Perfect square chest training guide
The whole strategy of chest muscle training
- Create perfect square pectoral muscles
The pectoral muscles are large muscles that are relatively easy to exercise. Chest muscle training can be based on basic movements, such as bench press exercises, which can make your chest muscles thicker. However, it is important to note that when you are working on the pectoral muscles, the movements must be standard.
Reading time 3 minutes (advanced article)
Pectoral training novice
At the beginning of chest muscle training, excessive weight should not be used, but the movement must be in place. The best way is to have someone beside you to correct your posture, because most people may not be able to detect whether their movements are standard or not when practicing.
If you want to have firmer or squarer pecs, you must train your pecs from multiple angles, so that your chest will be fuller and more effective.
chest muscle training
chest muscle distribution
The chest muscles are roughly divided into upper chest muscles, middle chest muscles, chest muscles, inner chest muscles and outer chest muscles. Different positions of the chest muscles require different training angles to stimulate.
We can focus on exercising the chest muscles in different positions by adjusting the angle and grip of the joints. If you find that some part of your chest is lagging behind, try putting that muscle group at the beginning of the workout.
upper chest workout
We mainly train the core through incline presses and incline bird movements. Training the upper pectoral muscle weightlifting chair needs to be adjusted to 30-45 degrees, so that the body forms an upward slope and the upper pectoral muscles are stressed.
When training the upper chest muscles, the anterior deltoid and triceps are auxiliary muscles, and the strength of our press is generally lighter than that of the middle chest muscles.
Pectoralis major training - middle pecs
When training the pectoralis major, we can use the flat bench press and the flat bird movement as the core of the training. We need to lie down on the weightlifting chair to train, and the entire pectoralis major will be involved during training, so the power of the press will be greater. The bench press is one of the three major strength training exercises.
Can lower pectoral training be done with bare hands?
It is recommended to use equipment for lower pectoral muscle training, and we mainly use descending presses. When the parallel bar support is the core of the training, we need to adjust the weightlifting chair to 15 to 25 degrees. The parallel bar support must pay attention to the pressure on the shoulder joint when the body is lowered. It is not suitable for excessive weight or beginners.
Note: During training, the brain will be congested due to the downward slope. It is not suitable for people with heart disease.
chest lift exercise
- Strengthens medial and lateral pectoral muscles
We mainly train the pectoral muscles through the bird movement and the cable cross over movement. The cable cross over is a good training movement. We can use this movement to focus on stimulating the inner and outer pectoral muscles by adjusting different body angles.
pectoralis major training
How to train chest muscles the fastest?
The chest muscle training is the fastest and most effective. During the chest muscle training, the entire pectoralis major must be exercised flat. The chest muscle training is divided into five parts: upper, middle, lower, lateral and medial. Different training angles are used to stimulate the pectoral muscles, and the pectoral muscles will become full. solid.
The chest muscle training method should be based on basic movements, that is, bench press exercises, combined with chest muscle splitting movements, the goal is to exercise the entire chest muscle group on an average, and then use the number of sets, grip angle, and the number of times for each set to be adjusted slowly.
pec workout menu
Chest muscle training sets
Beginner training 3 sets, each set of 8-12 is better (once a week). After completing the bench press exercises on an independent standard (about 2 weeks or so), you can increase the weight of the bench press. At the same time, be sure to have a companion behind to protect you to avoid injury.
Advanced training 4 sets, each set of 8-10 is better (more than twice a week). After about two weeks of training, you can increase the training weight again; the weight of each increase is about 5-10 kg, and it is gradual, which can effectively stimulate the chest muscles, make the chest cavity larger, and the chest muscles become thicker.
chest muscle training
Press Grip and Grip
1. Middle grip: The finger grip is the same as the shoulder width. For the pectoral muscles and the triceps, the stimulation is relatively average.
2. Wide grip: The finger grip is wider than that of the shoulders, which stimulates the outer side of the pectoral muscles the most and makes the pectoral muscles wider.
