CHEST
The chest muscles are made up of the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is the bigger of the two and spans most of the clavicle and sternum and attaches to the upper arm. It has several important functions at the shoulder: flexion, adduction (towards body), and medial (inward) rotation. The pectoralis minor is a thin triangular muscle that lies beneath the pectoralis major and is responsible for similar functions. Your chest is helpful in contact sports that require a lot of pushing such as football and rugby.
INCLINE BENCH PRESS (Bb)
Muscles worked: |
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Primary: Upper Chest
Secondary: Shoulders, Triceps |
| Instructions: |
- Lie on an incline bench press.
- With your back flat on the bench, grip the barbell with palms facing up, about 8-12 inches wider than shoulder-width.
- Lift the barbell off the rack to the starting position, which is straight above your face, arms extended fully.
- Slowly lower the barbell until it touches your upper chest.
- Your elbows should be pointed out while the rest of your body remains in position.
- Slowly raise (push) the barbell to the starting position while flexing (squeezing together) your chest.
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| Don'ts: |
- Don't arch your back or bounce the bar off your chest. Let the bar down slowly resisting the weight.
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| Alternate exercises: |
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| Note: |
- We recommend having a "spotter" to assure your safety and give you verbal feedback on your lifting technique while performing this exercise.
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Below is a list of the most effective strength-training exercises for your chest. Included with each exercise is the specific muscle group/s worked, a thorough explanation of how to do each exercise, common mistakes you should avoid, and a list of alternate exercises that work the same muscle group. Also, to assure safety and effectiveness, those exercises that are advanced, that require the use of a weightlifting belt, or that require a spotter are so indicated.
 This site takes advantage of the latest QuickTime technology to display our exercise video demonstrations. If you're having problems viewing these video demonstrations, you can download the latest version of QuickTime by clicking here, FREE of charge. And always feel free to e-mail us if you'd like our help.
 If you'd like to view and print out all of these exercise instructions in an easy-to-follow "manual" format, please click here for the PDF version. Each and every exercise includes the beginning and midpoint images of the video demonstration so that you'll have a visual to compliment the text instructions. You'll need the Adobe Acrobat application, but this is likely already installed on your computer. If not, please go to http://www.adobe.com to download the latest version, free of charge.
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