Titan Fitness Blog

When you’re working out, you want to make sure you’re targeting all areas of your body. One of the areas you may want to target is your chest. Exactly what is the best chest building exercise? Keep reading to find out.

How Can I Build My Chest Muscle Fast?

If you are wondering, “How can I build my chest muscle fast?” it’s best to use primarily free weights as opposed to machines. The slight differences in the angle during each repetition are likely to create more muscle growth, but you’ll be performing each repetition exactly the same if you use machines. 

In addition, the key to building muscle in any region of the body fast is by varying your exercise routine. If you simply perform the same exercises over and over, your muscles will adapt to those specific movements only, which results in less muscle growth. The best way to be sure that you’re varying your exercise routine enough is to use a rotation, which includes different chest exercises each session or each week. 

Not only is it important to vary your chest exercises by doing different exercises, but you can also vary how quickly the exercises are performed and how much weight you use. Remember that if you lower the weights very slowly, you won’t need to use anywhere near as much weight as you normally would. 

Luckily, if you want to build up your chest muscles at home, there are lots of ways that you can do it. One great way to bulk up your pecs at home is by using the proper equipment. You can get a wide range of dumbbells, barbells, and machines to build up your chest at home. 

What Is the Best Chest Building Exercise?

If you’re looking to build chest muscle, then you need to do the right exercises. However, you’re probably still wondering, “What is the best chest building exercise?” and the answer to that question varies greatly from one person to another. However, these are a few of the best chest exercises that you can choose: 

• Barbell Bench Press: In order to perform this exercise properly, you’ll lie down on the bench, and then you’ll raise the barbell up until your arms are fully extended but not locked. Then, lower the barbell back to the level of your chest. The barbell should remain in line with your mid-chest at all times. Do not arch your back. This exercise is one of the most popular ways to build chest muscle.

• Flat Bench Dumbbell Press: This exercise is the same as the barbell bench press, but the only difference is that you’ll be using dumbbells instead of barbells. Many weightlifters feel that this exercise is an even better way to build chest muscle than the traditional barbell bench press.

• Machine Decline Press: While this exercise involves using a machine, it can be a highly effective way to build chest muscle in your lower pecs. This exercise involves performing a bench press on a bench that is slightly elevated, which means that the bar is being brought down to a lower part of your chest.

• Seated Machine Chest Press: The seated machine chest press involves sitting upright in a chair while pressing the bar out from the center of your chest. This exercise is performed on a machine. However, it can be an effective way to add some variety to your exercise routine.

• Incline Bench Cable Fly: Chest fly exercises are perfect for building up your entire pectoral region. This exercise requires you to use a machine, but the fact that cables are used makes it more similar to free weight exercises in some ways. Perform this exercise by arcing the cable handles toward the center of your chest prior to lowering the cables back to the sides. Use a bench that’s angled 30 to 45 degrees, and position the cables on each side of you.

• Low Incline Barbell Press: The low incline barbell press involves sitting on a bench that’s tilted 30 to 45 degrees. The bar is lowered to your upper pectoral region, which makes this a great way to build up your upper chest. This exercise can be performed with a free barbell or on a bench press machine.

• Svend Press: This exercise focuses on building the muscles in the central part of your pectoral region, and you can perform it by pressing two barbell discs together and moving outward from your chest. You can perform this exercise in three different ways to target specific areas of your chest muscles.
  
  If you move the discs upward and out from your chest at a 45-degree angle, it will target your upper part of your central pecs. If you move the discs downward from the center of your chest at a 45-degree angle, it will target the lower region of your central chest.
  
  Moving the discs outward from the center of your chest will target the middle region of your central pecs. Unlike the other exercises on this list, you won’t want to use too much weight starting out. In fact, you may want to start with as little as two 2.5- or 5-pound discs.

How Do You Build Your Upper Pecs?

If you are wondering, “How do you build your upper pecs?” it’s essential to make sure that you consider the angle of the barbell, bar, or dumbbells. You want to make sure that you perform chest press or bench press exercises with the bar in line with the upper region of your chest. Even if your main goal is to bulk up your upper pecs, you should make sure that you perform a variety of chest exercises to ensure that you build up your entire pectoral region. 

