shoulder joints. Without making the bar bounce off your chest, lift the bar up to its original position. Repeat the exercise.

Tips: Always press your bench with a spotter who can help you lift the bar. You can also do this exercise with dumbbells instead of a barbell.

Incline Bench Press

This exercise is very similar to the regular bench press and works the same muscle groups (chest, deltas, triceps). However, it differs in that it puts more stress on the upper chest.

Lie face up on an incline bench. Place your feet flat on the floor on each side of the bench. The soles must be in full contact with the floor. Take the bar with a grip slightly wider than your shoulders. Straighten your arms to lift the bar off the racks. Move the bar on outstretched arms to a position over your upper chest.

Lower the barbell until it touches your upper chest. As you lower the barbell, keep your elbows out to the sides so that your shoulders are at a 45 ° angle to your torso. Do not spread your shoulders too far to the sides, as this puts too much stress on the shoulder joints. Without making the bar bounce off your chest, lift the bar up to its original position. Repeat the exercise.

Tips: Always do the incline press with a spotter who can help you lift the bar. You can also do this exercise with dumbbells instead of a barbell.

Incline Bench Press upside down

This exercise is very similar to the regular bench press and works the same muscle groups (chest, deltas, triceps). However, it differs in that it puts more stress on the lower chest.

Lie on an incline bench with your head upside down. Place your legs under the special roller at the end of the bench. Take the bar with a grip slightly wider than your shoulders. Straighten your arms to lift the bar off the racks. Move the bar on outstretched arms to a position over the lower chest.

Lower the barbell until it touches your lower chest. As you lower the barbell, keep your elbows out to the sides so that your shoulders are at a 45 ° angle to your torso. Do not spread your shoulders too far to the sides, as this puts too much stress on the shoulder joints. Without making the bar bounce off your chest, lift the bar up to its original position. Repeat the exercise.

Tips: Always do an incline press with your head down with a spotter who can help you lift the bar. You can also do this exercise with dumbbells instead of a barbell.

This exercise works the entire chest area, but focuses on the lower chest. It also makes the delts and triceps work.

Grasp the bars so that your palms are facing each other. Straighten your arms and take an emphasis on the uneven bars. Bend your legs at the knees.

Lean forward and maintain this position throughout the exercise. Slowly bending your arms, lower your body between the bars until your arms are bent at a 90 ° angle. Hold this position for 1 second. Return to the starting position with a vigorous movement. Repeat the exercise.

Note: This exercise is advanced because it must be strong enough to lift your own body. As you get stronger, you can do this resistance exercise by attaching extra weight to your belt.

This exercise works on all areas of the chest, but you can focus on different parts of it by changing the angle of the bench. For example, flat bench breeding targets the entire chest, incline bench breeds your upper chest, incline bench breeding targets your lower chest.

Take dumbbells and lie face up on the bench. You may need a spotter partner to help you lift the dumbbells to the starting position. Straighten your arms up over your chest. The palms should be facing each other. Maintain a slight bend at the elbows.

Without bending your arms, slowly spread your arms to the sides, describing a semicircular arc in the air. Extend your arms to shoulder level. Do not lower your arms too much, as this can injure your shoulder joint. Straining your chest muscles, along the same trajectory, raise your arms back to the starting position. Repeat the exercise.

The exercise is aimed at developing the pectoral muscles in general.

Adjust the height of the machine seat so your shoulders are parallel to the floor during the exercise. Sit on the seat and grasp the handles of the machine. Maintain a slight bend at the elbows. Allow the handles of the machine to bring your arms back so you can stretch your chest muscles.

While straining your pectoral muscles, bring your arms together at chest level. Hold this position for 2 seconds to extend the peak muscle contraction. Slowly pull your elbows back to the starting position. Repeat the exercise.

Push ups

This basic exercise is aimed at developing the pectoral muscles in general. Less stress is placed on the shoulders and triceps.

1. A set of three push-ups

This complex will help to pump all parts of the pectoral muscles in turn. Lifehacker analyzed each of these exercises in detail in.

Do a dumbbell push-up. This exercise puts stress on the upper pectoral muscles.

Immediately after this, do a wide-arm push-up on the floor. The arms are level with the shoulders. This type of push-up will pump your middle pectoral muscles.

