In the pursuit of a bigger and broader chest the bench press takes priority in most workout programmes. But the workload your chest must manage when pressing is always limited, especially if you have weaker triceps or front shoulders. In short, if you want a bigger chest, you need to isolate your chest muscles. Enter the incline flye. Not only does it target the chest, it also forces a big stretch across your pecs and allows them to move through a greater range of motion, all of which are key factors in increased muscle growth. Using kettlebells keeps the weight on the outsides of your wrists, enabling you to maintain the same angle in your elbows throughout to work your chest even harder.
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How to do it
Lie on an incline bench holding a kettlebell in each hand above your shoulders, palms facing. Plant your feet on the floor, brace your glutes and core, and keep your chest up. Maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, lower your hands out to the sides, keeping your wrists strong and palms facing, until your feel a significant stretch across your chest. Squeeze your chest to raise the kettlebells back to the start. Start with a light weight until you master the movement pattern, then increase the resistance as you get stronger.
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Once you’ve done the main move, add these three exercises for a four-move circuit that’ll add lean muscle to your chest and biceps as well. Do 12 reps of each move, resting for 30 seconds between lifts, and do three circuits in total.
Incline kettlebell biceps curl
Stay seated on the incline bench with a kettlebell in each hand, arms straight and palms facing forwards. Keeping your back against the bench, your chest up and your elbows behind the bench, curl the weights up to shoulder height, keeping your palms facing forwards. Slowly reverse the move to the start.
Incline kettlebell press
Stay seated, holding the weights in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing. Keeping your back against the bench and your chest up, press the kettlebells directly overhead until your arms are fully straight, rotating your wrists as you go to end with palms facing away. Slowly reverse the move to the start.
Seated kettlebell hammer curl
Stay seated on the incline bench with a kettlebell in each hand, arms straight and palms facing. Keeping your back against the bench, your chest up and your elbows behind the bench, curl the weights up to shoulder height, keeping your palms facing each other. Slowly reverse the move to the start.
