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Chest
The chest is made up of two sets of muscles, the pectoralis major and pectoralis
minor, and contains some of the largest muscle groups in the upper body.
To obtain optimum results it is a good idea to exercise the chest three days
a week, taking a day to rest in between each workout session.
The following are some basic chest exercises:
Push-ups:
- Start on the floor facing down with legs outstretched straight behind you.
- Just the palms of your hands and your toes should be touching the ground.
- Arms should be a bit more than shoulder-width apart and slightly bent at
the elbows.
- Keep you stomach firm and your body straight.
- Lower your body until it almost touches the floor and then press back up
to starting position.
- If you find it too difficult to do push-ups from your toes you can do the
same exercise balancing on your knees instead with your feet bent up behind
you.
Bench Presses:
- Lie on a bench with your back as flat as possible.
- Start out holding a barbell over your chest with arms straight up, remembering
not to lock your elbows.
- Lower the barbell until it is about an inch from your chest and your elbows
are at 90-degree angles.
- Press back up to starting position.
When doing chest exercises it is important to remember keep your midsection
firm and not to hold your breath. A good idea is to inhale and then exhale at
the hardest part of the exercise (such as when you push the weight upwards during
bench presses). Remember to incorporate warm-ups, cool-downs and stretching
into your workout routine.
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