An adjustment from the basic push-up, decline push-ups are for those ready for something more challenging, as the exercise is performed with your feet positioned on an elevated surface. The focus is on the upper pectoral muscles and the front shoulder area. We like them because they are a good way to increase the challenge of this exercise for people who already feel comfortable with the classic push-up. Also standing cable chest presses (I think doing madmuscles scam them on a bench is too much time/energy setting up). All the benefits of dumbbells but a greater peak contraction and less shoulder stress since less weight is needed.

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Still, it’s an extremely useful piece of equipment that unlocks a range of unique pressing and pulling angles you can’t easily train with barbells or dumbbells. The upward, diagonal pressing path aligns well with the fibres of the clavicular head, making it great for adding size and shape to the upper chest. The fixed arch of the landmine press also makes it easier on the shoulder joint than overhead presses, making it more comfortable for those with past injuries or shoulder mobility issues. Picking a couple of these exercises for your upper body workout (and then doing a variation of different upper chest exercises later in the week) will ensure an effective, well-rounded upper chest workout.

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You breathe in and out with your diaphragm doing about 80 percent of the work to fill your lungs with a mixture of oxygen and other gases, and then to send the waste gas out. Lung HelpLine respiratory therapist Mark Courtney compares the process to a screen door with a spring, opening and shutting on its own. Try the following movements, aiming for around 20 seconds on each at an effort level around 4-5 out of 10, so you should be able to hold a conversation without feeling uncomfortable or out of breath. Complete three sets of each exercise, with a target of repetitions each time. Whether you’re looking to improve your muscle mass or boost your overall cardiovascular health, push-ups (and their variations) should be a part of your exercise routine. When you’re in the top stage of the exercise, the anterior deltoids assist with adducting the shoulder joint; during the lower stage, they stabilize your shoulders.

#3: Decline Push-Ups

If you work out at home, you’ll need at least three pairs (something that feels light, medium, and heavy) right off the bat, plus new ones whenever you get too strong for the old models. Over time, you’ll be tripping over dumbbells, and wondering why you didn’t shell out a little more for the adjustable type up front. Dumbbells allow both sides of your body to find their optimal path when performing an exercise.

• An alternative is bedsheet flies, where we use the setup I presented in my full body home workout article.
• The amount of volume you should do for your chest varies, but as a general rule, you’ll want to include at least one pressing exercise and one flye or crossover exercise per workout.
• If you’re just starting a chest strengthening program, choose a light weight so you can push out safely.
• Calisthenics are performed with differing levels of intensity and rhythm.
• Good isolation activities include flat and incline dumbbell flyes, low and high cable chest flyes (cable crossover), and Pec deck flyes.
• When you can easily complete the recommended number of sets and reps, you should increase your weight by around 5%.

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But strong pectoral muscles also assist in real-world or sport-related scenarios, such as performing push-ups for time, shoving an object or opponent away from you, and much more. If you’re a gym newbie, you’re in the unique position to benefit a lot from a low amount of stimulus. Studies show that beginners benefit greatly from using different exercises and equipment, (1) so we’ve built this workout with variety in mind.

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Bench Press is a great way to strengthen both pushing and pressing movements. Did you know that your chest houses some of the largest muscles in the upper body? Home to the pectoralis muscles, your chest is responsible for moving and controlling the arms.

#4. Dumbbells Give you Balanced Development and Strength.

Having a strong, defined chest with chiseled pecs not only looks fantastic but helps you feel confident in your body and allows you to dominate your lifts like the bench press. This isn’t the kind of workout you want to do all week, though, especially if you’re training hard. If you try doing chest-and-back supersets, think of doing them twice a week, with at least two days of rest for upper-body training in between. If you lack access to this equipment, performing bodyweight exercises like push-ups can also significantly benefit muscle development. Better yet, facilities like Nonstop Fitness offer these and more, equipped to cater to all your workout needs.

Time under tension push-ups

Not forgetting bodyweight movements too – ideal for an upper chest day at home, or a high rep finisher. Dips train the chest and triceps brachii from a position of shoulder extension. Dips performed with hands set wider than shoulder width promote adduction and bias the mid and lower pecs. (3) The bottom position of the bench dip applies a profound loaded stretch to pectoralis major, increasing mechanical tension. We all know somebody who’s gotten trapped under a barbell when he couldn’t press it back up (you probably see him in the mirror every day).

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Fortunately, drop sets make training more efficient without sacrificing strength or hypertrophy outcomes. (13) Finish your chest workout strong with this push-up drop set. Standard flyes are great for building muscle—but brutal on the shoulders.

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It stabilizes your collarbone when you move the shoulder girdle. Plates can be added and held on with collars, or the turn of a dial or lever. The incline also works the pec fibers that attach to the clavicle more strongly. Before we get into the workout, here’s how to do different push-up variations.