Beginner's guide to chest exercises

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The strong and strong upper body, especially the chest, will help you have a healthy body and attract everyone's eyes. Beginners to chest exercises often do not know where to start and how to practice to achieve high results. So, the following article will guide you through basic chest exercises for beginners.

1. Push-ups

How to do it: Start a push-up with two legs and place your hands directly below your shoulders, keeping your arms straight. Squeeze your glutes while starting the movement by flexing your elbows. To work as many muscle fibers as possible, keep your hips in line with your shoulders and lower as close to the floor as possible. Do not let your hips drop to the floor or raise your butt to the sky. Keeping your wrists strong, press firmly into the floor. If you bend your elbows slightly, you will aim for your chest. While pulling the elbows into the body will target the triceps.
Efficiency: You will never build a house on a soft and wobbly foundation. This is why mastering pushups is so important and a starting place for all beginners. It's a simple move, but many people struggle to do it correctly. Therefore, you should persevere in training to achieve high results.
Pro Tip: If it feels too easy, make a slightly narrower fist or elevate your leg. If it's too hard, start bending your knees or raising your arms, resting on a chair or bench while your feet are on the floor.

2. Barbell bench press

How to do it: Place light dumbbells in the top quadrant of a flat bench so that it is directly below the bar. Lie on a bench, feet to the sides, resting on the floor. The fist is just wider than shoulder width. Lower the dumbbells, keeping your hands directly above the elbows. Inhale as you lower the bar, pause at the bottom, then exhale as you press the bar up, keeping your head and neck still to make sure the bar follows that same straight line.
Effectiveness: Once you've mastered push-ups, you know you're ready for this full-body workout. This exercise will activate the abs, glutes, chest muscles, triceps and good leg movement. So this is a great functional move that will shape and add size to your entire upper body.
Expert advice: If it's too easy, slow down the descent to 3 seconds each. If it's too hard, reduce the weight. Let a partner spot you in the beginning and as you add more weight.

3. Medicine ball chest throw

How to: Do ​​a kneeling position facing a wall or get a training partner involved to make this move more competitive. Hold the ball with both hands at chest height. Using as much power as possible, throw the ball straight at the wall or your teammate, following with your hands as if you were mimicking the hit of an explosive push. You will naturally fall forward a little.
Effectiveness: This ball exercise is handy, flexible and gives you visible results in terms of improving burst power and speed. This exercise not only helps you tone your chest but also hits your abs to strengthen and condition your entire upper body.
Pro Tip: If it's too easy, lie on your back and throw the ball in the air, catch the ball and repeat quickly and continuously. If it's too hard, stand up and do it against the wall.

4. Flat dumbbell bench press

How to do it: Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand. If the weights are difficult, place them on your thighs and use your feet to step up and help lift the weights while you're lying down. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at either side of your chest. Your arms should be at a 90° angle with your palms facing forward (away from you). Press the dumbbells up as you squeeze your chest muscles to create tension. Once your arms are straight, lower and repeat.
Effectiveness: Working your pectoral muscles is important if you want to enlarge your breasts. Accordingly, the flat barbell bench press really works that stimulant while targeting your triceps and deltoids. Dumbbells have a unique advantage over barbells in that they develop independent movement control, which eliminates dominant lateral muscle imbalances and provides greater flexibility so you can change Change your grip to target slightly different muscles. Plus, it's safer to have a failed push-up to ensure that the dumbbells don't fall.
Pro Tip: If it's too easy, increase the level of exercise. If it's too difficult, use a lighter weight or switch to a neutral grip (palms facing each other) so your pads can support the movement.
MORE: What are the effects of weight training? Instructions for correct weight training

5. Decline Dumbbell flye

How to: Place the bench at an angle. Place dumbbells on the floor on either side of the top of the bench. Lie on your back and grab dumbbells in each hand. Press the dumbbells up so that your arms are straight with your palms facing each other. Continue to slowly lower the dumbbells with your elbows slightly bent in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest. As you bring your arms back to the starting position, try to keep the tension in the muscles.
Effectiveness: Builds big muscle to maintain mobility. One of the proven, most effective ways to grow new muscle fibers is to stretch the desired area under load. Then contract the muscle, stimulating growth while you rest. In this case, when you release the tension, there is an increased amount of blood that helps supply the protein.
Pro Tip: If it's too easy, reduce the angle of the bench more to really target your upper body muscles. And if it's too difficult, switch to using cables.

