Dumbbell Flyes

Like with the bench press, you can perform flyes with the bench at different angles to vary the emphasis on different parts of the chest.

How to do it:

1) Lie on the bench after adjusting it to the required angle.

2) Hold the dumbbells out to the sides with your elbows slightly bent.

3) Move the weights up and over your chest in an arc.

4) Lower back to the starting position.

Cable Crossovers

This is a similar motion to dumbbell flyes. However, whilst dumbbell flyes are a great exercise, the tension on the chest muscles reduces as we bring the weights in until there is almost no effort in the pecs when the weights are overhead. Cable crossovers, on the other hand, keep more of the tension on the pectoral muscles at the apex of the movement. This helps to develop the hard-to-get inner pecs. Using both exercises in your chest workout programme will make you get the best all-round chest development.

How to do it:

1) Lock each pulley into a high position, above the level of your head.

2) With your arms out to the sides, grasp one pulley handle with each hand. Your body should form a t-shape.

3) Stand with one foot in front of the other.

4) Bring your arms down and together in front of you. Squeezing your chest muscles and holding for one second at the peak of the movement.

5) Let the weights slowly pull your arms back to the start position, giving your chest muscles a good stretch. Then repeat the motion.

Muscle Building Tips for all these Chest Exercises

The concentric phase (lifting the weight) should take about 1-2 seconds.

The eccentric phase of the exercise (lowering the weight) should take about 3 seconds. Much of the muscle building power of resistance exercises comes from this 'negative' part of the exercise so, once you've lifted the weight, don't waste it by just dropping it.

At the top of the movement, make sure you don't lock out your elbows as this can put excessive strain on the joint. Always keep a slight bend.

Always make sure you've warmed up and have stretched the muscles before training. This will help prevent injury. Resistance training tends to shorten muscles, you should always stretch the muscles you've trained after your workout to prevent this effect. Stretch your chest muscles to ensure they don't pull your shoulders forward giving you bad posture.

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