Building a bigger chest can be a slow and lengthy process that requires regular training with moderate to heavy weights. The fundamental exercises for developing muscle mass in the chest include the incline and flat bench press. The incline press targets the upper portion of the chest, and the flat press targets the lower portion. It is important to train both parts of the chest for complete development of the muscle. By combining a free-weight routine with a machine routine, you will keep variety in your workouts.
Incline Barbell Bench Press
Step 1
Place the barbell on the rack and lie face-up on the bench with your feet down on the ground in front of you. Grab the barbell using an overhand grip at a distance a bit wider than shoulders-width apart. Lift the barbell off the rack and position it over your upper chest area with your arms extended.
Step 2
Lower the barbell down toward your upper chest by bending your arms.
Step 3
Press the barbell back up to the beginning by extending your arms, but do not lock your elbows out at the top part of the motion.
Flat Barbell Bench Press
Step 1
Put the barbell on the rack, lie face-up on the bench with your feet on the floor in front of you and hold the barbell with your hands in an overhand grip that is slightly shoulders-width apart. Dismount the barbell from the rack and hold it over your upper chest with your arms extended.
Step 2
Bring the barbell down toward your lower chest by bending your arms.
Step 3
Push the barbell up to the start by extending your arms, but do not lock your elbows out at the top of the movement.
Machine Chest Fly
Step 1
Sit on the chest fly machine with your back up against the upright seat and place your back up against the seat. Place your feet on the ground in front of you. Extend your arms and grab the machine handles using an overhand grip. Maintain a bit of a bend in your elbows throughout the exercise.
Step 2
Move the handles across your chest until the handles are almost touching.
Step 3
Move the handles back out to the initial point in a controlled fashion.
Tips and Warnings
- While training for a bigger chest, you should train all of your muscles to maintain balance throughout the muscle groups and proper body posture.
- Perform several warm-up sets before your workouts to minimize injury risks.
Things You'll Need
- Incline weight bench
- Flat weight bench
- Barbell
- Chest fly machine
Member Comments