Chest Exercises using a Bowflex
The chest exercises featured below can all be performed using fitness equipment made by the bowflex brand (owned by Nautilus Inc.).
For each you'll find animated illustrations, helpful comments as well as tips that combined will help you get the most out of your chest exercises.
Bench Press
- The traditional bench press exercise can easily be done using any bowflex-labelled home gym fitness equipment.
- The bench press will allow you to target the muscles located in your chest, as well as your triceps which are located behind your upper arms.
Bench Press using Purvis Pec Bar
- The purvis pec bar variation lets you extend the pulleys outwardly, placing you in a position to better target your outer pectoral muscles.
- As with other bench press exercise you'll also need input from your tricep muscles.
Bench Press using Bar
- The bench press using a barbell-like bar is available to those that have the additional bowflex attachment.
- Using the attachment will allow you to position yourself in the traditional bench press position, which is lying on your back on a flat bench.
Incline Bench Press
- The incline bench press variation will allow you to target the upper area of your pectoral muscles.
- You simply perform the exercise by pushing the handles higher than you normally would.
Decline Bench Press
- Conversely to the incline, the decline bench press variation will allow you to target the bottom portion of your pectoral muscles.
- In this case you simply push the handles lower than you normally would in the traditional bench press exercise.
Chest Fly
- The chest fly is an excellent chest exercise if you are looking to target the inner portion of your pectoral muscles.
- You perform it by pulling the handles towards one another while keeping a small arc in your elbows constant throughout (i.e. not extending your elbows).
Seated Chest Fly using One-Arm
- The one-armed seated chest fly is another exercise that is helpful at targeting the inner part of your pectoral muscles.
- As with the traditional chest fly you'll want to keep a small angle in your elbow constant throughout the exercise.
Lying Cable Crossover
- The lying cable crossover could also be called the decline chest fly exercise as it will allow you to target the inner and lower portions of your pectoral muscles.
- You perform it by positioning yourself on your back on the flat bench and pulling the handles towards one another above your hips.
Resisted Punch
- The resisted punch is an upper chest exercise that will also focus your shoulder muscles intensely (i.e. front and outer deltoids).
- You perform the exercise by raising the handles forward until your arms are straight and parallel to the floor.
Lying Straight-Arm Pullover
- The pullover exercise is another great exercise to strengthen your pectoral muscles, on top of your triceps, your lats and your trunk muscles.
- Remember to keep your arms straight as you pull the handles above your body then all the way to the sides of your thighs.
Lying Straight-Arm Half Pullover
- The half pullover variant will, like its full cousin, strengthen your chest as well as your back and trunk muscles.
- The difference here is that you stop pulling the handles when they reach halfway, that is when they point straight up and are perpendicular to your body.