The pectoralis muscles refers to the muscles in your chest that originate from your sternum and insert to your bicipital groove in your upper arm near the shoulder joint. The biceps are the major muscles in the front of your upper arm that pulls your forearm toward your body and works with the triceps to extend your elbow joint. You can perform a combination of isolation and full-body exercises to increase full-body strength or muscle definition.
Push ups
The push up trains not only your chest and arms but also your abdominal, spine and hip stability that keeps your body in alignment. Place both hands on the ground about as wide as your shoulders and put your feet slightly apart on your toes. Lower your body down until your chest and hips almost touch the ground. Tighten your buttocks and push the ground away from you. Do not round your back or shoulders or stick your neck forward. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Arm Curls
Stand with one leg in front of the other and hold a 20 lb. dumbbell in each hand by your sides with your palms facing forward. Brace your abs and curl your arms up until your elbow is bent to about 70 to 80 degrees. Lower the weights back to the starting position. Perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Standing Cable Chest Fly
Set the height of the cable machine to about as high as your heart level. Face away from the machine and grab a handle in each hand. Move forward until the weight stack is slightly off its resting place. Stand with one foot in front of the other. Brace your abs and pull your arms toward the center of your body without moving your legs or spine. Gradually open your arm out to your sides and pull your shoulder blades together. Perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps. Use a lighter weight if you cannot perform the exercise with good form or within the range of repetitions. Use a heavier weight if you can perform this exercise easily.
Warning
Too much chest and bicep exercises can put your body alignment off balance. Overtraining these muscles can cause your upper spine and shoulders to round forward and then your arms cannot fully extend, according to Anthony Carey, author of "Pain-Free Program." Perform pulling exercises and arm extension exercises, such as pull ups and tricep extensions, to counterbalance the chest and bicep exercises.
References
- "Essence of Program Design"; Juan Carlos Santana; 2004
- "Pain-Free Program"; Anthony Carey; 2005
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