• BEGINNERS GUIDE

Take a look at this three common chest workouts which when coupled together form a complete synergistic chest routine. NOTE: This is an intermediate level workout plan not recommended for beginners. Dumbbell Decline press: Compound movement; dynamic stabilising Instructions Preparation Sit down on decline bench with feet under leg brace and dumbbells resting on thigh. Lie back with dumbbells. Position dumbbells to sides of chest with bent arm under each dumbbell. Execution Press dumbbells up with elbows to sides until arms are extended. Lower weight to sides of chest until slight stretch is felt in chest or shoulder. Contraction can be observed in the pectoralis major, during both the concentric and eccentric phase. Repeat. Comments Stirrup should follow slight arch pattern, above upper arm between elbow and chest at bottom, traveling inward over each shoulder at top. Latissimus Dorsi involvement is low on Decline Bench Press (Barnett 1995). Cable crossover: Auxiliary isolated push movement Instructions Preparation Grasp two opposing pulley attachments. Stand with pulleys to each side. Bend over slightly by flexing hips and knees. Bend elbows slightly and internally rotate shoulders so elbows are back initially. Execution Bring cable attachments together in hugging motion with elbows in fixed position. Keep shoulders internally rotated so elbows are pointed upward at top and out to sides at bottom. Complete contraction can be observed in the Sterno-costal region. Return to starting position until chest muscles are stretched. Repeat. Comments Under extreme resistance, positioning torso at lower angle downward (by bending over at hips), will allow upper body weight to counterbalance upward pull of cables, as opposed to stepping forward, as preferred for a moderate to high resistance and increased stabilising group usage . Inclined Machine Press: Lever assisted push movement Instructions Preparation Sit on chest press machine with shoulders aligned with lever grips. Grasp grips with shoulder width overhand grip. Push weight up so arms are straight. Execution Raise shoulders toward lever grips as far as possible. Contraction can be observed in the Serratus Anterior muscle. Lower shoulders to bench and repeat. Comments Keep arms straight throughout execution. For convenience, exercise can be performed immediately after warm up on Lever Incline Chest Press or at the end for complete muscular exhaustion as preferred. Credits: Original soundtrack by Nikhilesh Narla; FB: Nick Narla; IG: nickricardionarwhal Location: People’s Gym, Nagpur Source: 1 ACE’s Essentials of Science; Editor: Cedric X.Bryant, Daniel J. Green 2 etda.libraries.psu.edu: A biomechanical anlysis of the bench press by Duffey, Michael J 3 http://www.exrx.net: WeightExercises; Glossary