Exercise is a very important part of life and it is up to you to exercise your body daily so that you do not suffer from any problems in the long run. Our body is like a machine, when you are active the body will work properly, but if you let yourself go, problems will start to arise in the long run pertaining to your heart, stamina, bones and so on. To avoid any of these problems, it is necessary to take the time out at least thrice a week to fully give your body a thorough workout, exercising every sinew of your body so that you remain healthy and strong for a long period of time. Along with exercises, you must also eat healthy so that the food and exercise complement one another perfectly.
Given below are a few great upper chest exercises for a healthy upper body:
1. Push Ups:
Push ups are the most important exercises that you need to do to help increase the clarity of your chest muscles. Wide arm and short arm push are a very necessary simultaneous exercise which must be carried out so that you can have a very strong upper chest and iron pectoral muscles.
Here’s how to do it:
- Lie down with your stomach touching the floor. Touch the floor with your palms facing the ground maintaining the chest height
- Press your hands on the floor and contract your abdominal muscles to lift your body
- Hold the position until your arms are straight and slowly go back to the original position
2. Butterfly With Dumbbells Standing Up:
Another great exercise for your chest, the butterfly with dumbbells is the perfect way to create a sense of tension on your chest muscles so that they can slowly grow and improve over time. A set of three into 10 is recommended for beginners with weights of your choice. You can slowly increase the amount of sets over time once you start getting used to the exercise. This is one of the best upper chest exercises with dumbbells.
To do this:
- Lie on a plank with your shoulders wide apart
- Move both the dumbbells towards the ground
- Move them apart and repeat this for 3 sets
3. Sit Ups:
Many people think that sit ups only put pressure on the abs thus working on the abs entirely but this is a wrong conception. Sit ups also work the upper chest and pectoral muscles because you use the back and the chest to sit up. It is a great way to join two exercises in one to get the best results.
- Lie down on the floor against your back with your arms pressed on your head
- Slowly raise the upper part of your body with your legs folded
- Hold on for a few seconds and go back to the original posture
See More: Gym Exercise For Biceps
4. Barbell Inclined:
The barbell is a perfect way to work on your upper chest muscles and is even better when the barbell is placed on an inclined board on which you need to lie down. The inclined barbell puts pressure on your upper chest forming very prominent muscles over time.
- Load the barbell to suit your weight and lie on the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
- Arch your back and retract your shoulder blades
- Take a grip and slowly lift the barbell above your chest with your arms extended.
- Lower the bar and do not bounce it off the chest. Maintain the position and repeat.
5. Inclined Barbell Wide:
To further work on the upper chest after you have considerably achieved a good amount of muscle already, move onto the wide barbell inclined which requires you to increase or widen the grip on the barbell which puts considerable pressure on your chest and arms. To further increase the weight on your chest, do a complete set to achieve the best results.
- Lean on an incline bench and place your feet flat on the ground. Arch your back slightly for better posture.
- Raise the bar off the rack and lift it slowly and hold it for a second
- Slowly start down the weight to touch the upper chest muscles. Bring it back to the start position again.
6. Arched Back Pull Up:
The arched back pull up is a very complete exercise that requires the arm and chest muscles to complete successfully. Do a complete set to apply a strain on your upper chest muscles. This is a fully coordinated exercise that is made especially for your arms and upper chest.
- On a pull up bar, fix a V handle and hang from it.
- Arch your back completely and pull up your body so that your chest meets your hands and your torso is parallel to the ground.
See More: Exercise For Increasing Breast Size
7. Wide Grip Upright Row:
This is a two in one exercise that targets the muscles on your upper back and upper chest. You require quite strong leg muscles to do this exercise as well so it is necessary that you work on all parts of your body as well as your upper chest. The weights can be of your choice but be careful, this is an exercise for experienced body builders, so make sure you understand the method before doing anything.
Here’s how to do the exercise:
- Load a barbell with a suitable weight and stand
- Hold the barbell with your palms parallel to the ground and hands and shoulder wide apart
- Pick up the bar and bending your knees while keeping your back straight
- With a straight back and eyes face forward, lift the bar up keeping it as close to body as possible
- Pause and slowly lower the bar back to its original position
8. Bench Press:
The bench press works wonders on the lower and upper chest as well as your arms making it a suitable upper chest exercise.
- Life back on a flat bench. Using a medium width grip, lift the bar and hold it with straight over you
- Breathe in and move slowly until the bar touches your middle chest
- Push the bar back to the original position and breathe out.
9. Alternating Shuffle Pushup:
This pushup offers all the benefits of the regular pushup along with the added benefits of balance and coordination training. It focuses on the power, your quick movements throughout the workout and most importantly, it helps maintain proper form.
- Lie down in the traditional push up position and do a standard pushup
- When you are in the push up position, lift your left hand to release it. Alternatively, release your right hand during the next pushup
10. Incline Dumbbell Press:
This workout develops muscles mass and increases the strength of your pectoral muscles and front deltoids. The main benefit in doing this incline press is the development of the upper chest. Incline presses are an auxiliary to any bench press workout. This is one of the first exercises in chest training. Most fitness experts recommend incline dumbbell presses for bodybuilding preparation.
- Pick your dumbells, choose a bench that is inclined in nature. Now, grab a dumbbell in each of your hands and gently rest your back on the inclined bench with your arms towards the ground.
- Now as you focus the pressure on your thighs, breathe in and carefully lift the arms with dumbbells one after the other. When both the hands are up, make sure they are at a distance equal to the width of your shoulder at chest level.
- Once you are comfortable with the position, face your wrists outwards.
- Breathe out and carefully raise the dumbbells up in the air while you focus the pressure on your chest.
- Once your arms loaded with dumbbells are up in the air, hold in position for a moment and gently bring your arms down. Do it carefully so you don’t end up hurting yourself.
11. Close-Grip Bench Press:
To perform Close Grip Bench Press exercise, you need to :
- For this exercise, you will need a flat bench. Grab a close grip bar which should ideally be as wide as your shoulder. First breathe in and then breathe out as you hold the grip bar and carefully lift it upright over you and hold for a moment.
- Gently bring the bar down to your middle chest level as you breathe in.
- Now gently breathe out as you take the bar to the initial start position. Now repeat!
See More: Hamstring Exercises For Men
12. Dips for Chest:
This is the most recommended exercise for upper chest development and here’s how to do it:
- Watch the bars placed at equal distance. Breathe in as you hold the parallelly placed bars and breathe out as you lift yourself up into the air in such a way that your arms get into the shape of a right angled triangle.
- Gently breathe in and bring your body down and feel a pull in the chest.
- Use your chest to bring back the body as you breath out.
These are some of the exercises to work upper chest. You can now speed up your upper chest development with the workouts we have handpicked for you. Fitness experts recommend pre-workout cocktails before a workout session as it helps your focus and intensify your workout. Ensure your get enough sleep and you eat well to complement your workout routine.
Follow these tips and exercises, you’ll be on your way to building a fuller and stronger chest starting from your next workout session. Good luck!
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