One of the most common myths in fitness is the belief that only men focus on their pectoral muscles. While improving your chest strength and making sure you don’t avoid chest day is an important end in itself and an important part of any fitness regime, a strong chest is also pivotal when performing other exercises associated with the shoulders, arms and back. So, the seemingly trite phrase “how much do you bench?” might actually be relevant here. Let’s take a look at eight chest workouts which will take your development to the next level with the help of the Trion fitness app.
Flat Bench Presses
In terms of the basics, standard flat bench presses are arguably one of the most crucial components all good chest workouts. These develop a great deal of core strength and without a solid bench press, other movements would inevitably suffer. Flat presses can be performed with barbells or dumbbells (depending upon your equipment or if you can make it to your local Everyone Active gym that day). Still, it’s important you perform the exercises correctly to ensure you don’t injure yourself. Our Trion trainers will be able to give you pointers on how to perform each exercise properly so you get the most out of them and to help you avoid injury.
Incline Presses
This is a variant on the standard flat bench press. As you perform these movements at an incline, they place more stress on the upper pectoral region, as well as the frontal and side deltoids. Incline presses can be used if you feel that your upper chest is lacking in muscle mass. They are also quite effective for those who are hoping to increase the amount of weight that they can press above their heads (due to the relationship between the associated muscles).
Decline Presses
Although these exercises might not enjoy the same limelight in the gym as some of the others on this list, their benefits cannot be denied. Decline bench presses can be used to develop the lower portion of the pectoral muscles as well as the triceps. As decline presses place significantly less strain on the shoulders, they’re also excellent alternatives if you are grappling with chronic issues such as rotator cuff pain and are .
Flyes
We recommend Flyes because they can be performed at multiple angles, which means greater freedom of motion. Another advantage of flyes is that they work each arm independently. For instance, perhaps you find that your left pectoral is stronger than your right. This will be more apparent when performing flyes. You can thereafter better understand any possible areas that might need a bit more attention. Flyes are an old favourite and a very effective exercise for both building muscle and building strength.
Push-Ups
In terms of an incredibly useful all-round exercise, you can’t go wrong with push-ups. While many articles rightfully note that push-ups involve the pectoral muscles, they also rely on the abdominals, the biceps, the triceps, and the frontal deltoids. In other words, this is a great all-round workout that can be performed from the comfort of your own home. Alternatively, you could choose to employ three sets of push-ups to pre-exhaust your chest before a standard training session. If you’ve recently strained a pectoral muscle, performing push-ups is a good way to avoid incurring any further injuries. The sheer number of variants likewise illustrates just how effective these movements are as part of a chest workout.
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Cable Crossovers
Cable crossovers as part of your chest workout provide a plane of motion that is not always possible with bench presses or even flyes. They can be performed at a variety of angles and unlike pressing movements, you will not need to employ a spotting partner. However, keep in mind that crossovers require a machine as opposed to your bodyweight alone as part of your chest workouts.
One-Arm Cable Crossovers
This is a variant of the above exercise that’s not as well known. The primary benefit of one-arm cable crossovers as a chest workout involves the range of motion. You can pull your arm much further across the other side of your chest when compared to standard motions. This will help to target your inner pectoral region if you have been frustrated with size, separation or definition. One-arm crossovers are generally best performed towards the end of your chest workout.
Static Holds
There is much to be said about static exercises. Not only will these virtually eliminate the chances of injury, but they are arguably the most effective ways to draw the maximum amount of blood into your muscles. Static holds do not require any type of equipment and they can be performed in numerous manners (such as simply extending your arms in front of your chest, clasping your hands together and squeezing until utter exhaustion). These holds are excellent ways to punctuate a chest workout.
From Peas into a Pair of Flank Steaks
The bottom line is that there are plenty of ways to obtain a great chest workout. However, we all have different desires. Some wish to increase the size of their pectoral muscles while others might wish to maintain their current level of strength or to recover from a recent injury. These are some of the reasons why (as always) variety is the spice of life. Trion offers a nearly limitless number of combinations to examine at your leisure. This is why we have not described the exact mechanics of each workout in detail. They best way to appreciate your options is to peruse our compendium of video tutorials. In terms of flexibility, you simply can’t go wrong!