Pectoral exercises: a review of the best and most effective * Crossfit

The development of the pectoral (pectoral) muscles is essential in the training of any athlete. The main nuance is that a person practically does not use them in everyday activities due to the peculiarities of the modern lifestyle. Therefore, in the training room, pumping the pectoral muscles is an indispensable component: without these exercises it is impossible to build a harmoniously developed body.

General anatomy

The chest is a whole complex of different large and small muscles. In size, they are second only to the back and legs. Therefore, exercises for the pectoral muscles are included in the golden three of the base.

The structure itself implies division into 2 main groups (pectoralis major and minor) and several additional (coracohumeral, anterior dentate, etc.), which are conventionally divided into zones:

top of the chest;
middle;
bottom.

There is also an additional conditional division into external and internal muscles of the chest, but these are only different parts of one muscle - the pectoralis major.

With just one exercise, it is impossible to achieve balanced pumping and visual aesthetics... The function of all small and large muscles in this group is to bring the hand to the body, turning it inward.

Training errors

Chest exercises have gained widespread popularity because of their effectiveness. But at the same time, people make typical mistakes that hinder the growth of the strength of this group:

Mistake # 1. Weighing race. Despite the fact that the pectoral muscles respond well to work with large weights, it is worth remembering that in all basic exercises a decent part of the load is taken up by the triceps and deltas. Therefore, it is better to work out the chest with perfect technique and slightly less weights.
Mistake # 2. Using only the bench press. Traditionally considered to be the best exercise for the sternum muscles. However, this is not quite true. Ideally, supplement it with layouts and be sure to work on benches with different slopes.
Mistake number 3. Beating. It helps you lift the weight more easily and, accordingly, do more reps. However, during bouncing, the impulse component reduces the strain on the pectoral muscles and increases the risk of sprains and injuries.
Mistake # 4. Trainers are for weaklings. Trainers have a fixed unnatural range of motion, so many are considered ineffective for working out. This is not true. With proper work on the simulators, you can improve the performance of the lagging muscle group or focus your attention on a separate beam. Do them after the main base presses, but before the spreads.
Mistake # 5. Training in split with back or legs. The basic three "bench-dead-sit" is only suitable for acquiring basic indicators or for training in powerlifting. In the case when it is necessary to separately work exclusively on the pectoral muscles, the general fatigue accumulated due to the deadlift and gray hair will not allow performing the set of chest exercises with maximum efficiency. The best option is to combine with triceps or biceps.

Exercises

Athletes love to pump their pectoral muscles, as they make them more massive and more solid. That is why over the years of the existence of professional sports a lot of exercises have appeared for pumping the pectoral muscles. Anatomical data allows you to pump the pectorals both at home and in the gym, due to which these muscles rarely become a lagging group.

To understand how to correctly do certain exercises for the pectoral muscles, we will divide them into main groups. This will allow you to focus on technique and explain the principles by which the muscle group is worked out in the best way.

The chest is pumped using the following groups of movements:

Presses.
Pullovers.
Wiring / information.
Push-ups at different angles, including on the uneven bars.

Press

Press exercises are the basis for the development of chest mass. These exercises are of such importance because of the maximum number of joints involved in the work. What should you look for when working out your breasts?

Hand position. The narrower the arms, the greater the load on the triceps. If the arms are set too wide, the load is transferred to the anterior deltas and to the outer regions of the pectoral muscles. The best option is a grip 15-20 cm wider than the shoulders.
© Makatserchyk - stock.adobe.com
Bench position. The angle of inclination determines which chest zone will be worked out. But do not make an excessive tilt, because when the tilt is exceeded by 45 degrees, the chest is practically turned off from the process, and its place is taken by the front deltas.
© Makatserchyk - stock.adobe.com

© Makatserchyk - stock.adobe.com
Body position. You shouldn't work in the lift bridge. Slight natural deflection is allowed. The shoulder blades must be brought together.

General Bench Press Technique:

Lie on a bench so that your feet rest firmly on the heels on either side of it.
Take a barbell or dumbbells.
Slowly lower the projectile, trying to keep the main emphasis on the shoulder blades.
Do not bend your neck or do a lift bridge. This is not only traumatic, but also relieves the load from the chest, almost completely transferring it to the deltas.
Smoothly and in a controlled manner, lowering the barbell until it touches the chest, and the dumbbells to the lower point of amplitude, squeeze the projectile up.
When squeezing the projectile, do not fully extend your arms - this will relieve the load from the triceps, and the chest will work throughout the entire approach without pauses.

An important aspect: if you have pressure problems, do not bench press down.

