Best Upper Body and Chest Exercises

The importance of upper body strength is often underestimated. Having strong chest muscles is essential for both men and women. Taking a few extra minutes from your day to exercise these muscles will go a long way in improving your overall health.

One of the best and most well-known exercises for building the chest is the push-up. To do a simple push-up, you should face down on the floor with your hands should be positioned beneath your shoulders and your toes on the floor (alternatively, you can place your knees on the floor if you are a beginner). Once you have placed your body in the proper position, simply push down to the floor and then up again.

Another popular upper body exercise is the pull-up. This requires the use of a bar. You can grab the bar with your palms facing out or in depending on the level of difficulty that you are seeking. Simply grab the bar and then pull yourself up so that your chin is over the bar.

Other great exercises for strengthening the chest muscles include bench presses. For this exercise, you should lie down on your back (preferably on a bench) holding weights in each hand. Bend your elbows and then raise your arms straight up. Repeat until you feel fatigued. For a variation, extend your arms out laterally and then slowly bring them over the chest, keeping the arms straight. This is called a chest fly.

With repeated practice, these workouts will help to improve your chest muscles and tone your upper body.

Joseph has been writing articles online for nearly 5 years now. Along with trying to stay fit, he enjoys writing articles about families and gardening, check out one of his favorite web sites Garden Harvest Supply which offer one of his favorite vegetables, sweet potato plants.

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