There are a number of ways to improve your chest muscles. You can use a barbell bench press, barbell discs, or a chest machine to get the results you want. Consider combing these tools so your chest muscles get a variety of workouts in. Whatever method you choose, it’s important that you have a dedicated schedule.

To get fit, many start routines with serious effort and commitment. After a few weeks, the results begin to show. People begin to notice and comment on the progress. After a while, though, the traditional three days of cardio and three days of weight training in the gym leave some looking for diversity in their workouts. Strength training at home utilizing a five-day workout routine is a great solution for this. What should a 5 day workout consist of, though, and what makes it so effective?

What Should a 5 Day Workout Consist Of?

A five-day split workout is the optimal strength training routine that builds the maximum amount of muscle in the shortest amount of time. The focus of the program is to apply maximum effort to a specific body part on a consistent day of the week. The consistency exhausts the muscle and allows sufficient rest for it to build. So, what should a 5 day workout consist of?

The five-day workout should focus on muscle groups by promoting intense bursts and sometimes consisting of two body parts per day. Isolating muscle groups with targeted exercises encourages muscle growth and definition. 

The workouts will always address the commonly identified muscle groups such as the chest, back, biceps, triceps, shoulders, abs and legs. Many bodybuilders and fitness gurus adopt this training regimen to gain pure muscle and reduce overall body fat. Muscle-building calls for a proper combination of stress on body parts working together with focused intensity.

It is critical to identify the days you want to work out and the body parts you want to work out. You also need to allow a sufficient amount of rest in between days. There are certain muscle-building rules to maximize the development of the workout. Some of these rules include the following:

• The chest, leg, shoulders and back workouts should be worked no more than once in five days.

• The abdomen, bicep and tricep muscles should be worked twice a week, incorporating a light workday and a heavy workday and with a three-day rest period in between.

• Monitor the number of sets and reps during each workout.

• Incorporate no more than one hour of training per workout day.

The Benefits of a 5 Day Workout Split

Applying the combination of the above rules, the benefits of a 5-day workout split are tremendous. Maximizing your effort and intensity into one specific muscle group per day keeps the mind focused. This style of training also promotes muscle depth and striations.

One of the pitfalls that many fitness enthusiasts experience is overtraining. The five-day split routine, in combination with the above guidelines, minimizes the potential for overtraining and injuries. When someone who was injured returns to lifting, the potential to push too hard is real.

With the proper amount of rest and recovery, you are allowing the muscle to absorb nutrients and to develop and grow. Allowing the repair process to thoroughly cycle gives a boost to muscle growth. The results of targeting muscle groups are superior to full-body workouts.

Based on your intensity during each workout, there will be an uneven number of calories burned simply because each exercise has its level of “burn.” In other words, focus more on your fat-burning strategies during your cardio sessions. Your workout sessions are simply to build muscle. Hence, you will maximize the benefits of a 5-day workout split.

What Are the Best Muscles to Work Out Together in a 5 Day Split?

Figuring out the proper combination as to which muscle groupings would work most effectively in a workout needs some guidance and thought. When working out from home, you might need to get creative so you can maximize these muscle groups. What are the best muscles to work out together in a 5 day split? They are as follows:

• Chest and triceps (light)

• Back and biceps (light), followed by a rest period

• Abs

• Shoulders and triceps (heavy)

• Legs and biceps (heavy), followed by a rest period

Here are some recommended exercises to complete from home for each muscle group:

• Chest and triceps: Pushups, bench dips, triceps extension, dumbbell bench press and fly

• Back and biceps: Upright row, bent-over barbell row, wide grip barbell curl and dumbbell biceps curl

• Abs: Crunch, side crunches and 6-inch straight-leg toe lift

• Legs: Squats, lunges and toe raises

• Shoulders: Lateral raise, front raise, military presses and shrugs

Train your legs at the end of the weekly cycle because the leg workout is the most taxing one of all body parts. Due to the leg having long muscles that need stretching, it takes a lot of effort and intensity to maximize the benefits of this exercise. In many instances, the fitness enthusiast needs additional rest and recovery during the leg workout and the mental fortitude to maintain proper form during each rep and set. 

