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Chest Exercises
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17
INCLINE BENCH PRESS - Shoulder Horizontal Adduction (and elbow extension)
Muscles worked: This exercise emphasizes the chest muscles (pectoralis major), especially
the upper portion. It also involves the front shoulder muscles (anterior deltoid, a portion of the middle
deltoid) and the triceps, which are located on the back of the upper arm.
Starting position:
•Seated in the 45 degree position, reach straight behind your body, grasp the handles, and bend your
elbows until your hands are near your chest and your palms are facing towards the floor.
•Keeping knees bent and feet flat on the floor, lay your head back against the bench and straighten your
arms to the front.
•From this position, raise your arms 10-15 degrees (6-8 inches) above the regular bench press position.
•Be sure that your arms are directly “in line” with the cables, palms facing down and wrists straight. If the
cables are “above” the arms, too much elevation was introduced.
•Raise your chest and “pinch” your shoulder blades together. Maintain a very slight, comfortable, arch in
your lower back.
Motion:
•Slowly move your elbows outward, simultaneously bending your arms, keeping the forearms in line
with the cables at all times.
•Stop when your upper arms are straight out to the sides, 10 degrees above your shoulders.
•Then, slowly press forward, moving the hands towards the center, and return to the starting position
with arms straight to the front at shoulder width and in line with the cables. Keep your chest muscles
tightened during the entire motion.
Key points:
•The upper arms will be 90 degrees from the sides of your torso at the bottom of the movement and
slightly more than 90 degrees from the front of your torso at the top.
•Limit and control the range of motion so that your elbows do not travel behind your shoulders.
•Keep shoulder blades “pinched” together and maintain good spinal alignment.
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LYING SHOULDER PULLOVER - Shoulder Extension (elbow stabilized)
Muscles worked: This exercise emphasizes the upper back (the latissimus dorsi, teres major,
and rear deltoid muscles). It also involves the chest (the pectoralis major muscles). The triceps muscles,
located on the back of the upper arms, are involved in maintaining the elbow position and also help with
shoulder motion.
Starting position:
•With the bench flat, lie on your back with your head toward the power rods. Position yourself far
enough down the bench to allow the arms to extend overhead without hitting the power rods. Keep
the knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
•Extend the arms overhead and grasp the handles with your palms facing the ceiling.
•Tighten your abdominals to stabilize your spine while maintaining a very slight arch in the lower back.
Action:
•Move your hands in an arc upward and then down towards your legs.
•Keep your shoulder blades on the bench and slide them towards your hips as you move your arms.
•End the motion with your arms by your sides, pressing your shoulder blades down, completely tighten-
ing your lats.
•Control the return to the starting position by slowly moving the arms back overhead and releasing the
shoulder blades.
Key points:
•Do not lose spinal alignment. Relax your neck, keep your chest lifted, abs tight and maintain a very
slight arch in your lower back.
•Keep the lats tightened throughout the entire motion.
•Release your shoulder blades at the end of each rep and initiate each new rep by depressing your
shoulder blades.