We should also mention the bench press in simulators. As already mentioned, in the program it is better to put them after the usual presses, but before the wiring. The technique is similar here, only a different position of the body - sitting:

It is important to properly adjust the height of the harness to emphasize the middle or upper chest.

Push ups

Push-ups are a homemade analogue of the bench press. The principles are the same for both exercises.

The focus of the study of the bundles of the pectoral muscles depends on the angle of the body. The only difference is that when working with the body tilted upwards, part of the load is "eaten" by the legs - this is due to a decrease in the weight that needs to be squeezed out. Therefore, this option is more often used by women. In the case of a downward tilt of the body, the situation is the opposite - the complexity of push-ups increases significantly, and the emphasis shifts to the upper chest.

As for the width of the arms, it should be wider than the shoulders, about the same as when performing a press with a barbell.

Execution technique:

Take a lying position.
Slowly descend, concentrating on the pectoral muscles. Elbows should be spread out to the sides, not back.
Move up with an impulse movement. Hands also do not need to be fully extended.

Bars

Dips are a great basic exercise and complement to the classic bench press.

The execution technique is extremely simple, but there are points that require mandatory attention:

It is better to climb the uneven bars from a jump: with a slow rise, the range of motion will not be natural, and the risk of injury will increase. It's even better if you have a stand with which you can easily take a starting position.
Don't over stretch your muscles. Going too deep, you risk injuring the ligaments, which will not allow you to achieve maximum strength in the exercise.
The body should be tilted forward slightly and remain in this position throughout the entire approach. You do not need to unbend your arms to the end. The elbows should be spread apart.

Many fitness clubs have a special trainer - the gravitron, which allows you to push up on the parallel bars, making the exercise easier:

This option is perfect for women and beginners.

Information and wiring

Crossover and Peck-Deck stretches, hand conversions are the ideal way to focus on your chest muscles without engaging other groups. Since these exercises are isolation exercises, it is best to place them at the end of your workout.

The set of dumbbells and the reduction of hands in the simulator are completely identical. It is preferable to work out with dumbbells because of the freer amplitude, which allows you to deeper work out the muscles and stretch them. But you do not need to get too carried away and do through the pain, spread the dumbbells to the maximum comfortable angle.

With the information in the crossover, you can shift the focus to the middle and lower chest:

Or to the top:

This is an alternative to wiring, you can alternate these exercises every week:

Pullover

This is an effective back exercise that works great for the pectoral and serratus anterior muscles. It is recommended to perform it after pressing and spreading, since the lats still eat most of the load.

The technique for making pullovers is as simple as possible:

Take a dumbbell and lie with it on the bench or across it.
On bent arms, take the dumbbell as deep as possible behind the head.
Using a movement only in the shoulder joint, stretch the dumbbell from the head to the body, without bending the elbows.

Training program

It is better to train the pectoral muscles in several stages. Use a different workout program for each stage. How to pump up the muscles of the sternum without injury and as quickly as possible, we will consider below.

Program number 1 - pre-training (home)

If you have never been involved in strength sports and are in poor physical shape, it is advisable to devote a month or two to homework. As in the case of kettlebell lifting, independent exercises prepare the ligaments and tendons for the upcoming stress. In addition, working with your own weight reduces the risk of injury.

Typical program:

Exercises	The number of approaches and reps
Push-ups with wide arms	4x10-15
Push-ups with an inclination of the body down	4x8-12
Plyometric push-ups	4x8-12
Push-ups with an inclination of the body up	3 to maximum

Program number 2 - split "chest + triceps"

When visiting a fitness club for the first time, a beginner should train according to a fullbadi scheme, when the whole body is pumped in one day. After a few months, with the growth of indicators, you can switch to split - the division of muscle groups by day. In this case, the chest is most often combined with the triceps, since it actively works in almost all movements on the chest.

Exercises	The number of approaches and reps
Bench press lying on a horizontal bench	4x12,10,8,6
Dumbbell press lying on an incline bench up	4x10-12
Dips on the uneven bars	3x12-15
Inclined bench layout	3x12
French bench press	4x12
Crossover Row with Triceps Rope	3x15

Program number 3 - a separate day for the chest

An option for experienced athletes who allocate a separate day for each muscle group.

Exercises	The number of approaches and reps
Bench press incline bench	4x10-12
Dumbbell bench press	4x10-12
Dips with extra weight	3x10-12
Press in the simulator	3x12
Information in the crossover	3x15

Outcome

Concluding the conversation about what exercises to pump up the pectoral muscles, we note that the base cannot be excluded. But we would not recommend using the bench press exclusively. The best option would be to alternate it with a press on an incline bench 30 degrees up / down.