The last push-up in the complex is with hands on a hill. It puts stress on the lower pectoral muscles.

If you want to complicate the complex, put on a backpack with dumbbells or other weights on your back. The main thing is that the backpack fits snugly against the back and does not move during push-ups. A tourist is well suited, which is fixed on the body with the help of additional fasteners.

2. Push-ups with the transfer of body weight on one hand

This exercise is much more difficult than classic push-ups, it provides a serious load on the pectoral muscles, but requires training and arm strength.

Stand in support lying, shift your body weight towards your right hand.
Descend into push-ups and at the lowest point, transfer your body weight to your left hand.
Squeeze yourself up, resting mainly on your left hand, and then shift your body weight back to right hand and repeat the exercise.
Repeat the approach with the other hand. In the second approach, lower yourself with an emphasis on your left hand, and rise with an emphasis on your right.

3. Raising hands on the floor

For this exercise, you will need a fairly slippery floor — tile or smooth linoleum — and two towels or a piece of cloth.

Stand upright, put your hands on the towels.
Gently spread your arms out to the sides as wide as possible so that you can then be able to rise.
Collect your hands in a starting position.

Do the exercise as consciously and carefully as possible: spread your arms only to the width with which you can rise.

4. Side push-ups

Lie on the floor on your right side, place your right hand on your left shoulder, and place your left hand on the floor in front of you.
Squeeze yourself up with your left hand to lift the body off the floor. The pelvis remains on the floor.
Lower yourself to the floor again and repeat the exercise.
Repeat on the other side.

5. Push-ups on the uneven bars

You will need parallel bars for this exercise. Such complexes are sold with a horizontal bar and beams for the home, on which you can perform a lot of exercises. If you are not in the mood for spending money, you can find parallel bars at any sports field or school stadium.

Jump onto the uneven bars and keep your body weight on straight arms. Lower your shoulders, cross and bend your legs slightly.
Sink down, bending your elbows, until your shoulders are parallel to the floor or slightly below. Try to keep your elbows closer to your body, pull your shoulders back and down, and squeeze your shoulder blades.
In order for the pectoral muscles to work, and not the triceps, during the push-ups, tilt your chest slightly forward - at an angle of about 30 degrees.
Squeeze yourself up, straining your abs, and repeat the exercise.

Free weight exercises

1. Bench press of dumbbells

Lie on a bench or on the floor if you are exercising at home, and hold the dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing each other.
Stretch your arms out in front of you.
Spread the dumbbells so that a right angle forms at the elbow.
As you exhale, squeeze the dumbbells up and repeat the exercise.
During the exercise, press your lower back to the floor, do not bend your back.

2. Raising hands with dumbbells

This exercise works the pectoral muscles well and does not engage the triceps.

Lie on your back on the floor, pick up dumbbells and lift them in front of you.
Spread your arms, slightly bending them at the elbows, just enough to touch the floor with your elbows. Do not bend your elbows too much so that the convergence does not turn into a dumbbell press.
As you exhale, bring your hands in front of you and repeat the exercise.

If you can do the exercise on a bench, use it. This will increase the range of motion, and you will be able to better stretch and load the pectoral muscles.

3. Semicircle with dumbbells

Lie on the floor or on a bench on your back, grab the dumbbells with a straight grip and hold them close to your hips.
Move your arms, slightly bent at the elbows, over the sides behind your head, turning your palms up.
On the same trajectory, bring your arms back, connecting the dumbbells at hip level.
Perform the exercise without stopping at extreme points: as soon as you put your hands behind your head, immediately return them back, touch your hips with dumbbells - immediately start a new semicircle.

Resistance exercises

For these exercises, you will also need a vertical stand or a handle to hook it onto. Resistance bands can be purchased at any sporting goods store.

If you work out in the gym, these exercises can be done in a crossover.

1. Pull of the expander to the side

Fasten the expander at shoulder level, stand with your right side to the rack and take the loop in your right hand.
Overcoming the resistance of the expander, move your hand forward. The end position is opposite the chest or opposite shoulder.

2. Row in the lunge

This exercise works the lower head of the pectoralis muscle.

