Exercises To Strengthen Breast Muscles

The chest has several muscles that take up the large surface area of your breasts, and several exercises, each with variations, can strengthen your chest. The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends strengthening exercises with a weight load of 70 percent to 75 percent of your maximum ability for eight to 10 repetitions. Vary your exercises every four to six weeks to work your chest muscles differently for optimal results.

Push-Ups

"An Enduring Measure of Fitness: The Simple Push-Up," published in "The New York Times, calls the push-up the easiest way to test someone's physical fitness. Push-ups require strength and endurance from muscles throughout your body, including your chest. Push-ups require using your arms to push your body up from the ground. Lie face-down, with your hands next to your shoulders. Push your body up, maintaining a straight line from your back to your feet. You should be on your toes. Keep your abs pulled in. Slowly bend at the elbows to lower your body. Push yourself back up. Repeat. Place a medium-size medicine ball under one hand to increase the challenge. After you push yourself up, repeat for the other side. Continue to pass the ball back and forth for a complete set.

Bench Presses

A barbell chest press is a common exercise to work the chest muscles. It is done on a weight bench with a barbell rack above your head. Use the appropriate weight, based on your goals.Lie on the bench. Grip the bar a little more than shoulder-width distance. Lift the barbell off the rack, and push it all the way up above your chest. Slowly lower the bar until your elbows are just to the bench or slightly below it. Press back up to the starting position. The American Council on Exercise recommends always using a spotter. He should stand behind the bench, with alternating hand grips ready to grab the bar if are too fatigued to complete a repetition. Do eight to 10 repetitions per set.

Chest Flies

A chest fly uses a different movement than the other chest exercises. Instead of pushing away from your body, you pull your arms together. For a cable chest fly, you need a machine that has two pulley attachments across from each other. Attach a handle to each, and adjust the height of the pulley to about shoulder height. Adjust the weight to your appropriate weight. Grab each handle, and take a step forward. Slowly bring your arms out to the side of your body. Your elbows should be bent about 45 degrees, and your hands should be about shoulder height, with your palms facing forward. Slowly pull your palms together in front of your body at about chest height. As they come together, extend your arms without locking your elbows. Squeeze your chest muscles. Slowly move back to the starting position. Do not let the weight pull your arms behind you.