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If you are one of the many people who has decided to get your body in shape through diet and exercise, I know you must have a couple of questions in mind, especially since there are a lot of do’s and don’ts in the fitness world.
When it comes to working out, you will need to allot some time for toning each part of your body. One of the most targeted muscles when working out is the chest area.
If you are currently targeting your chest, the best way to start is to know how often you should work out your chest. Read on if you want to learn the basics of chest training.
How Often Should You Work Out Your Chest
You might think that the more you work out, the faster you will be able to see results. But the truth is, when it comes to working out, you should allow 2 or 3 days for muscle recovery.
Setting some time for your muscles to rest is a significant part of exercising since it allows your muscles to grow more naturally. What’s more is that it helps you reduce the risk of muscle strain.
One good rule of thumb is if you have a long and strenuous workout, you should have 2 days or so to rest. You don’t necessarily have to stop working out because you can always work on a different part of your body.
On the other hand, if your workout session was light and easy, it can still be advisable to continue working out after a short rest time since your muscles would require less recovery time.
Chest Work Out Routines
There are several types of routines you can follow if you want to develop your chest muscles. Each routine can have a different effect on your muscles, from basic toned chests to the full-on rock hard pecs, you will be able to select one that can give you your preferred results.
Once a Week
If you want to build up some muscle mass, working out your chest once a week maybe the correct routine for you. To do so, you must go through an extreme workout that will work out all the parts of your chest.
And since you will only be working out once a week, you will need to use bigger weights and have more reps and sets.
Twice a Week
If you want a moderate training routine, you may want to work out twice a week to allocate a couple of rest days in between workouts for muscle recovery.
If you choose this type of routine, it would be best to divide your chest workouts into two sessions per week. Doing so will allow you to exert more power in defining certain parts of your chest including the pecs, the lower, middle and the upper chest.
Three Times a Week
If you are new to being physically active, working out thrice a week may be the best way to go. Doing three sessions per week will let you have ample recovery time for your muscles.
What’s more is that doing so will let you focus on your whole chest, letting you build up your strength and muscle nice and slow for more rigorous training sessions in the future.
Chest Work Out Mistakes To Avoid
Now that you know how long you should train your chest muscles, and the different types of routines you can take, you should now be aware of the common chest workout mistakes that you should avoid to get well-developed chest muscles.
Overtraining
When it comes to sculpting your body, balancing out your workouts is one thing you wouldn’t want to miss. Having balanced workout routines will let you build mass equally around your body.
If you work out your chest more than you work out the other parts of your body, you may end up with a big rounded chest, but thinner legs and smaller arms.
If you want to have an aesthetically pleasing look, make sure that all your muscles are getting equal treatment.
Excessive Bench Pressing
The bench press is a great machine that you can use to work out your chest. It is excellent for beginners and can be a nice tool you can use to boost your chest’s strength.
However, excessive use of the bench press can lead to shoulder damage, especially when done with too much shoulder rotation.
It also reduces the involvement of your pec muscles, which means that even though this machine is ideal for strength training, it’s not the best choice for chest muscle definition.
Not Working Out The Upper Chest
You can easily neglect your upper chest when it comes to working out since you may tend to focus on other parts of your chest especially the pecs.
As I have mentioned before, getting a well-sculpted body is the result of having equal amounts of work on all your muscles. To avoid doing so, you should try working out with incline presses.
Focusing On Lifting Weights
Don’t think that you need to increase your weights continuously to get a well-defined chest. One thing a lot of people overlook is exercises that require an extensive range of motion.
Instead of focusing on lifting weights that are too heavy, you can try working with lighter weights instead.
You can work with light weights to perform crossover exercises that will let you stretch out your muscles, doing so is a great balance to heavy lifting work.
Otherwise, bodyweight chest workout is also great to enhance your chest training process. Performing both bodyweight and free weight would be the best.
A Quick Recap
Chest workouts are an essential part of building a well-sculpted body. To get the best results for muscle development, you should allow some recovery time for your muscles depending on the level of your workout sessions.
If you partake in rigorous training, you should remember to set 2 or 3 days for muscle recovery to avoid having overworked muscles. Another thing you should be mindful of is the common mistakes that you should avoid when it comes to chest training.
If you liked this article and would like to know more about fitness, please leave us your feedback in the comment box below. Until next time, enjoy!
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