Fasten the expander just above shoulder level.
Take the loop in your right hand, step back a little, stretching the expander, and turn your right side to the rack.
Lunge with your left foot forward, place your left hand on it to make it easier to maintain the position.
In the initial position, the right arm with the expander is extended to the side and slightly bent at the elbow.
Overcoming the resistance of the expander, move your right hand forward and down so that at the end point it is located above the bent knee.
Return your hand to its original position and repeat.
Do the exercise with the other hand.

3. Row with two hands up

This exercise will work your middle and upper pectoral muscles.

Fasten the expander at hip level, grab the loops with both hands and turn your back to the rack.
Move away from the rack while pulling on the expander.
Take a step forward and shift about 70% of your body weight to the front leg.
Raise your shoulders to parallel with the floor, bend your elbows at an angle of 90 degrees - this is the starting position.
Overcoming the resistance of the expander, bring your arms forward and up so that the palms of outstretched arms are at face level.
Return your arms to their original position and repeat.

4. Push-ups with an expander on the back

This is a common push-up, complicated by using an expander.

Take the expander by both ends, passing it behind your back.
Stand upright, pressing the ends of the expander to the floor.
Perform push-ups against the resistance of the expander.

As for the number of approaches and repetitions, choose it yourself, based on your capabilities, the resistance of the expander or the weight of the dumbbells. The main thing is that the last two or three times in the approach you were given really hard.

And don't forget the food! Even the most rigorous workouts will not help build bulky pectoral muscles if they are not in your diet.

And hello again, my dears!

Today we are waiting for the continuation of the busty note, namely its practical part. In it, we will consider the most complete list of chest-rocking exercises, we will also identify which of them are the best, and in conclusion, we will get acquainted with specific training programs for all occasions.

So, I can't wait to start broadcasting, let's go!

How to pump up your breasts? The practical side of the issue.

Well, I would like to start with a message ... not in the sense of "you go ..." :), but for sending to the first part of the note, in which we theorized and disclosed the issues of breast structure and pumping from an anatomical point of view. Therefore, if you are not familiar with this creation, then you are welcome to pay your respects to it by following the link. We go further.

Usually, when they ask themselves the question - how to pump up the chest? then in the head there are different associations of both natural and non-natural nature (the latter means pumping in the style of a la "Silicon Valley")... There are plenty of natural pumping guidelines out there and, oddly enough, they are all designed for males. As for the young ladies, it remains for them to collect information bit by bit on how to tighten up their babies and make them more presentable and visibly elastic. In our practical part, we will analyze not only male breast pumping schemes, but also pay personal attention to the female bust. Therefore, the note is of a general gender character :) and in it everyone will find what their breasts need.

Note:
For better assimilation of the material, all further narration will be divided into subchapters.

Exercises for the chest. The most complete list.

If you have ever been to the gym, then you probably know that often Monday is the day of chest workout and in order to push the barbell on the bench, you need to line up, starting at the parking lot :). No, I'm serious, any trainer, especially a beginner, jumps under the barbell first and puts the bench press at the center of his chest workout. So it turns out that the gym, with its tug of simulators, turns for women into hyperextension and swinging the press on a bench, and for men into a bench press.

However, we will not be supporters of frozen forms and so that we do not get hung up on breast swotting with a standard set of exercises, I will give the most complete list of movements for various parts of the chest muscles.

So, here they are:

bench press lying;
bench press in the Hammer machine;
dumbbell bench press (including at different angles of inclination);
dumbbell breeding (including at different angles of inclination);
mixing hands in a crossover (different points of reference);
dumbbell / barbell / block pullover;
raider thrust;
push-ups m / y with uneven bars;
pushups (including with different body positions).

In the picture version, a composite atlas of chest exercises looks like this.

This is the most complete list and all these movements can be used by you in your pectoral training program, pay close attention to it and do not “stick” only to the bench press.

An important point in the choice of exercises is such a target element as the comprehensive development of the chest muscles. And in order to achieve this, different angles and different exercises should be used, affecting both the development of the width / thickness of the chest, and the study of its deep volumes.

So, your ideal busty workout should include:

1 bench press exercise on a horizontal bench (or basic, like push-ups from the uneven bars / floor);
1+1 press exercise on a bench at an angle up / down;
1 mixing / breeding exercise;
1 deep expansion of the sternum (like a pullover).

