There
are many ways we can improve our bodies. We can do it through diet,
exercise, meditation and more. Exercise is one of the best things you
can do for your body. Not only does your body look better, but you feel
better after you exercise. Many people exercise, but admit to having
trouble areas on their body. Don’t worry, anyone can improve these
trouble areas, you just need to know how to improve them. On this blog,
we are going specifically target how to work your chest and tricep
muscles through different workouts.
There is a lot involved when you want to
build more muscle, including which exercises you do, how you do them and
what you eat. Yes, eating is just as important as doing the exercises
themselves. There is a phrase: “You have to eat big to get big.” Don’t
worry, it’s talking about big muscles, not fat. So if you are stuck in a
rut with your chest and triceps, you may need to not only step up your
exercises, but step up your eating. In this course we offer, you will learn not only how to eat properly, but how you should work out in order to see results.
The more you can learn about how to build muscle through exercises and
diet, the quicker you will be able to see results on your body. If you
want to learn why it takes time to gain the muscle you want, this blog goes further into depth about how long it takes to build muscle. It will show you all the different ways you can build muscle and how long each method takes.
Knowing What Triceps and Chest Muscles Do
Getting cut triceps
and a strong chest my look nice on your physique, but it is also
important to know how they work and how they help your body. The better
you can understand how your muscles work to help your body, the better
you can appreciate the muscles.
Triceps are the
muscles located on the back of your upper arm. What these muscles do is
help straighten your arm and extend your elbow joint. Want a good
example of one of your triceps put to use? Pick up a pen or pencil and
start writing on a piece of paper. The reason your elbow is steadied and
held in place is because of your triceps.
Your chest muscles are
called pectoralis major and pectoralis minor, also shortened to “pecs.”
The pectoralis major is the larger of the two and is the muscle that
can be found across each side of your chest. The pectoralis minor is a
triangular-shaped muscle that can be found underneath the pectoralis
major. When building your chest muscles, it is your pectoralis major
muscles you are working in order to get the nice-looking physique you
want. But this muscle is not just about looking good, it has four
functions in the body. It is primarily responsible for the shoulder
joint’s movements. The chest muscles have two different parts that are
in charge of two different movements. These muscles help you to throw,
flap your arms, rotate the arm the way it does when you arm wrestle and
keep your arm attached to the trunk of your body. Yeah, it does a lot.
That’s why it’s so big and covers a good size of your body.
If you are interested in learning more about how your body works to lose fat and gain muscle, we offer this course, which will give you all the facts. You will learn how muscles work in your body and what you can do to enhance them.
Working Your Chest
Since the chest is a
big muscle, you need to be patient with getting results right away. You
also need to spend more time on that area than you would other smaller
muscles. There are a number of different exercises you can do that will
help you build muscle in your chest. These exercises range from simple
things you can do at home to movements that require weights.
Bench Press
This is
an extremely popular exercise that not only helps develop your chest
muscles, but your deltoids, trapezius, coracobrachialis, shoulder blade
and your triceps as well. While it helps to develop these other muscles,
the primary muscle it works is the chest. The bench press is also an
exercise you have to be careful when doing. If the bench you are working
on does not have a safety for the press, you will need to have a
spotter present while doing your exercise. Many people do repetitions
until failure, which can be dangerous if you lose control and have the
weights crash on you. Once you have your surroundings secure and safe,
you can move on and find a weight that you feel comfortable with. It
should be a weight that is challenging for you to lift, but light enough
for you to go to at least 10 repetitions. The way you grip the bar or
position the bench press changes up the different muscles used. Doing a
bench press on a flat bench focuses on the lower chest muscles. If you
use a decline on the bench, you can work your lower chest muscles. If
you use an underhand grip on the bar, it works the chest by the
clavicle. If you do a press with your hands close together, you are
involving your triceps more.
Push Ups
The great thing about
push-ups is that you are able to see results fast. One week you might be
able to only do 10, but if you keep at it and adding an extra push-up
every time you do them, you will be doubling that or tripling it in no
time. This exercise is a triple threat, as it targets the pecs, triceps
and anterior deltoid. First, start out by seeing how many push-ups you
can do before you cannot do any more. Make sure to remember that number
or write it down because that will be your base number. From then on, it
will be your goal to increase that number every time you go to do a set
of push-ups. In addition to targeting your chest and tricep muscles,
push-ups also help your abdominal muscles as well, since they help hold
the body up in position.
Cable Cross Overs
If you have a gym
membership, one of the best exercises you can do for your chest are
cable crossovers. You need a high pulley machine to execute this, as you
will be pulling both cables on either side of you toward, then across
your chest until your knuckles meet. Then bring your arms back slowly
with control.
Working Your Triceps
A lot of times, your
tricep muscles are worked when you do your chest exercises. However,
they are not the primary muscles used for those exercises, so you will
need to do some exercises that specifically target your triceps. Triceps
that are toned well and are defined give the upper arm a nice shape.
Here are some exercises that can help get you that cut look.
Dips
This exercise is easy
to do whether you are at the gym or at home. All you need is a chair.
For dips, you will need to start off on the edge of the chair and hold
the edge with both your hands with your knuckles facing forward. Push
yourself off the seat and lower — or dip — yourself. A good dip is when
you can get your arms at a 90-degree angle. Repeat until failure and
then do two more sets.
Tricep Push-Down
For this exercise, you
will need a high pulley machine. Most gyms have these. Adjust the bar
to be at a good height where you can pull down on it. You will need to
stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab the bar and
keep the arms rigid against your torso, then push down until your arms
are fully extended. Slowly bring the arms back up and repeat until
failure.
Overhead Dumbbell Extension
Pick a weight that you
can safely and comfortably lift over your head with one arm. Make sure
your stance is straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Position
your weight above and behind your head, like you are about to scratch
your back with it. Make sure your elbow is pointing toward the ceiling.
From there, you will need to lift your arm up until it is completely
extended, then slowly bring it back down. You will do this until you
can’t go any further, then do two more sets.
Kickbacks
If you have weights
and a bench at home, you can easily do this exercise. If not, it’s to
the gym you go. You will need to grab a weight that you feel comfortable
bringing forward and back. Try it out a couple times so you can be sure
which one works best for you. Then place your left knee and left hand
(or right knee and right hand) on the bench to steady yourself. Hold the
dumbbell and bring it up so your arm is at a 90-degree angle. Keep your
upper arm stable and slowly extend your forearm back until it is
parallel with the floor. Return to starting position, then switch to the
other side.
Eating Right to See Results
Doing the proper
exercises is only part of the equation. The body needs key nutrients in
order for your muscles to grow. The most important one is protein, which
helps rebuild muscles torn from lifting and exercise. The honest truth
is that eating well can change your life. The right foods can make you
healthier, stronger and feel better overall. To lean more about how food
helps us and acts as medicine to keep us healthy, you can take this course, which teaches you how food can be used as medicine.
Stretching the Muscles
Before and after every
time you work out, it is important to stretch. What stretching does is
loosen up and warm up the muscles so they can be ready for exertion. If
you exercise or lift with cold muscles, it is easier to pull and strain a
muscle, which results in pain for the next few days. Always take one
off day during the week as well. If you are one of those people that has
to be active every day, practice yoga, which will help your muscles to
stretch and relax. If you are unfamiliar with yoga, we offer an introduction to yoga course, which can help you to learn key poses and teach you the skills you need to help take care of your body.
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