4 Basic Exercises for Chest You Should Be Using

 

4 Basic Exercises for Chest

    One thing that I notice throughout the years that I have been in the fitness industry (14 years), many women disregard the importance of training their upper body. A lot of them fear that they are going to grow MASSIVE like men, but this is impossible naturally. Women are not designed like men. Women have estrogen and Men have testosterone as the main hormonal makeup. The only way for women to grow like men is if they use male testosterone (Steroids and SARMS). Otherwise, the female body has too much estrogean and too little testosterone to grow to the size of men. 

    In addition, women need upper body strength for all types of things to be self sufficient at home, work or the gym. It just depends on what your fitness goals are. I wanted to be a Pro Figure and Pro Female Physique competitor. That is why I developed my upper body to this level of muscularity. This type of development also takes many, many years of commitment and heavy lifting. So if your goals are not to be a competitor or look like one, then you have no worries about getting TOO MUSCULAR. You can still work out your chest with the goal of being toned and slim. 

    Here are some basic exercises that will help you build your chest, your strength and get you nice and toned. 

Push-Ups

Swiss Ball Chest Flys

Barbell Incline Chest Press

Decline Dumbbell Chest Press

6 Great Total Body Exercises

6 Great Total Body Exercises

• Total body exercises are great for people who have limited time to work out. These types of exercises hit different parts of the body at the same time, burning fat more efficiently than regular splits. Especially, when they are done is a circuit formation. 
• However if you work out in a commercial gym, doing circuits can be very hard. Best thing to do if you only have access to gym equipment is a commercial gym is to do your workouts in supersets. 
• Here are some example total body exercises:

Barbell Clean & Press

Squat Curl

Barbell High Pull

Dumbbell Squat Press

Alternating Kettle Bell Swing

Tire Flips

 

Resistance Band Workout for the Upper Body

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Arnold's Classic Twisting Back Double Bicep Pose

Resistance Band Lat Pulldown

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Resistance Band Incline Chest Press

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Resistance Band Bicep Curls

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Resistance Band Tricep Overhead Press

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Resistance Band Shoulder Press

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Workout from Home Quarantined Calesthenic Workout III

Total Body Calesthenic Workout III

Walking Push Ups

Beginners: Can be done side to side

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

V Ups

Beginners: As long as you get your torso and legs off the ground 5 inches

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Inverted Row

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Side Plank Twists

Beginners: Can be done on the knees with the legs bent 90 degrees

3 - 4 Sets

15 Reps Each Side

Box Jump Squats

Beginners: Can be done as Forward Jump Squats without box

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Back Extension

3 - 4 Sets

15 Reps with a 15 sec HOLD on the LAST Rep

Walking Plank

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 16 Reps

One Leg Stiff Legged Deadlift

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Plank with Dumbbell Row

Beginners: Can be done on the KNEES

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Workout at Home During the Quarantine!

Total Body Calesthenic Workout

Targets: chest, arms, core, back and legs

Execute: Supersets or Circuit

Push-ups

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Crossbody Crunch & Leg Lift

3 - 4 Sets

15 Reps

Jump Squats

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Pull-ups

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Side Plank Lifts

3 - 4 Sets

15 Reps

Diamond Push-ups

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Superman with Leg Curls

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Single Calf Raises

3 - 4 Sets

15 - 20 Reps

Back and Bicep (Pull) Workout

What is a Pull Workout?

Pull exercises are those where the muscles contract and the weight is being pulled towards you. The primary muscles used in pull workouts includes the back, biceps, hamstrings, obliques and trapezius. Examples of pull exercises are lat pull down, back rows, deadlifts, leg curls, rear delt flys and bicep curls.

