Good Reasons to eliminate dips from your chest workout

 

Dips are a very effective exercise for building the lower chest and the triceps. Frankly, there’s no denying it. It is for this reason that so many people are absolutely shocked when I tell them they should never do dips when they exercise.

These people usually ask me the question “Why not?” 

They should begin by asking the question “Why?” 

Why is it that so many people are determined to include dips as a regular part of their chest workouts? If the answer has to do with dips being the best exercise for building the lower chest, I would tell the person that they’re wrong, and I would also provide them with the same response if they told me dips are the best exercise for building the triceps.

So, with that out of the way, now I can address why people shouldn’t include dips in their workouts. There are three simple answers to this question, and once you’re aware of them, hopefully, you will do the wise thing and remove dips from your training routines completely. 

Dips are very dangerous for your shoulders

 

When you train, it is important that you put yourself in the safest possible environment to cause the muscles being trained to grow into their strongest, most ideal form. In terms of the way they position the shoulder joint, dips are actually an incredibly dangerous exercise. 

 

During the dip movement, the shoulders start to roll forward at the bottom of each repetition, which forces the shoulder joint out of its socket during each repetition. Certainly, the movement has strength-building benefits for the lower chest and the triceps, but in the process of generating this stress, the movement is absolutely wrecking the shoulder joint over and over again by keeping it in a very dangerous position.

 

This danger is compounded by the fact that people often perform dips after they’ve done other compound movements, and the muscle groups around the shoulder joint are already fatigued. This results in the joint being even more susceptible to injury than it would normally be by the time dips are executed during training.

 

Even under normal circumstances, when you’re doing dips, you’re performing a movement that’s very unsafe. That’s why I can’t encourage anyone to do them with a clear conscience. Even though you might get some positive results from dips, the side effects and the negative consequences simply aren’t worth it.

There is a much safer way to build your lower chest

 

Now that I have dealt with the primary reason why dips shouldn’t be done, we can tackle the question of whether or not there is a better way to achieve the same muscle-building results as dips. Without reservation, I can tell you there are far better ways to build your lower chest like by using a chest workout machine.

 

I always talk about muscles being made in an arc formation, and that includes the chest muscles. So, whatever movement you do, you want it to be a movement you can control, and a movement that works your muscles within the arc formation they were designed in. Chest workouts are commonly thought of in terms of pushing and pressing movements, but the rotational motion of the shoulder is the primary force that results in the chest contractions that truly build the pectoral muscles. 

 

When the shoulders go back and then push forward and down, it works a lot more of the lower pectorals. The most effective way to achieve this motion is with cables as opposed to dips. When you do a cable crossover, you can focus specifically on the lower pectorals. When the shoulders go back, it forces the entire pectoral region to get involved, and when you finish the rep by pushing low and down, it forces the lower pecs to do the majority of the work.

 

Remember to bring your shoulders back and then forward and down. The backward movement opens and stretches the pectorals, and then you should squeeze forward and contract downward to finish each repetition.

There are much better ways to train your triceps

 

Training the triceps is fundamentally about straightening the arm by contracting the tricep muscles and extending the forearm out or down. No matter what method is being used to train the triceps, this way to build muscle in them is to extend the forearm and straighten the arm through a contraction.

 

When you keep this in mind and then analyze the dip, you see that the tricep isn’t placed in an optimal position to contract before the arm is extended. And since the chest assumes so much of the burden involved in stabilizing the body and pressing the weight, the benefit to the tricep comes primarily from flexing the tricep muscles at the top of the movement while it is holding up the bulk of the body’s weight. 

 

The other problem with dips is that they make it impossible to mentally focus on the work being done by the triceps, because the triceps aren’t the primary driver of the movement, and you can’t really think about them until the movement is 75% complete. In practice, most people are so focused on simply manipulating their body positioning while they’re doing dips that they aren’t thinking at all about what the targeted muscles are doing.

 

If you want to train your triceps in a safe manner that allows you to give them your full attention, and in a fashion that allows you to maximize the focus on the triceps by contracting the muscles and keeping them squeezed throughout the movement, almost any form of tricep extension is more effective and efficient than dips. This includes cable tricep extensions, seated tricep extensions with the machine, tricep kickbacks, and any other tricep movement that enables the shoulder joint to remain in its socket while the triceps are being trained.

