CHEST AT HOME
WHETHER YOU ALWAYS WORK OUT
at home, or you have an adjustable bench,
a barbell and dumbbells at home for days
you don’t feel like trekking to the gym,
we offer you effective workouts with
minimal equipment.
>> Don’t do the incline barbell press at
home unless you have a spotter; if you’re
by yourself, replace this with dumbbell
incline presses, which are just as effective.
>> If your bench doesn’t decline, try
putting a 45-pound plate under one end
of the bench (don’t stack plates more
than one high, for safety reasons).
| EXERCISE |
SETS |
REPS |
| Incline Barbell Press* |
4 |
15, 12, 10, 8 |
| Incline DB Flye** |
3 |
8, 10, 12 |
| One-Arm DB
Flat-Bench Press** |
2 |
8, 10 |
| Decline-Bench
DB Flye** |
3 |
10, 12, 15 |
| * Pyramid up the weight each set.
** For these exercises, start with the heaviest weight you
can, and drop the weight on each successive set. |
Whether
barbell or
dumbbell,
incline
presses
target the
often-lagging
upper pec
region.
 |
INCLINE
BARBELL
PRESS
START: Lie on an incline bench and
grasp the racked barbell with a
moderate-width grip, palms facing
the ceiling. Lift the bar off the rack
and raise it until your arms are fully
extended.
MOVE: Bend your elbows to lower
the bar to just below your neck; at
the bottom, your elbows should be
out and away from your body but
slightly in front of your shoulders.
Contract your chest muscles and
extend your elbows to press the
bar up until your elb |
| INCLINE
DUMBBELL FLYE
START: Set an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
Grasp a pair of dumbbells and sit on the bench so
that your back is flush against the pad. To start,
raise the weights directly over the centre of your
upper chest so that your arms are nearly straight,
palms face each other and the dumbbells touch.
MOVE: Keep your elbows bent slightly throughout
and begin lowering the dumbbells out and down to
your sides in an arc. When your upper arms are in
roughly the same horizontal plane as your torso,
your palms should face the ceiling. Retrace the same
path to raise the weights, squeezing them |
 |
 |
ONE-ARM DUMBBELL FLAT-BENCH PRESS
START: Grasp a dumbbell and lie face up on a flat bench. Extend your arm to lift the weight directly above your chest.
MOVE: Bend your elbow to lower the dumbbell to a point just outside of but in the same horizontal plane as your
chest. Your elbow should be out to your side and slightly in front of your shoulder joint. Press the weight back up
and in by simultaneously squeezing your pec and fully extending your arm. Finish your reps and repeat with your
other arm. |
| DECLINE-BENCH
DUMBBELL FLYE
START: Lie on a decline bench holding a
dumbbell in each hand. To start, raise the
weights directly above the lower half of
your chest so that your arms are nearly
straight, your palms face each other and
the dumbbells touch.
MOVE: Keep your elbows bent slightly
throughout and begin lowering the
dumbbells out and down to your sides in
an arc. When your upper arms are in
roughly the same horizontal plane as your
torso, your palms should face the ceiling.
Raise the weights back up in an arc,
retracing the path of descent. Squeeze
the weights up and together by forcefully
contracting your chest muscles. |
 |
|
