Bigger & Wider Pecs

Monday means a lot of things you may not like, but it also means something we know you've been waiting for since Tuesday. It's Chest day in the gym and we've got your fix covered with this one move for your pecs! You probably do tons of dips for tricep development, but are you doing dips that emphasize your pecs? Implementing dips for your chest provides way more than just triceps strength and definition. You work your entire upper body including your chest, arms, shoulders and upper back.One might say chest dips are the best exercise for carving a spectacular upper body that makes you look like the Hulk’s cousin by widening it and helping you achieving raw, brute power. This exercise also ensures that you won’t ever have man boobs (or moobs if you prefer).

Additional Benefits:

• You don’t need much equipment.
• Unlike using free weights that tend to isolate one body part, you get a full upper body workout using your own bodyweight.
• This is a functional movement that will improve your athleticism.
• Unlike bench pressing, your shoulders don’t give out so you’re truly focusing on chest, not front delts.
• This exercise works the outer chest making it grow wide, as well as thick.

How To Do The Exercise:

• Find a set of parallel bars.
• Raise your body up and lock your arms above the bars. Your elbows will be slightly wider than your shoulders.
• Lean forward approximately 30 degrees. Your feet will naturally rise behind you.
• Tighten your abdominals to hold the position.
• Begin to lower yourself slowly toward the ground. Your elbows should flare out slightly until you feel your chest stretch. Pause for a one count.
• Next, use your chest to push your body back to the starting position.
• Do these until failure.

https://youtu.be/BjiyWC_cJW0You can use an assisted machine when you start out or have a buddy hold your feet to get more reps in. As you progressively get stronger, you can do numerous things to make this exercise harder including: doing slow reps, holding for longer at the bottom of the movement, adding weight with a weight belt, or use your loaded military backpack on your back as additional weight. For a complete plan for your chest, check out this workout.

Trainer Tips:

1. Always squeeze your chest at the top of the movement for one count before returning to starting position.
2. Don’t swing or use momentum for the exercise.
3. At the top of the movement, don’t relock your elbows before moving into your next repetition.

--Sarah Chadwell, CPT