 

key takeaway

The key takeaway here is that dips are extremely bad for your shoulder joint. You may really love dips, you may have done them for a long time, and you may feel that you have extremely strong triceps because of them. You might even be able to do dips with the weight belt that hangs down and allows you to add a lot of extra weight, which is an impressive way to show off your strength to anyone who might be watching.

Source - https://ironchestmaster.com/blogs/posts/good-reasons-to-eliminate-dips-from-your-chest-workout

Top 7 Push-Ups for A Bigger Chest Muscle

Push-ups are great for the upper body and a strong core. However, if you lack the right posture then you won’t see any results and your muscles would likely be sore. Most people don’t pay close attention to abdominal muscles while doing push-ups. For perfect push-ups, you should build up muscle connection. You can include chest push up in your workout routine and you will see amazing results after a few months. If you’re a beginner then it might be difficult for you at first, however, you can try the basic ones then move onto the intermediate level and finally the advanced level. In this article, we will look at 7 Push-ups for a bigger and defined chest muscle. 

Push-Ups to Get Bigger Chest Muscles

1) The Classic Push-ups 

If you’re a beginner then classic push-ups would be perfect for you. Classic push-ups are great for building a bigger chest muscle. Don’t rush and try to do four-five sets at once. Try to concentrate on your form and overtime when you would master it then you can proceed with your sets. Focus on your abdominal muscles, your core should be tight, your hands should be underneath your shoulders, and raise your hips.

2) Wide Arm Push-ups 

Wide arms push-ups are great for the chest. It lessens the involvement of the triceps, shoulders, and moves focus to the chest. We advise you to focus on the form as opposed to the number of times you’re performing it. Lower your torso to the ground slowly if you want to avoid the risk of injury. Don’t place your hands far apart. Your neck and head should stay tight while you’re doing wide arm push-ups. Wide arm push-ups for the upper chest be can be performed on a regular basis for excellent results. 

3) Triangle (Diamond) Push-ups 

Triangle or diamond push-ups are perfect for strengthening your upper and core. Your hands should be together angled inward at 45 degrees. Make sure that your fingers and thumbs touch each other to form a triangle. The triangle should be below your chest the entire time you’re doing the push-ups. 

4) Archer Push-ups 

First, place your arms wider than the width of your shoulders. Bend your one arm towards the ground during this exercise. The other arm must have a slight bend in the elbow. 

5) Clap Push-ups 

Clap push-ups can be quite challenging for a beginner. Over time, you can try this. To avoid injury make sure that you land with soft elbows after each clap. However, this move requires a lot of core control and ensures that you’re focused on muscle connection. 

6) Feet on The Walls Push-ups 

Just find a comfortable wall and try this push-up. Place your feet on the wall, slowly move your body back while you’re facing the ground. Once you’re able to maintain a straight position, tighten your core, and then slowly lower your body towards the ground. Feet on the walls push-ups for the chest can be performed for several months for better results. 

7) Cross Body Push-ups 

For cross-body push-ups, you need to focus on the shoulders, core, and hip flexors. As you lower your body, you need to pick up one leg and cross it beneath your body. Now you need to rotate your hips towards the ground. Get back to the previous position and repeat the same thing with your other leg. Do it at least 10 ×2 reps. 

The Bottom Line

Chest Workouts are considered to be difficult. If you’re new to fitness then push-ups can prove to be quite challenging for you. So, start with the classic ones then move onto the difficult ones. Remember that it’s not important how many times you’re doing it but how perfectly you’re doing each set. That really counts. 

Source- https://gumroad.com/noopur/p/top-7-push-ups-for-a-bigger-chest-muscle

Top 6 Benefits of Incorporating Push Ups in Your Workout

 

Push ups are the last option if you don’t have any machines or dumbbells. It is one of the most convenient ways in which you can get proper muscle growth. Whether you are at home or at the gym, push-ups can be done with ease. In this blog, you will get a glance at the benefits of Push Ups. This blog will provide information on why you don’t need to buy any pushup machine or equipment and get the whole-body workout.

Benefits of Push Ups You Should be Aware of

1) Increase the Strength of Your Body

As you start to do this exercise, at some point of time or after 15-20 repetitions, you feel the burn in your muscle. One of its greatest benefits is that the push up offers the right versatility you need. Every major part of your upper body is being trained and you don’t need any Push up equipment also. Push-ups are always easier to manage, affecting the major parts such as biceps, triceps, deltoids.

