Women and men have similarities and differences in the chest area. The obvious difference is that women have breast tissue which is largely composed of fat. The similarity is they have chest muscles underneath the breast tissue. These are called the pectorals. The main objective with chest exercises for women is to give the breasts a perky look and keep them lifted.
Incline Chest Press
The pectorals consist of the pectoralis major and minor. The goal with chest exercises is to target the upper, middle, lower and inner chest to recruit as much muscle as possible. The incline chest press is performed with an incline bench and dumbbells. To do this exercise, lie on the bench while holding the dumbbells an inch apart straight above you. Slowly lower the weights to your sides by bending your elbows and stop when your upper arms parallel the floor. Push the weights back to the starting point and repeat.
Bench Press
Bench presses are specific to the middle part of the chest. You can either use a barbell or dumbbells to perform these. Start out lying face-up on a flat bench while holding dumbbells straight above you in the same fashion as with incline presses. Slowly lower them to your sides, push them back up and repeat.. If you are using a barbell, hold it with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and lower it down until it lightly touches your chest. Push it back up in a steady motion and repeat.
Decline Bench Press
The decline bench press zeroes in on the lower part of the pecs. This exercise is performed in similar fashion to the incline press and bench press, except you use a decline bench. Position your lower legs in the padded supports on the top of the bench and lie flat on your back while holding the dumbbells straight above you. Slowly lower the weights down by bending your elbows. Once the dumbbells are by your stomach, push them back up and repeat.
Flyes
Dumbbell flyes target the inner part of your chest. These are similar to chest presses, but you keep your arms in a locked position. Start out lying face-up on the bench and hold the weights an inch apart with your palms facing each other. Slightly bend your elbows and keep them bent as you lower your arms to your sides. Once your upper arms parallel the floor, push the dumbbells back up and repeat. Chest flyes can be performed in the incline, flat and decline position.
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