Advanced Chest Exercises for Women

One of the inevitable effects of the aging process is that our body begins to sag. Unfortunately, the first area where we notice this downward gravity pull is the breasts.

- Praveen & Maheek Nair

While there is no cure for the ravages of aging, there are things we can do to dramatically slow down its effects. At the top of the list is targeted resistance exercise.

#1 Incline Dumbbell Press for the Upper Pecs

First on the list, because incline work (press and flies) is a low priority for most people. The focus for most people is on flat exercises (flat bench, flat flies), and this results in poor balance of the pecs. Flat exercises build the middle and lower of your pecs, whereas incline exercises work the upper pecks.

If you focus first on the upper pecs in your routines, you’ll be far ahead of most in the gym. This will help you build mass in the upper and the middle pecs, resulting in good overall proportion.

Start Position: Using an Olympic bench, set the upper bench at a 30-degree angle. Sitting on the bench holding your dumbbells, slowly lift the dumbbells as you rock back into position. Your elbows should be at a ~ 45 deg angle as shown in the start position. Keep your feet solidly on the ground.

Technique: Extend the arms straight up until your arms are extended, feeling a contraction and squeeze in your pecs. Return the dumbbells to the start position. Keep the motion fluid, and do not jerk the weights.

Sets / Reps / Rest: Mass and Size: 4-5 / 6 to 12/ 30 seconds

Hardness and Density: 3-4 / 4 to 6 / 90 seconds

Caution: You will be lifting less weight with incline presses than flat presses, so make sure you lift proper weight so that you can control the dumbbells

#2 Barbell Bench Press