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For many women, body goals include a firmer stomach, shapely glutes, and toned legs. It's rare for a "firmer chest" to make the body goals list because a myth persists that "women should skip chest training since it will make them less feminine."
So before we get into this high-intensity interval training (HIIT) chest workout, it's time to settle an age-old question...
Women should train their chests as frequently as they would any other muscle group. While many women are concerned that chest exercises will decrease breast mass, this is untrue.The size of breasts is mostly determined by fatty tissue.
Furthermore, the chest muscle lies underneath the breasts and is completely separated by tissue.
The most likely side effects of training your chest are improved posture and strength, decreased risk of injury, and a balanced upper body.
Plus, training your chest will also help you perform better in exercises that don't target the chest muscles directly, such as the shoulder press. Let's ditch the myth and get you back on track with a HIIT chest workout unlike any other.
A HIIT workoutalternates between periods of all-out effort and active recovery. A chest HIIT workout is, quite simply, a HIIT workout that focuses on the chest muscles. This means that the moves will be structured in a way that works the pectorals, or chest muscles.
And, since it's a HIIT workout, you can expect to be working at your highest intensity for short intervals, then resting in between.
HIIT workouts are already intense by nature, butwhen you focus on one muscle group, you can expect an even more challenging and sweaty session.
This workout consists of 5 supersets - a superset is two exercises done back-to-back with no rest in between.The idea is that you'll be working one muscle group while the other rests, then switch and work the other muscle group while the first rests.
Here's what this workout looks like:
This is an effective way to work out because you're able to keep your heart rate up andget more work done in a shorter period. And, since we're doing a HIIT chest workout, the focus will be on strengthening your chest muscles while burning calories.
You'll rest after each superset.The goal is to complete each superset four times during the workout - if this is your first time, aim for completing each superset twice.
Now then, let's get started with this ultimate chest workout:
Muscles Worked:Pectoral, anterior deltoids, and latissimus dorsi.
Muscles Worked:Hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps, and calves.
Muscles Worked: Pectorals, deltoids, and triceps.
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes, hip flexors, and abdominals.
Muscles Worked: Pectorals, triceps, and front deltoids.
Muscles Worked: Abdominals, glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.
Muscles Worked:Pectorals and front deltoids.
For a regular burpee, once you've performed a push-up, instead of jumping to grab the pull-up bar, simply jump up into the air with your hands overhead.
Muscles Worked:All of them… seriously, burpees are full-body and work your legs, hips, abdominals, arms, chest, and shoulders.
Muscles Worked: Pectorals, anterior deltoids, latissimus dorsi, biceps, and rhomboids.
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings.
If you just did all 5 supersets for the first time, congratulations! You just completed one round - shoot for 3 more rounds to go until you've completed your HIIT chest training.
Once all rounds are finished, give yourself plenty of time to cool down and stretch out your chest muscles.
If you're feeling short of breath after an intense workout, that's normal. With short rest periods between a strength-building and cardio-heavy workout, it's easy to feel exhausted.
Regardless of how tired you might feel,it's important to make sure you cool down properly.Doing so can help you recover faster than skipping a cooldown.
Here are 3 ways you can cool down after HIIT training:
Once you finish your sets, take a few minutes to walk around the gym or outside. This will help bring your heart rate back down to normal and give you a chance to catch your breath.
There's no need to go all-out on a post-workout walk, keep a moderate pace.
Stretching after a workout might not help your recovery or performance, but it feels great.After your heart rate has returned to normal,take some time to stretch out all the muscles you worked during your workout.
Since this workout was heavily focused on your chest and upper body, some static stretches for the chest will push your chest muscles to an extended point, andas you hold that position for 15 or so seconds, your muscles will relax and elongate.
You could also use a foam roller to work out any knots or tension you might be feeling in your chest.
Make sure you're drinking plenty of water before, during, and after your workout. This will help your body recover by flushing out toxins and preventing dehydration and cramps.
This is one of the key elements of working out - did you know that you're supposed todrink 7-10 ounces of water every 10-20 minutes of working out?
So fill up your water bottle, you need to hydrate.
Congratulations again if this was your first time either doing HIIT training or this particular workout.
As with anything new, it's important to ease into it and listen to your body.If you need to take a longer break in between sets, that's perfectly fine.
The key is to focus on form and make sure you're using the right weight for yourself. Consistency is important, so make sure you don’t skip chest workouts.While most women still think they shouldn't train their chest - you now know that's a myth.
For a full workout program that encompasses all of your muscles, especially large muscles, then your chest has to be part of the program.
If you're looking to build a bigger, stronger chest, then HIIT training is one of the best ways to do it. And this workout is a great place to start.
Just make sure you give your body the time it needs to recover in between workouts.HIIT training is intense and puts a lot of strain on your muscles, so make sure you're taking at least one day in between workouts to fully recover.