Many women say in a conversation with a trainer that they would like to have a flat stomach, beautiful buttocks and narrow hips. Women almost never say that they need to do chest exercises. Many girls generally think that there is no need to pump it up!
These women think that only men need to pump up their pectoral muscles. Girls believe that this will make them less feminine. But if you want to be proud of your body, then you should start working on your pecs too.
Now we will dispel some popular myths and allow you to conquer your fears so that you can safely and effectively engage in full-body training.
Myths about training the pectoral muscles for girls
Myth 1: Exercise will make your breasts smaller.
This myth has developed due to the fact that female bodybuilders sometimes appear on stage with breasts that appear flat. It doesn't seem quite feminine to us. But it’s not the muscles that make their breasts smaller, it’s the extreme diet they follow.
Many bodybuilders enter the stage with amounts of fat that are well below what is considered healthy for a woman's body. Breasts are made up primarily of adipose tissue, so it goes away with the fat. Apart from women with implants, everyone who competes in bodybuilding does not have enough fat to have a large bust.
Don't be afraid to train with additional weights.
If you keep your body fat at a healthy level, you'll be fine. It is normal for girls to have 10-13% of their body weight as fat. Less than 10% may cause certain problems.
Myth 2: Exercise will make your breasts very firm.
Some people believe that the bust will become too firm if you pump up the pectoral muscles. This is also not true.
Exercising your breasts will not affect the firmness of your breasts because the fat tissue will not disappear, and since the mammary gland is made of fat, it cannot become firmer from exercise.
If you continue to eat normally, you will not notice any negative effects. On the contrary, the muscles will become larger, as a result of which your bust will also become more toned.
Myth 3: Push-ups are enough
Many women add push-ups to their training program when they find out that their chests still require attention, and then wonder why there are no results. Like any other muscle group, the chest requires variety in loads. Strength training with serious weights is also needed.
A combination of flat bench press, incline press, dumbbell pike, and push-ups is what your workout routine should look like.
Once you reach a certain level, push-ups will no longer make you stronger and will no longer add muscle mass. Unless you find some way to make push-ups harder (put a barbell plate on your back), you won't get any benefit from them.
Instead, make push-ups the last element in your program.
11 more methods for tightening the décolleté area
Only a systematic approach will give a lasting result in the form of a beautiful bust. Check out the following proven ways to combat sagging breasts:
- Diet for breasts and 7 healthy foods . Proper nutrition is the key to healthy and beautiful skin. The thoughtless use of various diets can worsen the appearance and condition of the skin. Flabbiness, age spots, dryness, redness may be a sign that we are not getting the necessary nutrients from food.
- Support bra. Supports the bust in the correct position, prevents it from sagging and the skin from stretching. A properly selected bra creates a beautiful, slender and attractive female silhouette.
- Firming creams and gels for bust . Saturate the skin with beneficial substances. Creams that contain various natural ingredients will help moisturize the skin, increase its elasticity, and cope with sagging and uneven pigmentation. It is better to use various pharmaceutical products, as well as products prepared at home, in courses, and then take a break.
- Masks for the décolleté area. The basis of masks can be a wide variety of substances that tighten the skin, fight its sagging, tone and moisturize. For their components, fermented milk products, fruit and berry purees, and vegetable oils are used. Course use of masks is much more useful than constant use
- Bust wraps. The skin of the bust is delicate and needs constant care. For wraps, various compositions are used to exfoliate, nourish and moisturize the skin. Due to the thermal effect, their effect increases. They are carried out in courses of an average of ten procedures.
- Special gymnastics. It is recommended to perform a minimum of gymnastic exercises constantly. This will help keep the muscle corset in good shape, form ideal posture and self-confidence. Gymnastics can also be used as a method of preventing bust sagging.
- Cold and hot shower. The procedure is easy to perform and pleasant, rejuvenates, tightens the skin, and removes sagging. Perform douches, alternating hot and cold water. You need to get used to the procedure gradually, starting with a small temperature difference. It is advisable to first apply just cool water to the chest area, alternating it with warm water. After a few days of such procedures, cool water can be gradually replaced with colder water. Exposure to cold should last half as long as exposure to heat. Contrast dousing must be completed with cold.
- Procedures in the pool. Swimming, cascade shower, water aerobics are excellent procedures for working the pectoral muscles. They strengthen and tighten the bust, help maintain a stable weight, gracefulness and slimness.
- Bust lift with threads and mesothreads.
- Visual shaping using silicone stickers and special tape .
- Folk remedies , including rubbing essential oils.
With the help of strength training, you can perfectly pump up your pectoral muscles and form a beautiful, sculpted silhouette. After a certain time, you will see results that will please you. The only thing you need to achieve your goal is patience and desire!