Top best exercise on the chest: research results

Agree, it's nice to know that you are using an exercise that, from a scientific point of view, is the best for working out a particular muscle group. In this sub-chapter we will just analyze such exercises.

Study # 1

Researchers from the University's Exercise and Sports Science Department (Wisconsin) tried to establish which movements are most effective for the growth of the pectoral muscles. 14 experimental male rabbits aged from 19 before 30 years was asked to fulfill 9 the most common chest exercises, in the course of their implementation, EMG measurements of the electrical activity of the muscles were made.

Supporting exercise (reference point / benchmark) was the bench press exercise, which showed the maximum activity of the pectoralis major muscles. In second and third places with 98 and 93% turned out to be exercises on the chest while sitting in the simulator and the reduction of hands in the crossover.

The research results were summarized in the table.

As you can see from the summary calculations, the first three are the best scientific exercises, and it is from them that the pectorals best grow.

A similar study was carried out by Professors Boeckh-Behrens and Buskies. They found that the bench press is the most effective movement for all chest movements. At the same time, the bench press at an angle upward is excellent. (and better than all other sloping ones) insulates the upper part of the pectorals.

The research results were “packaged” in graphic form.

Legend (decoding):
barbell bench press - bench press;
cable crossover - convergence of hands in a crossover;
dumbbell bench press - bench press of dumbbells;

peck deck - mixing in a butterfly;
inclined dumbbell flys - raising dumbbells at an upward angle;
dumbbell pullovers - dumbbell pullover.

Conclusion: Researchers concluded that the ideal PT for breast development would look like this:

bench press lying;
crossover;
push-ups on the uneven bars with additional weight.

Study # 2

# 1. Differences in muscle activation resulting from changes in resistance requirements

A very unusual study, the purpose of which was to identify the varying degrees of activation of mammals when using different types shells (dumbbells, barbells, Smith machine)... Several exercises were taken and compared with the bench press.

The results of each study are tabulated.

Table # 1. The degree of muscle activation when comparing bench press versus press in the Smith machine.

Conclusion: both exercises equally activate the large chest and clavicular deltas. The difference is manifested in the activation of the acromial part of the deltas, the press in Smith has a greater numerical value, which means weaker (1 - taken as maximum) loading.

Table 2. Degree of muscle activation when comparing bench press versus Smith machine press versus dumbbell press.

Conclusion: there is no difference in the activation of the pectoralis major and clavicular deltas, however, the lower activation of the triceps muscle of the shoulder and the higher activation of the biceps when pressing dumbbells is the result of increased requirements for resistance to this exercise.

In turn, the bench press activates the biceps to a greater extent than the press in the Smith machine. (2 vs 3 ) .

Global output:

The studied exercises did not affect the activation of the pectoralis major muscle. The more unstable the exercise, the more assisting and stabilizing muscle groups are involved in the work. It is likely that this limits (limits) the amount of bench press, which in turn reduces the effectiveness of working out the pectoral muscles.

# 2. Differences in muscle activation by angles

Below are the results of studies on the effect of different angles on the activation of different parts of the pectoral muscles.

Table 3. Muscle activation degree in exercises with different angles

The data shows that the bench press engages the pectoralis major and triceps the most. The second exercise in terms of the degree of activation of these muscles was the barbell press at an angle down. The upward angle press activates the upper pectorals just as strongly as the bench press. The middle / lower pectorals are most effective on the downward bend press.

The seated military bench press is typically used as a delta training exercise. However, studies show that activation of the upper chest is comparable to the downward-angle press, and the military press also activates the clavicle deltas much more. But triceps and sternal head of the pectoralis major have the worst activation of all pectoral exercises.

Global output:

The angle at which the bench press is performed has a significant effect on the activation of the pectoralis major and other assisting muscles. In terms of muscle activation and taking more weight (cumulatively two parameters together)The bench press is the most effective in comparison with the studied ones.

No. 3. Comparative Review of Pectoral Muscle Activation in Various Exercises

This study involved 9 of the most popular chest exercises. The electrodes were placed on the sternocostal part (sternal head) pectoral muscle.

