Exercises for Pectorals
The Bench Press is a staple in almost every lifter’s attack, but with a few minor adjustments you can maximize the involvement of your chest in the movement. Personally, I have found that using this technique allows for total pectoral stimulation, from top to bottom, when executed properly. You will feel so sore right across the entire muscle group that any other movements will just seem unnecessary. Thanks to Rob “Robo” Beare, another stumpy iron addict, for teaching me this one.
1. There should be four major points of contact with the bench and the ground: Your left foot, your right foot, your butt and your upper back.
2. Pinch your shoulder blades together and contract them down towards your hips. This does several things. Firstly, it pushes the chest outwards and upwards, focusing the resistance on the pectorals and less on the anterior deltoids. Secondly, it sets up a comfortable and natural arch so that the strength of the pectorals is maximized. Finally, it stabilizes the rotator cuff. When the shoulder blades move freely the rotator cuff (specifically, the supraspinatus) is free floating and because of the unstable state it is in, it is more prone to injury. When your shoulder blades are locked together, one end of the muscle group is fixed while the other moves. This is more stable and consequently more safe.
3. Your grip on the bar should by slightly wider than shoulder width. It is not reccomended that you use an excessively wide grip, as this limits the range of motion the chest has to go through and amplifies the stress on the anterior delts and rotator cuff.
4. The bar should touch approximately halfway between the nipple and the collarbone. However, you may find it more comfortable to touch the bar slightly above the nipple. Find what suits you the best. If you touch the bar further up on your chest, you will maximize the involvement of the upper chest fibers, especially in the bottom portion of the movement. If you focus on hitting the sweet spot between your nipple and your collarbone, the angle between the humerous (upper arms) and your torso will automatically around 75-90 degrees.
5. The shoulders should not be allowed to stretch excessively downwards in the bottom position.
6. Your forearms should be perpindicular to the ground in the bottom position.
7. In so far as the movement itself, you will find that if you get these technique points down, your body will automatically move the weight in a very natural arc. For me, the bench press had always had sticking points and awkward moments, but once I started using this technique – the movement became very smooth and even throughout.
8. Use a variety of tempos, but always make sure to accentuate the negative portion and pause for a second in the eccentrically stretched position.
9. As fatigue sets in, there is a tendency with most lifters to arch the back more or press the bar lower relative to the chest. For example, as a person reaches those last few reps, they will allow the bar to move further down their body, getting closer to their feet. Mechanically, this brings the anterior deltoids and the triceps into greater play and demands less from the pectorals. Consciously avoid letting the bar creep downwards as you get tired. Keep the bar high and the stress on your pecs.
10. When pressing, keep the back side of your skull (the relatively flat bottom portion right above the top of the neck) pressed into the bench. Neurologically, this activates many of the muscles involved in stabilizing the torso during pressing movements and can result in a more powerful bench press.
I actually prefer the low-incline bench press for chest development. Set up an adjustable bench outside a power rack and adjust the rack accordingly. The incline of the bench should generally be less than 45 degrees but more than a flat bench position.
The Variable Incline Dumbbell Bench is another exercise I feel is outstanding for chest. Along with the bench press, I think these are the only two exercises you’ll ever need.
1. Use the widest bench you can find- thin ones will not support your shoulder blades well enough and will not allow you to use relatively heavy weights.
2. Press the dumbbells with a wide grip. Do NOT clang the ‘bells together at the top. The closer you bring your hands together, the more the resistance is transferred to the triceps to complete the movement. The wider you keep the dumbbells, the more the tension is kept on the pectorals.
3. Try to lower them in such a fashion that the bottom curve of the dumbbell plates touches midway between your nipple and your clavicle.
4. Always use a full range of motion with this exercise – at the very least, allow the ‘bells to touch your chest. Range of motion is VITAL to the effectiveness of this exercise.
5. Here’s the fun part – between sets, vary the incline. It doesn’t matter what incline you choose, just pick whatever you feel like doing. Try to get a good variety of inclines from workout to workout. By doing this, you will expose the muscle fibers to a variety of stimuli and angles, bringing different motor units into play. Over the long run, this will result in more complete chest development than if you stick to certain angles only. The more variety you use, the more motor units that are brought into play. You may want to move from a higher incline to a lower incline as this suits most people’s strength curves. Most people can flat press more than they can incline press, so by moving to a more flat pressing position, you work along with your fatigue curve.
6. Have a training partner help you “sit up” after your set. Do not allow your arms to drop down and let the ‘bells crash to the ground. Not only is this really irritating but it is just not a safe position for your shoulders to be in!
7. I have found that a 2-1-3-1 positive-pause-negative-pause tempo is outstanding for this exercise.
8. Keep your feet flat on the floor and do not allow them to move backwards when you start to fatigue. People have a tendency to do this as it increases the arch in their back and makes the exercise easier to do. However, the strain that this can cause your lower back over time is not good. Keep your feet flat on the floor.
9. Keep the back side of your head pressed down into the bench to activate the stabilizers involved with pressing movements.