The recovery period from your leg routine will limit movement due to soreness and exhaustion. Allowing a full recovery day from any exercise on any body part is ideal. 

Many home-based products can assist you in building muscle, such as the Hex Trap Bar V2, the Seated Leg Curl/Extension Machine, the T-3 Series Power Rack and more. At Titan Fitness, these and our other fitness products are reasonably priced, and we provide fast shipping. Having professional equipment at home is everybody’s dream. You don’t have to wake up, get dressed and drive to the gym. You can roll out of bed and know that quality equipment is there to help you build your muscles from home.

The fast pace of life and commitments at work and home leave fitness enthusiasts looking for a way to efficiently increase the results of each workout. Hence, the benefits of a 5-day workout split are tremendous. The split-day program has been around for many years, and the most successful bodybuilders and fitness devotees utilize it because of the outstanding results derived in a short period. Having the right equipment gives you the comfort in knowing that you can reach your fitness goals.

Despite the jokes, leg day is more than just the punchline to a counter-argument about not working out. Establishing a bodybuilding strategy that incorporates a healthy variety of muscle groups will often make the difference between long term success (and results), and amateur attempts to tone up your biceps/quads for summer beach season.

Seriously: don’t skip it.

Your legs literally carry you everywhere, including to and from the gym— it’s important to give them the respect they deserve as one of the most important muscle groups in your body. And yes, it helps to have something to do on days where you’re not working on your arms and chest. Below, we’ve put together a quick rundown of exercises you can add to your current regimen to target your legs, along with tertiary muscle groups that can suffer from a lack of attention when utilizing common techniques. Follow along, and remember: fitness is about more than just the muscles that make you look good.

THE SCIENCE OF SQUATTING

Arguably one of the most effective and versatile techniques when it comes to building and maintaining leg mass, squats can make for a simple way to get started— here are a few popular variations to consider.

Basic (Beginner’s) Squat: Not used to doing leg exercises? Just getting started? No problem. Practice by incorporating some basic, no-equipment squats into your routine to cultivate your form and condition your tendons for more complex exercise.

Kettle-bell Squat: You might have guessed it from the name, but this squatting exercise involves utilizing proper squatting form, while holding a weighted kettle-bell using both arms— shoot for 10-20 reps using a weight you feel comfortable with.

Barbell Squat: If it’s time to get more serious, this might be your go-to leg workout. You should ideally perform this exercise using a squat rack, and proper form (ensuring you exercise good back posture, aren’t using excess barbell weights, etc.) are key— if you plan on attempting barbell squats, make sure you have a spotter and do plenty of research first.

LEG PRESSES, EXTENSIONS AND YOU

You might need to visit an actual gym for this one— extensions and presses are some of the more effective leg exercises that you can perform, but require a machine. Still, if you have access to a leg press/extension machine (or even own one at home), these are a good use of your time.

Leg Presses: While they can seem somewhat complicated at first glance, leg presses are honestly a simple way to work your core muscle groups. This exercise gets big ups because it can be easily customized— most machines should allow you to set your weight limit of choice and work around a resistance level that you’re comfortable with.

Leg Extensions: While similar, leg extensions make their distinction by focusing more on frontal leg motion, rather than one similar to a squat. While extensions don’t involve the use of extraneous weights or barbells, they still allow for a customizable range of muscle improvement, by allowing for a range of leg positions that target different groups.

