Best Chest Exercises
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Best Chest exercises
USING DUMBBELLS
EXPERT ADVICE PANEL: “WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE WAY TO BUILD YOUR CHEST AND WHY?”
In one of our many new features
this issue, the MUSCLE INSIDER Expert Advice Panel—a rotatingroster advisory board made up of some of the biggest and brightest authorities from the world of bodybuilding and fitness—is here to help answer your tough questions.
KEN JACKSON, IFBB PRO, SAYS:
BE SMART BY using dumbbells “Dumbbell movements are a must when trying to develop a great chest. If performed correctly, whether doing incline, flat, decline, or flyes, they really build a full-looking chest. Dumbbells allow for a deep stretch and a maximum level of blood into
the chest when using the pumping motion, just like a piston in an engine.”
Craig Capruso, IFBB Pro, SAYS:
“My favourite is dumbbell press on an adjustable bench, one click up from horizontal. I find it puts less stress on my shoulders and hits even more muscles indirectly by using stabilizers. Heavy Volume Training is how I push it, which is all about mass muscle fiber recruitment.”
BIG RON PARTLOW, BODYBUILDING CHAMPION, SAYS:
HAMMER TIME: “Plate-loaded hammer strength decline press mimics a very similar movement to dips. It really loads my pecs, and I feel them stretching and squeezing. I put the seat all the way down so the handles come into my armpit area at the bottom of the rep. I like to start chest with this every two or three workouts, where I may go as heavy as five plates per side. It’s also great to use as a
finisher where I may only use three plates.”
LEGENDARY 7-TIME MR.OLYMPIA ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER SAYS:
THE CLASSIC BARBELL PRESS: “I always like to start my chest routine with barbell bench presses. I’ll use the pyramid principle, starting with a lighter weight and going to a heavy weight for six reps. After that I’ll do barbell presses on an incline to hit the upper chest
Anth Bailes, IFBB Pro
Smith machine: “Smith machine incline press … I prefer to have a very shallow incline, around 20 degrees, as I feel this hits the whole pec area, not just the upper pecs. Too steep of an angle generally causes
me shoulder pain also. The Smith machine enables me to keep the intensity high if I don’t have a spotter at hand. Drop sets are great on Smith machine incline presses!”