The results showed that the bench press and the pec deck produced the strongest activation of the pectoralis major muscle. In addition, the crossover crossover training machine has also shown its high efficiency. The bench press in the seated machine is somewhat inferior to its previous counterparts, and the most “stable” results showed:

breeding dumbbells at an upward angle;
push-ups on the uneven bars;
push-ups with straps;
push-ups from fitball;
standard push-ups.

Actually, this was the latest research information, now you know the best chest exercises by sight, which means it's time to start the training process itself.

So next in line ...

Top 3 chest workout programs

Breast training program # 1. "A beginner has nowhere without a breast!"

This PT is intended for beginner athletes who already have some training experience. (from 3 months) and mastered the technique of most exercises. The main goal is the overall set of muscle mass and the development of such pectoral qualities as width and depth.

Technical specifications:

workout 2 once a week with a distance from each other at least 72 hours;
number of approaches 3 , repetitions - 10/20 ;
60 sec.

In the picturesque so.

Breast training program # 2. “Chest is a revolution! in 5 days! "

This PT is for advanced athletes. (training experience from 3 years old)whose purpose is the comprehensive development of the breast and its specialization (work only on this muscle group).

Technical specifications:

workout 5 once a week;
number of approaches 3 , repetitions - different;
rest m / y exercises is: 2,5 minutes - at 4-6 repetitions, 60-90 sec - for repetitions from 8 before 12 .

In a tabular version, the program looks like this:

In the picture so (clickable).

Well, as promised for sweet ...

Breast training program # 3. "Baby, be elastic!"

This PT is designed exclusively for young ladies and has as its main purpose breast lift, giving it tasty volumes and shapes. The main emphasis is on the corners, or rather, on the departure from the plane that the horizontal presses give. In addition, the PT will increase the depth of the bust, i.e. it will become much more magnificent, which will give the breasts even more expressiveness.

If after 3 months you will wear a low-cut dress with a deep cut and your breasts will not be admired, then throw a stone at me :).

Technical specifications:

workout 2 once a week (with a distance 1 day);
number of approaches 4 , repetitions - different;
rest m / y exercises is: 60 sec.

In a tabular version, the program looks like this:

In the picturesque so.

Actually, this was the last essential information, now you know how to tidy up the decollete area and you can do this most pleasant action in the near future.

Afterword

Another note has come to an end and today we answered the question of how to pump up the chest? It is not in vain that we deliver such articles into two parts and waste each of them for a lot of time :), with this we lay both theoretical and practical foundations so that the swing is conscious and you understand what is being done and why. I hope I explained this popularly in this post, if not, then get ready, the third part is already on the way :)!

That's it, I was glad to write for you, see you soon!

PS. What secrets in breast pumping do you know? We share in the comments.

PPS. Attention! 04.10 the ability to send questionnaires for and meals will become available. I will be glad to our joint work!

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

Want to build big, strong and well-defined chest muscles that will finally allow you to wear tight tees? Scientific knowledge will help you with this!

A lot of guys go to the gym to build massive and bulging chest muscles. It is very common to see a beginner athlete performing 20, 30, or even 40 sets of bench press in one workout. This number of sets can negatively affect your shoulders, and there are many other excellent chest exercises.

I want to tell you how to train your chest more effectively, how to target specific muscles, and how to get the most out of your trips to the gym.

To work your chest muscles more effectively, you need to understand how they work. Here's what you need to know about chest muscles.

Pectoralis major muscles

These are the muscles that you should work on the most. They are the largest of all the muscles in the chest and are made up of 3 parts: the clavicular part, the sternocostal part, and the abdominal part. This is very important to know because each of them can be worked out through specific exercises.

Clavicular part

It is located in the upper part of the pectoralis major muscles. It starts at the collarbone, runs down to the top of the ribcage, and attaches to the humerus. Most guys want to pump up this particular part of the chest, so we will pay special attention to it.

Sternocostal part

It is slightly larger than the clavicle. It originates from the sternum, crosses the ribcage and attaches to the humerus.

Abdominal part

It originates at the sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle (most of the connective tissue that surrounds the abdominal muscles), crosses the ribcage and attaches to the humerus.

Small pectoral muscles

Located under the pectoralis major muscles. They are very small, so you don't have to spend too much time developing them.

