WHETHER YOU ALWAYS WORK OUT
at home, or you have an adjustable bench,
a barbell and dumbbells at home for days you don’t feel like
trekking to the gym, we offer you effective workouts with
minimal equipment.
>>
Don’t do the incline barbell press at home unless you have a
spotter; if you’re by yourself, replace this with dumbbell
incline presses, which are just as effective.
>>
If your bench doesn’t decline, try putting a 45-pound plate
under one end of the bench (don’t stack plates more than one
high, for safety reasons).
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#3 |
EXERCISE |
SETS
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REPS
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Incline Barbell Press* |
4
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15, 12, 10, 8 |
Incline DB Flye** |
3 |
8, 10, 12 |
One-Arm DB
Flat-Bench Press** |
2 |
8, 10 |
Decline-Bench
DB Flye** |
3 |
10, 12, 15 |
* Pyramid up the weight
each set.
** For these exercises, start with the heaviest
weight you can, and drop the weight on each
successive set.
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Whether
barbell or dumbbell, incline presses target the often
lagging upper pec region.
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INCLINE
BARBELL PRESS
START: Lie on an incline
bench and grasp the racked barbell with a moderate-width
grip, palms facing the ceiling. Lift the bar off the rack
and raise it until your arms are fully extended.
MOVE:
Bend your elbows to lower the bar to just below your neck;
at the bottom, your elbows should be out and away from your
body but slightly in front of your shoulders. Contract your
chest muscles and extend your elbows to press the bar up
until your elbows are almost locked out.
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INCLINE
DUMBBELL FLYE
START: Set an incline
bench at a 45-degree angle. Grasp a pair of dumbbells and
sit on the bench so that your back is flush against the pad.
To start, raise the weights directly over the centre of your
upper chest so that your arms are nearly straight, palms
face each other and the dumbbells touch.
MOVE:
Keep your elbows bent slightly throughout and begin lowering
the dumbbells out and down to your sides in an arc. When
your upper arms are in roughly the same horizontal plane as
your torso, your palms should face the ceiling. Retrace the
same path to raise the weights, squeezing them together by
forcefully contracting your chest muscles.
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ONE-ARM
DUMBBELL FLAT-BENCH PRESS
START: Grasp a dumbbell
and lie face up on a flat bench. Extend your arm to lift the
weight directly above your chest.
MOVE:
Bend your elbow to lower the dumbbell to a point just
outside of but in the same horizontal plane as your chest.
Your elbow should be out to your side and slightly in front
of your shoulder joint. Press the weight back up and in by
simultaneously squeezing your pec and fully extending your
arm. Finish your reps and repeat with your other arm.
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DECLINE-BENCH
DUMBBELL FLYE
START: Lie on a decline
bench holding a dumbbell in each hand. To start, raise the
weights directly above the lower half of your chest so that
your arms are nearly straight, your palms face each other
and the dumbbells touch.
MOVE:
Keep your elbows bent slightly throughout and begin lowering
the dumbbells out and down to your sides in an arc. When
your upper arms are in roughly the same horizontal plane as
your torso, your palms should face the ceiling. Raise the
weights back up in an arc, retracing the path of descent.
Squeeze the weights up and together by forcefully
contracting your chest muscles.
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Source:
One
of the
magazines of MUSCLE
& FITNESS
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