If you set yourself the task of pumping up your pectoral muscles as much as possible, then visiting the gym seems to be the best option. The presence of special equipment, qualified instructors - all this will help you achieve the desired results. But often a situation arises when regular visits to the gym are impossible. In this case, home exercises can serve as an alternative to the gym.
If you want to focus on swaying the pectoral muscles, then you need to take into account that they consist of several symmetrical groups, including:
- pectoralis major muscle
- pectoralis minor muscle
- anterior serratus.
Do not forget that when training the pectoral muscles, the body spends a huge amount of energy, which has a beneficial effect on burning fat tissue.
Home workouts
The modern life rhythm of many people nowadays is such that it is often very difficult to find time to regularly visit the gym. The training process at home can be considered as an adequate replacement for the gym. The desire of the student to achieve his goal should come first.
First of all, you need to decide on the number of classes per week. Many beginners mistakenly believe that daily exercise can lead to the desired result in a minimum amount of time. But the characteristics of the pectoral muscles are such that during active work, the muscles receive multiple microtraumas and after each exercise time is needed for their complete recovery. Therefore, at the initial stage, the number of training sessions should not exceed two sessions per week.
You should also adhere to a certain dosage in the number of approaches for exercises to develop the chest muscles. Depending on individual physical fitness, their number should be from four to eight approaches per workout. For those who are just starting to exercise, the best option would be one or two exercises of two or three approaches. And remember, excessive overload of the pectoral muscles does not give good results. To achieve the desired result, create a training program and try to stick to it on a regular basis.
Setting goals
Bodybuilding is an activity that requires special patience and systematization. If a beginner decides to pump up a massive torso in the shortest possible time, after a month he will be disappointed. After all, it happens quickly and easily only in fairy tales. There are no secret schemes like “the best chest exercises at home - get pumped up in three days.” Since they all work well in their own way, but will not bring visible results in an unrealistically short time.
Also, a lot depends on your body type, genetic predisposition, metabolic rate and the production of your own hormones. Lifestyle also affects the rate of muscle development. But by following simple rules of progression, you can achieve good results.
Exercises for training
The simplest and most universal exercise available to anyone starting to develop their body is simple push-ups. If we take a closer look at the mechanism of the push-up process, we will see that this is a kind of variation of the bench press. In addition, push-ups are an optimal general developmental exercise. When doing push-ups, the muscles of the arms are also involved, which ensures uniform development of the muscles of the upper body. In addition, there is an active effect on the abdominal muscles, which has a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole. The leg muscles are used to a lesser extent, but they also receive a small share of the load.
Like many physical exercises, push-ups have different variations, using which you will load different groups of pectoral muscles.
Presses
The difference between this exercise is the presence of a horizontal bench, barbell or dumbbells. During exercise, tension is relieved from the back.
By changing the inclination of the bench, you can pump the upper or lower pectoral muscles.
This exercise is basic and most popular, as it helps develop the athlete’s figure into a reverse triangle shape.
Pushups
The simplest and most universal exercise available to anyone starting to engage in the process of developing their body is simple push-ups. If we take a closer look at the mechanism of the push-up process, we will see that this is a kind of variation of the bench press. In addition, push-ups are an optimal general development exercise that affects a huge number of muscles. When doing push-ups, the muscles of the arms are involved, which ensures uniform development of the muscles of the upper body. In addition, there is an active effect on the abdominal muscles, which has a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole. The leg muscles are used to a lesser extent, but they also receive a small share of the load.
Like many physical exercises, push-ups have different variations, using which you will load different groups of pectoral muscles.
How to pump your pectoral muscles correctly
Remember, there are only three real reasons why the majority of trainees do not have impressive pecs:
- Firstly , the athlete cannot qualitatively feel the work of muscle fibers when performing a chest exercise. The result is a poor neuromuscular connection; the brain cannot 100% engage the pectoral muscles and cause microtrauma to the muscle fibers.
- Secondly , how can we talk about growth and overcompensation when there is no increase in training weights and the body does not receive stress, which is the main reason for the growth of muscle fibers.
- Thirdly , most athletes incorrectly emphasize the load, always training only certain areas of the pectoral muscles.
Watch a master class on training the pectoral muscles
For the rest of the reasons, just forget, they are not justified and were invented by theorists of glossy magazines to force you to buy another newfangled supplement that will definitely take the development of your muscles to a new level.
Surely you have a question, what about the technical nuances of performing the exercise, because this plays an important role in the development of a certain muscle structure. The answer to this question lies in the first point, which is not in vain in the initial position. Why do you need technique when performing an exercise in order to efficiently load muscle fibers? However, if there is no neuromuscular connection, no technical tricks will make your pectoral muscles grow.
The correct technique is necessary so that the brain can select the optimal range of motion and efficiently contract the training muscle. By using proper technique, you make it easier on your brain and give it the ability to optimally push your muscles to the point of failure. Naturally, the consequence of such an attitude to training is an increase in muscle mass and strength.
