Exercise Tools For The Pecs

Gyms typically have several weight machines for training the pectoral muscles, the major muscles of the chest. Many tools that will also train your pecs are inexpensive and can be used at home. Medicine balls, resistance cables and stability balls are all portable devices you can do pec exercises with to train your muscles and work your core.

Medicine Ball

Medicine balls are great tools for building pec muscles. You can increase the effectiveness of pec exercises by using medicine balls instead of your body weight or machines. For example, a chest press machine will put your body in a stable position to work your pecs. Doing push-ups on a medicine ball, however, will challenge your torso and stabilizer muscles while working your pecs to build functional strength.
Place a medicine ball on the floor and hold it between your palms with your arms straight. Step your feet back so your body is parallel to the floor with your weight supported on the ball and your toes. Bend your elbows out to 45 degrees and lower your chest toward the ball. Press your arms straight again to finish a med ball push-up. Maintain a flat back throughout the exercise. Do two to three sets of eight reps to build the size of your pec muscles, recommends the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

Resistance Cables

Resistance cables are ultra portable, weighing only a few ounces. You can wrap them up and fit them in a backpack or duffel bag for traveling without sacrificing a lot of room. You can also hang them up in a closet to store when not in use. Cable chest presses are a simple exercise. Wrap a resistance cable around your upper back, and hold a handle in each hand with your arms at your sides. Bend your elbows to 45 degrees and raise your arms parallel to the floor. Hold your elbows in line with your shoulders. Press your arms forward and touch the handles together as they meet in the middle of your body at chest height. Bend your elbows back to the starting position to complete one rep. Do two sets of 20 reps to increase the endurance of your pec muscles, recommends NASM.

Stability Ball

Stability balls provide an unstable surface on which you can train your pecs. One exercise is push-ups with your feet on the ball. Lie facedown on the ball and walk your hands forward until the ball is under your hips. Keep your arms straight and your back flat. Hold your legs straight behind you and lift them so they are parallel to the floor. Roll the ball farther down your legs if you wish to increase the difficulty, as this will put more of your body weight on your arms. Bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your torso toward the floor. Press your arms back up straight to finish a push-up. Do not let the ball roll. The NASM recommends doing three sets of 12 reps to increase muscle tone.