Weightlifting Transformation Journal
Exercise Index
All Chest Exercises
1. Set the cable pulleys to chest height and stand between them. Grasp the handles with a neutral grip, one in each hand.
2. Maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, extend your arms outwardly, making a semi-circle with each until they meet together in front of your body. Squeeze your chest as your hands meet.
3. Slowly bring your arms out to the sides, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows. Keep your chest up and shoulders down throughout the movement.
1. Sit with your back flat against the pad and your feet flat on the ground; adjust the seat if necessary.
2. With your arms positioned parallel to the ground, grasp the handles. Adjust the machine to fit your size.
3. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, slowly push the handles together as you squeeze the middle of your chest and contract your pectorals.
4. Slowly return handles to the starting position until your chest muscles are fully stretched.
1. Set up the decline bench at a 30 to 45-degree angle and lie down with your feet securely placed on the footrests.
2. Grip the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and lift it off the rack, keeping your arms straight.
3. Slowly lower the bar towards your lower chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
4. Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement, then press the bar back up towards the starting position.
1. Position yourself on an incline bench, back flat against the pad with a dumbbell in each hand on your thighs, palms facing up.
2. Take the dumbbells and create a semi-circle by rotating them up over your head with the motion staying symmetrical.
3. Return back to the starting position.
1. Lie flat on your back on a bench or exercise mat, holding a dumbbell in each hand at chest level with palms facing away from your body.
2. Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are extended, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
3. Pause at the top of the movement and then lower the dumbbells back down to chest level.
1. Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
2. Extend your arms out to the sides with a slight bend in your elbows, keeping your wrists in line with your elbows.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells down and out to the sides, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows and keeping your shoulder blades pressed down and back.
4. Pause at the bottom of the movement, then slowly bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position, squeezing your chest muscles as you do so.
1. Lie on a bench (or on the floor) with your head and shoulders supported, your feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms straight up above your chest.
2. Slowly lower the dumbbell back over your head until your arms are parallel to the floor, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Keep your core engaged and your back flat.
3. Pause briefly, then return the dumbbell back to the starting position by lifting it back over your chest.
1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level with your palms facing your chest.
2. Push the dumbbells upward, rotating your wrists so that your palms are facing away from your head. Ensure your arms are straight but not locked out.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, rotating your wrists back so that your palms are facing your chest by the time the dumbbells return to shoulder level.
1. Lie down on a flat bench with your feet firmly on the ground and your back flat against the bench.
2. Grasp the barbell with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip, with your palms facing away from your body.
3. Unrack the barbell and slowly lower it towards your chest.
4. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push the barbell back up to the starting position, keeping your chest and shoulders engaged throughout the movement.
1. Stand facing away from a cable machine with the pulleys at the highest setting. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and take a step forward to create tension in the cables.
2. Keeping your arms slightly bent and your core engaged, make a semi-circle with each arm until they meet at hip level with your hands together in front of your body.
3. Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement, squeezing your chest muscles before slowly returning to the starting position.
1. Starting out in a regular push-up position, lower your body until your elbows are bent 90 degrees and chest is one to two inches from the ground.
2. Press up explosively so that the hands leave the ground. While in the air, bring your hands in towards your torso to land in a close grip push-up position.
3. Perform a push-up in the close-grip stance, before explosively pushing off the ground to land again in the wide-grip stance you started with.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
1. Set the bench to a 30 to 45-degree incline and lie on it with your feet firmly on the ground.
2. Grasp the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width and unrack it from the supports, holding it directly over your chest.
3. Lower the bar under control until it touches your chest, then press it back up explosively until your arms are fully extended.
1. Sit on an incline bench set to a 45-degree angle with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level with your palms facing your chest.
2. Push the dumbbells upward, rotating your wrists so that your palms face forward by the time the dumbbells are fully extended above your chest. Ensure your arms are straight but not locked out.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, rotating your wrists back so that your palms are facing your chest by the time the dumbbells return to shoulder level.
1. Adjust the bench to a 30 to 45-degree incline and lie face-up with your feet flat on the ground.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other and extend your arms straight above your chest.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells out to your sides, keeping your arms slightly bent, until you feel a stretch in your chest.
4. Pause for a moment, then slowly raise the dumbbells back to the starting position, squeezing your chest muscles at the top of the movement.
1. Sit on an incline bench set to a 45-degree angle with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level with your palms facing your chest.
2. Push the dumbbells upward, rotating your wrists so that your palms face forward by the time the dumbbells are fully extended above your chest. Ensure your arms are straight but not locked out.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, rotating your wrists back so that your palms are facing your chest by the time the dumbbells return to shoulder level.
1. Stand facing a cable machine with the pulleys at the lowest setting. Grasp the handles with an underhand grip and take a step back to create tension in the cables. 2. Keeping your arms slightly bent and your core engaged, pull the handles up and in towards your hips, bringing your hands together in front of your body. 3. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, squeezing your chest muscles before slowly returning to the starting position.
1. Stand upright with your knees slightly bent.
2. Hold a plate of weight in between your hands, and push your hands together in a praying position in front of your chest. Your elbows should be pointing out to your sides and your fingers pointing ahead of you while pushing tightly against each other.
3. Slowly move your hands outward, away from your body, so that your arms fully extend while still positioned together and pushing tightly against each other.
4. To feel this movement to its highest extent, you want to be pushing your hands together as tightly as possible. You can try putting a weighted plate between your hands to increase the difficulty.
5. Bring your wrists back in toward your chest.
1. Start in a plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet together or hip-width apart.
2. Lower your body down towards the ground by bending your elbows and keeping your core engaged. Keep your body in a straight line.
3. Push your body back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
4. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.
1. Grab a plate of weight.
2. Lie on a flat bench while holding the weight in between your hands.
3. Push the plate up towards the ceiling, squeezing both hands together as hard as possible. Your chest should be contracting throughout the entire movement because you’re squeezing your hands together.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.
1. Position yourself on an incline bench, back flat against the pad with a weight plate securely pressed between your palms, fingers pointed toward the ceiling as though you are praying, close to your chest.
2. Slowly move your hands out and away from your body so that your arms fully extend at a 45-degree angle, while still pushing together tightly against the weight.
3. To feel this movement to the highest extent, you want to make sure that you are pushing your hands together as tightly as possible.
4. Return your arms to the starting position.