Chest Exercises Explained-Boob Lift

Boob Lift or Bust: 3 Best Chest Exercises

Get the Boost Without Going Under the Knife

By Jennifer Gruenemay, ACE-Certified, Special to Lifescript

Pills and creams and surgery, oh my! The lengths that women will go to for great breasts are extreme, but you don’t have to go under the knife to perk up. Maybe you’ve just had a baby, maybe you’re staring the big four-oh in the face or maybe years of sitting hunched over a computer have taken their toll on your posture. No matter the reason, the first place to look for results isn’t the operating table. You can create your very own boob lift at home with these three easy-to-do exercises. So ask yourself: Are your boobs up to the challenge? Plus: Test your chest exercise IQ…

 

There’s no quick fix for getting a bigger chest. No magic pill will make your breasts grow to gargantuan proportions. And surgery, while boasting instant results, actually requires months of painful recovery.

Why bother when a few pushups each day can offer you great results? Sure, you’ll have to sweat, but that’s what showers are for.

Don’t wimp out and take the so-called “easy” route of trusting your best assets to a carving knife – not until you’ve explored all of your options, at least.

Exercise takes dedication and perseverance. Luckily, those are qualities every woman has, whether she knows it already or not. Some just take a bit longer to realize this, but you do have it in you. (See related article: Think Thin, Stay Slim)

Step up to the challenge, and when you see the results you’ll be glad you put in the effort.

 

Here are three exercises you can do right now for perkier pecs. No dumbbells? Grab a couple water bottles or soup cans and get busy!

How long will it take for these exercises to work? Do the following three chest exercises two to three times a week, and you’ll start to see results in as little as two to four weeks
 3. Contract your abs so that your core is strong and steady, and your arms are ready to do the work.

4. Hold your weights next to your armpits with your elbows pointing out to the sides (kind of like the start of the funky chicken dance).

5. Count to two as you push the weights up, away from your chest, until your arms are straight out above you.

6. Lower the weights back down to the starting position in three to four counts. (Lowering slower forces your muscles to work harder.)

7. Do three sets of 12 repetitions. (I.e. repeat this movement for a total of twelve times, take a 30 second break, and then do 12 more, take another 30-second break, and finish with one more set of 12.) As you progress and grow stronger, switch to heavier weights.

 Chest Exercises: Modified Push UpThis pushup is great because it doesn’t require you to jump into “boy” pushups right away. Doing push ups on your knees does reduce your output from about 60% of your body weight to only 35%. But this is a good starting place and you can always work up to the full push up. You can also modify this further by performing push ups against a wall (easiest) or high counter to give you some leverage until you can build up to floor exercises. We know you want to bust out a GI Jane one-armed push up, but that takes practice… so be realistic and get to work!

1. Lie flat on your stomach.

2. Place your hands flat on the ground next to your armpits, with elbows bent. Don’t place your hands too far away from your body. They should end up right under your shoulders once you push up.

3. Bend your legs at the knees and cross your ankles, lifting your ankles off the floor. This will ensure that you use your knees as your fulcrum (pivoting support) instead of your feet.

4. Push up with your arms as you pivot on your knees, keeping your back and neck in alignment the whole time. Keep your face turned to the floor and do not arch or round your back. If you have trouble keeping your spine aligned, concentrate more on contracting your abs to stabilize your core.

5. Lower yourself back toward the ground in three to four counts, but don’t touch the ground with your chest. Keep a few inches between you and the floor, and then repeat the push up.

6. Do three sets of 10 reps, with 30-60 seconds rest in between. Work up to three sets of 20 reps by adding an additional five reps to your routine each time you can complete all three sets without trouble, two exercise sessions in a row.

 

 Best Chest Exercises: Isometric Chest Contractions

Isometric exercises are those that require your muscle to contract, but don’t allow any change in length of the muscle. Think about it this way: A biceps curl involves changing the angle of your arm at the elbow, which forces the muscle to shorten and lengthen throughout the movement. Compare that to pushing against a wall with straight arms. You’re pushing as hard as you can, but the wall isn’t going anywhere. There is no change in length of your muscle, but it is contracting over and over again in place.

1. Isometric exercises can raise your blood pressure, so avoid them or get permission from your physician first if you suffer from hypertension or heart disease.

2. Stand with your knees slightly bent and your abs contracted to support your core.

 3. Grab each end of a hand towel and hold it straight out in front of you, at shoulder level.

4. Pull the towel in opposite directions at the same time, using small pulsing motions. You should not let the towel slack after a pulse. Keep it pulled taut and continue to pulse for a full minute.

5. Do three sets of one-minute pulses, with 30 seconds of rest in between.

That’s it! See how easy that was? These three simple moves can be done at work, at home or anywhere you go – no gym required. But don’t be fooled by their simplicity – they do work! The ease of these exercises will help you to feel confident enough with your ability to do them without professional supervision. But once you get too good at these exercises, get creative and spice up your chest routine.