Do you get recurring chest pains or feel a tightness in your chest with constant pain peaks in your shoulder? Well, what if I tell you there is only one solution to these issues and more, i.e., chest workouts?
Your chest is a source point connected to many of your health uplifts and is not just limited to physically looking healthy. Chest workouts have been a source of vital energy rejuvenation for centuries. Not to forget to tighten those muscles for a healthier life. So what are the ways you can perform chest workouts?
Ways which can elevate you to stronger breathing, balanced shoulders, healthy back posture, and strengthening of chest muscles for an energized body? Let us fill you in on the types of best chest workouts so you can be informed on which one is suitable for you!
What Is The Purpose Of Chest Workouts?
First, our chest muscles play a key role in keeping our body internally and externally strong and upright. Among the chest muscles, the more resilient pectoralis major and minor muscles, as suggested by their name, are the crucial point of your upper body.
Before beginning your daily chest workout routine, you must understand the chest muscle’s role in your body and what they are called, whether you perform chest workouts at home or the gym. As for a long-term impact, you should know how your body should feel the change when performing chest workouts.
Your chest region contains 4 main muscles: the pectoralis minor and major, subclavius, and serratus anterior. Let us inform you in minor detail about the importance of these muscles and how essential they are for a stronger body.
The Pectoralis Muscles (Major and Minor)
The pectoral muscles are located in the anterior chest wall region, which is also the source of the other three chest muscles. However, the pectoralis muscles extend over the chest area with a distinctive fan shape as it covers the internal ribs of the chest.
The pectoralis major is the muscle that takes up the major portion of the pectoralis muscles and is contained by the sternal and clavicular heads. The major chest muscle’s importance in your chest workout originates from keeping your upper limbs functioning, i.e., rotating and flexing the upper limb. Regular chest workouts will remove any limb pain and tightness in movement as the pectoralis major will get used to the impactful movement of your chest workouts.
The pectoralis minor is the muscle located underneath the other major muscles of the pectoralis. The pectoralis minor is the muscle that starts from the 4th rib cage into the scapula. It functions to help the scapula muscle stabilize as it inserts into it.
The Subclavius Muscle
The subclavius muscle is a small but substantial part of your chest muscles. It is near the upper area below the clavicle muscle over the first rib cage. So it begins from the first rib cage to the clavicle bone. The subclavius muscle in your chest protects the clavicle in case of any fracture or fatal hit. It shields the neurovascular nerves, so chest workouts will assist in collectively making your chest muscles stronger.
The Serratus Anterior
The chest muscle of the serratus anterior is located on the left near the pectoralis minor muscle. It is on the border of the axilla region over the ribcage. Its form is of strips of muscles that insert into the scapula muscle. It plays a major role in rotating the scapula and keeping it intact between the ribcage of your chest wall. It also allows the arm to raise to approximately 90 degrees by providing support and flexibility.
Thus, chest workouts will increase this flexibility and elevate the performance of these chest muscles that are crucial to your chest region.
What Are The Best Types Of Chest Workouts?
1, The Classic Pushups
To begin, you first need to firmly place your palms and toes, facing towards the ground. Remember to keep your hand palms placed on the ground inches apart; the same goes with the toe placement. When you feel your palms and toes firmly balance you, you can begin your chest workout of push ups.
You will first straighten your hands and elevate yourself until the length of your hand allows; this way, your chest area will remain inches up from the ground. The toes will remain straight in place as you exert yourself up from the ground with the help of extending your hands, palms remaining on the floor to help push against. The key is to keep pushing yourself up and down in the same position. It’s essential to remember that while doing these pushups, you need to keep yourself balanced by keeping your shoulders, chest, neck, and legs straight as you push up from the floor and down.
Perform these pushups 9 to 10 times as a single set, then perform more in sets. This way, as you slowly build the habit of chest workout of push ups regularly, your chest muscles and shoulder balance will strengthen!
2, Wide Grip Bench Press
In the wide grip press, you will need to begin by lying on a bench for support of your back as you will need to lie straight on your back. Keep the sole of your feet adjusted straight on the ground and in a sitting position with your back down below on the bench’s seat so your knees will bend.
