DUMBBELL FLYS ON A FLAT BENCH

Increase the depth and definition of the chest with this movement in flat bench. 




Keep your elbows locked and slightly bent to isolate the chest. Imagine that you are trying to hug the trunk of a large tree while joining hands describing a large bow.

EXECUTION

* Lie on your back on a flat bench with your feet flat against the floor. The head, back and buttocks should be in contact with the bench.

* Grab some dumbbells with palms facing each other and arms extended on the chest. Lock the elbows and fold them slightly.

* Inhale deeply and hold your breath while lowering your arms directly to the sides.

* As the arms approach shoulder level or slightly below, contract the chest muscles to reverse the direction, keeping the elbows slightly bent. Follow the same arc as you raise your arms to the vertical position and expel the air.

* Pause and repeat.




TRAINING TIPS

* Avoid using too heavy weights, which would force you to bend your elbows excessively and lower them to a level well below shoulder level. Folding more elbows transforms openings into a pressure movement, changing the way it affects muscles and facilitates injuries.

* The breathing rate is crucial. When you breathe in and hold your breath, the rib cage expands and stabilizes the torso and so the muscles involved have a firm base from which to push. If the rib cage is not held steady, the ribs will move as the muscles contract, resulting in a weaker contraction. Start by expelling the air or do a forced exhalation to quickly relieve the pressure in the chest once you pass the most difficult point of the ascending phase.

* Dumbbell openings are one of the best exercises to fully develop the main muscles of the middle pectoralis, but only if the arms are perpendicular to the torso. All other actions involving the pectorals mainly use the upper and lower areas. Keep your arms slightly bent and in line with your shoulders.

* The peck-deck apparatus can double the muscular participation of the dumbbell openings.

»To increase stability, keep your feet on the ground throughout the exercise. Do not place them on the bench by trying to relieve tension in the lower back, as this practice greatly reduces stability and increases the chances of injury.

BASIC MUSCLES INVOLVED

In the openings with dumbbells are involved the muscles of the shoulder joint and the deltoid band, which are: pectoral, anterior deltoid, coracobrachial and serrate. The pectoralis major - the great muscle that covers the majority of the chest originates in the frontal border of the clavicle, along the sternum and in the cartilages of the six first ribs near the sternum. The anterior head of the deltoid is one of the three that form the shoulder. The coracobrachial is a small muscle under the deltoid and the pectoralis major in the front and inside of the arm.

In the deltoid band, the minor pectoralis and serratus are the main muscles involved. The small pectoralis minor is located in the upper part of the chest and is covered by the pectoralis major. The serrate is placed on the outer surface of the ribs (just below the axilla) and is covered by the scapula at the back and by the pectoralis major at the front




MUSCULAR AND ARTICULAR ACTIONS

In the horizontal adduction of the shoulder joint, the arms move from the sides to the front of the body in a line perpendicular to or at an angle to the torso. In scapular abduction in the deltoid band, the muscles move the scapula from the spine to the sides of the ribs as the arms move toward the midline of the body.


SPORTS USES

Dumbbell openings are used in bodybuilding to develop the chest and the anterior shoulder in addition to the serratus. The combination of horizontal adduction of the shoulder and scapular abduction is very important in all actions involving extending the arms to the front or embracing as in gymnastics, especially in the rings; In boxing and martial arts; In rugby in tackles and grabbers to the contrary and in powerlifting in bench press. These actions are also used in tennis and other racquet sports, in baseball when throwing a hand and throwing a disc when it is released.

High reps won't make you cut

It’s a common belief that, when you’re trying to lean out – or “get cut”, in gym lingo – you should switch your training to high repetitions with lighter weights. Is that really the way forward, or is it just bro science’? Well, there’s no gentle way to break this to you: high reps won’t make you cut.



The object of weight training is to stimulate muscle growth, not weight loss. Nutrition is the key to reducing body fat. You lift weights to build muscles – period! But that’s not to say that training with high repetitions doesn’t help at all.

Muscles consist of slow-twitch fibres that are activated during long sets with lighter weights, and fast-twitch fibres stimulated during heavy lifts over a low number of repetitions. Both fibre types can grow as a result of appropriate training.


Increasing the size of muscle fibres results in larger, stronger muscles, which in turn leads to a higher daily calorie expenditure. This is because muscle – unlike fat, incidentally – needs calories for maintenance.

Lifting heavy weights for a few reps increases the size of fast-twitch muscle fibres, which leads to muscle growth and higher calorie expenditure. Lifting lighter weights for a high number of repetitions does the same thing for slow twitch fibres. Technically, therefore, training with a high number of repetitions does help you to burn fat. But so too does heavy lifting – in which case, why deprive half of your muscles of a growth stimulus by limiting your training exclusively to a high-rep protocol?




An alternative is to try 3D training, which I have designed to be followed all year round. This method allows you to increase strength and build muscle while getting leaner.

How is it done? Well, let’s say that you split your training into four workouts: chest, back, shoulders and legs. The first thing to do it create three different routines for each workout. The first will be a heavy workout, focusing on a few compound exercises – essentially, a typical strength-training protocol. The second will involve a higher number of repetitions and increased volume – possibly super sets using a mixture of compound and isolated exercises. Last but not least, you should perform a workout consisting of super-slow reps; machines can come in handy here. 

Let me talk you through the super-slow rep workout, as it's my own creation. Set up a boxing timer for four 60-second rounds with a 60-second break between each. Then perform 10 perfectly strict reps of a given exercise at 3:0:3:0 pace, without losing muscle tension. This way, you can break down the muscle fibres very efficiently without stressing your joints. And because the weights used will be very light, you will be ready to train heavy again the following day!

Keep rotating the workouts so that you perform each routine for every muscle once in every two- to three-week cycle. Then you just need to control your calorie intake for that ultimate superhero look!

Sample chest workout


Heavy:

Flat bench press: 4 x 5 reps (2:0:1:0 tempo)

Bench press at 30 degree incline: 4 x 6 reps (2:0:1:0)

Weighted dips: 3 x 8 reps (2:0:1:0)



High volume:

Dumbbell press at 30 degree incline: 4 x 12 reps (3:0:1:0 tempo)

Dumbbell fly at 15 degree incline: 3 x 15 reps (3:0:1:0)

Flat dumbbell press: 4 x 12 reps (3:0:1:0)

Cable crossover: 3 x 15 reps (3:0:1:0)

Dips: 3 x 15 reps 2:0:1:0 tempo




Super slow reps:

Bench press at 30 degree incline: 4 x 10 reps (3:0:3:0 tempo)

Decline machine press: 3 x 10 reps (3:0:3:0)

Dumbbell fly: 3 x 10 reps (3:0:3:0)

Press-up: 3 x 10 reps (3:0:3:0)


By: Captain Physique