Chest exercises to boost your gaze

Oct 09, 2022 Features / Columnists, News

==Fit-Nest==

By Davina Bagot

Kaieteur News – Chest exercises are great for both men and women. Exercising the muscles in this area helps to do more than just look great.

The incline pushup

Dr. Amy Ravindra, a US-certified orthopedic surgeon who specialises in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of orthopaedic injuries and musculoskeletal disorders, with specialised focus on the shoulder and elbow said in a 2021 article that exercising your pectoralis major and minor (chest muscles) can help with improved posture, better breathing, breast support and the ability to excel at daily events that require lifting, holding or pushing, among others. For some however, the greatest advantage is the gaze you earn from strengthened muscles in this area.

I can tell you that hard work in this area most definitely pays off. If you’re new to exercise and have never tried working out, I’ll share with you some simple exercises you can try to shape this part of your body.

The decline pushup

My personal favourite is the dumbbell chest press. If you are using a bench, grab the two dumbbells and lay on your back. Plant your feet on the opposite sides of the bench and keep them firmly on the ground. Next raise the dumbbells above your chest, with your elbow straight and palms facing forward and not each other. To perform the exercise, slowly lower your elbows to the side of the bench into a 90 degrees angle – meaning that you should create an almost triangular shape with your arms. When the weights reach your chest, slowly raise them up again and repeat this simple movement to tone this part of your upper body.

Dumbbell chest press

Research shows that pushups are not only a great exercise for your arms, but also work out your chest muscles too. There are different variations of this exercise that can help you strengthen this area and I will share just about two with you for now. Since almost everyone knows to do a regular pushup, you’ll learn to do the ‘incline-pushup’ and the decline push-up.

To perform the inclined pushup, begin by standing face towards a bench or a sturdy elevated platform. Place both hands on the bench or platform, slightly wider than shoulder width. Keep your body straight lowering the chest to the edge of the structure by bending your arms. Push your body up until the arms are extended again and repeat.

Similar to the inclined pushup, you are going to need a bench or a sturdy object to perform the decline pushup. Start by lying face down on the floor and place your hands about 36 inches apart while holding your torso up at arms length. Move your feet up to the box or bench. Next, lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale. Now breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest. After a brief pause, you may repeat this exercise for as many repetitions as you like.

The barbell bench press

If you’re heading to the gym and you’re not sure what exercise you can do to work out your chest muscles with the equipment available, you will want to continue reading!

Two simple exercises that you can do at the gym to grow your chest include the barbell press and the machine fly. These are to be done on separate machines as I’m sure the names suggest.

Starting off with the barbell bench press, you will need to lie back on a flat bench. Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90 degree angle in the middle of the movement), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position. One specialist recommends breathing in as you bring the weights towards your chest. After a brief pause, push the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out. Remember to focus on pushing the bar using your chest muscles and lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position at the top of the motion. It is recommended that the time to lower the weight should take about twice as long as raising it. When you’re done repeating the motion, replace the bar onto the rack.

The final one for this week which I’ll share with you is the machine fly. First of all, locate the chest machine in the gym and set it to a weight that you can work it. You may ask for assistance in setting this up before you get started or you can get injured. Once the weight has been set, adjust the chair also to ensure your arms are straight and even with your chest. Next, grip the handles and keep your shoulders down, chest out and feet firmly on the floor; exhale as you bring the weights to the front of your body, and inhale as you move the weights back to the side of you. Make sure that you keep your back straight against the pad and your feet stays firmly in place at your side to support this motion.