Women are very conscious about their breasts. But as they age, they start sagging. Wearing push-up bras can help; some women even end up opting for surgery to give them the youthful breasts they once had. Doing exercises for the chest at the gym can give woman the perky breasts and cleavage they want. However, most of them shy away from doing them due to some myths they harbour. In this post, we bust some of them:
Myth 1: Chest exercises will make my breasts smaller.
Truth: As long as you sustain body fat levels that are well within a healthy range, you won’t have an issue.
Myth 2: Chest training will make my breasts hard.
Truth: Training your pectoral muscles will build muscle underneath the fat that makes up your breasts. As long as you aren’t dieting too severely, your fat mass will be present. If anything, the added muscle will help your breasts appear fuller and might actually give a little boost to your cleavage.
Myth 3: Push-ups are enough to make my upper body look better.
Truth: Most women add push-ups to their regular routine and then wonder why their upper body isn’t looking better. As with any other muscle group, you need a sufficient level of exercise variety and weight resistance training in your programme.
A combination of bench press, incline bench press, cable or dumbbell flyes and push-ups is the variation and difficulty you should be aiming for.
Myth 4
Using light weight with higher reps is better than lifting heavy weights.
Truth: It might seem like a good idea to use light weights but remember that muscles respond best to a challenge. If you lift light weight for high reps, you’ll be making very few fitness improvements and won’t be doing much besides burning calories. You won’t gain muscle mass unless you’re eating a high-calorie diet. All the heavy lifting you do on a standard or fat-loss diet will increase fitness and strength, but you won’t get big, so don’t be afraid to lift heavy.
Now that we’ve covered what not to worry about, here’s what you need to know about chest training:
- Try to hit your compound lifts like the bench press at the beginning of your workouts.
- Depending on your current workout split, you can work your chest muscles up to 2 to 3 times per week. Make sure you take a day off between workouts.
- If you’re using an upper/lower body split, add this chest workout to your upper body days.
The chest workout
This workout will create greater muscle activation which results in a greater caloric expenditure post-workout.
Barbell Bench Press – Medium Grip
Lie on a bench, hold the bar and raise it straight over you. Now bring it down till it reaches the middle of your chest. Use your chest muscles to push the bar again.
3 sets of 8 reps
Rest 60 seconds
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Lie on an incline bench with dumbbells in each hand, out on the sides but elbows bent slightly. Inhale while doing this. Now exhale as you bring them together above you. Your arms will now be perpendicular to the floor. Repeat.
2 sets of 10 reps
Rest 45 seconds
Push-ups
Place your palms and toes on the floor, elbows bent. Now bring your body up without bending your knees or raising your hips. Keep your body parallel to the floor at all times.
2 sets of 15 reps
Rest 30 seconds
Barbell Incline Bench Press – Medium Grip
Lie on an incline bench and perform the exercise by raising the bar and holding it above you directly and then bringing it down till it touches your middle chest area. Repeat.
3 sets of 10 reps
Rest 60 seconds
Dumbbell Flyes
Lie down on a flat bench with dumbbells in your hands, palms facing each other. Now raise them, shoulder-width apart. Inhale as you lower them – keep a wide arc, you should feel a stretch in your chest. Exhale as you raise your arms while squeezing your chest muscles.
2 sets of 12 reps
Rest 45 seconds
Push-Ups with Feet Elevated
Instead of your feet on the floor, keep them on an elevated platform like a bench or chair and perform the push-up.
2 sets of 15 reps
Rest 30 seconds
If you’re craving for that perfect pair to boost your confidence, just go natural and try these exercises. After all, one cherishes results achieved with hard work! Here are 10 ways to get better breasts. Also read how fenugreek seeds help increase breast size.
Image source: bodybuilding.com and Marika Johansson
Image source: Getty Images
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