Women and Men alike are looking for definition in the chest area, Men for that chiseled look and women for a enhanced and strengthened chest. Today we will cover three types of exercise for the chest and include a Band, dumb bell weights and a bench in the suggestions of our beginners home routine.

If you have no home weights or a strength Band at this time then the press up is the exercise for you. I strongly suggest that if you are serious about getting and staying fit you invest in some training equipment. A set of Dumb Bells can cost as little as £13 and a strength band £3.

Push ups.

Hey, dont run off, I am going to tell you various ways of performing a press up so you can still attain a good effective work out. 

Box Push Ups

First get on your knees with your thighs and shins in an L shape with the hands shoulder width apart, as the body shape indicates, this is a box push up. Keeping the back straight, bend the elbows lowering your head to the floor and back up, how was that? Can you do 3 sets of 5 repetitions? If so, lets move it up a level.

The long box push up

This time lay on the floor with your hands down near your shoulders, press against the floor lifting your body keeping the knees and shins on the floor. How many can you do? More than 3 sets of 5 repetitions? Excellent, I think we should try the full push up

Full push up

Again in a push up position keeping your hands shoulder width apart, press against the floor raising your whole body with only the balls of your feet, toes and hands on the floor, lower until your chest is nearly touching the ground, then repeat. Could you perform 3 sets of 5 repetitions? Add more reps to your sets.

Band chest press

The chest press can be performed seated with a Strength Band. Wrap the band around your back and hold the Band in both hands, with the band running along the inside of the arms and hands palm down,  extend your arms out in front of you. When exercising exhale on the effort and inhale when returning to the starting position. To increase the tension, take a shorter grip.

Reverse fly

With both feet standing in the centre of the band, hold the ends in your hands and lean over, with your upper body at 45 degrees (ensure a straight back). Keeping elbow slight bent and in fixed position, raise arm out to shoulder level, bringing the shoulder blades together. Again, to increase the tension, take a shorter grip.

With one of the above slotted in our routine, it could look like this (click here). All the classes we have been through can now be found here listed with the particular muscles in the title which we are including in our workout.

Wednesday we shall be working on improving our back - its strength and shape.

Jason Roberts.

Always consult your Doctor before embarking on any fitness routine. In order to ensure you are working out correctly, get your Steps to Wellness from a qualified fitness instructor.