Exercises that help you make your chest muscles defined will not only make you look better, but lower your risk of heart disease as well. Besides your physical looks and health, exercising will also improve your mood and self-esteem. So let's get onto some of the best exercises to firm up your chest and replace the unwanted fat with muscle.
Maybe the most traditional exercise for the chest, barbell bench press requires you to lay on the bench with your feet placed firmly on the ground. The bar should be positioned above your chin, while your back as well as bottom should be pressed onto the bench.
Once you've positioned the bench properly and laid onto it, reach the barbell with your palms forward. Your thumbs should be wrapped around the bar in order to achieve stability and your wrists should be straight and tight to avoid injury.
Now it is time to lower the bar to your chest, while flaring your elbows slightly outwards. While doing this, make sure you inhale, and when you push the bar back up-exhale.
Do this exercise 8-10 times in each of the four sets. If you're a total beginner, start with lighter weights until you're sure you're doing the exercise properly, and do 3 sets until your strength builds up.
For this exercise you won't have to go to the gym- you can do it at home or anywhere outside. Moreover, you won't use any weight but the weight of your body. It may be difficult to do more repetitions at first, but you will become stronger in time, and this exercise will become easier.
Start the exercise by lying on the ground with your hands besides your armpits. Then push yourself up while bending your elbows slightly with only your does and palms on the ground. Keep your abdominal muscles tight during the entire exercise. Slowly return close to the ground (don't touch it with your chest) and then go back again. Do as many repetitions as you can.
This exercise is excellent for building the strength and muscle of your chest, but shoulders, back and core muscles as well.
Take a medicine ball and while holding it in your hands, raise it above your head. During this exercise, your feet should be at the width of your hips, while your knees should be bent only slightly in order to provide better support for your body. This exercise is called 'Medicine ball slams' because the next step, after raising the ball above your head, is slamming it onto the floor with all your strength. The harder you slam it, the more your chest muscles will be engaged. Pick the ball up and do twenty repetitions in each of the three sets.
Besides making your chest tighter, this exercise will also work on your shoulders and arms, as well as your leg muscles. It may seem like an easy thing to do, but you will feel as if you ran 5 miles after completing all the sets.
Although it may seem similar to bench press, this exercise only uses one and not two joints, which may make it easier for you, or more difficult for your muscles.
You will start this exercise lying on the bench with your arms above your chest and your arms straight. Your elbows should be just a little bent, while your knuckles should be faced sideways. After you've placed yourself into the right position, open your arms and lower them until your shoulders are parallel to the ground. Stay in this position for a couple of seconds and then slowly return to the starting position.
This exercise will help you tighten your chest as well as shoulder and bicep muscles. Do 8-10 repetitions in not less than three and not more than four sets.