How to develop the strength of the pectoral muscles?
Now that we've covered the myths and ground rules, let's look at the details.
- You may think that you can use light barbells and dumbbells to improve muscle tone, but remember that it is heavy weights that have the best effect on your muscles. If you frequently use light weights, you will hardly notice any improvement. Such training is unlikely to give you any benefits, other than the calories burned, of course.
- You won't gain muscle if you eat few calories - all the heavy exercise you do on a standard or weight loss diet will make you stronger, but won't give you muscle gain. So don't be afraid to eat well! And especially protein, not carbohydrates!
- When performing a bench press, try not to do more than 8-10 repetitions. The same is true for the incline press. To bring your arms together, do about 12 repetitions.
- To grow muscles, you need to do 3-4 approaches. Doing more sets will not provide any benefit.
- When performing bench presses, pause for about one minute between sets. Try to do the bench press before all other exercises because... it requires large energy expenditures.
- Between sets of bringing your arms together on a machine or with dumbbells, pause for 45 seconds. Push-ups are a simpler exercise, so you need to rest for about 30 seconds between sets.
Training programs
If you feel ready to work, then it would not hurt you to do these other exercises:
Program A
Bench press 3 sets, 8 reps (rest 60 seconds) | |
Reduction of arms on the simulator 2 sets, 10 reps (rest 45 seconds) | |
Push ups 2 sets, 15 reps (rest 30 seconds) |
Program B
Positive Incline Bench Press 3 sets, 10 reps (rest 60 seconds) | |
Dumbbell curls 2 sets, 12 reps (rest 45 seconds) | |
Push-ups with legs elevated 2 sets, 15 reps (rest 30 seconds) |
How to create your own program?
The pectoral muscles are a very large group, so they need to be trained from all angles and performed with many repetitions and sets to pump all muscle fibers. When you're designing your program, choose 2-3 compound exercises and 1-2 isolation exercises to make sure you're getting enough stimulation to build strength and size in your pectoral muscles.
The pectoral muscles also have a large area, so you can distribute the exercises according to the area of influence. The upper and lower parts can be treated separately using different techniques. Additionally, you can shift the load to the outside or inside of your chest using slightly different mechanics.
To affect the upper part of the chest, which is the most visible part in women, choose chest exercises for girls lying at an upward angle. Presses on a horizontal bench will affect the chest as a whole, while on a bench inclined downwards, only the lower part will be pumped up. However, all parts of the pecs are important to maintain proportion.
The outer part of the chest is also important. This area is also very noticeable and is associated with the deltoid muscles, and works during standing prunes and reverse push-ups.
When these muscles are sufficiently developed, this desired line appears in the center of the chest. To achieve the same, focus on maximizing muscle tension and tense your muscles as you reach the hardest part of the exercise.
Sets and reps
Generally speaking, many people get the most benefit from doing 10-15 reps of 2-3 sets of any exercise. But this may vary slightly depending on your fitness level, strength level and goals.
Women who simply need to maintain their existing chest muscles toned should perform 10-15 repetitions in 2-3 approaches. Those who want to gain weight should do 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions. To gain strength you need to perform 3-4 sets of 6-10 repetitions.
You can use all three of these tactics in your program for variety. For example, for women who want to increase both strength and size, it is advisable to use two tactics, alternating them - 8-12 and 6-10 repetitions.
Muscles that can be trained along with the chest
We've already mentioned that the chest muscles are very large, so some people prefer to set aside their own day of the week to train.
This is a great way to make sure you're pushing them to their full potential. Another option is to train them by doing chest exercises for women along with shoulders and triceps. The shoulder and triceps are involved in many movements that will help pump up a girl's chest faster, which will help save time while doing intense workouts.
Those who have already reached the desired level of development can switch to tactics to maintain muscle tone.
If you like the idea of a dedicated chest day but have trouble finding room for it, pair this group with biceps workouts and you can get a full chest workout without sacrificing the strength needed to develop your shoulders or triceps.
The biceps can now also be fully trained, since they did not get tired while you were training the pecs.
The serratus muscle is also often trained together with the pectoral muscle. The serratus muscle is located under the armpit. It is often used during reverse push-ups, pull-ups and pullovers, so you can train them with both the pectoral and back muscles.
Frequency, duration and intensity
Since the pectoral muscles are one of the largest groups, it is recommended that girls train their chests separately if you are going to achieve great results. It is highly not recommended to train it together with the legs or back, because both of these groups require a lot of attention and energy. Lack of energy will prevent you from producing the desired intensity.
Your workout should last 30 to 45 minutes if you train your chest on a separate day, and 45 to 60 minutes if you train it along with other muscle groups.
