Building a strong and well-defined chest often involves staple exercises like the bench press or push-ups. While effective, they can plateau over time, limiting gains in strength and muscle development.
To push past these barriers and stimulate your chest muscles in novel ways, incorporating unusual exercises is key.
This article will introduce five innovative chest exercises, explain their unique benefits, and provide evidence-backed insights into their effectiveness.
The Science of Chest Training
Before diving into the exercises, it’s important to understand the biomechanics of chest training. The chest comprises two main muscles: the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. Studies show that stimulating these muscles from various angles and under different resistance profiles is crucial for balanced growth (Schoenfeld, 2010).
Using unconventional exercises can target underdeveloped areas of the chest, improve neuromuscular activation, and prevent adaptation.
1. Chaos Push-Ups
What Are They?
Chaos push-ups involve performing push-ups with your hands placed on suspended objects like resistance bands or TRX straps. The unstable surface forces your stabiliser muscles to engage more than during traditional push-ups.
Why They Work
Research shows that instability increases muscle activation due to greater neuromuscular demands (Behm & Anderson, 2006). Chaos push-ups not only target the pectoral muscles but also recruit the shoulders, triceps, and core to maintain balance.
How to Perform
- Attach resistance bands or TRX straps securely to a high anchor.
- Place your hands on the straps, ensuring they are at chest level.
- Lower your body into a push-up position, keeping the bands steady.
- Push back up while maintaining control.
Scientific Backing
A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that instability during upper body exercises enhances muscle activation, particularly in stabilising muscles (Anderson & Behm, 2004).
2. Dead Stop Chest Flyes
What Are They?
This variation of the dumbbell chest fly involves starting the movement from a dead stop, either on the floor or a bench. It eliminates momentum, increasing tension on the chest.
Why They Work
Dead stop exercises are excellent for increasing time under tension, a key factor in muscle hypertrophy (Schoenfeld et al., 2015). Removing momentum forces your chest to do all the work, enhancing muscle fibre recruitment.
How to Perform
- Lie on a flat bench or the floor with dumbbells in each hand.
- Start with your arms fully extended outward, palms facing up, and dumbbells resting lightly on the floor.
- Lift the weights by bringing your arms together in an arc until they meet above your chest.
- Lower them back to the starting position and pause.
Scientific Backing
Research highlights that time under tension plays a critical role in promoting muscle growth by maximising metabolic stress and mechanical tension (Schoenfeld et al., 2015).
3. Around-the-Worlds
What Are They?
Around-the-worlds involve a sweeping circular motion with light dumbbells, targeting both the upper and lower portions of the chest simultaneously.
Why They Work
This exercise provides a unique range of motion that isn’t achievable with traditional presses or flyes. The continuous movement increases blood flow and metabolic stress,
key contributors to muscle growth (Schoenfeld, 2010).
How to Perform
- Lie on a flat bench with a light dumbbell in each hand.
- Start with your arms extended downward, palms facing out.
- Sweep the dumbbells in a wide arc upward until they meet above your head.
- Reverse the motion, maintaining control, until your arms return to the starting position.
Scientific Backing
Exercises with extensive range of motion, like around-the-worlds, have been shown to enhance muscle fibre recruitment, particularly in eccentric phases (Douglas et al., 2017).
4. Incline Landmine Press
What Is It?
The incline landmine press involves pressing a barbell anchored in a landmine attachment at an incline angle. This variation shifts the emphasis to the upper chest while incorporating a unique pressing path.
Why It Works
Traditional incline presses can place strain on the shoulders. The landmine setup creates a safer arc of motion while effectively targeting the upper pectorals (Saeterbakken et al., 2011).
How to Perform
- Place one end of a barbell in a landmine attachment or securely wedge it into a corner.
- Hold the free end of the barbell with both hands and position yourself at an incline angle relative to the bar.
- Press the bar upward in a controlled arc, focusing on engaging your upper chest.
- Slowly lower it back to the starting position.
Scientific Backing
A study in the Journal of Human Kinetics demonstrated that landmine presses are highly effective for upper body development, reducing joint stress while maintaining muscle activation (Saeterbakken et al., 2011).
5. Band-Resisted Dumbbell Press
What Is It?
This exercise combines dumbbell pressing with resistance bands looped around your back and the dumbbells. The bands increase resistance as you press, creating variable tension.
Why It Works
Variable resistance training, such as adding bands, has been shown to increase peak force output and muscle activation by providing a more challenging end range of motion (Wallace et al., 2006). This can help break plateaus and build strength.
How to Perform
- Lie on a flat bench with a resistance band looped around your back and secured to the dumbbells in your hands.
- Press the dumbbells upward, feeling the resistance increase as you extend your arms.
- Lower the dumbbells slowly, maintaining tension from the bands.
Scientific Backing
Variable resistance training increases muscle power and hypertrophy by maximising tension throughout the range of motion (Wallace et al., 2006).
Conclusion
Incorporating these unusual chest exercises into your routine can target muscle groups from unique angles, increase neuromuscular activation, and prevent plateaus. By understanding the mechanics and science behind each movement, you can optimise your training for better results.
Key Takeaways
| Exercise | Key Benefits | Scientific Backing |
|---|---|---|
| Chaos Push-Ups | Enhances stabiliser activation, recruits core and shoulders. | Anderson & Behm, 2004. |
| Dead Stop Chest Flyes | Increases time under tension, eliminates momentum. | Schoenfeld et al., 2015. |
| Around-the-Worlds | Expands range of motion, targets both upper and lower chest. | Douglas et al., 2017. |
| Incline Landmine Press | Safer incline pressing angle, targets upper chest effectively. | Saeterbakken et al., 2011. |
| Band-Resisted Dumbbell Press | Provides variable tension, maximises end range muscle activation. | Wallace et al., 2006. |
Bibliography
- Anderson, K. and Behm, D. G., 2004. The impact of instability resistance training on balance and stability. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18(3), pp.622-627.
- Douglas, J., Pearson, S., Ross, A. and McGuigan, M., 2017. Chronic adaptations to eccentric training: A systematic review. Sports Medicine, 47(5), pp.917-941.
- Saeterbakken, A. H., et al., 2011. The effect of bench press variations on muscle activity and performance. Journal of Human Kinetics, 28, pp.57-64.
- Schoenfeld, B. J., 2010. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(10), pp.2857-2872.
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D. and Krieger, J. W., 2015. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 46(11), pp.1689-1697.
- Wallace, B. J., Winchester, J. B. and McGuigan, M. R., 2006. Effects of elastic bands on force and power characteristics during the back squat exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 20(2), pp.268-272.