BY: TRAVIS JONES FROM THE MOVEMENT REVIEW

Warming up muscle groups is an essential element to any workout. A quality warm-up can prevent injuries and helps the body perform at a high level of intensity. Kettlebells offer a great way to warm up the muscles and don’t require a lot of space to store around the house. Movement preparation is a style of dynamic warm-ups that activate different muscle groups at the same time. These types of exercises will increase circulation and activates the body in preparation for physically demanding activities. Here are five great kettlebell exercises that will ensure you have a great workout every time:

1. HALO

Muscle Groups – Shoulders, upper-back

Movement – Holding the kettlebell like a steering wheel, with the hands-on both sides of the grip and the weight on-top, rotate the weight around your head. Focus on keeping your chin up, elbows in, and stand tall. Then, slowly rotate the kettlebell counterclockwise around the neck while also rotating the weight so that the wrists do not bend. The forearms should rub across the top of the head during this motion. Halfway through the action, the kettlebell should be in the middle of the back with the weight below the handles and elbows pointed to the sky. Users should feel the sensation of the weight pulling down on their shoulders at this point. Without pausing, continue moving the kettlebell in the same direction until it is back at the starting position. Try five to ten rotations in one direction, and then perform the operation in the opposite direction.

Focus – Keep the kettlebell as close to the neck as possible to enhance shoulder mobility.

Repetitions – 5 to 10 on each side

2. ARM BAR

Muscle Groups – Shoulders, thoracic spine, abdomen

Movement – Start by lying flat on your back with a light-weight kettlebell in the right hand, and the arm fully extended above the body. Slowly rotate onto your stomach, while keeping the kettlebell in the same position. This motion requires the shoulder to rotate, with the right leg driving the torso into the roll. Next, drive the right knee to the ground, with the leg bent at a 90-degree angle, and the head resting on the left bicep. After the hips are flush with the ground, flex the shoulder blades to maintain the balance, and begin to extend the legs as far as possible, until both knees are locked and the toes are pointed. While in this position, concentrate on breathing and flexing the glutes, while feeling a stretch across the chest and thoracic spine.

Allow the shoulder blades to pull in, towards each other, but do not “shrug”. Hold this position for five deep breaths, and slowly reverse the movement to come back to original position. Slowly lower the kettlebell while flat on your back, and safely halo to the other side to repeat the exercise in the opposite direction.

Focus – Maintain the weight’s center of balance while the arm is fully extended

Repetitions – 3 to 5 on each side

3. GOBLET SQUAT

Muscle Groups – Quadriceps, abdomen

Movement – Grab the kettlebell by the horns, and hold it close to your chest. Spread your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width, with your toes pointing out at a 45-degree angle for balance, and keep the chin up. Slowly lower the body while keeping the back straight and your eyes forward, until your hamstrings are as close as possible to your calves. Concentrate on extending the buttocks out, and keep the back as straight as possible. At the lowest point, pause for two or three full breaths, and use your elbows to gently push the knees out. Keeping the back straight and the abdomen tight, stand up from this position to return to the original stance. *note: jumping vertically three times in a row and then looking down is a good way to identify how far apart the feet should be during this exercise

Focus – The feet should stay flat on the floor during this entire exercise

Repetitions – 10 to 20

4. COSSACK SQUAT – GOBLET GRIP

Muscle Groups – Glutes, inner-thighs, quadriceps, hip flexibility

Movement – Hold the kettlebell with a straight spine, stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width, and place your left foot facing out with the toes pointed to the sky. Keeping the left knee straight, slowly squat with the right leg while concentrating on keeping both heels on the floor. Go down as far as possible, and then slowly stand up to the original position before switching sides. *note: if you struggle to keep the left leg straight, then try widening the stance slightly

Focus – Keep the foot of the squatting leg flat on the ground

Repetitions – 5 to 10 on each leg

5. GOOD MORNINGS – MODIFIED

Muscle Groups – Glutes, lower back, hamstrings, hip flexibility

Movement – Hold the kettlebell at waist level, and stand tall with your feet slightly further than shoulder-width apart. As you inhale, bend at the hips, and push the buttocks back as you descend, until the torso is about 15-degrees above the horizon. Hold the position for one full breath, and return to the original position by concentrating on flexing the glutes while pushing the hips forward.

Focus – Keep the back straight for the duration of the movement. Push the hips back as the upper body moves forward, and bring the hips forward when returning to the original position

Repetitions – 5 to 10