Top 10 Cheast Exercise to Increase Strength

1 – Pushups – Modified Pushups

One of the most common chest exercises is pushing. The push is a great way to work your chest without the equipment. It is also a favorite because it is a composite movement that involves many muscles and joints. That means it not only works the chest, it also includes the arm, shoulders, core and legs. This modified version, on the knees, gives the back and upper body extra support. If you are a beginner or do not have as much strength in your upper body, then this is a good way to start.

• Start all fours with your hands a little wider than your shoulders.
• Return the knee to lean your weight on your hands and move back from the head down to the back of the knee.
• Pull your stomach in and continue straight, bending your elbows and lower body toward the floor until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.
• Push back up and repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 16 reps.

Tips

• Do not carry with your chin. Hold your head down so that your neck is in line with your whole body through movement.
• Avoid fastening back to the air for easy exercise.

2 – Pushups on the ball

The exercise ball can add different elements to traditional pushups, making them easier or harder, depending on where you place it. This version is shown with the legs supported on the ball, which is a more detailed push. You can facilitate this movement by moving the ball up (so that the skins or thighs are resting on the ball).

• Kneel on the floor with the ball in front of you and roll forward on it, walking your hands out where you can comfortably support your body with your abdomen, shoulders pulled down and your body in a straight line.
• Place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and check that you are not hit in the middle. If you are, try rolling a little back for more support.
• Point your elbows and lower until your elbows are at approx. 90 degrees.
• Press again to start and repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 16 reps.

Tips

• Do not carry with your chin. Hold your head down so that your neck is in line with your whole body through movement.
• Divide the ball as needed to give you more support. Holding the ball under the hips or upper thighs will provide the most support to the body.
• Keep your body in a straight line. Do not cut in the middle, and do not let the shoulder blades rise. Your upper back should be flat.
• To change, try this movement on your knees or toes.

3 – Pushups

To work the chest muscles as well as the arms and core, there is nothing like a good old-fashioned pushup. This traditional version is a great way to work your upper body without equipment.

• Get down on your hands and knees, place your hands a little wider than your shoulders.
• Press your knees so that you are resting on your hands and toes. Hold your chest in and make sure your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
• Point your elbows and lower in push until your elbows are at about 90 degrees.
• Press again to start and repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 16 reps.

Tips

• Do not carry with your chin. Hold your head down so that your neck is in line with your whole body through movement.
• Avoid sawing in the middle. If so, lower one or both knees to the floor to increase support. Strengthening the core can help provide more stability.
• To change, try this movement on your knee.

4 – Jump with a medicine ball

The good thing about push, besides all the muscles they work on, is that there are so many variations that you can always find a version that works for you. This exercise is great for the upper body, but it is also great for the core. Raising one hand on a medicine ball adds a new challenge and rolling the ball from hand to hand moves the abs and adds a variable element that you often do not get with traditional pushups.

• Get in the position of kneeling (easier) or toes (harder). Make sure your body is in a straight line with your stomach and back straight.
• Place one hand on the medicine ball and hold the other on the floor. Get your balance and lower in push.
• Push back up and roll the ball across the floor on the other hand and lower into the push.
• Keep rolling the ball back and forth for each push for 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 16 reps.

Tips

• You can often find soft medicine balls that make this movement a little easier.
• Keep your body in line. By lifting one hand you can not have the same movement, so slightly lower as far as you can easily.
• Keep your body in a straight line. Do not cut in the middle, and do not let the shoulder blades rise. Your upper back should be flat.

5 – Barbecue Bench Press

The short class is another great standard move for large chest muscles. The shoulders and triceps are also involved in this exercise, making this a mixed movement. Variation, try this on a tilt, aiming at the upper part of the breast.

• Lie down on a bench, step or floor. Start with a Barbecue hovering just above the chest, elbows bent. Place your hands on the bar a little wider than your shoulders.
• Accept the chest and push the weight directly up in front of the chest without locking the elbows up.
• Bend your elbows and lower your weight until your elbows are just below your chest.
• Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 16 reps.