The pectoralis minor muscles originate from the shoulder blades and are attached to the 3rd, 4th and 5th ribs. These muscles should not be given too much time to exercise. I just want you to be aware of their existence. Basically, these muscles help us breathe.

Serratus anterior muscles

They begin at the front of the ribs, pass under the shoulder blades and attach along their edges. In well-defined bodybuilders, they are very visible.

While you don't need to spend a lot of time working on these muscles there either, they are important for building balanced muscles and strengthening the shoulders.

Bone anatomy

Bones and joints play important role in the work of the chest and affect the effectiveness of training the muscles of the chest. You won't be able to build your chest if you don't follow the movement of your shoulder blades, shoulders, and elbows.

shoulder blades

Shoulder blade movement is an important part of the bench press exercise. When doing the bench press, you should bring them together to generate more effort. Although the shoulder blades are on the back of the body, they play an important role in training the chest muscles.

Shoulder joints

These are the joints between the humerus and the shoulder blade. They play an important role in chest training. The shoulder joints are also more susceptible to injury than others. If you incorrectly accept the starting position in this or that exercise, you can seriously damage them.

Elbows

Many people forget that when doing any of the pressing exercises, they extend their elbows. Your elbows should move smoothly and without soreness so that you can train your chest muscles as effectively as possible.

Muscle functions

Let's put all this knowledge together and see how muscles and bones work together to perform the functional movements that we do every day.

Pectoralis major muscles

All 3 parts of the pectoralis major muscles work together to reproduce the internal rotation of the arms. If you move your hand to the side and rotate it forward on its axis, this will be an internal rotation. You cannot do this movement without the help of your pectoral muscles.

Few of us are interested in how the chest muscles allow us to rotate. However, we all want to have a definition and know how to build more muscle mass. One of the best exercises for this is incline dumbbell reproduction. In this exercise, the so-called horizontal adduction takes place, which occurs when the dumbbells are brought together.

During this exercise, the chest muscles first stretch and then contract, becoming tighter. All parts of the pectoral muscles must work together in order to perform horizontal adduction.

Clavicular part

The clavicular part is responsible for flexion of the shoulder, as well as for raising the arm above the head. The incline bench press (when you raise your arms above your head) works well on your upper chest.

Sternocostal and abdominal parts

Exercises such as the upside-down bench press and pullover are best for developing lower chest muscles. The position of the torso and shoulders greatly influences which chest muscles are used in the exercise.

Serratus anterior muscles

The serratus anterior muscles work most actively when you move your shoulders. For example, when you extend your arms forward while pulling the block to the belt, you engage your shoulders. I work very actively in the front serrated muscles in the upper phase of push-ups. Although you probably won't build massive chest with push-ups, you will definitely work these muscles.

The serratus anterior are the only chest muscles that press the shoulder blades against your back, allowing you to place your hands behind your head. Together with the lower and upper trapeze, they also allow us to raise our arms above our head. Well-defined serratus anterior muscles look great, but they are also extremely important for proper shoulder function.

Key chest exercises

The following exercises are best for building strong and massive pectoral muscles.

Exercise 1 Incline Bench Press

Keep your leg and abdominal muscles tense throughout the exercise. When lifting dumbbells, do not straighten your elbows to the sides, as this will put a lot of stress on your shoulders.

Although in this exercise all 3 parts of the pectoralis major muscles work, however, a special load in it falls on the clavicular part. If for some reason you cannot pump up the upper chest, then add the incline press and dumbbell lateral press to your workout program.

If during this exercise you experience discomfort in the shoulders, then use a neutral grip (when the palms are facing each other). This will reduce the strain on the shoulders and make the exercise more comfortable.

Exercise 2 Lying Dumbbell Raise

This exercise is best for building chest muscles and performing horizontal adduction. Keep your abs, back, and legs tight. Maintain a slight bend at the elbows. Stretch your chest muscles as you spread your arms out to the sides.

When you bring your hands together, they will contract again. This exercise evenly works all 3 parts of the pectoralis major muscles.

Exercise 3 Push-ups

You've probably done push-ups many times without noticing that they are working your chest muscles. I'll tell you about some of the tricks that will make push-ups even more effective.