Benefits of Adding Push/Pull Workouts to Your Program

• Less time at the gym
• Ensures muscle balance
• Promotes injury prevention
• Increases muscle mass

Back and Bicep Workout

Swiss Ball Dumbbell Wide Row

4 - 5 Sets

10 - 12 Reps

EZ Bar Curls

4 - 5 Sets

10 - 12 Reps

Cable Straight Arm Pull Down

3 - 4 Set

10 - 15 Reps

Standing Bicep Curls

3 - 4 Sets

10 - 15 Reps

One Arm Bent Leg Cable Row

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps 

Swiss Ball One Arm Preacher Curl

3 - 4 Sets

10 - 15 Reps

Swiss Ball Back Extensions

3 - 4 Sets

15 - 20 Reps with 10 Sec. Hold on Last Rep

Arms and Shoulder Workout

EZ Bar Curls

4 - 5 Sets

8 - 10 Reps

DB Shoulder Push Press

4 - 5 Sets

8 - 10 Reps

DB Lateal Tricep Extensions

4 - 5 Sets

8 - 10 Reps

Cable Bicep Curls

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

DB Seated Lateral Raises

3 - 4 Sets

10 - 12 Reps

Works the Triceps Too!

Close Grip BB Chest Press

3 - 4 Sets

10 - 12 Reps

Dumbbell Bicep Curl

2 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise

2 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Close Grip (Tricep) Push-Up

2 - 4 Sets

Max Reps

Exercises for Abs and Glutes

Legs, Ab and Glute Workout

Abs: 3 - 4 Sets

Boat
 30 sec - 1 min

Windshield Wipers 
3 - 4 sets
15 reps

Bridge

3 - 4 Sets

 30 sec. - 1 min.

Legs and Glutes:

Seated leg press 

4 sets 
8 - 10 reps

Reverse Slider Lunges

3 - 4 sets/12 - 15 reps

Glute Kickbacks with Bench

3 - 4 sets
12 - 15 reps

Keeping Track and Responsible for Your Actions to Reach Your Fitness Goals

Being in the fitness business for about 10 going on 11 years now, I have noticed the some of the biggest problems for people to lose weight or meet any fitness goal is to make a plan (journal), stay on track (meal prep), and be responsible for your own actions. Losing weight or any type of fitness goal is not something that you can wish off. Maybe when you were younger the pounds would just come off, but now that you are older your hormones are not as strong and it is harder to lose the weight. 

Make a Journal for your Food Intake, Resistance and Cardio Training

Image Credits: Make Over Fitness

Eating mindlessly will not help. I have met so many people over the years that tell me, "Oh, I eat healthy". "I don't need any help with that part". However, I always wonder do they eat too much healthy food because most of them fall into the obese or morbidly obese category. It is a great to eat healthy, but still eat too much were you will not lose weight and maintain your current weight or gain. It is like the old saying goes, "You can eat 100 lbs. of lettuce and still gain fat". It is all about portion control! I have gone out to eat with some of these people and they can easily eat an entire plate at a restaurant not realizing that they are eating 3 - 4 servings. In order to lose weight, you have to make a deficit, but how would you know if you are not tracking what and the amounts you are eating? Writing down what you eat per day will open your eyes on whether you are eating too much are not enough depending on your goals. 

The same thing goes for working out. I have met so many people that tell me they workout, but I look at them everyday for years and they always look the same or are getting bigger. I have watched these people around in the gym and most of the time it looks like they are lost or messing around. Some do workout, but are not doing the exercises correctly. It pretty much looks like those videos of people doing all the machines in the wrong way. None of them are writing down what they do per day or change up their routines. So how do you know if you are making gains or loses when you are not writing anything down? 

Just like when you went to college or worked up towards your career you had to study for it, right? You had to know what to do and how to do it write everything down. Then, you would get tested to see if you know what you are talking about in order to receive your degree, associates or gain that promotion, correct? Well, just like you had to be tedious with you studies for your career it is the same for fitness. If you do not know what you are doing and you need a plan then, ask for help. That is what I am here for. I have tips here on my blog, but if you know that you are not able to make a plan for yourself I can help you online for a fee. With my training, I have made some impressive physiques. However, these people listened to what I said and practiced what I preached.