How can I train my chest muscles?

Many men are proud of their strong pectoral muscles. However, most men are usually busy with work and rarely take time out to go to the gym for physical exercise. There are limited fitness equipment at home, so it is difficult to train perfect pectoral muscles. Here, the editor will introduce some relatively simple and effective methods to train men's pectoral muscles.

1. The main method of developing pectoralis major

The main method to develop the pectoralis major is the barbell bench press, and other training methods are auxiliary. Because the size of the muscles trained is directly proportional to the weight lifted. The weight of the bench press barbell is relatively much larger than that of the dumbbells. It is very difficult to do bench presses or flyes with heavy dumbbells. Under normal circumstances, if the weight of the bench press reaches 60 kg and 8 to 10 times are done in each set, the chest circumference can be trained to 95 cm. If you use 100 kg for training, your chest circumference will exceed 100 cm and reach 120 cm.

2. Design and Practice of the Bench Press Barbell

When doing barbell and dumbbell exercises, the muscles being trained are mainly affected by factors such as the weight of the bar, the way of holding the bar, the grip distance, the lifting angle, the lifting speed and the number of sets, and the pectoralis major is no exception.

The bar diameter of the bench press barbell should be slightly thicker, with an outer diameter of 35-40 mm and a wall thickness of 2.5-3.0 mm. A thicker lever can reduce the unit pressure on the palm, increase the force-bearing area, and facilitate pushing the arm up. The distance from the grip to the bell plate should be short, about 100 mm, so that the weight (force) is concentrated on the vertical plane close to the pectoral muscles and the generation of force couple can be reduced.

The lever must be raised and lowered in the area of ​​the chest muscles being trained (from the diaphragm down to the clavicle up). The chest should be trained from bottom to top and from wide to narrow, that is, first train the lower chest (lying on the side), then train the middle chest (lying flat), and finally train the upper chest (lying on the side). First, use a wide grip, then a medium grip, and finally a narrow grip. Use a wide grip to train the width of your chest muscles, and use a narrow grip to train the height (thickness) of your chest muscles.

As for the bench press, a short bench is used for the incline bench press (20-30 degrees) and the flat bench press. When pressing, only the upper back touches the bench surface, which can make the chest stand up and increase the unit pressure. Using a seated curved bench (30-45 degrees) for the incline bench press can lift the upper chest and make it horizontal, allowing the barbell to act vertically on the upper chest muscles.

3. Breathing for the Bench Press

Inhaling when exerting force can increase the amount of myoglobin that stores oxygen and muscle glycogen that supplies energy, expand the muscle capillaries, and facilitate exertion. If you exhale while exerting force, you will be deprived of oxygen and insufficient muscle glycogen energy supply, which will reduce muscle strength and the number of muscle fibers involved in exerting force will also decrease. In addition, insufficient "burning" of muscle glycogen will produce more lactic acid, causing muscle soreness and fatigue. Therefore, the correct breathing method for bench press is to inhale when pushing the barbell up and exhale when lowering the barbell.

4. Bench Press Speed

The use of fast contraction (1-2 seconds) and slow extension (2-4 seconds) contradicts Wade's slow continuous tension rule (4 seconds of contraction time and 2 seconds of recovery and extension time). The author's experience is that the recovery time should be the same as the contraction and lifting time (2 to 3 seconds). Lifting too fast or too slow means the weight you are lifting is inappropriate.

5. The influence of triceps on chest muscles

While training the pectoralis major, you should also strengthen the triceps in your upper arms. Without well-developed triceps, it is impossible to bench press a heavy barbell, and it is impossible to develop well-developed pectoralis major muscles.

Generally, the weight of the bench press should be three times the weight of the triceps training.

6. Push-ups

When there are no barbells or dumbbells, push-ups can be considered the easiest way to train your chest muscles. Doing push-ups regularly can also maintain the volume of the chest muscles, which is particularly meaningful for middle-aged bodybuilding.

If you want to have good-looking pectoral muscles, you need to master certain exercise methods and persevere in exercising all year round to maintain your pectoral muscles for a long time. It is best to go to the gym and use some equipment under the guidance of a professional fitness coach. You should also cooperate with some endurance-enhancing exercises in your daily life, so that the exercise effect will be better.