The best way to lose fat on any part of your body is to gain metabolically active muscle. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day. The chest consists of large muscles, so by performing strength-training exercises to develop these muscles, you will simultaneously be adding to your fat-burning power. Add chest workouts to your regular exercise routine on three nonconsecutive days a week.
Bench Press
The bench press engages every single muscle of the chest as well as the anterior shoulders and the triceps. Lie face up on a horizontal bench with your glutes on the bench and your feet on the floor. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip that is at least shoulder-width. Remove the bar from the rack and steady it over your chest with your arms extended. Pull your belly button into your spine and stabilize your core. Slowly bend your elbows to lower the bar to your chest. Immediately, press the bar back up until your arms are extended. Perform two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions. The bench press can also be performed on an incline bench to work the upper chest more intensely or on a decline bench to target the lower chest.
Dumbbell Fly
The dumbbell fly targets the pectoralis major and helps develop muscle flexibility in the chest and shoulders. Lie on a narrow exercise bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward and your arms extended directly above your chest. To relieve stress on your elbow, you should maintain a slight bend in the joint throughout the movement. Pull your belly button into your spine and stabilize your abdominal muscles. Open your arms and slowly lower them until they reach horizontal or until you feel a stretch across your chest. With control, raise your arms back up to the starting position. When your reach the top of the movement, squeeze your chest together and hold the contraction for a count of one. Perform two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions. To prevent tearing your pectoral muscles, never perform this exercise with heavy weights. This exercise can also be performed on an incline or decline bench to target the upper and lower parts of the chest.
Lying Dumbbell Pull-Over
The dumbbell pull-over works the bulk of the pectoralis major as well as the triceps and portions of the back. Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor with your head positioned at the very end of the bench. Using both hands, hold a dumbbell by circling your thumbs and palms around the handle. Position the dumbbell directly above your chest with your arms extended. Pull your belly button into your spine and contract your core. Slowly bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head. Focus on using your chest and abdomen to pull the weight back up to the starting position. Perform two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
Push-Up
The push-up is a classic exercise that is used in the military and gym classes to test muscular strength and endurance. This exercise intensely works the pectoralis major and the triceps while also developing core strength and stabilization. Position yourself face down on the floor with your legs together and extended. Your arms should be extended with your hands directly below your shoulders. Pull your belly button into your spine and stabilize your torso. Keeping your body in a straight line, slowly bend your elbows to lower your chest to the floor. Immediately, push up by extending your arms and return to the starting position. Throughout the movement, ensure that your hips do not sag. Perform three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions. To focus the work on the outer portion of the chest, take a wider stance with your hands. A narrower hand placement will target the middle of the chest.
References
- "Strength Training Anatomy, Second Edition"; Frederic Delavier; 2006
- American Council on Exercise: Lying Dumbbell Pullovers
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