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You know that arm moves – like shoulders, biceps, and triceps exercises – are a crucial part of your upper-body workout routine.
But what about your chest muscles?
It’s pretty easy to neglect this area of your bod – but targeting your chest (aka pectoral) muscles can also help strengthen the rest of your arms and back, in addition to boosting your posture.
But how do you target this crucial part of your upper body?
Try some of the moves below, hand-picked and demonstrated by Flywheel instructor and founder of Healthy Hustle, Emily Fayette.
She recommends adding chest exercises to your routine two to three times a week.
Time: 10 minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells, mat
Good for: Chest
Instructions: Choose five moves below. For each move, complete 50 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat the entire five-move circuit twice.
1. Chest Press
How to: Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and extend your arms upward, palms facing toward your feet. Slowly bend your arms and lower them to the side, parallel with your shoulders, until your elbows nearly touch the ground. Slowly reverse the movement and return to start. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds.
READ MORE: How To Do A Diamond-Triangle Pushup The Right Way
2. Chest Fly
How to: Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and extend your arms upward, palms facing toward each other. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, lower your arms to the side of your body, parallel with your shoulders, until your hands are about six inches off the ground. Slowly reverse the movement and return to start. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds.
3. Inner Chest Press
How to: Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and extend your arms upward, palms facing toward each other. Keeping the weights together, bend your elbows and bring your hands to your chest. Slowly reverse the movement and return to start. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds.
4. Bridge With Chest Press
How to: Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the ground. Lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from your knees to shoulders. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and extend your arms upward, with palms facing toward your feet. Slowly bend your arms and lower them to the side, parallel with your shoulders, until your elbows nearly touch the ground. Slowly reverse the movement and return to start. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds.
5. Tabletop Chest Press
How to: Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet lifted, so your legs form a 90-degree angle. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and extend your arms upward, palms facing toward your feet. Slowly bend your arms and lower them to the side, parallel with your shoulders, until your elbows nearly touch the ground. Slowly reverse the movement and return to start. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds.
READ MORE: How To Do Burpees Like A Fitness Beast
6. Triangle Pushup
How to: Assume a pushup position, but with your hands close together under your chest so your thumbs and forefingers form a triangle on the ground. Lower your body, with your elbows pointing toward your feet and biceps close to your body. Then press back up. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds.
7. Triceps Pushup
How to: Assume a pushup position, but with your hands directly under your chest. Lower your body, with your elbows pointing toward your feet and biceps close to your body. Then press back up. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds.
8. Wide Pushup
How to: Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the floor, then extend your legs behind you with your feet about three feet apart; your body should form a straight line from head to heels. Keeping your core tight, bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor. Press back to start. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds.
9. Plank With Rotation
How to: Assume a high plank position, legs extended and hands directly under your shoulders. Slowly lower your right shoulder and place your elbow and forearm on the ground. Rotate your body and come into a side plank position, both legs stacked on top of each other. Extend your left arm upward. Rotate your body back to the centre, and press your left hand into the ground, then the right. Return to a high plank position. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds.
READ MORE: How To Do Triceps Extensions Like A Total Pro
10. Standing Press
How to: Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows and bring your arms to the side, forming two 90-degree angles. Maintaining this position, press your arms together until they touch in front of your face. Return to start. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds.
11. Burpee With Pushup
How to: Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms by your side. Drop your body down into a low squat position, hands touching the ground. Kick your feet back, landing in a pushup position. Complete one pushup. Now, repeat the motion backwards: Jump your feet forward to the outside of your hands so you’re in a low squat position, then stand back up. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds.
12. Isometric Press
How to: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with a slight bend in your knees. Bend your elbows so your arms form two 90-degree angles, and bring them together in front of your face. Press your arms together as hard as you can for 50 seconds
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthsa.co.za
Image credit: iStock
