Exercises to strengthen pecs
Push-ups are a compound exercise involving multiple muscles: shoulders, chest, arms, core and legs. The modified push-up is a good move for the beginner or for those who may be more limited in upper-body strength. It will give the back and upper body more support.
Modified push-ups
Begin in a hand-knee position. Keeping knees on the floor, walk hands slightly in front of your shoulders and a little more than shoulder-width apart. Straighten arms, balancing on hands and the thighs just above the knee. With arms at full extension and abdominals contracted, bend elbows and lower upper body toward floor; neck in alignment with shoulders. Push back up to a full arm extension.
Tip: When lowering arms, keep the elbows just above the wrist.
Chest press with resistance band
Wrap band around something stable behind you. Holding handles of band with palms facing downward, stagger feet until you feel tension in the bands. Keeping head looking forward, raise hands shoulder height. Contracting abdominals and keeping elbows and wrist in alignment with shoulders, press arms out, not locking elbows. Hold several seconds, release, returning to original position.
Tip: Do not bring elbows too far back on the return movement, as that places too much strain on the shoulder.
Incline chest fly
Lying on a bench with feet flat on the floor or on the bench if more comfortable, hold the weights above your chest, palms facing inward. Maintaining slightly bent elbows, open arms out to the sides, lowering weights until they are just below the shoulders. Lift the weights back up, pretending you are hugging a big beach ball. The incline version emphasizes upper chest while the flat chest fly performed on a flat bench or mat emphasis the middle and lower chest.
Chest stretch
To be applied after your workout. If used in the beginning or throughout the day, warm up first. Standing with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly relaxed, place both arms behind your back. Pretend you are holding a golf club, and lift up slightly with your arms, while pressing chest forward. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, but remember to breathe. You will feel a great stretch in your chest muscles. This is one of my favorite stretches.