3. Narrow grip: The finger grip is obviously narrower than that of the shoulder, which stimulates the inner side of the pectoral muscles the most, while the triceps are more involved.
4. Reverse grip method: Refers to the backhand grip of the bar (only for barbell presses). The reverse grip is mainly used to train the triceps. It is recommended to use the overhand grip to train the chest muscles, which will make it easier to control the equipment.
The above different grip distances are different stimulations to the pectoral muscles. In addition, it also affects the auxiliary muscles: the triceps, which should be clearly distinguished from the angle of the elbow and the angle of the shoulder during exercise.
pectoralis major training points
pectoral training angle
The greater the change in the angle of the elbow (the angle between the upper arm and the forearm) during pectoral training, the greater the stimulation of the triceps.
The greater the change in the angle of the shoulder joint (the angle between the upper arm and the body), the greater the degree of involvement of the anterior deltoid muscle, and the impact on the power of the pectoral muscles.
Because many times when you do the same action, you find that the effect is different, but you can't find the reason. Or you want to stimulate your pectoral muscles, but often your hands (triceps) are very sore and swollen before your pectoral muscles can feel, which means there is a problem with the joint angle.
chest training breathing method
The breathing method is, when lifting lighter weights, inhale when pushing up, and exhale when returning. Don't hold your breath, it will cause the "responsibility phenomenon", which will seriously increase the pressure of the body's blood vessels, resulting in "blood vessels".
When the barbell touches, immediately push the barbell up with the contraction force of the pectoralis major until you are breathing when your arms are straight, then take a deep breath. For straight arm support, the center of the barbell should be on the vertical line of the shoulder joint.
The bar should be placed on the sixth or seventh rib just below the nipples for the incline bench press. When using dumbbells to do the incline bench press or the incline bench press, place the dumbbells on the outside of the chest respectively, and hold the bells with fists and eyes facing each other. Beginners should pay special attention to master the center of the dumbbells and do not shake them back and forth.
Choice of chest muscles
Pectoralis major training bench press is the main action, referred to as bench press. One of the most common and effective ways to train your chest muscles. There are different angles of the bench press, which are divided into flat bench press, incline press and incline press.
chest muscle training equipment
The equipment used in the bench press is mainly barbells and dumbbells.
barbell bench press
Training position: pectoralis major (mainly the middle pectoral muscle), triceps / anterior deltoid muscle as auxiliary muscles
chest muscle training
chest muscle training
1) Preparation - Lie flat on the bench, hold the barbell with your hands and clamp your shoulder blades, and plant your feet flat on the ground.
2) Grip the bar - choose a grip that works for you, hold the bar only and keep your wrists upright.
3) Lift the bar - take a deep breath to lift the bar, locking your elbows as the bar moves.
4) Lower the bar - lower the bar to the new nipple position on your chest, with your elbows about 75 degrees from your body, keeping your forearms upright.
5) Push the barbell up hard until the elbows are slightly bent (not completely straight)
Taking the bench press as an example, the following points need to be paid attention to in its preparation:
1) The soles of the feet must be firm;
2) The upper back and buttocks touch the stool surface, making the torso into a "bridge shape";
3) The barbell is lowered about 1 cm above the nipple.
4) During training, the chest should be raised and the shoulders should be lowered. Do not "shrug with chest", otherwise the training effect will be greatly reduced.
chest training dumbbells
Dumbbell Bench Press
Training position: the whole pectoralis major (mainly the middle pectoral muscle), the triceps/front deltoid muscle is the auxiliary muscle
chest training dumbbells
*If using dumbbells, the bells should be parallel to the shoulders in both hands, and the dumbbells should be placed on a parallel line on the outside of the shoulders and close to the nipples.
1) Lie on your back on a flat bench, flatten your feet on the ground, bend your elbows, hold a dumbbell with your fists and eyes facing each other, and the axis of the dumbbell is above your nipples (middle of your pectoral muscles), against your chest.
