You can strengthen your pectoralis muscle at home by regularly performing exercises that push forward from your chest or exercises that open and close your arms while lying on your back. Your pectoralis muscle originates at your clavicle, sternum and costal cartilages of the upper ribs. It inserts at the front of your upper arm. Perform these dumbbell chest exercises every other day and increase to the next incremental weight after you can easily perform 15 repetitions. Do not increase the weight lifted by more than 5 lbs.
Open Fly with Dumbbells
The open fly with dumbbells works your pectoralis muscle through a different range of motion than a pushup does. It contracts your muscle by opening your arms out to the sides and pulling them together again. Choose a dumbbell for each hand that you will find difficult to lift at the end of 10 repetitions. Lie on your back in bent-knee position. Hold your dumbbells side-by-side straight above your sternum. Inhale through your nose. Exhale, compress your abdomen down toward your spine. Inhale and open your arms out to the sides like wings. Keep your elbows slightly curved. Stop lowering as your hands come even with your shoulder joints. Exhale and contract your pectoralis muscle to bring your dumbbells together. Continue for 10 to 15 repetitions.
Chest Press
The chest press is like doing a pushup while lying on your back. Keep the dumbbells together over your sternum. Inhale and lower them down to your sternum. Exhale and push with your pectoralis and front shoulder muscles to straighten your arms. Allow your inner arms to brush your sides as you lower the dumbbells. Keep your spine in contact with the floor at all times. Continue to inhale and lower, exhale and raise for 10 to 15 repetitions.
Resistance-band Chest Press
Try the chest press with a resistance-band. You don't have to lie on your back with a resistance band, but you can if you choose to. Stand straight and hold one handle in each hand. Place the resistance-band across your mid back and under your arms. Wrap the band around your hands to take up slack until your arms are bent and you have gentle tension in the band across your back. Put your hands in front of your armpit area palms down. Raise your elbows to shoulder joint height. Inhale through your nose. Exhale and stretch the band by straightening your arms out in front of your chest. Inhale and slowly resist back to starting position. Continue for 10 to 15 repetitions. Increase repetitions as you get stronger.
Incline Pushups
Pushups are an effective way to exercise your pectoralis muscle without equipment. Girls sometimes struggle to have enough upper-body strength for pushups, but the incline pushup reduces the strength necessary. Place your hands on the corner of your bed and straighten your body. Squeeze your legs and buttocks. Compress your abdomen up toward your spine and tuck your pelvis. Inhale and lower your chest and body down by bending your arms. Exhale and push to starting position. Keep your body rigid. Continue until you feel muscle fatigue. Take note of how many you were able to perform and try to increase that number as you get stronger.
References
- Wellness.MA; Strength Training for Youth Fitness; Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., and Avery Faigenbaum, Ed.D.
- "YMCA Personal Training Manual; YMCA of the USA; 2006
- "Strength Training on the Ball"; Colleen Craig; 2005
- "Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology"; John W. Hole Jr.; 1986
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