Sunday, January 24th, 2010
The part that seperates my two Pecs? I have been working out for about a month and can already see my pecs getting bigger but the area inbetween is nothing but skin and bone.
Also what does the Decline bench workout do differently than Incline and normal bench?
To get a fuller inner chest area and get good pec development requires you to hit your chest from different bench angles, with varying grip positions and using both barbells and dumbbells as well as some cable moves.
To target the inner chest perform close-grip barbell moves. These also work your triceps and the bench angle does not really matter. Do cable and machine single-joint exercises in which your hands come together as well, crossing them over emphasises this effect.
Here are some exercises that target the middle chest:
*Flat-Bench Dumbbell Press. Lie face up on a flat bench and hold the dumbbells just outside your chest. Press up to full arm extension without locking your elbows. The dumbbells should almost touch. As you lower the dumbbells, your elbows should point out to your sides. Keep the weights close to the sides of your chest at the bottom and dont let them get too low. You could substitute this with a close-grip barbell bench press from time to time.
*Pec-Deck Machine. Remember to set the seat so that your elbows and shoulders are in the same horizontal plane for maximum benefit.
*Flat-Bench Cable Flye. Set a flat bench between the cable crossovers in your gym. Get someone to hand you the handles. Bring the handles up in an arc. Keep your elbows slightly bent throughout. Adjust your body to ensure your shoulders align with the cables’ pulleys. Allow the weights to pull your arms out wide, but don’t overstretch your shoulders. Pull the handles together, and squeeze your chest hard. If you cross your hands a few inches, you recruit your inner pecs more, especially when holding the peak of contraction for a count. Alternate which hand is above the other from rep to rep or set to set to ensure balanced development.
* Wide-Grip Bench Press. Using a wide grip reduces the range of motion and puts more muscular stress on the pecs, especially the outer-middle region as well as the shoulders. If you have never done wide-grip benches, don’t go too wide to quickly.
Generally speaking, incline bench chest work hits the upper chest, the higher the angle, the higher on the chest the move hits, but the more the front deltoids kick in. Decline moves offer the shortest range of motion and target the lower portion of the chest.
Flat benches work most of the chest fairly evenly. Adjusting the way you perform exercises emphasises different areas, examples above are the close-grip barbell bench press and the wide-grip bench press, on a flat bench.
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Sunday, October 11th, 2009
I’m in my 20’s I go to the gym and workout my chest once a week to me I know that’s not enough. What would be the best solution?
Please list how many chest workouts you know. Also how many styles I should do for one day. To get the best results.
Thank you.
yes it is plenty. you should not work specific muscle groups directly more than once a week. all you’d need is a good chest workout (with a spotter would be ideal). my chest workout is barbell bench press 4 sets of 6-10 reps, then incline bench (which works your upper chest and the hardest to build) 3×6-10 reps, and flys 3×6-10 reps. remember you should be working hard, make it feel like you can’t do more than the amount of reps your doing (ex if you’re doing 8 reps make sure the weight is enough so that you can’t do 9). if you do more than 12 reps on large muscle groups, they are not working hard enough. save the 12-15 reps for smaller, weaker muscles like shoulders. to get strength gains, use the barbell. exercises involving the barbell are best for getting stronger, because you can load more weight. (dumb bells are good too, but their focus is alittle different)
Technorati Tags: Barbell Bench Press, Best Solution, Build Muscle, chest workout, Chest Workouts, Dumb Bells, Flys, Gym Workout, Ideal, Incline Bench, Muscle Groups, Muscle Men, Muscles, Shape, Shoulders, Spotter, Strength Gains, Upper Chest, Workout Bench
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Saturday, October 10th, 2009
If you are familiar with only one exercise in the Bright ‘N Fit Training Routine, it is probably the Flat Barbell Bench Press. Enter any local fitness center or campus gym and you will more than likely witness someone performing this movement. The question is, how many of those people are doing it properly?
This exercise, when done correctly, will lead to great strength, power, and size gains in the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Muscles worked during the Flat Barbell Bench Press:
• Chest (Pectorals)
• Front Shoulders (Anterior Deltoids)
• Arms (Triceps)
It is important to learn how to perform the Flat Barbell Bench Press to receive all of its benefits and avoid injuries, particularly to the shoulder and elbow joints.
Step 1: Setting Up
The set-up is crucial for performing the exercise properly. You must be in a tight and stabilized position before and throughout the movement.
Head Position: Lie down on a flat bench directly under the barbell as it sits in the hooks of the rack. Adjust your body (slide your back forward or backward on the bench) so that the center of the barbell is directly over your eyes. Keep your chin tucked, and your eyes looking above.
Hand Position: Grab the barbell with your hands equally distant from your body, placing them about 23-26 inches apart. This grip will evenly activate your chest and tricep muscles, rather than one more so than the other. Hold the barbell low in your hands (as close to your wrists and away from your fingers as possible) to prevent the weight of the bar from bending your wrists and placing stress on your elbows. Be sure to wrap your thumbs around the barbell, and squeeze the bar as hard as you can. A “thumbless” grip can be extremely dangerous because you have less control of the barbell.
Upper-body Position: Puff your chest out by pulling your shoulder blades together and pressing your back against the bench. Keep everything tight. This position will make your body a more stable surface to push from, allowing you to bench press more weight. It will also place less stress on your shoulder joints.
Feet Position: Your feet should be flat on the ground, and about 30 inches apart. Try to drive your heels into the floor.
Now that you have gotten into that tight position, you must hold it throughout your entire set.
Step 2: Unracking the Barbell
Extend your arms to push the barbell straight up in order to remove it from the hooks of the rack. If you have a spotter, ask him/her to give you a “lift-off,” in which he/she helps you unrack the weight by pulling the barbell straight up out of the hooks before you begin your set.
As you remove the barbell from the hooks, slightly move the bar towards your feet so it is directly over your lower chest. Your spotter can remove his/her hands from the bar once you have the barbell completely under control.
Now you are ready to bench press!
Step 3: Bench!
As you are bench pressing, remember to keep your chest out, shoulder blades pinched together, back against the bench, and feet firmly on the ground.
• First, take a big breath and slowly lower the barbell in a straight line until it touches your lower chest. As you are doing this, try to keep your elbows tucked to your sides, and your wrists in line with your elbows. Do not follow the barbell with your eyes as you lower the bar to your lower chest, keep looking up.
• Once the barbell touches your lower chest, pause for a second to eliminate the tendency to bounce the bar off your chest.
• As you release the air by breathing out, explosively push or “press” the barbell in a straight line directly above your lower chest by extending your arms. Keep your elbows tucked to your sides and squeeze the barbell as hard as you can as you are doing this.
• Repeat from the first bullet-point of Step 3.
Practice this technique with an empty (unloaded) barbell until you have developed muscle memory. The movement may seem awkward at first but it will become more comfortable as you continue practicing it. Remember to stay 100% focused during every single rep!
Check out BrightNFit.com for more info on college fitness.
Ty Lom
http://www.articlesbase.com/men’s-health-articles/100-proper-bench-press-technique-your-first-step-to-a-firmer-chest-312792.html
Technorati Tags: Anterior Deltoids, Barbell Bench Press, Bench Press Technique, Campus Gym, Elbow Joints, Flat Barbell Bench Press, Flat Bench, Pectorals, Tricep Muscles, Triceps Muscles
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