Lower Chest Exercises
Lower pectoral muscles, or pecs, are one of the hardest to develop. But it really doesn’t have to be so difficult. There are two muscles that form the lower pec: one spans from the shoulder to the chest and the other lies on the outer edge of the chest. In fact, your chest muscles start from right under the collar bones. While you will need work on your entire chest in order to build pecs, you’ll need to proceed by targeting a specific muscle or region of your chest.
I have watched people struggle with lower chest exercises for many years now, so in this article, I’d like to share some highly effective lower chest exercise strategies that I have developed and found to be very useful over the years.
Let’s take a look at what you need to do to strengthen and define your lower chest muscles.
Incline Pushup
Pushups are basically multifunctional; they help many other muscles in your body other than the lower chest muscles. You can work your entire back and upper body with only a few pushups. However, when it comes to lower chest muscles, an inclined pushup will help you define the muscles better.
And the best part is that you won’t need any heavy equipment for this workout. Just a desk or a workout bench will do.
You place your hand at a shoulder-length distance from the edge of the bench and lean in a plank position. After taking this position, try to bend your arms slowly. Move your chest toward the bench. After a few seconds, move back to your previous position in slow motion. Repeat this motion a few times, and you will begin to see the difference in a matter of days.
Decline Dumbbell Press
This is a popular lower chest exercise. You will not need much equipment for it either, just a set of dumbbells and an inclined chair will do great. But a barbell will also serve the purpose. With a barbell, you can lift heavier weights in fewer reps. On the other hand, dumbbells allow you to exercise with greater motion. The latter is a better choice for lower chest exercises since they target the muscles better.
Lie down on a bench inclined at about a 45-degree angle and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your back flat and raise your hands in slow motion. Make sure to inhale as you are lifting the dumbbells upward.
After that, drop the dumbbells downward and hold for a couple of seconds. Repeat up to 12 times, and you will begin to see the results within a week.
Cable Crossover
Cable machines are great for cross-training. They offer a range of workout options; all you have to do is set the pulley right. Since we are talking about lower chest exercises, set the pulleys low for this workout.
To begin the session, place the pulleys overhead with the weight of your choice. The pulleys come with handles; grab each with each hand, and step one foot forward.
Lean.
Extend your arms sideways while keeping your elbows slightly bent.
Exhale.
Bring the elbows to the front.
Repeat up to 12 times, but make sure to rest in between.
Chest Dip
Chest dips are performed on parallel bars or a dip station and target the lower chest, shoulders, and triceps.
The benefits of the workout are many fold. You will be able to build muscles and of course, strength in the chest and shoulders.
If you want, you can add more weight to the machine and take a heavier exercise. Moreover, since the equipment is rather simple to use and comes with a minimal design, it offers many conveniences and a smooth workout session.
To begin the exercise, hold your body above the bar and lean forward. Bend your knees for better balance and overlap them.
Inhale; slowly lower your body until your chest muscles are stretching.
Repeat the motion a few more times.
Turn Up Your Training
Now if you’re tired of working out in slow motion and want to increase the intensity of your lower chest exercise sessions, you can follow any of the following steps:
Heavy Rest-Pause
Choose a weight with which you cannot do any more than six reps, then do only three reps with it. Take some rest, but no longer than 20 seconds. Do those other three reps now. This process will increase the growth-producing stimulus by a good margin.
Forced reps
If you reach muscle failure in the middle of the workout session, ask your trainer or partner to help you lift the weight. Rest your arms for a minute or two; this is likely to allow you a few more reps.
Drop sets
Muscle failure in the middle of exercise can be quite stressful. Here’s another thing you can do: Reduce the weight you are lifting by 25 percent and continue the reps. And if you hit muscle failure again, you can simply repeat the process.
Negatives
Instead of abruptly ending your lower chest exercise, ask your partner to help you lift the weight once you reach muscle failure. Rest for a few seconds, no longer than ten though. This contraction will help you lower the weight on your own. You can repeat the process a few more times.
Conclusion
We have assembled some of the best lower chest exercises for you to strengthen your pectoral muscles. While any of these exercises will help you achieve the result you crave, you need to be careful about the weight you are lifting. If you are only starting out, it’s best to start small and eventually increase the weight. I hope this article has helped you get a better understanding of the workout regime.