The chest press is more than just a bench replacement, as this piece of equipment is a classic for good reason.
Whether lying or sitting, you train arms, shoulders and of course the chest on the chest press - which muscles exactly the chest press addresses and what differences there are, you can find out here.
These muscles you train with the chest press
On the chest press, of course, the chest is primarily trained, this is divided into two isolated muscle groups, but we usually perceive them as one pectoral muscle. The pectoralis major is the lower pectoral muscle, it runs on the outside and under the nipple. This part of the pectoral muscles ensures that the muscles hang above the ribs in a clearly formed manner.
The pectoralis minor, on the other hand, runs along the top of your chest and, when trained well, creates a tunnel between your pectoral muscles.
The pectoralis major is the muscle that is always trained when sitting straight on the chest press, but the pectoralis minor becomes more difficult to reach. In the lying chest press you can incline the bench, this strengthens the pectoralis minor and the shoulder muscles. Because of course the chest press also hits the shoulders, especially the deltoid.
Secondarily, the triceps, the antagonist of the biceps, and the elbow muscle are stressed. If you want to strengthen the triceps specifically, a tighter grip on the chest press is recommended. In the narrow grip, however, you can probably press less weight than in the wide grip, because the chest and shoulders are not so strongly integrated into the exercise. And the triceps is just a much smaller muscle. The saw muscle is also trained on the chest press, but this is more incidental. This sawtooth-shaped muscle runs between the chest and back under the arms and is a supporting muscle that helps you coordinate movements. Without pre-loads, you don't have to worry much about this muscle, you can easily train it along the way.
More variance on the chest press
To train your muscles on the chest press as balanced as possible, you should always vary the execution. Whether wide or short grip or on straight, inclined or negative bench on the lying chest press, you have many options to get a broad chest and strong arms. Should you have the necessary strength and balance, you should definitely train on the bench in addition to the chest press. The free weight adds to the useful aspects of the chest press with additional coordination when balancing the dumbbell(s).
Find your suitable strength equipment at an unbeatable price on fitnessmarkt.de's central shopping now!
Editors fitnessmarkt.de (EA)
Photo credit: #138850020 Prostock-studio / stock.adobe.com
Published on: 6 March 2020