Learn the Anatomy of Chest before Building a Big One

When people want to tone their body, the one thing that they cannot leave is the Chest. Ask any gym-goer and they will tell you that they want to build their chest and it is also one of the toughest areas to work on. Before following any tough regime, the beginners ought to know about the chest anatomy and how it functions.

The chest is a single muscle called pectarolis major, but it can be divided into three areas:

• Upper chest or Clavicular
• Middle chest or Sternal
• Lower chest or Costal

You need to focus on each of these parts to get the right size of chest. The Exercise for each area differs and you need to do them in the right number to develop an attractive chest that will transform your body. One thing you need to keep in mind always is consistency. If you cannot be consistent in your workout routine, there would be no results. It is a lot of hard work combined with the right diet. Beginners need to take special care and not jump directly to practice on machines because this will affect their core. Start with free weights and then gradually go to other methods.

Part A: Upper Chest

Desire a chiseled chest resembling the square and chest of your favorite comic book hero? Upper chest is the place to begin with! Firstly, it is important to understand that not everyone has the same genes and this is the prime reason it takes time for some people to grow their upper chest. You need to do the right type of workout to increase your upper chest and this section will tell you the top three exercises that will give you results.

1. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: A great exercise for beginners because it helps you stabilize the muscles.

How to Do?

• Take a flat bench and lie on your back with a dumbbell in both your hands.
• Balance these on your thighs
• Lift the dumbbells slowly and twist your wrist so that they are facing each other.

Tip: Be careful not to hit the dumbbells against each other as this can cause injury to your chest and muscles. The dumbbells should only touch.

How many Sets: 4 reps: 6-8 sets

1. Incline Fly: Another great exercise for beginners that help build the Clavicular.

How to Do?

• Lie on an elevated bench and hold the dumbbells in both your hand.
• Arch them towards each other keeping your hands straight when they meet at the top.

Tip: Do this exercise slowly as fast movements can damage your chest/rotator cuff areas.

How many Sets: 8-10 reps: 3 sets

1. Dumbbell Pullover: An exercise which is considered good for your lats can help you in building your upper chest too.

How to Do?

• Rest your shoulders on a flat bench.
• Now, taking moderate weights in your hands, extend them backwards so that your lats contract.
• Bring your hands up and repeat this exercise.

Tip: If you do this exercise correctly, you can see the results in 6 weeks. Ensure that you do the exercise slowly and not hurt yourself.

How many Sets: Start with 3 sets of 10 reps and increase gradually

Also Learn Top 5 Exercises for Bigger Shoulder

Part B: Middle Chest

After the workouts for upper chest comes the middle region. This one is also important to obtain a big chest and they have a completely different function. You need to do a combination of both barbells and bench presses to achieve best results. Some exercises only help in building muscle mass of your chest and that alone would not help you. This is the reason you need to follow a great routine that helps you build your inner pecs and we have the top 3 exercises for just that.

1. Flat Dumbbell Fly: It is same as the incline fly except you will perform this on a flat bench.

How to Do?

• Lie on your back on a flat bench with dumbbells in each your hands.
• Lift your hands and bring them closer so that they meet at the top and then slowly bring them down at the side.

Tip: Performing slower and higher reps is the key to do this exercise correctly.

How many Sets: Start with fewer reps and then gradually increase.

1. Close Grip Bench Press: This one is not only great for your middle chest but also helps to improve your triceps.

How to Do?

It is similar to the flat bench press and equally tough but you need to get a bar that is closer to your shoulder’s width.

Tip: Place the bars on your palms and not on your fingers.

How many Sets: 3 reps for the beginning

1. Flat Bench Press: One of the most common exercises when it comes to building chest but takes time to be used to.

How to Do?

• Lie on your back on a flat bench that has weights over the headboard rested on a stand.
• Steady your feet and keep them in them straight.
• Lift the weight with both your hands slowly and gradually.

Tip: This may seem easy, but lifting weights while lying down, is no joke. If there is excess pain, skip this exercise but don’t strain yourself.

How many Sets: Start with lesser reps and increase gradually

Part C: Lower Chest

You cannot separate the three chest areas, they all are equally important. The lower chest especially can be tough to build up and many people ignore it. There is also a myth that only one exercise should be done for a chest but it will not get you anywhere. As already mentioned, you need to include a variation of different workouts to get the mass in your chest and tone it to perfection. So, follow the exercises below to get the complete chiseled chest because the season to go shirtless is already here.

1. Dips: They are common but tough to master and will help in building your lower chest in the long run.

How to Do?

• Stand between a dip stand and place your hands on them. Lean in and go down and go up.

Top 1 Tip: For better results, try going up at a faster pace and come down slowly.

How many Sets: Start with half reps and then increase gradually.

1. Decline Dumbbell Bench Press: One of the chest workouts you cannot miss out. This will help you in strengthening your core as well.

How to Do?

• Lie back on a declining bench and hold dumbbells in both your hands.
• Lift your hands until the dumbbell touches each other.

Tip: It is recommended to go for dumbbells because it helps in stabilizing.

How many Sets: Start with 10 reps and gradually increase the sets.

1. Cable Crossover: This one is the easiest among all the mentioned workouts and you can start it as a beginner.

How to Do?

• Hold the cables in both your hands and cross them in front of your chest.
• Repeat the exercise with back and forth movements.

Tip: This one provides tension to your lower chest so you should do it with greater intensity.

How many Sets: Start with as many reps as you can and then increase gradually.