…continued – Chest
Dips
Now this is a great exercise for overall chest development with primary overload directed to the lower chest. Secondary muscles used are your triceps, middle and upper chest, front delts, and upper back.
Execution
Most people will need extra weight added to increase the overload. This can be awkward and uncomfortable and will take some getting used to. Following Max-OT for even the shortest time will mean that you’ll need to get used to adding weight.
To correctly perform the dip you need to direct the overload to the chest and away from the triceps as much as possible. This is done by dipping in an arch motion – almost like a 1/4 circle. Dip slowly and power up with force. Make sure you stretch deep at the bottom.
Chest Exercises Not To Do
Dumbbell Flyes (incline, decline, flat)
The first thing you need to ask yourself before choosing an exercise is: Will this provide maximum overload?
Flyes are an isolation movement for the chest because they remove the triceps and shoulders out of the movement. However, isolation reduces overload. Less overload means less muscle fiber stimulation.
Another reason people mistakenly do flyes is to shape the muscle. Let me make this perfectly clear, you cannot change the genetic shape of your muscles. You can make them bigger which may appear to change the shape, but you cannot change the genetically predetermined shape of your muscles.
Flyes are basically a worthless exercise in my book. You expend a lot of energy for a little overload. Remember, Max-OT Efficiency. Flyes are not efficient.
Cable Cross Over
This falls into the same category as flyes. Worthless. A lot of effort for a little overload. Cable Cross Overs do not build muscle, they do not shape the muscle. All they do is exhaust the muscle.
Pec Deck
This is the same as flyes only they have made a machine to do them on. A waste of time. Too much effort for too little overload. Leave this one to the Saturday morning fitness crowd.