This exercise develops the lower and upper body. Keep your abdominal muscles tense and do not spread your elbows to the sides as you lower yourself down. To better work the serratus anterior muscles, try to lift your body as high as possible from the floor. Thus, in the upper phase of the exercise, they will be more tense.

The best result with a scientific approach

A clear understanding of how bones, joints and muscles work will help you plan your pectoral muscles. Alternating exercises, adding different variations of the bench press (up and down), and replacing the barbell with dumbbells will affect your chest muscles. The better you understand this, the more magnificent your body will be.

Watch the training videos before heading into the gym and exercising. Remember that you must combine the work of the muscles with the work of the mind to build a beautiful body.

The pectoral muscles are always desirable for any athlete, but many beginners fail to work them out well. What are the best exercises for developing this muscle group? How to do them correctly? What should be the training of the pectoral muscles? Read on for more details.

Exercises

The pectorals belong to the pushing group. As for the exercises themselves, there are many movements for the development of these muscles, which can be divided into 2 categories:

Pressing.
Layout.

Exercises of the first category involve 2 joints (shoulder and elbow), which is why they can be called basic. In the second case, only the shoulder joint is connected to work, while the elbow joint is fixed. This makes this group of exercises isolating.

Let's list the exercises that best affect the growth of strength and mass:

Barbells.
Dumbbells.
Machine presses.

Bench presses can be performed on a horizontal or inclined (up / down) bench, depending on which part of the chest you want to pump better. These exercises also vary in grip width, which can be wide, medium, or narrow. Next, we will analyze all types in a little more detail.

2. Layouts:

Dumbbells.
Hand on the simulator.
Crossovers.

If your goal is to train the pectoral muscles for mass, then the above exercises can even be excluded, however, isolating movements allow you to better outline the relief and better pump the lagging parts of the muscles. Read more about execution and effectiveness below.

Bench press

This is perhaps the most popular pectoral exercise. Most often, horizontal and positively inclined benches are used. Less commonly, a negatively inclined bench. The angle greatly affects the development of the bottom or top of the pectoral muscles, which is very important for any athlete. Every pectoral training program must include this exercise.

The flat bench press is a classic form that is very popular in both bodybuilding and powerlifting. At the beginning of the exercise, the bar should be held in outstretched arms over the upper chest. Then you need to lower it to the very chest, and then squeeze it up again. As for the grip, it is advisable to perform the exercise with a wide one, which will somewhat exclude the triceps from work. The number of repetitions should vary from 6 to 12.

Press on an incline bench will allow you to better and more evenly pump up your pectoral muscles (especially the upper part). The principle of implementation is the same as in the previous case, however, there are several important principles. The first step is to choose the optimal level of inclination of the bench, which should be equal to 30 o. If the slope is greater than this indicator, then deltas will be more actively involved in the work, which is not very good. Secondly, you need to choose a grip width that should be slightly narrower than average. This is due to the fact that with such a performance, the amplitude of the exercise increases, loading the muscles more strongly. Finally, given view bench press partially excludes triceps from work, which allows you to focus on pumping your chest. Finally, the last piece of advice - do not do the "bridge", because this method of execution connects the triceps and back muscles to work, which greatly facilitates the work. Raising your legs makes it possible to remove the "bridge" by pressing your back against the bench. Remember this! As for the number of repetitions, then they need to be done 6-12.

Dumbbell press

The dumbbell press is another great exercise if you plan to work out your pectoral muscles for mass. Together with the previous exercises, this movement will allow you to build muscle volume, as well as increase overall strength. The technique of this movement is similar to the bench press, but there are several differences.

The first and most important thing is the absence of a bar, which increases the amplitude of the execution, because the athletes lower the dumbbells as low as possible. This fact allows you to make a good stretch of your pecs and give additional stress to the stabilizing muscles. The number of repetitions, bench incline, breathing and other features are exactly the same as the bench press. A little further, we will describe what should be the training of the pectoral muscles, where we indicate the number of approaches and repetitions for this and other exercises.

Press in the simulator

The best option would be a bench press on the Smith machine. It can be a good addition if you are planning a pectoral workout. The athlete's level must be above average. How to do this exercise correctly?

Lie on the bench, take the correct position (exactly in the center, the head should not hang), the grip should be wide, remove the bar from the racks.
Slowly lower the barbell to your chest.
Stop for a moment, then return to the starting position.

