Chest

For many people, especially men, training the chest holds a special place of importance. When two guys get together who both workout, one of the first questions is, “What do you bench?” Honestly, who cares? The important thing is to perform the exercises properly and feel good afterwards. In this series, we’ll discuss proper form and some ways to get past the inevitable “sticking points.”

Chest - Basic Workout
Note: You should use a partner to spot you when performing this series.
Bench Press (link to the animation of the "Bench Press") It is performed with your back flat on the bench and depending on the brand of equipment your using, your head will be close to directly under the bar. With your hands gripping the bar slightly wider than your shoulders, lift the bar and move it to directly over your center chest. Lower the bar to your chest slowly with your elbows making 90 degree angles to your body. In other words, if you were looking down at yourself, your elbows and body would form a “T.” When pushing the bar back to the starting point, blow out your air, breath in when you lower the bar. Be careful not to use too much weight. This may make you bring the weight down too quickly thereby possibly hurting your chest. Also, do not use a false grip. (link to a photo of False grip.) This is when you tuck your thumbs back so that the bar is simply resting on your palms. The correct grip (Link to a photo of correct grip) is wrapping your thumb around the bar. I have seen many times, “expert” bodybuilders drop bars on their chests, it’s not a pretty sight! A tip to remember here is keep you shoulders pressed back while you press your chest forward.

Incline Bench Press (link to animation of "Incline Bench Press") Using the same grip as above, bring the bar to directly over your upper chest. The downward motion now will be directing force to that area. Again, move the bar slowly, breathing in as you lower it to your chest and out as you push it upward. The elbows will again, be in a “T-like” position to the body. Remember, chest forward, shoulders back.

Flat Flies (link to animation of "Flat Flies") This is one of the more difficult exercises for new people to learn. First, choose dumbbells which are light. It’s better to get the correct form first and then, once you’ve learned the technique, increase the poundage. Start with the dumbbells on your chest, gripping them from the sides. Press them directly over your center chest but keep a bend in your elbow, as though you were hugging a small tree. Don’t lock your elbows! Once you’ve found this position, slowly lower the dumbbells out to the side, in a 90 degree angel to your body. Your elbows will likely bend a bit more as you lower the weights to the outside of your body. That’s okay, but don’t bend too much, try to maintain the “hugging the tree” position you started with. When your elbows are about parallel with the floor, bring them back up to the starting position. At the top, squeeze the dumbbells together. Again, your chest should push forward while your shoulders press back.

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