Tips

• Hold your stomach through exercise to protect your back.
• Keep your movement slow and controlled – do not try to use momentum.

6 – Dumbbell Chest short

Doing chest presses with weights instead of Barbell can add different elements to your chest exercises, as both arms now need to work independently from each other. This is great for working both sides of the body and the dumbbell chest makes a great addition to a barbell workout.

• Lie down on a bench or step and start with dumbbells in each hand straight up on your chest, palms facing out.
• Point at the elbows and lower the arms until the elbows are just below the chest (the arms should look like the target post).
• Push the weight back up without locking your elbows and bringing them together.
• Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 16 reps.

Tips

• Hold your stomach through exercise to protect your back.
• Keep your movement slow and controlled and do not try to use momentum.

7 – Chest pressure with resistance

Using an immune band is a great way to target the chest in a different way and change things up when normal exercises get a little bad. The band can actually make this exercise more difficult but you always have control over your tension levels by moving closer or further from the center of the band.

• Rotate the band around something constantly behind you and hold the handles in both hands so that the bands run along the inner arms.
• Stand far enough away (either sitting or standing) so that you have tension in the bands.
• Begin the movement with your arms bent, palms facing down.
• Squeeze your chest and push your arms out in front of you and keep the band steady. Do not lock your elbows.
• Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 16 reps.

Tips

• Do not let your elbows go too far back when you bring your arms in. This could be on your shoulders and you want to keep all the pain in your chest.
• Keep your movement slow and controlled – do not try to use momentum.
• Adjust your position or loop the bands around your hands if you need more tension.

8 – Breast flight with weights

The chest flight is another way to work the main muscles of the chest with an emphasis on the outer part of the chest. Flies make a good addition to both chest pressure and push that they move are compounded; the fly is an isolation movement. You will probably need to use a lighter weight for flies and you should take care to lower your arms to avoid injuring your shoulders or losing control of the weights.

• Lie on the floor, bench or step. Hold dumbbells over your chest with your palms to the side.
• Keeping your elbows slightly bent, bring your arms out to the side and down so that they are in your chest.
• Keep your elbows in a firm position and avoid lowering your weight too low.
• Squeeze your chest to bring your weapons back up like you are a tree.
• Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 16 reps.

Tips

• Do this exercise on the ball to add to the balance challenge.

9 – Chest pressure with medicine ball

Chest pressure is a subtle movement and more of an ischemic exercise that works in the chest and shoulder muscles. While this is not the strongest exercise, it is a great way to warm up your chest before any other exercise. Or you can add this exercise at the end of your chest workout to get a little increased muscle fatigue.

• Place directly on the ball or chair, bend immediately and bend inwards.
• Hold the medicine ball at the chest level and squeeze the ball to complete the chest.
• As you continue to squeeze the ball, gently bend your arms and take the ball straight out in front of you until your arms are straight.
• Maintain a constant pressure on the ball through movement.
• Return the ball to the chest and repeat for 1-3 sets of 10-16 reps.

10 – Chest pressure with weights – alternating

This interesting variant of a traditional dumbbell chest is more challenging than it looks, especially if you do it on a training ball. By replacing your arm, you add new power on the go as you have to engage the core to keep your body stable. When you make this version, you may need to go lighter on the plot. You may also want to try it on a bench or floor before going to a workout.

• Lie down on a bench, step, ball or floor. Start with dumbbells in each hand straight up to the chest, palms facing out.
• Hold your left arm while bending your right elbow and lower your arm until it is on or just below your chest (your arm should look like a target post).
• Push the arm back up without locking the elbow and then immediately grasp the left arm by holding the right arm in place.
• Continue to alternate sides, grabbing the shoulder to keep the torso from moving.
• Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 16 reps on each arm leg.

Tips

• Hold your stomach through exercise to protect your back.
• Keep your movement slow and controlled – do not try to use momentum.