2) Push up, adduct both elbows, and clip the chest while clipping the elbows. As the dumbbell goes up, it deflects slightly forward, forming a parabolic trajectory.
The essentials of the dumbbell bench press:
1) Use the characteristics of flexible changes of dumbbells when pressing, and try to stretch the chest muscles as much as possible when the movement falls, and increase the range of motion
2) When using dumbbells, the pressure on the wrist will be relatively large, and it is difficult to balance in training. It is recommended to have a certain training foundation before choosing dumbbells to train the chest muscles.
3) When using heavy dumbbells, it is very easy to strain the muscles. When using them, you must pay attention to the preparations for lifting or lowering the dumbbells. It is recommended to have the help of your partner or coach.
upper chest workout
Incline barbell/dumbbell press
Training position: the upper chest muscles are the main muscles, and the triceps / anterior deltoid muscles are the auxiliary muscles
upper chest workout upper chest workout
1) Adjust the fitness bench to a 30-degree incline. If the angle of inclination is less than 10 degrees, the muscles trained are mainly concentrated in the deltoid.
Rest your head, upper body, and hips against the back of the exercise bench, with your feet flat on the floor. Hold the barbell with both hands, slightly wider than your shoulders.
2) Raise the barbell with your arms straight and slightly forward to the vertical above your chin. Take a deep breath and lower the barbell slowly and under control until it is about 2 cm to 5 cm away from the collarbone.
3) Exhale and press the bar up, ending vertically above the chin
4) Repeat the above actions until you complete a set of exercises. After the final press is complete, the upper press ends just above the chin, then the bar is smoothly translated back and placed back on the grip.
*If dumbbells are used, the bells in both hands should be parallel to the shoulders, and the dumbbells should be placed on the parallel line on the outside of the shoulders and close to the analgesia.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when doing incline presses:
1) The weightlifting chair for training the upper chest muscles needs to be adjusted to 30-45 degrees, so that the body forms an upward inclination angle and the upper chest muscles are stressed
2) When incline bench press, most of them use a wide grip, and place the barbell/dumbbell near the collarbone when the movement descends
3) During training, the chest should also be raised, and the shoulders should be lowered. Do not "shrug with chest"
Lower pec exercises
Decline barbell/dumbbell press
Training position: the lower chest muscles are the main muscles, the triceps are the auxiliary muscles
Lower chest workout at home
1.) Adjust the weight-lifting chair to a downward slope of about 20 degrees, fix the legs on the top of the downward slope bench, then lie down to fix the body, keep the chest and abdomen.
2.) Slowly lower the dumbbells to your sides while breathing in. Maintain control of the dumbbells as you descend. The forearm should remain perpendicular to the floor throughout.
3.) Once your chest is stretched to the limit, use your chest muscles to quickly lift the dumbbells up while exhaling.
4.) When the arms are extended to the elbows and the dumbbells are lifted to the top, squeeze the chest, hold for a while and then slowly return to the starting position.
Lower pectoral training tips
1) Since the training movement is head down, cardiovascular/hypertensive people should avoid this movement
2) It must be confirmed that the weightlifting chair can fix the body before practicing, otherwise it is very dangerous
Lower pec exercises
Cable Cross Over
Lower chest exercises with bare hands
1) Hold the bar with the left hand, assist the left hand with the right hand, and pull the ropes on both sides closer to the abdominal muscles.
2) Step forward with your left foot, tuck your belly and raise your chest naturally, and open your arms and elbows in a V-shape.
3) When exhaling, contract your hands inward (near the front of your belly), and touch your hands slightly
Precautions for lower chest training:
健身教練You should keep your chest high and do not arch your back, otherwise you will not be able to exercise your chest muscles to the greatest extent. In addition, be sure to use your breath to control the rhythm of the power during the process, and actually complete every movement!