The large muscles of your torso develop through heavy, compound lifts. Your chest and shoulders get bigger and stronger through heavy pressing exercises, and your back develops with chinups and heavy rows. Developing a strong back helps balance your torso and protect your shoulder joints. All three muscle groups generate power for many athletic activities and martial arts. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any exercise program.
Chest and Shoulders
Step 1
Train your chest and shoulders together as they function together in many pressing exercises. These pressing exercises include the bench press and incline bench press, and even the military press works both muscle groups, but places less stress on the chest than the other two exercises. So with several sets of various pressing exercises, you will work your chest and most of your shoulders.
Step 2
Press while lying flat on a bench. Grip the bar with your hands just wider than your shoulders, lower the bar to your chest, and press it smoothly to full extension without bouncing. Perform three to five sets of six to 10 repetitions of this exercise.
Step 3
Perform the incline bench press. Bring the bar higher on your chest, but still push through a full range of motion. Perform this exercise for three to five sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
Step 4
Stand holding a barbell on the front of your shoulders. Grip the bar with your hands just wider than your shoulders. Tilt your head back slightly to ensure you do not hit yourself, but avoid leaning back. Press the bar up in a straight line until your arms are fully extended. Lower the bar to your original starting point and repeat. Perform this exercise for three to five sets of five to eight repetitions.
Back
Step 1
Pull yourself over a chinning bar. Grip the bar with your hands wider than your shoulders, with your palms facing you. Lower yourself until your arms are fully extended, and pull yourself back up again. Do two sets of as many repetitions as possible.
Step 2
Row a heavy barbell to your chest or stomach. Grip a bar with your palms facing down and your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Lean forward until your torso is parallel to the ground, and pull the bar up, then lower under control. Do not use your lower back to move the weight. Perform this exercise for three to five sets of six to 12 repetitions.
Step 3
Support yourself with one hand on a bench and both feet on the floor. With your free hand, grip a dumbbell with your palm facing you. Lean forward until your torso is parallel to the ground, and pull the dumbbell up to your ribcage. Ensure that you do not twist your back to row the weight up. Perform three to five sets of eight to 15 repetitions of this exercise.
Tips and Warnings
- Keep your head neutral in every exercise except the dumbbell row. When performing the dumbbell row, turn your head in the opposite direction of the dumbbell. This will help you avoid twisting with your back.
- Never lift without a spotter.
Things You'll Need
- Barbell
- Dumbbells
- Adjustable bench
- Chinning bar
References
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; Effects of Variations of the Bench Press Exercise on the EMG Activity of Five Shoulder Muscles; Chris Barnett, et al.; November 1995
- "Strength Training Anatomy -- Third Edition"; Frederic Delavier; 2010
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