Lots of males/females spend hours trying to build up some chest muscles. Some get success up to small extent but most of them fail to achieve their goal. In order to get proper chest development, you need to lot more other than bench press. For complete development, you need to hit a muscle group through different variations in angles and positions. The goal is to stimulate total muscle groups in the chest.Male chest is made up of two muscle groups: pectorals major and the pectorals minor.
Push Ups :- This exercise is a great startup exercise and mainly focuses your upper chest as well as shoulder muscles. It also works your triceps. There are some variations to this exercise which can make it more effective and hard to execute.
Execution :- Lie down on the floor with your face towards the floor.
Place your palms on the floor on either side of your shoulders at a distance little wider than your shoulders.
Apply force on your hands and pick your body up keeping it straight from feet to neck. All your body weight should be on your hands and toes only.
Keep rising until your arms get straight. Hold for a second and release your body slowly be bending your elbows. Stop little above the ground and push up your body again. Repeat the process.
You can make the workout intense by elevating a leg in the air while doing this exercise. This type will target your shoulders and your upper chest.
Elevating a hand will lead to involve the lower chest muscles.
Bench press :- This is most well known exercise for building up chest. The purpose of this exercise is to build mass in your chest. It also works on your shoulders as well as triceps muscles.
Execution :- Lie down on a flat bench under the barbell rack. Hold the barbell bar little wider than your shoulder width. Keep your back straight and your feet should properly land on the ground.
Pick the bar from the rack and gradually let it come down to your upper chest. Do not allow the bar to rest on your chest or bounce on the chest. It should be about an inch above the upper chest at its lowest position.
Hold for a second and then push the bar up until both arms get straight.
Repeat the process again.
You can focus different areas of your chest by varying your grip width on the bar. You can particularly focus your upper, lower, inner or outer chest muscles.
Inclined bench press :- This exercise particularly focus your upper chest muscles. We use an inclined bench in this case other than the flat bench.
Execution :- This exercise is similar to flat bench press. Hold the bar little wider than your shoulder width.
Push the bar up until arms get straight. Hold at that point for a second and then slowly release the bar. It should be above your upper chest under your chin.
Do not let the bar bounce or rest on your chest. Repeat the entire process.
Decline Bench press :- This exercise basically focuses your lower pectoral muscles. This will help your hit the remaining lower chest muscle group for complete chest development.
Execution :- It is similar to flat bench press. The only difference is that we use a decline bench in this case.
Incline flies :- This is performed using to independent weights and builds mass in upper and middle pectoral muscles. This will help your build strength and shape of your chest. Some extra effort required to keep both weights balanced at same time makes muscles strong.
Execution :- Lie on an inclined bench with dumbbells in both hands right above your chest. Hold the dumbbells in such a way that both your palm should face each other.
Slightly lower the dumbbells outwards to sides of your shoulders while slightly bending your elbows. Let your elbows be bent in entire execution.
Let both the dumbbells come down until the point your feel your chest muscles stretched. Do not let the dumbbell go down further.
Hold the position for a second and then bring them up back to the starting position. Repeat the process again.
Along with your workout, a proper protein rich balanced diet is very important for full growth of the muscles. Drink appropriate amount of water as it is vital for the muscles heath and helps to flush out waste matter in the body. Appropriate sleep ensures recovery of the muscles from the previous fatigues.