Along a massive back, broad shoulders, huge arms and legs, and chiseled abs, a defined chest is one of the goals of weightlifters at the gym. Aside from the perception that it gives them a higher sense of masculinity, it also boosts a man’s overall physique. In line with this, the following routines contribute to a massive and defined chest.
Incline Dumbbell Press
The incline dumbbell press is one of the top choices of bodybuilders when it comes to defining the chest muscles. Aside from the chest, the compound pushing exercise also targets the shoulders and the triceps, according to Body Building.
To execute the exercise, the person lies back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand atop the thighs. A good practice is to make the palms of the hands face each other. Then, the person uses his thighs to help push the dumbbells up; the dumbbells are lifted one at a time for the person to hold them at shoulder width. Once the dumbbells are at shoulder width, the person rotates his wrists forward so the palms of his hands are facing against him. Then, he exhales as he pushes the dumbbells up with the chest. At the top of the execution, the person locks his arms and holds for a second, before he gradually lowers the weight. A good practice is to lower the weight as twice as long as lifting them up. The movement is done for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Chest Dips
The chest dip is another workout for chest definition. According to Ex Rx, it targets the pectoralis major muscle, along with the anterior deltoid, triceps brachii, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, and trapezius, among others.
To perform the exercise, the person mounts wide dip bar with an oblique grip, which is bar diagonal under the palm. The arms should be straight with the shoulders above the hands and the knees and hips should be slightly bent. Once ready, the person lowers his body by bending his arms, allowing the elbows to flare out to the sides. Once he feels slight stretch in the chest or shoulders, he pushes his body up until the arms are straight.
Doing the chest dips improperly puts stress on the shoulder complex and may result to injury; thus, the person may ask help from a training partner or use a machine.
Cable Cross Overs
Also known as standing cable crossovers, the cable crossover is an isolation pushing exercise that mainly targets the chest and engages the shoulders. Using the tension coming from cables, the exercise is capable of boosting the chest definition.
According to Body Building, the person places the pulleys on a high position, which is above the head. Then, he chooses the resistance to be used and holds the pulleys in each hand. After that, the person steps forward in front of an imaginary straight line between the pulleys while pulling his arms together in front of him. For the starting position, the person’s torso makes a small bend from the waist. Once ready, the person extends his arms to the side in a wide arc until he feels a stretch on his chest. A good practice is to have a slight bend on the elbows in order to prevent stress and injury at the biceps tendon. Also, the arms and torso should be kept stationary and the movement should only take place at the shoulder joint. Then, the person brings back his arms back to the starting position as he exhales. The same movement arc should be used in lowering the weights.
Overall, massive and defined chest muscles are part of the body’s aesthetic presentation. Along with constant exercise, it is best achieved through proper nutrition and adequate sleep.