2) Improvement in Your Cardiovascular System

Push Ups are called a compound exercise where multiple muscles are joined together. It improves your Cardiovascular System, which keeps your heart healthy and removes stored body fat. As you do the exercise, you are delivered with oxygen-rich blood to every muscle tissue, which enhances your heart to pump properly while keeping you healthy.

3)  Helps in Attaining a Better Posture

In our office, we often sit back for a long time on a chair, which in turn directly affects our posture. An improper posture is created by weak muscles, which can destroy our health. As you do Push Ups, your body stays in the vertical position for a few moments. Your muscles are strengthened, so is your posture. If you do it regularly, your body gets the proper posture.

4) Saving Time with Developing Body

Majority of the time, we overlook our health and don’t exercise. Push-ups on the other hand offer convenience, and enable us to develop our body with its own pace . There are many variants of this exercise for various angles.

5) No cost and specific place

Sometimes, even with dedication to exercise, we often end up with utmost dissatisfaction. We may lack a chest machine at our home but trying free hand push-ups is the best way to go without a push up machine . You can do it anywhere at a convenient time with the whole-body exercise.

6) Increment in Testosterone level

As we age, the level of hormones starts to decrease. For men, as the testosterone level
decreases, they face some issues like feeble bones, skeletal system disorders such as
Osteoporosis. To stop these issues, Push Ups can be helpful to maintain the testosterone
level in your body. According to research, Push Ups increase testosterone production, which makes your body healthy for men and women. It makes bones stronger and removes
Osteoporosis.

The Bottom Line

Gaining so many benefits from this exercise, your life will be healthy and fit without going to the gym or spending money. In fact, it is imperative to understand that free hand exercise comes with its own sets of advantages. The people who haven’t tried it yet can try their hand at it, but the people who have already got results know the benefits of this exercise. One of the age-old exercises is still popular and used by everyone.

What are the Best Ways of Doing a Chest Workout?

Having a defined and broad chest is a goal of every fitness freak. Broad chests shaped in a certain way completely change the look of a person. But it is also true that shaping those pectoral muscles on your chest is not an easy task, and it does require a lot of determination and strength. The chest muscles, including the pectoral muscles or the Pecs, are a combination of three different muscles, which are latissimus dorsi present on the two sides of the chest and trapezius muscle. People mostly work on these three muscles to sculpt their chest just the way they want. So, here’s a look at the best ways of doing a chest workout.

 

The Best Ways of Doing a Chest Workout

1) Barbell Bench Press

This chest workout is excellent for building muscles in the lower area of the chest. It can be easily performed on an open-ended bench. Lie down on the bench with your feet touching the ground and hold the rod of the barbell with both your palms and thumbs wrapped around it. The barbell must be completely over your head. Lift it up slowly and then bring it down. If you are a beginner, then you can take the help of your trainer in lifting the barbell up. Remember to keep your elbows and wrists straight. Also, inhale and then bring the bar down up to your chest, widening your elbows. This workout will help you build not only your chest muscles but your muscles correctly. 

2) Chest Fly

Completely contrary to what its name suggests, a chest fly workout is performed with weights that one can easily handle to put pressure on the pectoralis muscles on the chest. Similar to a bench press, you first need to lie on a bench with your feet resting on the ground. Make a grip on dumbbells with lesser weight than you expect in each hand. Now, open up your arms right around your shoulders on both sides. This will cast stress on the chest building up the chest muscles. Doing chest fly with weights that are too heavy can pressurize the chest leading it to be a chest press exercise and not a chest fly. Thus, chest fly shall be performed with lighter weights.

3) Pushups 

Pushups are a very well-known exercise. They are perfect for building muscles in the arms, chest, and even shoulders. They require no pushup equipment and can be easily performed at home also. To perform on the pushup machine, lie down, resting your chest on the ground. Keep your head and neck in alignment with your spine and place your elbows on both sides, resting the palm on the ground. Now, press up and then come down and perform this repeatedly. 

