Are you wishing that you have better muscle mass? For those who want to flaunt better muscles, integrating different bench presses in your fitness routine is highly recommended as these workouts will really test your muscles to their limits. You don’t have to do all of these but you can choose one that you think will work for you and swap it with one of your traditional chest presses just to add that extra bit of challenge to your muscles.
- Barbell bench press. This exercise is definitely worth adding to your fitness routine since barbell lifts are known for generating the most power while the traditional barbell bench gives you the most weight to move. What’s more, this is much better compared to dumbbells not to mention easier to spot and can be mastered in no time. You should do this exercise at the start of your chest routine so you can do heavy sets with lower repetitions. Changing your grip width can also help with better chest development.
- Narrow-grip floor press. Research shows that using a narrow grip actually boosts upper chest activation since this exercise brings your elbows in and toward your sides. This puts your chest in a better position to execute its main functions of horizontal adduction and flexion. Also this is considered as one of the safest ways for you to do a bench press because you don’t have to use legs when moving. Since the dumbbell and barbell floor press is done with a neutral grip, you will need to add some neutral-grip-pressing workouts using dumbbells since they help reduce wear and tear.
- Low-incline barbell bench press. Most benches are set up on a steep angle that puts a lot of pressure on the front deltoids rather than the chest when it comes to pressing weight. If you can, choose a barbell bench that is not too steep so you will be able to target the upper pectorals without putting too much stress on your delts. If your goal is to build your upper chest, bring your grip closer to one another.
- Seated machine chest press. Although there is nothing wrong with doing free-weight pressing using a flat bench, there are plenty of benefits to be gained when you choose a machine press. One is that you’ll be able to slow down your repetition particularly at the eccentric and concentric phases. Plus, using machines that are stack-loaded are good for doing dropsets quickly. Fitness experts recommend that you do machine workouts at the end of your fitness routine.
- Pec-deck machine. For first timers, the chest flyes are difficult to learn using cables or dumbbells because the arms should be locked in a slightly bent pose throughout the exercise. Fortunately, the pec deck makes things easier because you will work in just a single pathway. The best part is that you can focus on pump without having to worry about balancing any weights.
