health and wellness

 

Many women don’t see the point in exercising their chest but actually, it’s very important to build a strong chest. As we age, our muscles become weaker and everything begins to droop. By building the pectoral muscles, it actually produces a natural lift to our chest! Below is a list of chest exercises that should be included in your fitness program. Choose to perform a few at a time and be sure to mix and change them up every four to six weeks.

Dumbbell Ball Press

Start- Begin by sitting on a stability ball and rolling down until your head and upper chest is lying firmly on the ball. Hold a dumbbell in each hand close to each side at your chest. Your feet should be planted firmly in place and your knees bent perpendicular to the floor. Your hips should be raised high enough that they are parallel to the floor and in alignment to your chest. 

Exercise- Slowly raise the dumbbells all the way up in the air until both arms are fully extended, and then lower them back down to the start position. Repeat the movement until you have completed all the repetitions for your set.

Caution- Keep a fluid, steady flow of motion, and be cautious not to rock or lower the dumbbells in a crooked, or lopsided manner. Be sure to breathe, inhaling on the way down and exhaling on the way up. Never lock out your elbows at the top of the move.

Tips- Make sure you use full range of motion and lower the dumbbells all the way down until they nearly reach the sides of your chest. This is an excellent exercise for building strength to the core of your chest. These can also be performed on a flat bench.

Dumbbell Chest Fly

Start- Begin by sitting on a stability ball and rolling down until your head and upper chest is lying firmly on the ball. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with both arms extended out from the body while palms face each other. Your feet should be planted firmly in place and your knees bent perpendicular to the floor. Your hips should be raised high enough that they are parallel to the floor and in alignment to your chest.

Exercise- Begin to lift the dumbbells up and across your ribcage until both dumbbells meet together. Pause at the top and squeeze your pectoral (chest) muscles together, and then return to the start position. Repeat the movement until you have completed all the repetitions for your set.

Caution- Keep a fluid, steady flow of motion, and be cautious not to rock or allow one side to move faster than the other. Inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up.

Tips- Be sure to reach full range of motion. This exercise should emulate hugging a tree, and it is like a big semi-circular movement. Remember that the palms are always facing each other throughout the movement. This exercise will give you a nice cleavage to your chest. This exercise can also be performed on a flat bench.

Incline Bench Press

Start- Begin by lying on an incline bench with your legs positioned where they are most comfortable. Hold a dumbbell (or you can use a barbell) in each hand keeping palms faced away from you. Place your head comfortably on the bench in order to give support to your neck and spine. The dumbbells should be placed at shoulder level, and close in to the body.

Exercise- Lift both arms up until they are fully extended, and then lower them back down to the start position. Repeat the movement until you have completed all the repetitions for your set.

Caution- Be careful not to lock out your elbows once your arms are fully extended. Always remember to be kind to your joints! Inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up. Don’t move your head around; just keep it steady and centered throughout the movement. Don’t arch your back.

Tips- Make sure your chest and arms are doing the work. Use full range of motion for best results. You can also perform these on a stability ball but this time you will want to lower your hips close to the floor in order to create an incline to your upper body. Incline presses will work the upper chest more. This is an excellent exercise to help build the upper chest muscles.

Incline Bench Fly

Start- Begin by lying on an incline bench with your legs positioned where they are most comfortable. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and with both hands extended out from the body keeping your palms facing each other. Place your head comfortably on the bench in order to give support to your neck and spine.

Exercise- Begin to lift the dumbbells up and across your rib cage until both dumbbells meet together. Pause at the top and squeeze your pectoral muscles (chest) together and then return to the start position. Repeat the movement until you have completed all the repetitions for your set.

Caution- Be sure to keep your head steady and centered on the bench. Don’t arch your back. Inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up. Don’t let one side move out of sync from the other. This exercise should emulate hugging a tree. Remember this is like a big semi-circular movement.

