GRIPAD ® Blog

When we talk about muscles of the chest, we’re usually referring to the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor, the muscles located between the shoulders and just below the collarbone. But a big chest means more than just defined pecs; it also means a strong upper torso, and strong lats, shoulders, and deltoids. All of these muscle groups contribute to volume and definition in the chest area, and a strong chest works like a strong core in that it supports training, agility and performance in almost every other area of the body.

A Few Notes On Your Chest Workout

Before you begin blasting the chest with dips, pushups, and bench presses, remember that building a strong chest takes patience. Many of the best chest exercises also rely heavily on body weight, so if you have a heavier body, you’ll get more resistance and sometimes faster results. Those with smaller bodies will need to do more reps or find other ways to add tension.

Pushups and Modified Pushups

For a standard pushup, lie face down on the floor and place your body weight on your palms. Push yourself up away from the floor with your weight on your palms and your toes. Keep your body straight like a plank. This exercise can help strengthen you pecs, but it can also place resistance on your arms and shoulders. So to keep focus on the chest area, try modifying the move as follows:

When you’re at the lowest point of the pushup, glide your body forward past your planted hands. Walk your toes forward by just a few steps. As you push yourself up from the ground, cheat on the pushup a bit by raising your hips toward the ceiling.

Dips and Bench Presses

To do a dip, center your weight on your arms above two parallel bars. Lower yourself until your elbows almost reach the bars. Then push yourself back up.

To complete a bench press, you’ll need a weight bench, a barbell and a spotter. Lying on your back, grip the bar and push it away from you toward the ceiling. Make sure your Gripads are in place so you can maintain a firm non-slip grip on the bar.