4) Incline Dumbbell Chest Press

This workout works as one of the most excellent chest machines to strengthen the pectoral muscles and the anterior deltoid. This type of workout does require a bench with a backrest of 45 degrees and a pair of dumbbells. So lie on the bench with your shoulders pinched back and your chest out. Hold a pair of dumbbells with your elbows facing the ground. Now lift the dumbbells out to the side, parallel to the floor, and then back to the top. Keep in mind to have a tight core and do not arc your chest. 

5) Cable Fly 

Just pressing your chest muscles is very monotonous. So give your muscles a change by practicing these cable fly exercises. Get your hands-on stirrup handles and attach them to high pulley cables. Stand in a stumbled position with the upper half of your body slightly inclined towards the ground. Hold both the handles with each hand. Now, pull them to a cross and then pull them out so that you can outstretch your arms. 

 

The Bottom Line

These chest workouts work as great push up a machine for the chest. Several chest workouts help to shape the chest muscles. Working on chest muscles gives your body a more pleasing look. It can be performed by not only men but women too. Although building chest muscles is tough, once you have built them, it is worth all the sweat.

Push Ups vs. Bench Press – Which is a better exercise for chest muscles?

 

The chest muscles or pectoral muscles are some of the largest muscles in our upper body. We use these muscles to perform numerous actions throughout the day. Pecs are responsible for moving your arms vertically and horizontally as well as other movements like flexion, adduction, and rotation. 

 

Strong pectoral muscles improve posture, strengthen back muscles, and contribute to overall upper-body strength. There are aesthetic benefits as well. Moreover, strong pecs mean you can lift heavier weights and workout harder.

Needless to say, it is important to strengthen these muscles. Strong chest muscles are about more than just looking good. They help to build up the core strength of the entire body. Exercising these muscles should be a part of your daily fitness routine.

 

Most chest exercises involve pushing the arms away from the body or the body away from the arms. A chest workout serves as a great warm-up for smaller muscle groups since your shoulders and arms are also involved. 

Being large, the pecs can handle more weight and there are many variations for every chest exercise. The two most favored chest exercises, by beginners as well as seasoned athletes alike, are pushups and bench presses. So, which one should you choose? Read on to find out.

 

1. AIM

 

Both pushups and bench presses are aimed at strengthening the pectoral muscles. Push-Ups are great for beginners trying to build up their core strength. It is also a part of the daily exercise routines of professional athletes. In addition to the chest muscles, push-ups involve the arms and shoulders as well. Thus, it is an excellent choice if your aim is to get toned and stay strong and fit.

 

If on the other hand, your goal is to increase muscle mass and build size, the bench press is a better option. Since it allows you to push weights much more than your body weight which helps to gain muscle mass faster. It is safe to assume that your body weight will not drastically change by 50 or 100 pounds. Push Ups using just your own body weight or even with push up equipment can never compare to bench pressing hundreds of pounds.

 

2. Target

 

The basic difference between pushups and bench press is that, when doing push-ups, you move your own body weight to exercise the chest muscles. It requires more joint motion using the arms and shoulders to move which involves the chest muscles as a whole. You may choose different inclines or positions to target specific areas of the chest. You may even use a push-up machine to achieve the highest level of muscle activation. 

 

On the other hand, in a bench press, your body is stationary on a bench while you move external weights. This allows you to focus on your pecs specifically without having to worry about stabilization. It also makes it easier to lift heavier weights and target specific areas of the chest. Chest machines are designed to work target muscles in the chest for getting the best results.

 

3. Muscle Growth

 

Pushups are versatile, from full-body push ups to one-handed push ups to incline pushups. You can try numerous variations for building strength and stamina. The secret lies in technicality. While pushups are the most common chest exercise, it is also the one most people do incorrectly. 

Concentrating more on how many reps they can do rather than if they are doing it correctly. Pushup equipment can help in this regard to a certain point. Though, some level of technical know-how is necessary if you want to get enhanced results. If push ups are made to resist equal weights as a bench press, it can lead to the same amount of muscle growth.

 

Mastering the bench press though is much simpler. Though you may need someone to assist you when lifting heavier weights. Muscle growth is a response to stress. The more load you put on them, the more stressed the muscles undergo. 

This creates a resistance that breaks down muscle fibers. This in turn leads them to grow back stronger and bulkier. The trick is to keep increasing resistance as your muscles adapt to stress. This can be easily done with the bench press by simply adding more weights.

