BENCH PRESS
with Purvis Pec Bar – Shoulder Horizontal Adduction (and elbow extension)
Muscles worked:
This exercise emphasizes the chest muscles (pectoralis major), also involving
the front shoulder muscles (anterior deltoid, a portion of the middle deltoid) and the triceps, which are
located on the back of the upper arm.
Starting position:
•Seated in the 45 degree position, reach straight behind your body, grasp the hand grips, and
bend your elbows until your hands are near your chest and your palms are facing toward the
floor.
•Keeping knees bent and feet flat on the floor, lay your head back against the bench and
straighten your arms to the front.
•Be sure that your arms are directly “in line” with the cables, palms facing down and wrists
straight.
•Raise your chest and “pinch” your shoulder blades together. Maintain a very slight,
comfortable, arch in your lower back.
Motion:
•Slowly move your elbows outward, simultaneously bending your arms, keeping the forearms
in line with the cables at all times.
•Stop when your upper arms are straight out to the sides, level with your shoulders.
•Then, slowly press forward, moving the hands toward the center, and return to the starting
position with arms straight to the front at shoulder width and in line with the cables. Keep
your chest muscles tightened during the entire motion.
Key points:
•Maintain a 90 degree angle between the upper arms and the torso throughout the exercise.
•Limit and control the range of motion so that your elbows do not travel behind your shoulders.
•Keep shoulder blades “pinched” together and maintain good spinal alignment.
RESISTED PUNCH –
Shoulder Flexion, Elbow Extension, and Scapular Protraction
Muscles worked:
This exercise involves the entire chest muscle, the front shoulder muscles
(anterior deltoid, a portion of the middle deltoid) and the triceps, which are located on the back of the
upper arm. The goal however, is not any specific muscle group. It is to be used with very light resistance
for an endurance activity.
Starting position:
•Seated in the flat position, reach straight behind your body, grasp the handles, bend your
elbows until your hands are near your chest and your palms are facing toward the floor.
•Keeping knees bent and feet flat on the floor, lay your head back against the bench. Keep your
arms bent.
Motion:
•Using a moderate speed and light weight, press one arm forward to full extension, allowing the
shoulder blade to move forward at the end of the punch.
•Return that arm to the starting position under control and repeat with the other arm.
Key points:
•This is unlike other chest exercises.
•It is important to note that “sport specific” movements will not necessarily improve the skill
associated with a sport.
Chest Exercises
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