Workout Wednesday: Targeting the chest muscles
A few months ago, I wrote a piece on the anatomy of the muscles of the chest. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, then I have embedded it just below this introduction, so feel free to catch up. Today, I’ll go one step further and give you a workout which I would perform if I wanted to target those muscles.
(I’m already envisioning the replies to this newsletter looking something like this clip of Arnold explaining his chest day.) No, most people don’t care about striation. No, most people don’t care about ‘upper pec, mid pec, and lower pec’. If your chest day looks like his, then I’m sure your friends and family are all very proud, but the average person doesn’t need to care that much.
Housekeeping
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To ‘chest day’ or not to ‘chest day’
Realistically, unless you’re training 6/7 times a week, you wouldn’t need a specific chest workout. The purpose of today’s newsletter is to give readers a range of exercises to add greater variety to their gym routine, rather than always defaulting to the barbell bench press.
Later on, I’ll outline 7 variations of exercises which target the chest muscles with a specific stimulus. You could do a lot worse than to perform each exercise once per week. If you go to the gym 3 times a week, the simplest solution would be to choose two from the list below to perform on each visit.
The most common mistakes
I don’t typically comment too much on exercise technique because it can be easy to fall down a rabbit hole and resurface 5000 words later. However, I will make an exception today, specifically for the flat barbell bench press, because it is the exercise with which I see the most technical issues. There are three in particular which I’d like to address:
Barbell bench press error 1 - Excessive elbow flare
Again, there are some powerlifting vs bodybuilding debates here which I have no interest in getting involved in. Generally speaking, if we wish to stay consistent and reduce our risk of injury, then we should be limiting elbow flare where possible.
Take a look at the image below. By ‘tucking’ the elbows between 45 and 70 degrees, we reduce the strain on the shoulders, which is great for reducing the risk of shoulder injury and ensuring greater activation of the chest muscles. It also helps us with error number 2…
Barbell bench press error 2 - The ‘neck press’
I have a theory for error number 2. I will often look over at someone on the bench press, with the bar hovering perilously over their neck. I think to myself: ‘What are you going to do if you fail that rep?’. I think there’s something about having a bar or weight closer to the eyes which gives us an illusion of safety. We can see it better, so we must be safer.
Just like the previous error, having the bar over the chest allows for the correct activation of the chest muscles without risking injury.
Barbell bench press error 3 - Half reps
Let’s recap and correct the first two errors. You’re lowering the bar down towards the centre of your chest, not your neck, and you’re keeping the elbows tucked in to prevent flare. Great. Now, are you able to get that bar to touch your chest, or at least get mighty close? If not, then your range of movement (RoM) can be improved. Sometimes, this isn’t even a strength issue; it’s a mobility issue. However, if you’re not able to get close to touching the chest, you probably need to lower the load, lighten the weight, and try again. Your body will thank you somewhere down the line..
The seven types of chest exercises I would perform
Again, let me stress that I wouldn’t perform all on the same day. I would spread these throughout my gym sessions for the week or fortnight. These are purely for variation and inspiration, and you will all have your own individual likes and dislikes, niggles and pains, which may make certain movements more or less favourable. You’ll also notice that the following categories are not mutually exclusive. You can combine, for example, a flat bench and a ‘fly-type’ exercise, so play around with the variables and have fun!
I have included a GIF of at least one option for each variant below.
1. An exercise with a flat bench
2. An exercise with an inclined or declined bench
3. An exercise which uses alternate arms
4. A ‘fly’ type exercise
5. A machine-based exercise
6. A ‘dip’ exercise
Whilst primarily an exercise for the tricep, these can be great for the chest when performed with a forward lean.
7. Any bodyweight exercise
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