How To Build And Tone Chest Muscles

 

Having a well developed and toned chest muscles have long been the fascination of every amateur as well as professional body building enthusiast. Chest or pectoral muscles as they are known medically are a combination of two muscles sets known as the pectoral major and the pectoral minor respectively.

It is therefore imperative that any chest development program should include exercises that work on the combination of both the muscle sets and not one in isolation to achieve the perfect toned chest region.

Even with all the advances in sports science and body building, most experts are of the opinion that developing perfectly tones chest muscles require a combination of free weight, resistance training as well as lifestyle and dietary changes. Recommended

Recommended Exercises To Build and Tone Chest Muscles

Now that we know the basic medical anatomy of the chest muscles, let us brace ourselves to understand the most widely recommend exercises to develop and tone those pectoral.

1. Free Weight Exercises

One doesn’t necessarily require enrolling in a gym and using the sophisticated machines to develop and tone the pectorals. Free weight exercises work as well and are especially useful in toning the pectorals.

2. Stretching

Stretching before starting any pectoral exercises not oly warms up the chest muscles but also frees any stress from the muscle. Stretch the chest muscle against a pillar or a wall for five to seven minutes before beginning any workout.

3. Push Ups

Push ups the best free weight exercises that can tone the pectorals like no other exercise. Experts recommend a minimum of 3 sets with 18-20 repetitions each.You can add an incline platform beneath the feet to spice up the workout.

Resistance Training:

4. Bench Press

A flat bench press is the big daddy of all pectoral exercises. A flat bench press is performed by lying flat on your back on the bench with hands extended upwards towards the bar. With hands at a wider position than shoulder level slowly lift the bar and bring it down to the chest region and bring it back up slowly without locking out your elbows. Remember to breathe in while bringing the bar down and exhaling while brining the bar back up for best results. Perform 3 sets with descending repetitions.

Also Read

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5. Incline/Decline Press

Incline and decline press should be ideally performed alternatively. You can perform the incline press one week and decline press the next. Incline press or decline press is basically performed like a flat bench press but the bench in either incline or declined that focuses of the pectoral major and pectoral minor respectively.Incline decline press can also be performed using dumbbells instead of a bar to spice up the routine.

6. Dumbbell Fly

Dumbbell flies are performed by lying flat on your back on a bench with a pair of dumbbells in each hand. With dumbbells held over the chest, slowly bring the dumbbells to the sides till your arms are extending out to the sides. Do not lock your elbows while extending out the dumbbells to the sides. Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps each.

Lifestyle and Dietary Changes

7. High Protein Diet

Body is not only built in the gym but it’s essentially built in the kitchen. There is no point in having a good exercise program if there is a lack of focus on the dietary developments. For any pectoral exercise workout program it’s advised to go on a high protein diet which essentially acts as a catalyst to build and repair the worn out muscles.Try including egg whites, lentils, dairy products in your daily diet. Investing in a good protein shake is also recommended.

8. Importance of Sleep

Remember every muscle needs time to repair and heal itself and its not very different for the development of pectorals. Having a good night’s sleep of around seven to eight hours is recommended. Stay stress free, keep working out and rest and you would never be disappointed with the results.

9. Patience

Last but not the least; patience is the key in developing the desired results. Even though the pectorals are one of the larger muscle groups in the human body, there is no overnight shortcut to get the desired objectives. Keep working out the pectorals slowly and steadily even if results are not visible because over a period of time the development would surely give you immense satisfaction.