The exercise is quite simple and safe, but it still cannot fully replace the regular bench press. Why? The thing is that the simulator itself dictates its own amplitude of the barbell, which quite often does not fit a certain person with its own anatomical features, which are very important in such a sport as bodybuilding. Pectoral workouts will nonetheless become much more effective if used as a good addition to your program.

Wiring

Isolation exercises allow you to work out only a certain muscle group in a quality manner. They will not give you much gain in muscle mass or strength, but they can help you achieve better relief. As a rule, this type of exercise should be performed when the progression of weight is not too important, or at the end of the workout, just to "finish off" your muscles.

The dumbbell set is one of the the best options, in order to purposefully load and stretch the pectoral muscles (and the angle during execution strongly affects the pumping of the upper, lower or middle part of the chest). We will now talk about the last aspect in a little more detail. So, with a negative angle of inclination, the lower part of the chest will succumb to a greater load. With a positive tilt angle, the pectoral muscles will work much more evenly, but some of the load will go to the deltas.

Crossovers and machine raises are also quite effective for chest muscles, stretching and improving their relief.

Pectoral muscle training program

In order to pump up the pectoral muscles as quickly as possible, you can stick to next programwhich is perfect for beginners:

Bench press horiz. / Tilt. bench - 4 x 6-12 + warm-up.
Dumbbell press - 4 x 8-12.
Dumbbell set (with different angles of inclination) - 4 x 10-15.

Such a complex will allow you to enlarge your pectorals, gaining the necessary mass and strength. For a more advanced level of bodybuilder, the following program is suitable:

Bench press horiz. bench - 4 x 8.
Bench press on an incline. bench - 3 x 8.
Dumbbell press - 3 x 6-12.
Wiring (dumbbells / arms on the simulator) - 3 x 12-15.
Crossover - 4 x 10-15 with 45 seconds rest.

Using such a complex, you can see impressive results in record time. In principle, adhering to the correct execution technique and knowing the main reasons for muscle growth, pumping up the pectorals will not be special labor... By the way, your pectoral workout should be done at the beginning of the week (if you have a 5-day split) while your body is rested and not under a lot of stress after training large muscle groups.

Breast training at home

Quite a few people start their thorny path to success in bodybuilding with home workouts. Of course, there can be many reasons for this: shyness, financial difficulties, huge distance to the gym and the like. Nevertheless, you can lay a good "base" at home. Of course, push-ups from the floor alone will not increase your chest volume to a noticeable level, and therefore you need at least a minimum inventory. If we talk about such a set, then you will definitely need collapsible dumbbells (2 is enough) from 5-10 to 30-40 kg. This will make it possible to carry out full-fledged training with bench exercises, which are basic in bodybuilding. Along with this, it is possible to perform the routing that we talked about earlier. As for the alternative to a bench, there may be several options: a thick board, a low sofa, and the like.

Bars will be no less useful, exercises on which can qualitatively draw the relief of your muscles and give strength. Nowadays they are in almost every yard, but since running back and forth is not very convenient, you can also buy them (or take the dumbbells out into the street). In addition to training the pectoral muscles, you can also swing the press on the uneven bars.

Finally, commonplace push-ups can also be a good addition to your workout. As the results increase, you can start push-ups with weights, which will be very effective for increasing volume and strength. Next, we will give a specific complex, showing what should be the training of the pectoral muscles at home.

Home workout program

Home workout of the pectoral muscles can be in no way inferior to the one that takes place in a professionally equipped gym. The most important thing is adherence to technique and progression of loads. Let's start:

Push-ups from the floor (possible with weights) - 4 x 12-18.
Dumbbell press - 3 x 8-12.
Push-ups on the uneven bars (possible with weights) - 4 x max.
Layout - 3 x 10.
Dumbbell Pullover - 3 x 12.

You can see the technique for performing the last exercise below.

Pectoral muscle workout for girls

In principle, the set of exercises for women is similar to that for men, but there are additional movements that are adapted specifically for the weaker sex. Let's list them: push-ups from the floor while standing on your knees or from the bar while standing, push-ups on the uneven bars for girls, and a specific bench press that is also ideal for women.

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