Therefore, exercise technique and the ability to correctly contract muscle fibers are concepts that cannot exist separately. What conclusion can we draw from all of the above:
- correct technical skills with poor neuromuscular connection will not help you qualitatively reduce the working muscle group;
- a good neuromuscular connection, even with satisfactory exercise technique, will push your muscles to failure and trigger the mechanism of overcompensation and growth.
Without understanding the points described above, there is simply no point in describing instructions for enlarging the pectoral muscles. Because athletes will apply new recommendations without correcting simple fundamental errors that will not make it possible to increase muscle size.
How to solve the above problems that inhibit the growth of the pectoral muscles of 90% of training athletes?
- All exercises aimed at developing the pectoral muscles should be performed with ideal technique.
- Daily visualization before bed.
You need to conduct daily training of the neuromuscular system. Before going to bed, perform an imaginary exercise without additional weights for 5 minutes. This is necessary to learn how to properly engage muscles. At the same time, the effect is stunning; your brain will learn to highly effectively contract the muscle group at the time of the exercise.
Lack of progression in training loads!
There is a well-known and undeniable axiom of iron sports; in order to start the growth mechanism, it is necessary to systematically increase training weights. This is exactly what 90% of athletes cannot understand and put into practice. The majority make an ambiguous increase in the bench press and then train with this weight throughout the year. Naturally, there can be no talk of growth.
You can ignore all the other rules and still increase muscle mass by adding 1 kilogram per month on the bench press. Believe me, you will grow, even if the technical aspect is bad.
You can change the intensity of training using different methods: increasing the weight of the apparatus, reducing rest between sets, increasing or decreasing the number of approaches and repetitions. But until you bench press 140–150 kilograms, the main anabolic steroid for you is considered to be cyclical weight gain.
Narrow push-ups
One such option is narrow push-ups. The difference between narrow push-ups and regular push-ups is the width of your arms. In the case of narrow push-ups, the hands are placed so that the fingers of both hands are facing inward and touching each other. When lowering, you need to touch your chest with your hands and maintain a second pause in this position. When performing this exercise, you should pay special attention to the straight position of your back. The movements during push-ups are smooth without jerking, breathing is uniform, without delays.
Is it possible to pump up your chest with push-ups?
You don't have to go to the gym to pump up massive breasts. To do this, you can use an exercise such as push-ups. The beauty of it is that the man’s own weight is used, and if you select the correct push-up pattern for chest muscle growth, progress will not be long in coming.
Push-ups are a great way to remove fat from the chest muscles of a man, as performing this exercise at high intensity leads to an increase in lean muscle mass. Under the load of his own weight, the athlete receives the most optimal weight, due to which fat burns vigorously and quickly.
Push-ups are quite versatile: by adjusting the angle and height of the leg lift, you can work on different parts of the muscle bundles. If you want to pump up the upper and middle of the pectoral muscles, the exercise is also suitable. The higher the legs and the narrower the position of the arms, the greater the load on the upper bundle and the middle section of the pectoral muscle.
Exercises for pumping up the lower part of the pectoral muscles are distinguished by the fact that the angle of inclination shifts and the body rises upward. As a rule, push-ups for this part of the muscle are performed from an elevation or additional support.
For those who seriously want to pump up the middle of the pectoral muscles, like Iron Arnie, push-ups with extremely narrow hand placement will be useful. The main thing in this exercise is not to press your elbows to your torso, since the load from the middle of your chest will shift to the triceps.
Since push-ups are a compound compound exercise, they involve many different muscle groups. But to complete the main task, namely working out the chest, you need to take into account the technical aspects of the training.
The starting position in classic push-ups does not require detailed analysis. The process of doing the exercises is familiar to everyone. But many do not know that the elbows should not be pressed to the body, but placed as wide as possible to the sides. Otherwise, the load will be distributed between the back muscles and triceps. The chest will account for about 15% of the total load.
If we take into account all the technical features of the training, then push-ups can easily be called the best exercises for the pectoral muscles for men at home.
An important fact is that push-ups will not provide the opportunity to build up huge layers of pectoral muscles, since the human body gets used to absolutely any type of load. To progress, you need to constantly increase the load, which is almost impossible to do with push-ups. But they can prepare a beginner for higher levels of weight, and the result will be, although not as pronounced as with training with iron.
Push-ups on stools
The next push-up option is push-ups on stools. Two stools are placed shoulder-width apart, and a sofa or chair is used as a footrest. Starting position is the same as for a regular push-up. The main difference is that in this variation of push-ups the depth of lowering the body increases. Also in this exercise it is possible to work with weights, for example, you can use a backpack with books as an additional load.