During training, it is necessary to maintain the desired intensity and control the mental connection between the brain and muscle fibers without sudden jerks. The last two repetitions should be performed with force, when you can barely lift the working weight. This will help you get the intensity you need.
Working towards specific goals
It is difficult to make breasts larger, especially for women. Most of the body's strength is concentrated in the lower body, so you have to work especially hard to get the pectoral muscles to gain mass and volume. But this can be done by dialing in maximum intensity, shocking the muscle fibers with a variety of loads and implements, forcing the body to lift heavier weights every week.
You should include the barbell or dumbbell bench press as a core element in your program. This basic exercise can build strength and mass when other options fail. Just make sure your technique is perfect and that you have a coach nearby to keep you safe and on hand as you complete those last few reps.
Chest workout at home
Exercising at home is quite easy, since training requires simple equipment. If you have a bench, dumbbells, a barbell and some weights at home, then you can work out at home by doing almost all of the pectoral muscle tightening exercises for women described above. A pulley machine is also not needed - you can use dumbbells instead - although they will not give such a powerful effect as a machine, with sufficient intensity you can get the same effect as in the gym.
A fitball can help with push-ups and any other pressing exercises.
Variety of exercises
There are several basic exercises for girls that target the chest muscles, but there are also variations that won't let you get bored. By changing the angle of the bench, the width of your grip, and the type of implements you use, you will change the angle at which your muscles work, keeping your program interesting and effective at all times.
Varying your workout routine will not only make the program more interesting and prevent plateaus, but you will be able to fully develop your chest.
If you only do bent over presses, you will throw your muscles out of balance, which will look weird. The program should be slightly modified every week. Sometimes it is enough to simply swap its elements.
Symmetry
If you have poorly developed breasts, this will be noticeable as they will be flat and there will be no visible connection and balance between the deltoids and pectoral muscles. If you are going to a competition, it is important to have a full chest and a nice line in the middle, running from top to bottom and dividing the chest in half. And if you have implants, you will have to put even more pressure on your breasts to avoid a flat appearance where the breasts meet the muscles.
You can work on individual parts of the breast if you wish to strengthen a specific part. For example, exercises on a flat bench will stress the entire chest, while exercises with a negative incline will stress primarily the lower part.
To work the upper pectorals, which, by the way, are the most noticeable in women, choose exercises on an upward incline bench. But for proper and symmetrical growth, it is important to train all areas.
The outer area is also important - it is very noticeable as it is connected to the deltoid muscle. It can be used by performing standing prunes or reverse push-ups.
When the mid-chest is properly developed, you will have that desired line down the middle of your chest. But for its development it is necessary to strongly strain the muscles, especially when performing the difficult part of the training.
Isolated exercises
The pectoral muscles are quite easy to isolate from other groups. To minimize spinal and shoulder involvement, keep your back slightly arched and your shoulder blades retracted. Not only will this allow you to better define your pecs, giving you a more stable base, but it will also prevent you from damaging your shoulder joints.
Isolation exercises, such as pec curls, offer you complete isolation of the pectoral muscles from the others.
To improve the effect of bringing your arms together, keep your arms slightly bent at the elbows throughout the entire set.
To maximize tension, pause briefly during the peak of your activity while the dumbbells are 10cm apart. Take a few seconds for this pause, tensing your pectoral muscles as much as possible at this point. To maximize the contraction, turn your palms with your little fingers facing each other.
Priorities
If your chest is less developed than the rest of the body muscles, then a prioritization rule that can be applied to the program may help. Try training your chest on its own once a week, using a variety of exercises from all three angles - up and down and on a flat bench.
Another method of prioritization is to load your chest with strength training one week and intense definition exercises the second week.
Strength training helps build strength and mass, while sculpting exercises will make your muscles more visible.
The best strength exercise for beautiful breasts is the bench press with a barbell or dumbbells. Add the bench press to your program right away, but first learn the technique and find a smart trainer.
Don't be afraid of strength training
Due to their size, breastfeeders can lift a lot of weight. Although women usually have more developed lower body muscles, with enough training and constant work, many girls have already developed strong and large pecs. So can you.
Training with heavy weights is essential for gaining mass and strength.
The chest develops well with heavy loads and a small number of repetitions (6-8). Do the bench press every week, as this exercise is the most important for the pectoral muscles. If you prefer to split your sessions between pushing and pulling, perform bench press sessions every other week.
If you usually work out without a trainer, then in this situation you simply need one. Ask anyone you know to help you with heavy exercises. This is necessary if you want to increase the load and therefore the volume and strength. It's difficult to do this without a coach.
