The chest muscles play a pivotal role in the change of appearance, and the novice chest training will gain a great sense of achievement in the early stage, because the chest muscles without any training marks will quickly produce results under the basic correct stimulation and appropriate nutritional supplements.
The pecs are the large muscle group closest to the front of the body, and the first place people notice when they look at you. It's no wonder that newbies who are just starting out have a great obsession with pectoral muscles. Some people even go to the gym only once a week and only do the bench press each time.
The chest muscle is a muscle group with a high input-output ratio in the early stage, and it is a key muscle for men.
So what are the chest muscles used for?
From an anatomical point of view, the main function of the pectoralis muscle is to add and internally rotate the humerus. When the upper limbs are immobilized, the torso can be raised, and the ribs can also be raised to help inhalation.
It is actually the main muscle group used to push objects away from the body.
For the chest muscles, we need to adopt a method of differentiated training. It is recommended to be divided into:
Upper chest and outer chest training
mid chest training
lower chest training
middle chest training
It is necessary to emphasize one thing here, not every action is suitable for everyone! Many people are not suitable for pectoral training with barbells because of scoliosis or shoulder structure problems。
So before starting the movement practice, it is necessary to emphasize one thing:
Chest training: sink your shoulders, sink your shoulders, sink your shoulders, say important things three times! !
The key to training your chest muscles alone to avoid injury is to sink your shoulders and clip your back!
Teach you a little trick, if you don't know how to sink your shoulders and clip your back:
Chest up/abdomen/shrug, open your shoulders with a shrug, bring your shoulder blades closer to the back and middle, then lower your shoulders.
Suitable training exercises
Upper chest and outer chest training:
Exercise 1: Barbell Incline Bench Press
Action focus: Upper chest, lateral chest, triceps and anterior deltoid.
How to do:
Lie on a reclining bench with your head high so that your torso is about 30 degrees to the ground, your feet are on the ground, and your hips and upper back are on the backrest. Lift the bar with your arms straight up above your chest, which is the starting position for the movement.
Keeping your chest up, slowly lower the bar with your elbows bent while inhaling until the bar almost touches your chest.
Then use the chest to exert force, and push the barbell vertically upward until the barbell is on the vertical line of the shoulder joint, so that the pectoralis major is in the "peak contraction" position, pause for a while
Tips: Fast up/slow down, the down time is about twice as long as the up time, and the barbell hovers at your collarbone
Action intensity:
8-12RM * 5 sets (RM is Repetition Maximum, the maximum number of repetitions to failure. It is the maximum number of repetitions you can do per set with this weight. 8RM means that you can do eight consecutively without interruption, and the last one is very laborious)
Exercise 2: Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)
The incline dumbbell bench press actually stimulates the muscles more deeply!
Because the range of your movements downwards is something that the barbell bench press cannot achieve.
How to do:
1. Get on the bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand on your thighs, palms facing each other.
2. Then, lift the dumbbells with your thighs. If the weight is too heavy, you can place the dumbbells at the base of your legs, then step back, lift your legs and lift the dumbbells, put them in front of your chest, palms forward, and Shoulder width. At the same time, lie back on the backrest. At this time, tighten your core, keep your chest and shoulders high, and you are ready.
3. Then use the strength of the chest to press the dumbbells up, while exhaling, remember to maintain the control of the dumbbells throughout the process, and tighten the core throughout.
4. Straighten your arms naturally, stop for a while when you reach the top, then start to slowly descend, and breathe in when descending. Likewise, fast up and slow down.
5. The above is a complete action, repeat the action to the recommended number of times.
Action intensity:
8-12RM * 5 sets
Tips
Don't touch the two dumbbells at the peak contraction, let the chest control the inertia, instead of letting the inertia collide them together
You can adjust the angle of the chair according to your needs, there is no need to use a slope all the time
Mid-chest workout:
Bench Press (Barbell)
How to do:
Lie flat on the weightlifting bench, keep your chest high, sink your shoulders, put your feet on your back to support the ground, put your hips and upper back on the backrest, and your waist can form a bridge without lifting too high. This focuses on muscle hypertrophy training, not powerlifting. So there is no need for a high bridge. Lift the bar with your arms straight up above your chest, which is the starting position for the movement.
Keep your chest up, shoulders down, bend your elbows and slowly lower the bar while inhaling until the bar almost touches your chest, where the two bumps are
Then use the strength of the chest to lift the dumbbells, while exhaling, remember to maintain an even force throughout the process, avoid uneven bars, and tighten the core throughout.
Action intensity:
8-12RM * 5 sets
Lower chest training
Preferred action: Parallel bar arm flexion and extension!
This action is very recommended. It is the best compound action for upper body training. Depending on the method of doing it, the focus of the muscles to be exercised can also be adjusted accordingly.
When the body leans forward, the focus of this action is on the pectoral muscles, specifically the lower chest.
When the body is relatively perpendicular to the ground, the focus of the exercise is on the three heads.
While this move has many benefits, most people do it wrong and can injure their shoulders or wrists.
Here's what you need to pay attention to:
The back should be straight, not arched
The arm cannot be fully extended, and the arm should be naturally bent even when it is supported
Insufficient range: Many people think that the movement is completed after only going down a little, which is not enough for the training purpose
Elbow expansion: This action must have a certain elbow clamp.