To End

 

Choosing pushups or bench press to exercise your chest muscles depends on various other factors besides the ones mentioned above. Such as space, time, and other health and physical conditions. Pushups can be done anywhere without requiring too much space or specialized equipment. 

It is about how efficiently you use your own body weight. Whereas, the bench press is more about pushing your limits and lifting the maximum weights possible with the help of chest machines. Both pushups and bench presses can be equally rewarding using the proper techniques.

10 Benefits Of Push Up

Push up is one of the most important workouts for fitness freaks. It works on the whole-body coordination at the same time. It is considered not only the most important chest workout but also the easiest exercise focusing on the chest muscle. 

Nowadays, realizing the importance of this chest workout, people use push up machines or other push up equipment to make it more accurate. But this can be performed with freehand also. The benefits of push up are discussed below in this article.

1. An increase in Functioning Strength in Body
   
   

A set of push up engages biceps, triceps, core muscles, anterior deltoids, and the lower body muscles. These muscles are actually important while the body is making any movement. So, enhancing the strength of those muscles helps a person to make body movements with more strength. 

Since multiple muscle groups are engaged in this workout, it is also known as a compound exercise. Often a chest machine makes this workout more accurate.

2. Effect of Muscle Stretching on Health and Vitality

A set of push up is a cyclic procedure of stretches on biceps and back muscles. When the body is lowered towards the floor, the back muscles are stretched.

 

At the time of lifting the body up to the starting position, the biceps get stretched in a full amount. Apart from an increase in muscular flexibility, this is effective in preventing injuries.

3. Beneficial for Cardiovascular System
   
   

Any compound exercise is known for its engagement with the cardiovascular system of the body. An increase in the number of muscles engaged in an exercise always increases the oxygen circulation through the body. 

As a result, the heart starts working more so that the oxygen-rich blood can reach the muscle tissues properly. It is very beneficial for cardiac health. Apart from that, it helps reduce body fat also.

4. Special Care for Growth Hormone
   
   

Any kind of strength training exercise is known for the secretion of growth hormone. An increase in the number of muscles engaged implies an increase in the production of GH. Push up, being a compound workout, is always important among the strength training exercises. 

After a certain age, the body declines the secretion of growth hormone. Since a set of push up includes a wide array of muscles, it triggers the growth hormone to be secreted. The use of pushup machines makes it more accurate. Push-up equipment is available in the market at an affordable price.

5. Prevents Shoulder Injury
   
   

Rotator cuff injuries are very common in older people and are very common problems. It has been found in research that pushes up is the most effective exercise to prevent this kind of injury. Push up works on the stabilizing muscles generally. 

The rotator cuff joints are surrounded by these stabilizing muscles. So, in this way, it becomes a safeguard for the movements of the body.

6. Improvement of Posture Structure
   
   

In the era of work from home, the structure of posture is really ignored while working for hours and hours sitting in front of the computer. It may cause back pain at old age. To give support to the back muscles, it is really important to take care of the posture muscles. Push up gives the body a perfect posture to hold the vertical structure.

7. Importance in Preventing Lower Back Injury
   
   

A lower back injury can destroy body stability permanently. It is one of the worst injuries in the human body. As it is the main part of the body involved in the locomotive movement, an injury there may destroy your basic lifestyle.

 

Push up strengthens the muscle over there. It protects the lower back and torso from external injuries. That is why nowadays the workout freak people include push-up equipment at the top of their bucket list.

8. Considered as a Time Saver Workout
   
   

In the era of the hyper-technical lifestyle, people run in a lack of time. Due to this reason only, a lot of people do not exercise regularly. So, for those who do not have much time to do strength training and cardiovascular exercise separately, push up becomes all in one for them. A 15 minutes workout in a day is enough to get a good body shape.

9. No Cost Workout
   
   

Push up is the cheapest workout as it can be performed without any equipment or gym trainer. For a better result and perfection, some people like to use some push-up equipment. But you can perform it without any proper push-up machine.

10.  Enhance in Testosterone Secretion
    
    

Aging is a natural procedure of every living being, and when men and women start to age, the concentration of hormones gradually diminishes. What we see in men is the gradual reduction of testosterone circulation. Keeping this in mind, a few studies have claimed that push-ups help in testosterone production. 

Push up is the most powerful tool that can enhance your body fitness and muscle strength without indulging much time. So, hurry up and start working out right now.