Training program
If you have recently started your exercises, then the following complex is suitable for better breast development
- 1) Incline barbell press (head up) – 2 warm-up sets, 4 working sets of 6 – 12 reps
- 2) Incline dumbbell press (head up) – 1 warm-up set, 4 working sets of 6 – 12 reps
- 3) Dumbbell flyes at different angles - 3-4 working sets of 10 - 15 repetitions
If you already have breast mass, but some stagnation has occurred, then the following training option is suitable
Chest Workout - Option 2
- 1) Incline dumbbell press (head up) – 2 warm-up sets, 4 working sets of 6 – 12 reps
- 2) Dips – 1 warm-up set, 4 working sets of 6 – 12 reps
- 3) Dumbbell flyes on an inclined bench (head up) – 1 warm-up, 3-4 working reps of 10 – 15 reps
- 4) Crossover on a block – 3-4 sets of 10 – 15 repetitions
Bend push-up
The point of this exercise is to keep your legs higher than your head. You need to put your feet on some kind of elevation and do regular push-ups. This exercise will involve the upper chest, as well as the main muscle groups of the arms. When performing this exercise, you should pay attention to the correct placement of your elbows. If possible, try to move them apart to provide maximum load to the chest muscles.
Working on the lower pectoral muscles
The training program on the horizontal bar to properly pump up the chest muscles of a man is quite simple, but at the same time effective. It is enough to do pull-ups 2-3 times a week in different positions.
There are “Australian pull-ups” that perfectly develop not only the back, but also the lower chest. To perform this exercise, you need a horizontal bar no more than 1 meter high. Pull-ups are performed reclining. The body forms one straight line with the legs; grips can be different.
The “pullover” exercise will help pump up the lower pectoral muscles with dumbbells. It is mainly done on a lying bench, with dumbbells or a barbell. Starting position – hands with dumbbells in front of your head in a vertical position. As you inhale, you need to bring your arms to a horizontal position behind your head, without bending them at the elbows. Then bring them to their starting position.
Many people ask the question of how to pump up the lower chest in a week with a barbell. In practice, it is impossible to achieve any results in a week. Bodybuilding is an activity for patient and persistent people. He is in no hurry.
Dumbbell floor press
Having regular dumbbells will allow you to significantly diversify your training program. The most universal exercise is the following: take the starting position lying on your back, bend your legs at the knees, and stretch your arms with dumbbells up. Then, as you inhale, slowly lower your arms until your elbows touch the floor. Try not to rush, perform this exercise at a smooth, even pace. A regular folding athletic bench, which you can buy at any sports store, can significantly diversify such exercises with dumbbells.
Remember that nothing is impossible. With a certain amount of desire, even at home you can achieve excellent results. Find for yourself an additional incentive for regular exercise, allocate free time, and the results you will receive will pleasantly please you.
The best chest exercises for home
When it comes to training at home, the thought immediately comes to mind that there are not so many exercises for a certain muscle group. Don’t despair, if you have a few simple devices you can significantly diversify your home workout, and even a beginner will have no problems pumping up his chest at home.
Pushups
Push-ups are one of the most popular exercises for pumping up the pectoral muscle.
Starting position – lying down, the body from head to heels should form a straight line. As you inhale, you need to lower your body to the floor, bending your arms at the elbow joints, and as you exhale, return to the starting position. There is no need to press your elbows to your body.
Dips
Pumping up your chest at home on the uneven bars is quite possible.
The athlete's body should be suspended, with the arms acting as a support. For maximum load on the pectoral muscles, you need to move your body forward.
On inhalation - descent, on exhalation - return to the starting position. Elbows bend to the sides. It is important to prevent swinging, as in a pendulum mechanism.
Pull-up on the horizontal bar
Exercises on the horizontal bar are also good for pumping up your torso and pectoral muscles. The horizontal bar engages the lower part of the chest, giving it relief.
The technique is quite simple. The athlete is hanging, the grip of the hands is slightly wider than shoulder width. As you exhale, you need to pull your body towards the bar so that your chest touches it. While inhaling, return to the starting position.
Dumbbell Bench Press
How to pump up your chest with dumbbells at home? Very simple - you will need a bench for this. Starting position – lying on a bench. The arms, bent at the elbow joints, form a right angle and are placed to the side. As you exhale, you need to squeeze the dumbbells up, and as you inhale, return to the starting position.
It is better to take dumbbells to the starting position from a sitting position. The dumbbells are placed with their ends on the top of the thigh, then, without leaving the sitting position, you should lean back with your whole body. The lying position should resemble the position in which the person is sitting. This is done in order to remove the arch in the back and give maximum load to the chest.
Dumbbell flyes in a lying position
When reaching the starting position, it resembles a dumbbell bench press. Except that you don’t need to press them, but spread your arms to the sides. Slightly bent elbow joints are lowered to the line of the body, then the arms are brought together.
Women who are looking for an answer to the question of how to quickly pump up their pectoral muscles at home should know that exercises with dumbbells will help tone their breasts. Of course, the weight of the shells will differ significantly from the loads for men.
