Alright guys listen up!
You can build powerful arms, work your abs, and develop massive thigh muscles, but the
lower pecs are a different story.
Many guys find this area the hardest to fully develop, [it’s impossible…] no matter
how much they train.
But if you know (and regularly do) the 9 exercises of this chest workout, you'll see the results
pretty soon!
1.
Decline Bench Press (no I’d rather not, thank you..)
Position yourself on a decline bench and lock your legs.
Grab a barbell with your hands at approximately shoulder width.
Tighten your arm and chest muscles and bring the barbell up over your chest.
Then slowly lower it back.
Do 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps.
The decline bench press is the movement that targets precisely the lower part of your pectorals.
As a result, your chest becomes wide, round, and defined.
To make this exercise more effective, retract your shoulder blades and control the weight
at all times.
2.
Decline Dumbbell Fly (no I’d rather not, thank you.. we did that joke already… oh)
Sit down on a decline bench, pick up your weights, and put them on your thighs.
Then lie down on the bench and move the dumbbells up into the chest position, with your elbows
slightly bent.
Now, slowly open your arms until your hands are at shoulder level.
Then, just as slowly, bring your arms back into the initial position.
Do 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps each.
This exercise will help you get a good stretch as well as contraction.
Besides developing your lower pecs, the decline dumbbell fly also trains your upper chest,
biceps, and the front of your shoulders.
Just remember to make your movements slow and controlled.
3.
Chest Dips (That’s not like Bean dip, is it?
No.)
To start, hold your body over the bar and lean a bit forward, with your arms locked.
Then, overlap your feet and bend your legs at the knee at a 90-degree angle – it’ll
make you more balanced.
Slowly lower yourself by bending your arms.
Go as deep as you can until you feel some stretch in your chest.
After that, slowly lift yourself back into the initial position by straightening your
arms.
Do 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps each.
The main trick while doing this exercise is to lean forward and put pressure on your chest
rather than your triceps or shoulders.
Also, your elbows should be a bit wider than your shoulders - this way, you'll exercise
your chest better.
4.
Machine Chest Press Sit down on the machine chest press and place
your feet on the floor so that they're shoulder-width apart.
Grasp the handles and push the bars outward as far as you can, but don't lock your elbows.
Stay in this position for a couple of seconds, then return the bars toward your chest.
Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.
This exercise not only targets your lower pecs, but also develops your biceps and deltoids.
To make this exercise as effective as possible, retract your shoulder blades and try to tighten
mostly your chest muscles.
Breathe out when you press out and breathe in when you recover.
5.
Dumbbell Pull-Over (Honest officer, I wasn’t speeding…)
While keeping your feet on the ground, lie down on the bench and take a dumbbell in both
hands.
With your elbows slightly bent, slowly bring your arms backward so that they’re over
your head, almost parallel to the floor.
Remember that you should stop before your arms go lower than the shoulder level.
Then, just as slowly, bring the dumbbell back into the initial position.
Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps each.
Even though dumbbell pull-overs work mostly your pecs, they're also pretty effective for
training your triceps, abs, upper back muscles, and glutes.
6.
Cable Crossover First of all, set the handles on both sides
of the pulleys as high as possible.
Stand straight in the center of the machine and take hold of the handles.
Your feet should be positioned shoulder-width apart, and your torso should be slightly bent
forward.
Keep your back straight and your spine neutral.
Bend your elbows a bit and make sure your wrists face the floor.
After that, with your core engaged, pull the handles down and across your body.
You don't have to make the handles touch.
Spend a couple of seconds in this position, then slowly return to the initial position.
Do 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps each.
Cable crossover exercise doesn't involve any triceps activity, that's why it allows you
to concentrate on your lower chest.
Remember to squeeze your chest muscles when you're in the contracted position.
7.
Seated Machine Fly (wow did you see that machine fly?)
Sit down on the chest fly machine, aka the pec deck, and adjust your seat so that the
handles are at chest height.
Plant your feet flat on the floor and make sure that your back and lower back touch the
back of the seat.
Take hold of the handles and, while keeping your arms slightly bent at the elbow, move
your hands together.
Stay in this position for several seconds, then slowly release the handles back to the
initial position.
Do 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps each.
The seated machine fly is a great exercise for working both your inner [pecs] and outer
pecs, as well as your anterior delts.
Remember to breathe normally while doing this exercise and don't press into your feet: after
all, the purpose is to train your pecs, not your legs.
But the most important thing is not to arch your back, however tempting and comfortable
it may feel.
This mistake can lead to a serious lower back injury.
8.
Lower Pulley Cable Crossover Set the cable alignments of both sides of
the pulley machine to the lower level.
Take hold of the handles and move them up toward your chest.
Stay in this position for a couple of seconds, all the while squeezing your chest muscles.
Then slowly lower your arms and relax your chest.
Do 4 sets of 15 reps each.
This exercise will reward you with defined pecs and a chiseled lower chest because when
you do it, you put the most pressure on your lower chest.
9.
Push-Ups Position your hands under your shoulders and
hold your back, buttocks, and head in a straight line.
Make sure that the weight is on your toes, then tighten your core and glutes.
After you pull your shoulder blades back and down, lower yourself slowly until your elbows
are bent at a 90-degree angle.
Try to keep your arms at your sides and don't move them away from your body.
Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
While most people consider push-ups a warm-up exercise, it's actually quite effective for
developing your chest muscles.
The main trick to make this area work better is to position your hands wider than shoulder-width
apart.
On top of that, you can put some weights on your back – it’ll help to increase the
intensity of your workout.
And now, here are several tips that will make your lower chest workouts more effective!
- Incorporate new exercises in your workouts.
By saying "new," I mean not only the exercises you've never done before, but also those you
haven't done for a while.
For instance, if you've been using barbells lately, switch to a pair of dumbbells and
vice versa.
Also, you can try adjusting the equipment you use, like setting the decline bench just
a bit higher or lower than you usually do.
- Training your chest after a rest day [chest day] is the method most professional bodybuilders
use.
The trick is that after a rest day, you have more energy to do a full-on chest workout.
Besides, [arm day] try not to schedule your chest workout the day after you had triceps
or delts training.
In other words, both your arms and shoulders have to be fully rested before you get down
to chest exercises.
- When you perform any pressing motion to work your chest, don’t rotate your shoulders
too much.
Always keep your shoulder blades retracted.
Otherwise, you may damage your AC joint, which is a joint located at the top of the shoulder,
and the tissues surrounding it.
- Don’t rely too much on machines.
Include free-weight and body-weight exercises into your chest workouts.
Machine exercises shouldn't make up for more than half of your training.
- Exercise slowly, it will help you to stimulate muscle growth.
First of all, change the tempo of doing exercises to prolong the duration of your training.
Surely, this way, you'll have to focus on your movements much more, but the results
will be worth your efforts.
- Select a weight you can control.
It shouldn't be too heavy; otherwise, you'll start to use the momentum and bounce the dumbbells
or the barbell to fulfill the needed reps.
Have I missed any other effective lower-chest exercises?
If so, let me know down in the comments!
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