Pyramid workouts involve changing your repetitions on each set. Repetitions are the number of times you perform an exercise in a row before doing the next exercise. Pyramid workouts allow you to do high repetitions with low weights and low repetitions with high weights in a single workout. You can use pyramid workouts to specifically target your chest or any other muscle group.
Creating a Chest Pyramid Workout
A typical chest workout includes a mix of chest presses and chest flies. There are different exercises that fall into the chest press and chest fly categories, but all chest exercises are either one of the two. Certified personal trainer Jonathan Deprospo, in his article "Powering Up Your Pecs," recommends alternating presses and flies because presses help to pump blood to your pecs and then flies stretch the chest, allowing more blood flow during the next press exercise. Because you are doing a pyramid workout, you must change your repetitions on each set. One possibility is to perform five sets and follow a pattern of eight, six, four, two and six reps for each set. Complete exercises in order to finish a set and then start over using a different number of reps.
Stability Ball Chest Press
The stability ball chest press targets the pectoral muscles of the chest with a pressing forward motion of the arms using a pair of dumbbells. The pressing motion involves the triceps and shoulders too. A bonus to using a stability ball is that your abs engage to maintain balance on the ball.
To perform this exercise, lie face up with your shoulders and neck on the ball, your back parallel to the floor and your knees bent to a 90-degree angle. Your feet rest on the floor directly in line with your knees. Hold the dumbbells above you with your arms straight and your palms facing forward, which is in the direction of your lower body. Bend your elbows out to the sides and lower the dumbbells next to your chest, then press your arms straight to the ceiling to complete one rep.
Stability Ball Chest Fly
The arm motion during a chest fly is different than the one for chest presses. A chest fly does not use your arms or shoulders as primary muscles like the chest press. A chest fly on a stability ball is one example of a fly exercise for the pecs.
To perform a stability ball chest fly, begin in the same starting position as the chest press. Turn your palms to face each other and bend your elbows slightly. Lower your arms to the sides until they are slightly lower than parallel to the floor to stretch your chest, then bring your arms back up to the starting position.
Machine Press
The machine press exercise uses a weight machine. The abs do not work during a machine press because the machine supports your body in a seated position. You can lift more weight because of the support.
To do a chest press on a press machine, sit on the seat with your back flush against the backrest and put your feet on the floor, knees bent. Grip the handles with your palms facing the floor and your elbows bent. Press the handles forward until your arms are straight and then return to the starting position.
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