In this article, you will find an effective exercise to target the pectorals, since it is often difficult to build a bigger chest. It is a variation of the classic dips, which will optimize the work of the pectorals and also provide extra strength to perform other exercises. For this exercise, we are only going to need parallels that can be easily found in a street workout park or in the gym, or you can even use other elements that you can easily find at home such as chairs or tables.

First, we place ourselves in a dips position, looking straight ahead with our arms extended. Next, we go down slowly as far as we can (above 90 degrees) and take a short pause. This is the most important part of the exercise since this pause will allow your pectoral to fully extend and all the fibres can intervene at the moment of the rise. Thus, we will need much more strength to break the inertia, which will generate a better stimulus for the pectorals.

At first, it may seem a bit complicated since we are used to doing funds in a row and resting on top, which is a more comfortable position to rest. However, by pausing down and getting out of the comfort zone, we would be adding a new level of difficulty that will require much more strength from our pecs and the work will be much more effective not just to gain strength, but also muscle mass and resistance.

As the first exercise in the routine, for example, we do 10 reps of dips. If you can only do 8 or even less, that is fine, but keep in mind that the goal is to get to 10 to give the necessary stimulus to the muscle and develop the pectoral correctly. When we have done 10 dips, we are going to stay down for 10 seconds and, when the time has passed, we go up explosively, we hold up a little and… that is it!

The next day, you will probably feel that the muscle has received the appropriate stimulus and, in fact, it is likely that the next day your chest hurts because of the extension we have been doing. In this way, the triceps and shoulders will also work more effectively.

If you want to know how to integrate this exercise into your routines, Calisteniapp offers you free routines with this exercise, such as this routine of pectorals to the max.

Redactado por Johanna Suárez Hernández