Beginners Tips for Chest Exercises

There are a lot of ways to approach chest exercises, and if you frequent the gym you'll likely find instruction and equipment to perform a number of routines.  One of the best approaches to strength training of any kind - especially chest exercises - is through free weights or dumbbells.

You can change the muscle focus and feel of different chest exercises depending on the angle of your bench.  Most should be performed on a flat bench because it puts emphasis on the muscle fibers of the chest, particularly the center.  If you incline the bench, you shift the focus of the chest exercises to your upper chest and shoulders where they work against the pull of gravity.  Move to a decline position and you'll be focusing the work on the lower muscle fibers of the pecs and chest.

Because free weights can be awkward for beginners, they often choose to go with fly machines and other equipment like the pec deck.  In this type of equipment, you sit with your arms apart, bent, and placed on pads.  You use your chest and shoulders to pull the pads together, much like clapping in slow motion.

The problem with these machines is they put a great deal of tension on the shoulder joint and rotator cuff which can lead to the potential for injury.  The focus of chest exercises is on efficient lean muscle gain and strength training - not on injury.  If you injure the soft tissue and joints in your body, you could set yourself back weeks in your workout program.

Which Chest Exercises Are the Best?

The best chest exercises for a beginner is going to boil down to personal preference and what feels right.  Expert trainers might try to steer you into specific chest exercises, but you need to do what feels right for your body without straining your small muscle groups.

• Free weights work best when you're fresh and ready to go, and the muscles aren't sore.  They require more focus and balance, strength and control.
• For benches, focus on flat bench or inclines.  Vary your exercises to keep your muscled confused.   

This makes it harder for muscles to adapt.

Other Tips for Chest Exercises

It's extremely easy to injure yourself or overdo it when you're doing any kind of work out, chest exercises included.  Use these tips to keep you safe and avoid muscle injury.

Don't Local Elbows - Don't straighten your arms to the point that your elbows snap.  This puts too much pressure on your joints and takes the work off of your muscles.  It can lead to tendonitis and inflammation of the joints. 

No Back Arching - In an effort to get more weight up, some people arch their backs so much that you can pass a small animal beneath them.  This isn't healthy for your back, and doesn't contribute to the chest exercise.  You're using your back after all and not your chest.

Don't Lift Your Shoulders - If you pull your shoulders off the bench or backrest during chest exercises, you'll put too much weight on your shoulders.  There won't be any support from the bunch and you could severely injure your shoulder joint.

If you're struggling with form during chest exercises and you're not sure how much weight is right for you, talk to a trainer and have someone spot you.  The last thing you want is to get stuck under a loaded weight bar, or injure yourself from poor form.