Best Chest Workout Routine

When looking for the best chest workout routine you need to make sure that it hits the upper, lower and inner chest to get a full development of the pecs.

The chest is made up of the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor which each have different functions. The pectoralis major adducts the arm and flexes the shoulder. The pectoralis minor depresses the scapula (shoulder blade) and downwardly rotates the scapula. All muscles of the body have an origin and an insertion point. It is very important to know these 2 points so that you can understand which movements will work which muscles. For a good chest workout you want to focus on the pectoralis major which originates from the sternum and inserts on the bicipital groove of the humerus. To work a muscle most effectively you want to shorten the distance from the insertion to origin. So for the chest anytime that humerus comes closer to the sternum the muscle will be worked better.

Knowing the biomechanics lets take the most popular exercise at any gym, the bench press. With normal barbell benchmarks you lower the weight until it touches your chest and then push it straight up. There are 2 things that are wrong with this. When the bar is touching your chest it requires the front delt to do most the work and is doing more harm than good for your body. Stopping a couple inches before the bar touches your chest will result in fewer injuries and no loss in strength gains. The second error is that you aren't able to shorten the distance from you bicipital groove to you sternum with a straight bar. Using dumbbells is much more effective in building muscle in your chest.