For this chest workout, you will require a dumbbell and a firm bench so it can be performed in an accurate way. You need to hold and keep the dumbbell on your head with a balanced grip to pose no risk of imbalance, too much pressure on your shoulder, or worse, falling on your face. You need to carefully select the dumbbell weight, as it should be according to your weight and the weight you can exert.
For this chest workout, you need to adjust the dumbbell with your shoulders positioned and hands width apart as you find to be optimizing. After adjusting, you must push the dumbbell above with your chest and shoulders down straight on the bench. You can push it up until your hand stretches and inhale as you push the dumbbell down.
Follow this process of regularly pushing the dumbbell up and down in sets of 2 or 3. However, it’s essential to remember to begin this chest workout in small portions and then increase sets as your muscles get used to the pressure and adrenaline. Each set includes pushing the dumbbell up and down 10 times at least.
This exercise is key to a chest workout because it focuses on strengthening your chest muscles, specifically the muscles of the pectoralis major region!
3, Cable Fly
It would be best to have the proper equipment for this chest workout, i.e., the cable machine. First, you must stand straight with your legs width apart and sit on the ground for a healthy balance. Hold your back towards the cable machine and face forward to pull back your hand to grip the cable handles.
As you feel that you have gripped the handles strongly, you need to push them forward till the handle stretches with the length of your hands straight forward.
Then loosen slowly to pull back the handles still gripped with hands to the beginning point of the cable machine. You need to repeat this 10 to 14 times as a single set by pulling back and forth the cable handles with your hands, exerting pressure on your chest muscles.
You may feel too tight after a while as you exert pressure on your chest and hand muscles, so you can shift your legs in another balanced position facing forward and continue.
4, Without The Cable Machine
If using a cable mission is impossible for you or feels unadjustable, you can use a bench chair and dumbbells to achieve your chest strength. The technique without the cable machine of the cable chest fly workout is a little different. It would help to lay down on a bench with your knees bent and feet firmly on the ground, as in a sitting position. Hold a dumbbell in each hand as you lie on the bench chair.
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You can begin with your hands stretched out on each side left and right, holding the dumbbell in each hand for the workout instead of the cable machine handles. As you stretch out your hands at full length on the sides, you must pull them forward until your hands meet on top of your chest. Exhale each time you pull both hands up from the sides and inhale as you lower your arms to the beginning point again.
Repeat this by pulling arms forward and lowering down 10 to 14 times as a single set while in a balanced position with the upper body lying down.
This is an amazing chest workout, as doing the chest fly exercise daily in 2 to 3 sets will strengthen your chest muscles, especially the pectoralis region responsible for the major functioning of the chest.
5, Triceps Bench Dips
This is one of the incredible chest workouts, with the only requirement of a raised fixed object like a chair or bench. You need support for the dips. To begin, you need to correctly position yourself with a healthy balance and grip on your hands for dips.
Begin with placing your hands back on a raised surface and in a sitting position, as your knees get bent with your arms back on the bench or chair. Slowly you need to bend down, but you need to elevate your legs by keeping them balanced in the air parallel to the ground, straight in the air with the support of your hands. Your position should feel firm as you hover just below the chair or bench your hands are holding on for support. You need to perform these dips with your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle as your legs hover over the ground in the sitting position with your legs facing straight in front of you.
You need to consciously exert the right pressure on your chest and arms muscles focusing on the pectoralis muscles for this chest workout. By focusing as you go down, you must pull yourself back up from your hovering position to the tip of the bench with your bottom. Your hands should not move and remain on the raised surface behind you with elbows bent.
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In these triceps dips, the key part is to have total control over the movement of your triceps and muscles, as your hand determines how many dips you perform!
Last Word
Chest workouts are an incredible way to prevent many physical health issues. It may be the wrong sitting position or pain in the chest muscles and shoulders. Sometimes there can also be internal issues, as the chest area is a major part of our upper body mechanism.
We hope the above information is sufficient to inform you about the incredible types and benefits of chest workouts for your daily routine.
