While running, cycling and other lower-body workouts are popular, exercises that focus on men’s chest and belly can quite often be forgotten. These muscles, however, stabilize the rest of the body and are important for toning your upper body. A few tips will help you isolate your chest and belly, building muscle and toning your upper body.
Strength Training
Free weights and resistance machines provide exercises for your entire body, but you can focus on the chest and belly muscles to develop them more. The most effective training programs combine both free weights and resistance machines. Perform fewer repetitions of higher weights to build muscle.
Stability Ball
The stability ball is an large ball designed to improve balance and develop your abdominal muscles. This adaptable fitness tool strengthens the core–the column inside you that links your upper and lower body–creating balance between the abdominal and back muscles. Every exercise done on the stability ball works the core and abdominal muscles in some way, developing and strengthening them so you have tighter, more toned abs.
Pulse Twist
This exercise works your abs without having to use any machine or weights. Lie on your back on the floor, tucking your hands until your butt, by your tailbone. Straighten your legs and press your feet together. Raise your legs, pointing your feet toward the ceiling and lifting your butt a few inches off the ground. When you have reached the top, twist your hips to the right, pointing your feet to the left. Lower your legs and return to the starting position. Repeat, this time twisting your hips to the left and your feet to the right.
Unilateral Dumbbell Press
For this chest work-out, hold one dumbbell in each hand, bending your elbows and bringing them to your shoulders. Lie on a stability ball on your stomach. Press the dumbbell in your right hand straight up from your shoulder, pausing and then lowering the weight back to your shoulder. Repeat with the left hand to complete one repetition. Perform two to three sets of eight repetitions.
Periodized Training
When your upper body is stuck on a plateau and you are accustomed to the routines you have used, periodize your training. This includes shocking your body by changing your training, keeping your body working hard. According to the American Council on Exercise, periodized training produces better results than non-periodized training, giving your body a more intense workout regularly. For weightlifting, you can periodize your training by increasing your repetitions or sets, as well as increasing the weight and doing fewer repetitions or sets. For cardio, change your intensity level and the speed at which you complete your workout.
Eating Healthy
Food is fuel for your workouts. One way to stay motivated and to keep up your exercise program is to stabilize your blood sugar and energy levels. To do this, eat five to six smaller meals throughout the day, combining complex carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits, so you have fuel to stay motivated. Complex carbohydrates are digested slowly and don’t require the pancreas to produce much insulin, keeping your blood sugar regulated and making you feel full for longer.
About this Author
Christina McDonald-Legg has been a journalist for 12 years, writing health columns for the “Galway Independent” and the “Connacht Tribune,” and health articles for the Department of Health in London. She has published articles nationally and internationally, including the “Seattle Post Intelligencer” and the “Sunday Times,” Dublin. She has an Master of Arts in journalism from the National University of Ireland.
