Chest Exercises
LYING CABLE CROSSOVER Shoulder extension/addt,etion (elhow stabilized near extension)
Muscles worked: This exeivise enlphasizes
the chest (the pectoralis major muscles). The
triceps muscles, located on the hack of the
upper arms, are also involved in maintaining
the elbow position and also help with shoulder
motion.
Pulley position: Wide only
Starting position:
• With the hench flat, lie on your hack with
your head toward the Power Rods. Position
yourself far enough down tire bench to allow
the arms to extend overhead without hitting
the Power Rods. Keep the knees hent and
feet flat on the floor.
• Extend the arms overhead and grasp the
handles with your pahns facing the ceiling.
• Tighten your ahdominals to stabilize your
spine while maintaining a veiy slight aivh in
the lower hack.
Motion:
• Move your hands in an air upward angling
toward midline and then downward toward
the opposite leg.
• Control the return to the starting position hy
slowly moving the arms back up, uncrossing,
and moving overhead.
Key points:
• Kee I) your chest lifted, even as your arms
near your legs.
START
j_
FINISH
FLAT BARBELLBENCH PRESS
Muscles worked: This exercise emphasizes the
chest muscles (pectoralis major). It also
involves the fiont shoulder muscles (anterior
deltoid, a portion of the middle deltoid) and
the triceps, which are located on the back of
the upper arm.
Pulley position: Low pulleys only.
Starting Position:
• Begin by adjusting the hat harness so that
you are under tetrsion when you initiate the
pressing motion. NOTE: Not everyone is
built to perform the hench press with the har
touching the chest! The harness adjustment
should limit the range of motion so that
your elbows travel only slightly behind your
shoulders if at all.
• Lie flat on the hench with your legs toward
the power rod. Slide yore head and
shoulders up under the bm to get into
position. The cable/bar harness should lie
against the tmderside of your arms.
• Warning: Never adjust the bar so tightly that
you have to "squeeze under it" to get into
position. Always adjust the har with the
harness so you can move fieely into and out
of the position.
• Place your feet either on the floor or up on
the flame of the machine.
• Position your upper arms away from your
torso so that your elbows are pointing out at
each side.
• Raise your chest and slightly pinch your
shoulder blades together. Maintain a very
slight, comfortahle aivh in your lower back.
Motion:
• Slowly press the bar upward until your
upper arms are straight, hut do trot lock the
elhows.
• Slowly lower the hat; returning to the
starting position.
• Kee I) your chest muscles tightened during
the entire motion.
Key points:
• Do trot lift your hips off the bench.
• Kee I) your hands over your shoulders at all
times.
• For normal pressing/pushing patterns of
movement you may choose to allow, the
shoulder blades to float forward and
backward naturally with the arm movement,
or f}or increased pec involvement you may
kee I) the shoulder hlades pinched" together
throtlghout hoth the upward and downward
inovelnei/r ts,
START
FINISH
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