As you remember, in the last article we discussed all the features of chest training for girls. As we promised, today we will look in detail at the best exercises that will help you get the desired result in the shortest possible time.
Before continuing, I would like to remind you of the most important aspect – alternating loads. If you have forgotten what it is and what it is for, then return to the previous article. Well, let’s get started.
1. Push-ups (female version).
These push-ups are also known as “light” push-ups. The name of the exercise does not set gender boundaries at all. This option is often used by professional male athletes, usually immediately after performing standard push-ups, in order to load the chest muscles as much as possible.
Push-ups primarily work the chest muscles and triceps, but the load on the triceps can vary depending on the position of the arms. The shoulders (deltoids) and rectus abdominis (abs) receive a small load.
Starting position:
There are two variants of such push-ups, but they are connected by one common factor – the starting position of the knees, which should be on the floor, as shown in the figure. Place your arms wider than your shoulders.
Execution:
Bend your elbows under control until your biceps are completely perpendicular to the floor. At the bottom, without pausing, straighten your arms with a powerful, but in no case jerking force, while concentrating on the work of the pectoral muscles. At the top point, after a short pause, begin a new push-up.
Recommendations:
As mentioned above, there are two options, which leaves us with a choice: if you want to transfer most of the load to the upper chest area bordering the collarbone, then when doing push-ups, do not move your hips, creating an angle between your back and legs. This way your body will be inclined, which will allow you to transfer the load. If your target is the middle of your chest, then your hips and back should be in line when doing push-ups.
The negative phase of the exercise (lowering) should take place quite slowly, while it is important to watch your elbows, they should not bend under your body. Your palms should be directly under your elbows. The wider your palms are (within reason), the more effort your pectoral muscles will need to lift you up.
2. Incline dumbbell press.
An exercise that combines both a pressing movement and a contraction of the arms. That’s why it made it onto our list. Based on the name, you probably guessed that you will need dumbbells and a bench with an adjustable backrest.
Starting position:
Adjust the angle of the bench to 35-50°, below we will explain the difference. Before you lie down, place the dumbbells on your lap. Then lie down on the bench with your entire back, without any possible arching of the spine. Raise the dumbbells up, fixing a right angle at the elbows, as shown in the figure. Notice at the starting point that the biceps and triceps are parallel to the floor.
Execution:
With a powerful and controlled effort, begin to simultaneously extend and contract your arms in a mental arc that is perpendicular to the floor. At the initial stage of the trajectory, the arms are brought together with the chest muscles, and only then, to lengthen the trajectory, you extend the arms and bring them together at the top. At the critical point, immediately begin the slow negative phase of the exercise (lowering the dumbbells). The lowest point is slightly lower than the starting point, this is done so that the chest muscles are stretched as much as possible. After a second pause, start a new repetition.
Recommendations:
Watch your elbows, they should not bend under your body. Movement occurs only in the vertical plane. At the top point, the dumbbells should not touch each other; never perform repelling exercises.
As for the angle of the bench, 50° will transfer most of the load to the upper area of the pectoral muscles, an angle of 35° will transfer the majority of the load to the middle of the chest and its side. You can use the average. Please note that we are not talking about transferring the entire load.
3. Raises with dumbbells.
Quite a productive exercise, with really many options. We will consider the main option, which is more suitable for girls. The fact is that raising your arms with dumbbells while lying on the floor allows you to ignore weak biceps, which are usually observed in girls.
Starting position:
Lie on the floor with your entire back, after holding moderately weighted dumbbells in your hands. Bend your legs at the knees and spread them apart to improve balance. Your arms should be slightly bent at the elbows. During the entire exercise, the selected angle does not change.
Execution:
The movement begins from the bottom point. With a powerful force of the pectoral muscles, begin to bring your arms to a point that is located above your chest. At the top point, pause for just a second and begin the most controlled negative phase. Lower your hands until they lightly touch the floor. At the bottom, without pausing, start a new repeat.
Recommendations:
All movements, as in the previous exercise, are performed only in the vertical plane. Imagine that you are trying to hug a wide tree, this technique will allow you to raise your arms out to the sides. As for the number of repetitions and sets, we talked about this in the previous detailed article.