Constantly try to increase the weight of the equipment you use for pressing, even if just by a kilogram. If you were unable to complete the required number of repetitions, do not be upset; it is enough to stimulate the muscles to grow, as a result of which they will become stronger and adapt to the increased weight.
How the shape of the mammary glands is corrected
Correcting the shape of the mammary glands through physical exercise is possible due to the properties of the muscle fibers that surround the breasts. During training aimed at improving breast shape, muscle fibers are torn, forming microtraumas.
After a certain time, such injuries heal, forming new protein muscle compounds called myofibrils. At the same time, the new muscles are larger and have a different shape. This occurs due to the active synthesis of protein compounds, which must exceed their breakdown.
This effect is called supercompensation. Its essence is that the newly formed fibers not only restore the previous muscle volume, but also exceed it.
The most effective way to train the pectoral muscles for a girl is to go to the gym
There is also another point of view, according to which the change in breast shape occurs not due to an increase in the volume of fibers, but due to an increase in the number of muscle tissue cells. At the moment there is no single proven opinion, but most athletes and coaches are inclined to the first option.
However, in order for the breast shape to be corrected, followers of both theories are convinced that in addition to doing exercises, it is necessary to eat properly and follow training regimens, alternating them with rest. Because growth and adjustment of muscle mass occurs during the rest period.
Example program for chest training
Programs 1 and 2 should be combined, alternating them every second week.
If you want to do biceps exercises together in your chest workout, choose two pushing movements and one isolation movement. Complete two biceps exercises to complete the program.
An ideal option for those who want to maintain both strength and size is to combine a chest workout with a shoulder and triceps workout. If you choose this option, perform one compound movement and one isolation movement for the shoulders and chest. Then choose 1-2 triceps exercises to finish your workout.
Program 1: Hard and complex
Start by warming up for 5-10 minutes. Light to moderate intensity cardio or stretching is fine.
Bench press with medium grip. We do 5 approaches, reducing repetitions from 12 to 4 consecutively by 2 repetitions with each approach. | |
Bench press on an incline bench. 4 sets: the first 8 repetitions, then 6, again 6 and the last - 4 repetitions. | |
Crossing hands with dumbbells. 4 approaches, starting with 12 repetitions, reducing each subsequent approach by 2 repetitions. In the last approach we work 6 repetitions. |
Program 2: The most intensive
Warm up with 5-10 minutes of light to moderate intensity cardio and stretching.
Bench press. 4 approaches, decreasing repetitions with each approach: 12, 10, 8, 6. | |
Incline bench press. 4 approaches, repeat the exercise 12 times in the first approach, 10 in the second, 8 and 6 in the third and fourth. | |
Crossover, arm raise. 4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps. |
Increase the weight with each approach. Each set should be more difficult than the previous one and your goal should be complete exhaustion on the last two reps. You can rest 1-1.5 minutes between approaches.
Conclusion
Breasts, in fact, cannot be enlarged - unless, of course, you resort to implants! But a good workout program will help you get the tighter, toned figure you've always wanted. So don't be afraid of basic exercises with weights - they won't have any effect on reducing your breast size.
But if you were able to increase the volume of your breasts, then your bust will look a little bigger and higher. Only if you go on a diet and start losing fat will your breasts lose volume. Chest training will then become necessary when it is necessary to compensate for lost fat with muscle volume. It will be easy to add these workouts to your regular program because they can be done at home - no equipment, exercise equipment, or gym is needed. Perform the following exercises twice a week to increase chest strength and definition.
Don't forget to buy a good sports bra, too, because you don't want your breasts to get in the way of your workout while you're exercising. Regardless of your bust size, a sports bra will still help you and improve the quality of your workout. After all, it will be bad if you interrupt your workout to adjust a slipping bra strap.
Sources:
- https://shefit.com/blogs/shefit-blog/the-ultimate-at-home-chest-workout-for-women;
- https://www.oxygenmag.com/training/3-moves-boost-bust-11775;
- https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-ultimate-no-fluff-womens-training-guide-part-4-chest.html;
- https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/a-girls-gotta-bench-chest-workout-and-training-tips.html.
Exercises with a rubber loop
Resistance bands can be used when training the pectoral muscles to increase the load to make your workout more effective . So, it can be used for push-ups from the floor, wrapping it around your back and holding the ends with your hands. Such measures will force you to use more effort, because you will have to lift not only your body weight, but also stretch the tape.
Also, a rubber band can be used as an independent projectile. To do this, you need to wrap it around your back and stretch your arms forward, holding the ends of the tape. This exercise is called a standing vertical press. In addition, the tape can be secured and stretched by hand at different angles, thereby engaging different muscle groups.