The chest contains a large muscle known as the pectoralis major and a smaller muscle known as the pectoralis minor. The way to tone these muscles is by doing exercises that involve the upper arms moving inward and shoulders moving forward. Fitness equipment gives you added resistance and the ability to do multiple exercises to insure you achieve full development.
Chest Press
The chest press is used from a seated or face-up position. Both versions have lever arms that move away from and toward your body to work your pecs. The resistance is changed by sliding a pin into a weight stack or by adding weight plates to a circular bar. One version of the lying chest press has two independent lever arms. This allows you to work one side at a time.
Barbells and Dumbbells
Free weights, such as barbells and dumbbells, make good additions to chest workouts, because these weights are free to move. This allows you to recruit more stabilizing muscles than you can recruit with machines. A standard barbell weighs 45 lbs., and you may increase the resistance with your exercises by sliding weight plates onto the ends. The plates range from 2 1/2 to 45 lbs.
Dumbbells range in weight from 1 to over 100 lbs., and they are made of cast iron or durable steel. Bench presses, pullovers and flies are common exercises performed with these free weights. You need a weight bench to perform them. An incline and decline bench allow you to do incline and decline presses that target your upper and lower chest. A flat bench is also used to place your feet or hands for performing pushups.
Medicine Ball
A medicine ball is a functional training tool made out of durable vinyl or rubber material. When it comes to toning the chest, the ball is used as a prop to do pushups, or it is thrown to a partner. A chest pass, for example, works the chest and arms from a standing or kneeling position. Balls range in weight from 1 to 30 lbs.
Stability Ball
A stability ball is used one of two ways for chest toning. If you want to get a good core workout while working your chest, use the ball in place of a weight bench with dumbbell exercises. Pushups with your hands or feet on the ball make challenging variations to pushups with a bench. This is because of the unbalanced nature of the ball. Any time you sit or lie on the ball or use it as a prop, your muscles work overtime to keep your body balanced.
Cables
A cable machine contains two weight stacks that adjust up and down and are spaced about 10 feet apart. These stacks have pulley adjustments that allow you to snap in multiple handles and attachments. Cable crossovers work the chest, and they require the use of two single handles fastened to high settings. You also have the option of using the ball or bench with the cable machine. Align either one between the stacks and perform seated or lying chest presses and flies.
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