Exercises that target pectoral muscles are important for a well-shaped and defined chest. Guys are not the only ones that need to focus on working these muscles; the same moves are also great exercises for saggy breasts- preventing them and even reversing the effects that aging can have on this particular part of the body.
Upper body strength is a common weak spot, especially among women. Having strong chest muscles not only gives you a better body shape, but also allows you the ability to do everyday activities effortlessly and with less chance of injury.
To get stronger, larger chest muscles, it is crucial to comprehensively work the pectorals through various ranges of motion. Technically, you might get bigger pecs by doing the same canned workout with heavier and heavier weights, over and over again but they aren’t going to be well developed, truly strong, or proportionate unless you approach their development expansively. Developing the pectorals evenly throughout all ranges of motion in order to get bigger pecs is the best method to get the most amount of size with the least amount of effort.
Exercises must hit both the upper and lower parts of the pecs, as well as the centerline and outer edges. Technically, whenever the pecs are utilized at all, the entire pectoral muscle will engage. However, it’s still important to isolate the different muscles in the various ranges of movement; these upper body exercises do just that.
Best Pectoral Exercises & Variations
Presses
Flat chest press
Decline chest press
Incline chest press
Flies
Incline chest flies
Decline flies
Flat flies
Cable Crossovers
Incline Cable Crossovers
Decline Cable Crossover Press
The correct form for a proper decline cable-cross over is to stand mostly straight with a slight bend in your knees for support. You want to lean your body slightly forward. when doing your reps you want to start high and decline as you pull the cables forward. focus on using only your cherst muscles and not your back and shoulders. If you find yourself using more your back than chest you are attempting to lift too much weight.
Flat Cable Crossover Press
Place the pulleys on a low position and grab a handle in each hand and lay down flat on the bench. Position your body in neutral alignment with your chest equidistant between the cable pulleys. Begin by extending your arms wide to your side. With your chest up, create a slight bend in your elbows and elevate your arms up simultaneously in an arcing motion until your hands are directly above your chest. Assure your arms stay slightly bent through the range of motion as the movement should occur only at the shoulder joint. Return your arms back down in a controlled motion down to shoulder level and repeat.
Do one group (i.e. presses, flies, or cable crossover presses) per workout. Do three sets of each exercise in that group for 6-10 repetitions per set.
Do upper body routines with one of the above groups included each time, up to three times per week. If you are ever sore from a previous workout, give that body part another day or rest in order to avoid undoing any gains you might have made.
Antagonistic Muscle Groups
Exercises that target antagonistic muscle groups cause reciprocal inhibition by moving the same joint in opposite directions. Reciprocal inhibition forces one muscle group to relax while the other contracts. Contraction-inhibiting cellular waste builds up inside your muscles with each repetition during resistance exercise. Alternating between exercise sets that target antagonistic muscle groups back-to-back can help remove accumulating waste, which helps you complete the same number of repetitions for every set and avoid premature muscle failure.
Rhomboids are a particularly important complimentary muscle to work when you are doing routines that focus so intensely on the chest. Developing rhomboids will even out muscle development and help you maintain proper posture; often times when people are doing workouts to get bigger pecs, they neglect the rhomboids and end up with caved in shoulders that roll forward.
Exercises for Rhomboids to Balance out Chest Muscles
Reverse Flies
Bent Over Rows
Bent Over Wide Rows
Seated Row
Supine Push Ups
