Many people can be found down the gym, lifting weights to exercise the chest muscles. These muscles are particularly important if you are trying to get rid of your man boobs. The chest consists of two main muscles. Lying against the chest wall is the small pectoralis minor muscle and on top of this is the much bigger and stronger pectoralis major muscle. It is this bigger muscle which gives the chest its size and shape.
The chest muscles are one of the largest muscle groups in the body and are considered, by many to be a positive sign of masculinity. The pectoral muscles are important for giving good upper body strength which is also very important in many sporting areas.
Many chest workouts not only focus on the chest wall but also work the triceps muscles at the back of the arms as well as the shoulder muscles. Therefore, doing a chest workout will develop the overall shape and size of the upper body.
Before performing these workouts it is vital to warm up by stretching and doing some light aerobic work. A particularly effective aerobic exercise is rowing on an indoor machine. This will not only stretch those upper body muscles but will also promote the blood flow to the muscles getting them ready for the workouts thereby lowering the risk of injury.
One of the most simple yet effective exercises for the chest is the push up. To start with, lis face down on the floor and place your hands about shoulder width apart. Then, keeping your toes on the ground and body straight, slowly lift yourself up. When you reach the top you can then, again slowly, lower yourself down and then repeat the whole process over again.
At the beginning, if you find this too difficult then you can put your knees on the floor as an alternative to the feet. When lowering yourself back down towards the floor make sure you perform this slowly as it will also exercise the same muscles. As you improve at this workout, moving your hands slightly wider than shoulder width will work more of the chest muscles.
The bench press is a common exercise performed in the gym and is excellent. I would advise to have a partner train with you during this exercise as a safety measure. On the bench you lie flat on your back with a barbel held with both hands at arms length. Then slowly lower the barbel down to the chest and then again slowly, push it back up until the arms are outstretched.
The secret is to not perform any jerky movements or to bounce the weights off the chest. Also keep you back flat against the bench. Three sets of around eight repetitions once to twice a week is optimal and you will soon notice a change in your chest shape.
These are two great exercises to start out with whether you are looking to build up the chest or just get rid of those man boobs.
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