The pectoral muscles of the chest respond to exercises that involve moving the upper arms inward and shoulders forward. A bench press is a popular exercise that includes both these motions. By adding bench presses to your workouts, you not only improve your muscle tone, but you also improve your functional ability with daily tasks.
Free Weights
Machines give you a good workout and help build strength, but free weights are more advantageous with toning. When you use such free weights as dumbbells or barbells, you have to balance the weight by contracting stabilizing muscles. This in turn leads to more overall muscle fiber recruitment. Bench presses can be performed with either a barbell or dumbbells.
Proper Technique
The way you do bench presses is pivotal for toning results. If you do not use a full range of motion or rely on momentum during your reps, you will compromise your progress. Start the exercise from a face-up position on a flat bench, and grasp the barbell with a wide grip. Steadily push the bar off the supports and hold it straight above your body with your arms fully extended. Keeping your abs tight and back against the bench, slowly lower the bar down until it lightly touches your chest. Push the bar back up until your arms are fully extended, and repeat.
If you use dumbbells, hold them an inch apart straight above your chest with your palms facing your knees. Slowly lower the dumbbells down to your sides by bending your elbows and then push them back up.
Angles
The chest is a large muscle group. Performing a flat bench press places most of the emphasis on the middle part of the chest. To maximize your toning efforts, your best bet is to include incline and decline bench presses to your workouts. Incline presses work the upper portion of the pecs and decline presses work the lower region. Perform both variations the same way as regular bench presses, except you need an incline and decline bench. In a similar fashion to regular bench presses, use a barbell or dumbbells.
Resistance
The resistance you use needs to be taken into consideration with bench presses. If you do not fully tax your muscles, you compromise your progress. Aim for a resistance that you can only lift eight to 12 times with proper form. To be on the safe side, have a spotter stand right behind you for all your sets. Have him apply light pressure to meet your rep ranges or have him take the weight if you can go no further.
Rest and Recovery
Rest is an important part of toning. If your muscles do not have enough time to recover, they might become injured and set you back. Take at least one day off in between your workouts for the best results. Also, get enough sleep. If you are exhausted while lying on a bench, you will not have energy to push weights. Sleep is also a pivotal time for muscles to recover.
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