Be a Chest Day Champion: An Evidence-based Approach to Training the
Chest
Provided by American Council on Exercise
Key Takeaways
·
Evidence-based workouts are the foundation of a
good resistance-training program, and the effective chest workout presented
here will help build strength and develop function.
·
ACE-sponsored research identified the barbell
bench press, pec deck machine and bent-forward cable crossover as the three
most effective chest exercises.
·
To learn how to properly perform our recommended
chest exercises, check out these links:
o
Bent-forward cable crossover
o
Incline push-up (push-up with hands on an elevated surface)
o
Standing chest press with resistance
bands (chest press while standing with the resistance band
anchored behind at chest height)
o
Incline dumbbell bench press
“How much do you bench?” is a cliché for a reason, as you’ll see
below. Strong chest muscles are essential to a wide variety of
everyday activities and sports-related movements, from pushing a lawnmower
or shopping cart to throwing a baseball and making a block on the offensive
line. Additionally, strength training the chest muscles may
protect the shoulder from injury by optimizing
stability of the shoulder joint and improving muscular
coordination of the upper limbs.
Back in 2012, an ACE-sponsored study sought to find the most effective
exercises for strengthening and toning the chest muscles. The researchers chose
nine of the most commonly used resistance-training exercises for
the chest. To find how effectively each exercise targeted the
chest, researchers placed electromyography (EMG) electrodes on the
pectoralis major muscles of each participant and had them perform the
following exercises in random order:
|
·
Barbell
bench press ·
Pec
deck machine ·
Bent-forward
cable crossover |
·
Chest
press machine ·
Inclined
dumbbell fly ·
Dip |
·
Suspended
push-up ·
Stability
ball push-up ·
Standard
push-up |
Anatomy of the Chest Muscles
What they found was that the barbell bench press elicited the most
muscle activation, making it the gold standard for chest exercises. The
researchers then compared all the other exercises to the barbell bench press,
which they assigned a score of 100. The pec deck machine scored a 98 and the
bent-forward cable crossover scored a 93 (meaning those two exercises were 98%
and 93% as effective, respectively). All other exercises fell below the 80%
threshold.
Expert Advice
If your clients are worried about time-efficiency—and who isn’t?—then
those three exercises are their best options. That said, exercise selection
isn’t always about maximizing results in the least amount of time. Sometimes,
clients need variety to stay interested or simply desire to change things up
and learn new movements.
With that in mind, we reached out to two experienced ACE Certified Pros to
help us add some variety to our program. Here’s what they had to say:
Cindy
Sullivan, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness
Instructor and Health Coach, says that two of her favorite chest
exercises, particularly for midlife and senior clients, are the incline push-up
and the standing chest press with resistance bands.
The incline push-up, she says, is “perfect for beginner to
intermediate clients who want to build upper-body and core strength
but aren’t comfortable getting on the floor. It’s also
ideal for clients working on posture, shoulder stability, or preparing for more
challenging movements.” To make this exercise easier, clients can use a higher
surface like a wall or kitchen counter to decrease the angle and reduce
resistance. To make it more difficult, lower the incline or add a pause at the
bottom of the movement for more control and time under tension.
The standing chest press with resistance
bands is especially helpful for clients who have limited mobility or
are working out at home with minimal equipment. To make this exercise
easier, use a lighter resistance band or perform the
movement with one arm at a time to reduce the coordination
challenge. To make it harder, step farther away from the anchor point or
add a staggered stance to engage the core and challenge balance.
Greg
Coleman, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, recommends the
dumbbell bench press and incline dumbbell bench press for all clients, but
especially those who are looking to improve their general fitness.
“The dumbbell bench press,” Coleman explains, “is representative
of one of the functional movement patterns (horizontal push) and allows you to
train both sides of the body with the same amount of weight. This will help to
address and correct any imbalances you have in the chest.” He goes
on to explain that getting better at the bench press will benefit clients not
only while they’re in the gym but also when performing
activities of daily living.
The incline dumbbell bench press works the upper part of the
chest and also helps to address imbalances.
“Using lighter dumbbells or adjusting the angle on the bench are two
modifications that could help make these exercises easier to
perform,” says Coleman. If a client has shoulder issues, floor presses are a
great alternative to the dumbbell bench press that allows them to
target the chest while protecting the shoulders.
Final Thoughts
According to the ACE-sponsored research, the barbell bench press,
pec deck machine and bent-forward cable crossover exercises can be
used somewhat interchangeably in a workout targeting the muscles
of the chest. Those three exercises can be mainstays in your
exercise programming, but consider adding our expert recommendations
to your repertoire. Check out these links to learn how to perform each
movement or share them with your clients:
·
Bent-forward cable crossover
·
Incline push-up (push-up with hands on an elevated surface)
·
Standing chest press with resistance bands (chest press while standing with the resistance
band anchored behind at chest height)
·
Incline dumbbell bench press
Author
American Council on
Exercise