Tag: pecs

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Dumbbell Chest Fly

Talking about isolation exercises, the dumbbell chest fly on a flat bench is key to developing your pectoral muscles. It works mainly the pectoralis minor.

Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.

Using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width with the palms of your hands facing each other.

Lie on your back with your feet placed firmly on the floor or the bench itself so that you can keep your spine in a neutral position. Pull your shoulder blades down and back so that they make firm contact with the bench. Your head, shoulders, and butt should make contact with the bench throughout the exercise.

Raise the dumbbells up like you’re pressing them, but stop and hold just before you lock out.

Inhale and with a slight bend on your elbows in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon, lower your arms out at both sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest.

Exhale and return your arms up you squeeze your chest muscles. Make sure to use the same arc of motion used to lower the weights.

Hold for a moment at the contracted position and repeat the movement until you complete the set.

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Inclined dumbbell press

The incline dumbbell bench press is a great exercise for building mass on the upper chest.

Sit on an incline bench angled between 45 and 60 degrees,  grasping a dumbbell in each hand at the top of your thighs.

Then, use your thighs to help push the dumbbells up, as you lay back on the bench.

Your feet should be firmly on the floor, a raised platform, or on the bench in order to allow your spine to be in a neutral position. Pull your shoulder blades down and back so that they make firm contact with the bench.

Press the dumbbells to a position over your eyes or slightly higher, with your elbows straight. Wrists should be in a neutral position and palms facing forward.

Inhale and lower the dumbbells toward your upper chest, but slightly wider toward the armpits. Gently touch the dumbbells to your chest. Keep the elbows under the wrists and the wrists in a neutral position. Performing the exercise with the elbows close to your torso emphasizes more triceps. Performing the exercise with the elbows flared out from the body emphasizes more pectorals. Maintain all points of contact with the bench and keep your feet firmly on the floor throughout the exercise.

Exhale and gently press upwards to full elbow extension with the dumbbells over your eyes. Maintain your points of contact with the bench and floor. Do not allow your back to arch. Keep the wrists in a neutral position throughout the movement.

Repeat.


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Swiss ball dumbbell chest press

Changing the bench for a stability (Swiss) ball turns any exercise into a more challenging one because we have to stabilize the body. This requires focus and involves your core muscles.

Performing the dumbbell chest press on a Swiss ball will not only work your chest but your full core.

Sit on the ball holding one dumbbell in each hand and your feet flat on the floor. Slowly begin walking your feet forward as you tuck your tail under, lowering your spine onto the ball as you walk your feet away from the ball until your head, shoulders and upper back are resting on the ball. Knees are bent to about 90 degrees with your thighs and torso parallel to the floor. Brace your abs to stabilize your spine.

Pull your shoulders down and back until you feel your shoulder blades hugging the ball. With the dumbbells near your chest and palms facing forward, keep the wrist straight, not bent.

Exhale, focus on your chest, and press the dumbbells upward with your elbows straight but not locked. Keep your feet pressed into the floor and your hips pushed up towards the ceiling to maintain stability and control during the exercise.

Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position. Repeat.Imagine that a bar connects the dumbbells. Try to keep the dumbbells parallel with each other and wrists in neutral position. Your head,

Imagine that a bar connects the dumbbells. Try to keep the dumbbells parallel with each other and wrists in neutral position.


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Dumbbell Bench Press

The dumbbell bench press is an upper body exercise that strengthens the chest, shoulders, and triceps while improving muscular balance. Using dumbbells allows for a great range of motion in the chest and can also be easier on the shoulders and prevent pain.

Pick up the dumbbells off the floor, palms facing in. Position the ends of the dumbbells on your thighs, and sit down on the bench. To get in position, you need to rock back pushing the dumbbells back with your thighs and only slightly bending at the elbows.

Lie on your back with your feet firmly on the bench, your spine in neutral position. Pull your shoulder blades down and back so that they make firm contact with the bench.

Keeping your wrists in neutral, press the dumbbells toward the ceiling. With the elbows fully extended, the dumbbells should be above your chest.

Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest.

With elbows close to your sides the exercises emphasizes more triceps. If the elbows are flared out from the body the exercise emphasizes more pectorals. Do not allow the back to arch away from the bench. Maintain all points of contact with the bench and keep your feet firmly on the bench.

Exhale and gently press upward to straighten the elbows back to starting position.


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Stability ball Push ups

The stability ball pushup is an advanced progression of the traditional pushup that strengthens the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Performing the exercise on the stability ball, an unstable surface engages the core throughout the entire range of motion.

Lie  face down on the floor and place your hands  apart from each other holding your torso up at arms length. Place your toes on top of the exercise ball.

Inhale and lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor. Keep your body straight.

Exhale and press your body back up to the starting position, using your pectoral muscles. Repeat.


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