The chest is formed of the pectoral muscles, or pecs for short. The pectorals are sometimes viewed as what I like to call; 'the man muscle'. There is evidence to show that increased chest size in men size can result in increased sexual appeal? Source
Need I say more? The chest is also an important part of the body as they are engaged in nearly all physical activities. Chest workouts will increase your strength when lifting, pulling and pushing.
You don't necessarily need a lot of equipment to exercise the chest, as you can simply perform dumbbell chest workouts. No need for any special equipment apart from dumbbells (and a bench is recommended).
Flat Bench Press
The flat bench press is the most common chest workout and will work you pectorals, deltoids (shoulders) and triceps muscles.
- Lie down on the bench with a dumbbell in both hands. Take care when positioning yourself.
- Hold the dumbbells at chest level, with your arms in a 90 degree angle and palms facing your feet. This is the start position.
- Keeping the dumbbells straight, raise or "press" them straight up but DO NOT completely lock your elbows. Pause for a moment, then return to the start position and repeat.
Breathing: Exhale when raising the dumbbells, inhale when lowering them.
Warning: Unlike when using a barbell, you will not absolutely require a spotter. However, there still is a risk of dropping the dumbbells so be careful and if you are not confident, ask someone to spot for you.
Dumbbell Flys
Dumbbell Flys are the cousin of the bench press. Dumbbell flys work on the same muscles as the bench press, but they also work somewhat on your serratus anterior muscles and biceps.
How To:-
- Lie down on the bench with a dumbbell in both hands, same as you would for a bench press.
- Lower the dumbbells away from your body so that your elbows are slightly bent and your palms are facing upwards. Your shoulders should be touching the bench. This is the star position.
- Keeping both arms parallel, raise both arms above you in an arc motion. Keep a slight bend in your elbows even when reaching the top. Pause for a moment, then return to the start position and repeat.
Breathing: Exhale when raising the dumbbells, inhale when lowering them.
Warning: You may find dumbbell flys to be more difficult than a regular bench press. There is also a greater chance of injury by dropping the weights due to the arc motion.
Hammer Grip Bench Press
The hammer grip bench press is the 'in-between' workout of the bench press and fly. The Hammer Grip Bench Press focuses more specifically on your chest muscles and triceps.
How To:-
- Lie down on the bench with a dumbbell in both hands.
- Raise your arms above you like you would at the end of a dumbbell fly, palms facing each other. This is the start position.
- Keep your arms parallel and lower your arms until they are just below your torso. DO NOT use an arc motion like you would with a dumbbell fly. Pause briefly, then return to the start position and repeat.
Breathing: Exhale when raising the dumbbells, inhale when lowering them.
Warning: Again there is a risk of dropping the weights. You may also find that the hammer grip bench press feels rather unnatural when compared to a regular chest press.