Tips- Use full range of motion making sure your chest and arms are doing the work here. Remember that your palms will be facing each other throughout the movement. You can also perform these on a stability ball. You will want to lower your hips close to the floor in order to create an incline to your upper body. This is an excellent exercise that really helps to shape and define the chest giving you a beautiful cleavage.

Decline Bench Press

Start- Begin by lying on a decline bench with your legs positioned where they are most comfortable. Hold a dumbbell in each hand (you can also use a barbell) with arms full extended and palms are facing away from the body. Lay your head down comfortably on the bench in order to support your neck and spine.

Exercise- Begin by bending at the elbows and lower the dumbbells all the way down to your lower chest area and then returning to the start position. Repeat the movement until you have completed all the repetitions for your set.

Caution- Be sure to use your chest and arms to perform the movement. Inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up. Don’t lock out your elbows at the top of the move and remember to keep your head steady and centered on the bench.

Tips- These can also be performed on a stability ball by rolling slightly back on the ball in order to create a decline to your upper body. These are a wonderful exercise that lifts your chest by building the pectoral muscles underneath to create a lift to your entire chest.

Decline Dumbbell Fly

Start- Begin by lying on a decline bench with your legs positioned where they are most comfortable. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with both hands extended out from the body and palms facing each other. Place your head comfortably on the bench in order to support the neck and spine.

Exercise- Begin to lift the dumbbells up and across your lower rib cage area until the dumbbells meet together. Pause at the top and squeeze your pectoral (chest) muscles together and then return to the start position. Repeat the movement until you have completed all the repetitions for your set.

Caution- Be sure to keep your head centered and on the bench. Inhale coming down, exhale coming up. Don’t arch your back and remember to use full range of motion. Don’t let one side move out of sync from the other.

Tips- Remember that this exercise emulates hugging a tree. It’s like a big semi-circular movement.

Knee Push Up

Start- Getting on all fours, bend at the knees keeping your feet together. Your arms are fully extended and your hands should be placed directly under your shoulders. 

Exercise- Lower your upper body all the way down where your face is nearly touching the floor. Pause and raise yourself back up to the start position. Repeat the movement until you have completed all the repetitions for your set. I like to work these to failure.

Caution- If your wrists bother you, you can move them more forward. Keep your abs in tight and your back flat throughout the entire movement. Keep your body in alignment and your head straight but looking at the ground. Inhale going down, exhale going up.

Tips- Once you can do a fair amount of these without too much of a struggle, do the regular push ups as illustrated below.

Push Up

Start- Begin in the standard push up position with feet together and extended straight out behind you. Your arms are fully extended and your back should be flat, and your hands should be placed directly under your shoulders.

Exercise- Slowly lower your body by bending at the elbows until your whole body is parallel and low to the floor, and then raise yourself and return to the start position. Repeat the movement until you have completed all the repetitions for your set. These are best when worked to failure.

Caution- Be sure to keep your abs in tight and keep your back flat throughout the entire movement. Keep your body in alignment and your head straight but looking at the ground. Inhale going down, inhale going up.

Tips- These are very hard to do, and you won’t get many in the beginning, but with time and consistency, you will be able to do more each time. Push Ups are very effective, and I highly recommend to master these.

Pullovers

Start- Begin by sitting on a stability ball and rolling down until your head and upper chest are lying firmly on the ball. Cusp together with both hands at one end of a dumbbell; your arms extended above you. Your feet should be planted firmly in place and your knees bent perpendicular to the floor. Your hips should be raised high enough that they are parallel to the floor and in alignment to your chest.

Exercise- Slowly lower the dumbbell directly over and behind your head. Pause and feel the stretch in your rib cage and return to the start position. Repeat the movement until you have completed all the repetitions for your set.

Caution- Be sure to keep your arms fully extended throughout the entire movement. Inhale going down, exhale going back up. Keep your lower back relaxed making sure the chest muscles are doing the work.

Tips- you can also do this exercise performed on a flat bench.

      -written by Angela Doss