The chest or the pectoralis, also called pecs, is one of the major muscle groups people train at the gym. Along with the upper and middle pecs, the lower pecs contribute to the definition and overall appearance of the chest; thus, giving a more aesthetic appearance. In line with defining the lower pecs, the following are the exercises a person can do.
Bodyweight Hanging Dips
According to Healthline, the chest dip is one of the powerful exercises that provides definition to the chest. As per the publication, the person holds himself up between two bars that are mildly wider than hip-width apart. The arms are straight, but not locked out, and the feet are off the floor. Then, the person lowers himself down by bending the elbows and stopping at a 90-degree angle in the elbows while keeping his core tight. After that, he presses down through his hands and raises his body to the starting position, The exercise is done two to three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions using a three- second rise and fall pattern.
Decline Dumbbell Press
The decline dumbbellpress is one of the top exercises for the lower pecs, according to Sean Nalewanyj. As per his webpage, Nalewanyj mentioned that the use of dumbbells boost pec activation, since it provides a wider range of motion. In addition, using dumbbells, instead of dumbbells, allows a person to prevent imbalances in strength and size. Moreover, using dumbbells provide more natural arching movement, which also prevents shoulder injuries.
To perform the exercise, the person secures his legs at the end of the decline bench and lies down with a dumbbell on each hand on top of his thighs. Then, the palms of his hands should face each other. Next, the person moves the dumbbells in front of him at shoulder width and then rotates his wrists forward so the palms of the hands are facing away from him. Then, he gradually lowers the weights to his side, making should that he keeps full control of the dumbbells and his forearms should be perpendicular to the floor. After that, the dumbbells are pushed up using the chest muscles and the arms are locked in the concentrated position. Then, the person holds the contracted position briefly before going down again.
Decline Cable Press
According to Nalaywanyj, the decline cable press serves as an isolated fly exercise that can train the chest using a different movement pattern. While the decline dumbbell fly can be an alternative for this process, Naleywany suggests the decline cable press as more effective, as it maintains the tension in the pecs throughout the duration of the exercise.
Naleywanjy added that standing in between a cable stand serves as the most practical way to perform the decline cable fly and the main principle is to ensure that the cables are positioned high up on the machine and they are pressed downward from a high to low angle. The rationale behind is that the said angle will line up the resistance with the path that the lower pec fibers traverse in order to boost their activation during the lift.
In terms of position, the one should be forward to keep the body stable while a slight bend in the elbows is maintained for tension. Also, the cables are pressed in a downward fly motion, which is comparable to wrapping the arms around a large column or hugging a tree.
Overall, the lower pecs contribute to the overall aesthetics of the chest, in terms of mass and shape. Along with regular exercise, the lower chest also develops its strength and definition through proper nutrition and adequate rest.
