Upper Chest

Incline Barbell Bench Press

Exercise Advice: This exercise is very similar to the regular barbell bench press except that you will be using an incline free weight bench press machine and your upper chest will be the muscle group worked instead of your middle chest. Lift the barbell off of the rack and slowly lower it to about 3 inches above your clavicle (just below your Adam’s apple) and then press the bar back to the start position. DO NOT TOUCH THE BAR TO YOUR UPPER CHEST (this causes unneeded stress on your shoulder joints and takes the tension away from your upper pec muscles, which are what we want to be doing the work!). Be sure that when you are lowering the bar that you do so in a slow and controlled fashion. Conversely, when you press the bar upward, you want to do so in an explosive fashion. Repeat this movement for as many repetitions as you can until failure. Remember to always use a spotter when performing this and almost every other free weight exercise!

Incline Bench Cable Flyes

Exercise Advice: This exercise is very similar to both the Hammer grip incline dumbbell press and the flat bench cable flyes. Place a free standing incline bench in between a cable pulley machine that has pulleys on two sides. Position yourself with your back lying on the incline bench. Using a low pulley on each side, have your spotter hand you the one-hand attachment for each hand. When you begin this movement, you want your arms to be stretched out wide to your sides with your elbows slightly bent and your palms facing inward, toward one another. When you lift the pulleys up together, visualize hugging a giant tree trunk. At the peak of the movement, really squeeze your pecs together for a one-count. When returning to the start position, be sure to lower the pulleys in a slow and controlled fashion. Repeat this movement for as many repetitions as you can until failure.

Incline Dumbbell Flyes

Exercise Advice: This exercise is very similar to the incline cable flyes except that you will be using dumbbells in each hand instead of the cable pulleys. Position yourself on a free standing incline bench, lying on it with your back flat on the bench. Have your spotter hand you two dumbbells, one for each hand. Grip each dumbbell with your palms facing inward toward one another. When you begin this movement, you want your arms to be stretched out wide to your sides with your elbows slightly bent and your palms facing inward, toward one another. When you lift the dumbbells up together, visualize hugging a giant tree trunk. At the peak of the movement, really squeeze your pecs together for a one-count. When returning to the start position, be sure to lower the dumbbells in a slow and controlled fashion. Repeat this movement for as many repetitions as you can until failure.

Incline Supinating Dumbbell Flyes

Exercise Advice: This exercise is very similar to the regular incline dumbbell flyes except that you will be twist your wrists inward at the top of the movement. Position yourself on a free standing incline bench, lying on it with your back flat on the bench. Have your spotter hand you two dumbbells, one for each hand. Grip each dumbbell with your palms facing inward toward one another. When you begin this movement, you want your arms to be stretched out wide to your sides with your elbows slightly bent and your palms facing inward, toward one another. When you lift the dumbbells up together, visualize hugging a giant tree trunk. As you are nearing the peak of the movement, twist your wrists so that both thumbs are pointing outward, away from one another. When returning to the start position, be sure to lower the dumbbells in a slow and controlled fashion. Repeat this movement for as many repetitions as you can until failure.

Incline Bench Dumbbell Press

Exercise Advice: This exercise is very similar to the Hammer grip incline dumbbell press, except that you will grab each dumbbell using a regular grip instead of a grip where your palms face inward. Position yourself on a free standing incline bench. Have your spotter hand you two dumbbells, one for each hand. Press the dumbbells upward in an explosive fashion. Conversely, return to the start position in a slow and controlled fashion. Repeat the movement for as many repetitions as you can until failure. Remember to always use a spotter when performing this and almost every other free weight exercise!.

Hammer Grip Incline Dumbbell Press

Exercise Advice: Position yourself on a free standing incline bench. Have your spotter hand you two dumbbells, one for each hand. Grip each dumbbell with your palms facing inward toward one another. Press the dumbbells upward in an explosive fashion. Conversely, return to the start position in a slow and controlled fashion. Repeat the movement for as many repetitions as you can until failure. Remember to always use a spotter when performing this and almost every other free weight exercise!

Declined Push Ups

Exercise Advice: This is a regular pushup except that your feet will be lying across a flat bench. Be sure that when you are executing this movement that you keep your back very straight/flat. You can use varying degrees of hand widths as well when performing this exercise.

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

Exercise Advice: This exercise is very similar to the regular medium grip barbell incline bench press. The only difference is that the Smith machine acts as a spotter for you! Place a free standing incline bench under a Smith Machine (if you not know what a Smith machine, simply ask a trainer at your gym to assist you). Lie flat on your back and grab the barbell above you with a grip slightly beyond shoulder width apart. Lift the barbell off of the rack and slowly lower it to about 3 inches above your clavicle (just below your Adam’s apple) and then press the bar back to the start position. DO NOT TOUCH THE BAR TO YOUR UPPER CHEST (this causes unneeded stress on your shoulder joints and takes the tension away from your upper pec muscles, which are what we want to be doing the work!). Be sure that when you are lowering the bar that you do so in a slow and controlled fashion. Conversely, when you press the bar upward, you want to do so in an explosive fashion. Repeat this movement for as many repetitions as yu can until failure.

Exercise Ball Inclined Pushups

Exercise Advice: Using an exercise ball, securely position your hands directly on the ball and get your body into a pushup position. Slowly complete a full pushup bringing your chest down towards the exercise ball and then back up to the starting position while keeping tension on your chest muscles throughout the range of the exercise.