By Dan Watt, Level 2 Ace Personal Trainer
and Author: caedar-writing-artwork.com
CHEST SHAPING ROUTINE
When I was younger and stronger I somehow got into a conversation with a female client about chest size. I was trying to get this client to push her chest out so the pec major muscles would trigger. She said her chest was big enough. To get her to engage her chest muscles (shoulders back and down) I decided to challenge her. I told her my chest was bigger and asked a member to be the judge. He said mine was bigger. If you’re a trainer think of a better way to get your clients to engage the pec muscles because my method didn’t turn out positively.
The pec (pectoralis) major is our focus here. The pec major has three different fibre directions and attaches to the clavicle, sternum, and upper-mid area of the humerus. For chest shaping try exercising each fibre direction.
Let’s call the clavicle attachment (upper pec): incline chest presses, or hands turned 45-degrees in so the knuckles of thumb are closer together than the pinkies; sternum attachment (mid pec): lying flat chest presses with hands in neutral position with thumb knuckles parallel to each other; humerus attachment (lower pec): decline chest presses, or hands at 45-degrees so pinkies are closer to each other than thumb knuckles.
You push inward until your chest is fully contracted. If you press straight out there will be minimal contraction and if you hyperextend your arms your pec muscles will disengage and your front deltoids and triceps will take over.
Here’s some optional routines (1-3 sets of each exercise for 12-8 reps 8 being the last set).
Warm-up First! (cardio machine, walking/jogging, opposite arm/leg swing)
Incline Chest Press
Flat Bench Chest Press
Flat Bench Chest Press
OR
Push-ups with hands turned 45-degrees so thumb knuckles closest (Upper pec)
Push-ups with hand turned 45-degrees so pinkies are closest (Lower pec)
Push-ups with hands on the floor or holding a dumbbell
Push-ups with hands in neutral position (if hands on the floor thumbs should be parallel to each other) if using DB’s you can have thumbs parallel or palms parallel to each other.
Don’t forget to stretch!
NWHealthFitness 