Exercises for the Pec's or Chest Muscles

*All illustrations reprinted with permission from ISSA and Fred Hatfield

Exercise:
 Execution:
Push-ups
Difficulty Level: Easy		 Execution

This is a nice beginners exercise for the chest.

  1. Lying face down on the floor, space hands about shoulder width apart.

  2. Push up until your arms are fully extended.

  3. Go back down until you almost touch the ground and repeat. Do not touch the ground with you chest after the first rep.

  • You can change your had position to find the position you like. Widen your grip to work more chest, and narrow your grip to work the triceps more.
Pec-Decs
Difficulty Level: Easy		 Execution:

This exercise is a simple one to perform. Sit back in the seat with back fully against back rest. 

  1. Adjust the seat so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor.

  2. Keep your elbows on the the pads while you bring pads in. Touch the pads together.

  3. Reverse motion back to the starting point. Do not bring your arms to far back. Keep the elbow and arms about even with your chest as shown in figure one.

  • Try to get a spotter to help you get in and out of the machine. Let them bring the arm pads in so you can get in and out.
Bench Press
Difficulty Level - Intermediate		 Execution:

  1. Laying flat on your back, grip bar about shoulder width apart, or where it feels comfortable. Keep feet flat on the floor. Take the bar off the bench pins. and hold over chest around the nipple area

  2. Bring bar down while slightly inhaling and touch your chest, while keeping elbows in. DO NOT BOUNCE OFF CHEST!

  3. Push bar off your chest in a straight up fashion while slightly exhaling until you reach the top.

  4. Repeat for recommended number of repetitions.
Flat Dumbbell Fly
Difficulty Level: Intermediate		 Execution

  1. Grab two dumbbells and place feet flat on the floor.

  2. Raise dumbbells and slightly bend your elbows.

  3. Slowly lower the dumbbells by spreading your arms and keeping the elbows slightly bent.

  4. Raise back to starting position.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Difficulty Level: Intermediate		 Execution:

  1. Grab two dumbbells and lay flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground.

  2. Hold the dumbbells about shoulder width apart. With your palms facing each other, push up on the dumbbells while twisting your wrists until your palms are facing your feet and arms are fully extended.

  3. Lower back to chest and repeat.

  • You do not have to start this exercise with the palms facing each other, You can start with the palms facing your feet and you won't need to twist your wrists. You can also do fly's, where you take light dumbbells, only slightly bend the elbows and start about shoulder height and raise the dumbbells until they touch at the top.
Incline Dumbbell Presses
Difficulty Level: Medium		 Execution

  1. Grab two dumbbells and hold them to your sides at about shoulder level.

  2. With palms facing each other, push the dumbbells up in a straight line while twisting your wrists.

  3. Lower dumbbells and repeat.

  • Again, you do not have to have your palms facing. You can have your palms facing each other, you can have them facing your feet, that way to don't have to twist your wrists. They can also be done in a fly manner as described above.
Decline Bench Press
Difficulty Level: Medium		 Execution:

For some reason, this diagram in not quite correct. It seems to be missing the uprights on the bench that he is laying on that would hold the bar. This exercise is very awkward for beginners.

  1. Lay down on the decline bench press.

  2. Take the weight off the bench pins.

  3. Hold weight over lower chest and lower the weight until you touch the bottom of the chest, not the top, just below the nipples.

  4. Raise the weight toward the feet.

  5. Repeat.
Incline Bench Press
Difficulty Level: Medium		 Execution:

This exercise is executed in almost the same manner as the flat bench press.

  1. Lay back on an incline bench press and take the bars off the pins.

  2. Hold over you upper chest.

  3. Bring down and touch the upper chest and push back up to the starting point. DO NOT BOUNCE OFF YOUR CHEST.

  4. Repeat for recommended number of reps.
Smith Machine Bench Press Lock Outs
Difficulty Level: Hard		 Execution:


In order to perform smith machine lockouts, you much have a smith machine with pins as show in the top picture

  1. Decide the height you want your lockout to be at.

  2. Simply press the weight up for desired reps.
Pull-over
Difficulty Level: Hard		 Execution

  1. Lay face up on a bench with feet flat on the floor. Have your head over the end of the bench.

  2. Hold the bar on you chest in line with the nipples while placing your hands about 15" apart.

  3. While keeping your elbows in, lower the bar over your head, keeping it close to the head, until you either reach the floor or get as low as possible while remaining comfortable.

  4. Pull the bar back over the face to the starting position.

  5. Repeat for recommended number of reps.