Chest day is probably the most looked-forward-to day in a workout routine. A good chest day can be a real motivator to put more effort into your fitness on a regular basis. And that is why one should take chest workouts seriously. While most push days will also involve some shoulder and tricep work, the big lift is always the bench press if you are working out in a gym.
But your chest workout can be defined by how you get your muscles ready for those lifts, including for one of the most popular chest moves: the incline dumbbell presses. Going straight for the bench after 20 pushups is never enough, even though it may feel like it. But don’t let the urge to hit the bench be so overpowering that you forget the prepwork that will help you make the most of each rep.
A studypublished in theInternational Journal Of Sports Physical Therapy suggests that the human body finds it easier to anatomically push more than it can pull. “For our group of [180] healthy recreationally active subjects, the upper body ‘pushing’ musculature is approximately 1.5–2.7 times stronger than the musculature involved for pulling,” states the paper, titled Upper Body Push And Pull Strength Ratio In Recreationally Active Adults. Here are a few exercises you can involve in your chest warmup routine to harness your best chest workout.
The Svend press: With the option to choose an isometric hold or pulse and awaken the chest muscles, the Svend press is one of the easiest and most effective warm-up moves. All you need is a weighted plate which you hold down between your palms while placing the arms along your chest (see video above) and extend them ahead for your reps.
“If you want your chest to grow, you have to be able to feel those sweet chesticles squeezing into each other. Nothing will teach you how to squeeze your pecs together like this movement,” says a brobible.com article titled 4 Best Ways To Warm Up For Chest Day. The Svend press bonus is that you can also do it after a workout, or between sets of the bench press to keep those chest muscles activated.
Stretches and dynamic moves: While there are many stretches—both dynamic and static—the two which stood out from the rest are the 90-90 arm sweep and the foam-roller pec stretch. The former needs no equipment: All you have to is lie down on the floor on your side with both arms stacked palms facing each other. And then sweep the arm all the way back and bring it back to starting position. Be careful with this movement and watch videos like the one below to get the movement right.
“Incorporating the 90-90 Arm Sweep into your warm-up routine is a great way to prepare your chest muscles for a workout. It can help improve mobility, reduce the risk of injury, and improve overall muscle function,” says a Dmoose.com blogtitled11 Best Stretches To Warm Up Before A Chest Workout.
The foam-roller pec stretch is slightly advanced but extremely important so that your pecs don’t get tight—something which could lead to shoulder impingement. That said, once you learn it, it is easier to stretch the right muscles with the move: “It is easier to do than other traditional pec stretches, and it places less torque on the shoulder joint,” says a Squat University video about the exercise. They also have a quick guide on how to perform it (see video above).
Plyo pushups: For those who have mastered the pushup, it is time to get some explosive power going so that the chest fibres are fired up before a lift. There are methods in which you can do these between sets of bench-presses as well, especially when lifting heavier weights with fewer reps. But doing it as a warm up will ensure enough blood-flow to your chest before getting to the weights.
It may seem daunting to add that little hop at the end of each pushup and those who cannot do it can always try releasing the hands momentarily at the bottom of the pushup to add that fast-twitch factor that your muscles need.
Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator and writer.
