The title of this article is due to the fact that the chest-flat bench association is one of the dogmas of the gym. As a corollary there are: the incline bench, the thousand variations of cable exercises.
Here it is. To the cables. The barbell. The bench.
And if I don't have any tools, what do I do? Rest with the dead chest of those who do not train?
Certainly not, since it is possible to train the chest even without tools (or with the minimum).
Index
Training the chest bodyweight?
Furthermore, as trivial as the tools we have in our calisthenics box in the "chest" compartment may seem, the technique - as always - is fundamental.
Let's see some - indeed, no: let's see the exercise par excellence for train the chest without tools.
1 - Push up
Cross and delight of every athlete - second only to burpees, maybe - push ups pop up all over the place. In the movies set in the barracks, as a punishment for washing physical education students, as a training exercise… that's it: as a training exercise.
Push ups should not be underestimated:
- they are a very effective exercise for training the chest
- they are one of the easiest exercises to perform poorly
The fact is that push ups have a lot of advantages:
- they are performed ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT EQUIPMENT
- if done with the right technique, they attack the chest and triceps muscles (and for certain variations, shoulders) in a formidable way
- can also be tackled by beginners (inclined version)
- they can be overloaded
- there are almost infinite variations
PS. if you are an Italian lover, push up translates to push-ups on the ground.
2 - Variations of the push up
The variants, in fact. There are dozens of them. I will limit myself here to listing the most classic (as well as the most effective):
- diamond push-up: hands are placed on the ground in contact with each other
- wide: the position of the hands is wider than the shoulders
- asymmetrical: they are performed by placing a hand on a raised object (a basketball, a kettlebell, a yoga block)
- plyometric: that explosive, phenomenal and slightly arrogant thing you see hard calisthenics do. Literally, a push up "with jump" ... of the hands!
What if I have trouble getting them?
So, the problems can be of two kinds.
You do not have force.
Still problems? Put your knees on the ground (knee push ups)
Yet? Do them "to the wall": move away from the wall a little more than the length of your arms, and start doing push ups like this!
Your wrists hurt.
You have to do something. First diagnosis: you have weak wrists. They need to be strengthened, like all joints. Spare your body the standard push-ups, and start with the inclined ones or with the knees on the ground.
Second diagnosis: your wrists can't stand the push-up position. It happens.
Solution: i supports for push ups, which allow you to use a pinch (made with three fingers) to do them. Highly recommended (also because they allow you to increase the ROM, i.e. the depth, of the bend).
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