6. Cable chest press

How To: Place the cables evenly on the cable machine. Hold the handle and stand so that you are facing away from the machine. Pull the handles close to your chest, then step into a split to create a solid base. Make sure you grab the handles and place them in front of your chest before stepping off the machine, rather than stepping and then turning around. If the weight is heavy, reaching back too far can cause rotator cuff and shoulder problems.
Once you're stable, bring your palms together and press the cable out until your arms are straight. Try to keep your delts in line with your ears and shoulders back so your chest does most of the work.
Effectiveness: Cable stimulates your muscles differently than free weights, because you are working against continuous resistance. The dynamic nature of pulling you back while squeezing increases stretch time, increasing protein synthesis and growth.
Pro Tip: If it's too easy, try touching your palms together while keeping your shoulders back. If it's too difficult, use a light resistance band strapped to something sturdy and mimic the movement to condition your muscles.

7. Incline dumbbell bench press

How to do it: Lie down on a bench set to a 45° angle with a dumbbell in each hand. If the weights are difficult, place the dumbbells on your thighs and bring your legs up to lift the weights, then lie down. Start with dumbbells resting on your chest. Press the flat panels together so that the palms are facing each other. As you press up, keep the weights pressed together for tension in the press. Lower your back so the dumbbells rest briefly on your chest, then repeat.
Efficiency: Keeping weights closer together allows for an increased range of motion, helping to recruit all available motion units. To maximize results, tighten your muscles at the beginning of the workout. Your muscles will learn which ones need to work and which ones can relax, putting maximum pressure on the right muscles.
Pro Tip: If it's too easy, shorten the break or increase the level. If it's too difficult, switch to flat dumbbell chest presses.

8. Dumbbell floor press

How to do it: Grab a dumbbell by the grip, continue to sit, then lie on your back on the floor or mat. Place your feet on the floor and bend your elbows so that your arms form a 90° angle. (Imagine you are pressing your lumbar spine and shoulders to the floor.) If one of your shoulders touches the ground, it means your weight is too heavy and you need to lose weight. Check this out, then continue.
Keeping your muscles engaged to avoid overstretching your lower back, press the dumbbells toward the ceiling until your arms are straight. Lower under control until your triceps are on the floor.
Effectiveness: The floor press is an underrated exercise that targets the pectoralis major, core, triceps, and shoulder stabilizers, all of which help build strength. Also, if you have shoulder pain or lower back pain when pressing then this exercise is a must, because lying flat on the floor gives you constant feedback on whether you are in the correct posture or not.
Pro Tip: If it's too easy, lie flat instead of bending your knees and placing your feet. If it's too hard, switch to push-ups to build up your strength.

9. Cable crossover

How to do it: Place the cables high so that they are level with your shoulders. Grasp both cables and lunge forward into a split position for maximum stability. Press the cables in front of you, then slowly let the cables pull your arms back so they are stretched (as if you were flying). Be sure to maintain a slightly bent elbow.
When you reach the full stretch position, exhale and bring the cable into the center of your torso. Instead of stopping when your hand touches it, keep going until the cables cross. Stop when you have created a space (about the size of two knuckles) between your hands.
Effectiveness: When it comes to fuller, rounder breasts, it's important to do some isolation exercises that really only target the practitioner. The bilateral aspect of the crossover cables allows you to strengthen your weaker part, while the combined movements don't always work for muscle imbalances. For maximum definition, it is important to put the muscles under pressure as much as possible.
Pro Tip: If it's too easy, pause for 2-3 seconds while the cables are crisscrossed to fatigue your body. If it's too hard, don't pass and stop when your hands are close together.

10. One-arm decline dumbbell bench press

How to do it: Place a bench at an incline and hold a dumbbell in each hand. If it's a steep incline, secure your shins under the pad of the bench. If your bench doesn't have pads, reduce the drop and keep your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands shoulder width apart and start with arms extended straight up with an outward grip (palms facing out). Squeeze and lower one arm under control, pausing in the bottom position, then press up until the arm is extended again. Complete the desired movements on the same arm, making sure that the other arm is completely rested the entire time. Switch sides after completing all movements.
Effectiveness: Single-arm weightlifting puts stress on your central nervous system, increases your heart rate, and turns this strength exercise into a conditioning exercise to build a toned body but full of life.
Pro tip: If it's too easy for you, turn it up. If it's too hard, build up strength with chest weights for about 4 weeks.
In short, for those starting to train chest, the main focus is to perform the correct movement, with the correct technique, safely, with the right form and weight. These exercises will work the chest from all angles to increase strength and muscle size, simple implementation is suitable for beginners.

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Reference source: mensjournal.com