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In order to be successful in bodybuilding, you need to train with consistency and intensity over a number of years. The chest is a very important muscle group in bodybuilding, as having a large, shredded chest can make you stand out from other competitors. One factor that is often overlooked when it comes to training your chest is stretching. Stretching can help to improve your workouts and enable you to train your chest more effectively.
Increased Range of Motion
According to trainer and bodybuilder John Meadows, chest exercises like dumbbell twist presses and flyes are much more effective if you can increase the range of motion to get a deep stretch at the bottom of each repetition. If you do not stretch regularly, then your muscles will be a lot tighter, range of motion will be a lot smaller, and you won't get the full benefits from many exercises.
Posture
Training your chest muscles can often make them tighter, which can cause your upper back to round, and your shoulders and chest to slump forward. Not only can this lead to muscular imbalances and injuries, but slumping forward can also make your chest look a lot smaller than it is. Regular chest stretching can help to loosen your chest muscles, bring your shoulder blades back and give you a much better posture. Try to stretch your chest for a minute, three times every day.
Increased Muscle Size
Your muscles are surrounded by a layer of tough tissue known as fascia. While this is essential for keeping your muscles strong and healthy, it can limit their space for growth. Stretching the fascia however can cause it to expand, leaving more room for muscle growth. After a chest workout, lie on a flat bench with a pair of dumbbells, and lower them down into the bottom of a flye position, so that you feel the muscle stretching. Aim to hold that position for a minute, and focus on getting a large stretch.
Decreased Soreness
After doing a high-intensity chest workout, you will often experience delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, for a day or two afterward, which is caused by a breakdown of the muscle fibers and a buildup of toxins. Stretching can help to increase blood flow to your muscles, flushing out the toxins, warming the muscle and decreasing soreness, which means that you can recover more quickly in time for your next workout.
References
T Nation; Chest Obliteration; John Meadows; November 2010
Bodybuilding.com: Unleash Monstrous Muscle Growth with Extreme Fascial Stretching
Increased Range of Motion
According to trainer and bodybuilder John Meadows, chest exercises like dumbbell twist presses and flyes are much more effective if you can increase the range of motion to get a deep stretch at the bottom of each repetition. If you do not stretch regularly, then your muscles will be a lot tighter, range of motion will be a lot smaller, and you won't get the full benefits from many exercises.
Posture
Training your chest muscles can often make them tighter, which can cause your upper back to round, and your shoulders and chest to slump forward. Not only can this lead to muscular imbalances and injuries, but slumping forward can also make your chest look a lot smaller than it is. Regular chest stretching can help to loosen your chest muscles, bring your shoulder blades back and give you a much better posture. Try to stretch your chest for a minute, three times every day.
Increased Muscle Size
Your muscles are surrounded by a layer of tough tissue known as fascia. While this is essential for keeping your muscles strong and healthy, it can limit their space for growth. Stretching the fascia however can cause it to expand, leaving more room for muscle growth. After a chest workout, lie on a flat bench with a pair of dumbbells, and lower them down into the bottom of a flye position, so that you feel the muscle stretching. Aim to hold that position for a minute, and focus on getting a large stretch.
Decreased Soreness
After doing a high-intensity chest workout, you will often experience delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, for a day or two afterward, which is caused by a breakdown of the muscle fibers and a buildup of toxins. Stretching can help to increase blood flow to your muscles, flushing out the toxins, warming the muscle and decreasing soreness, which means that you can recover more quickly in time for your next workout.
References
T Nation; Chest Obliteration; John Meadows; November 2010
Bodybuilding.com: Unleash Monstrous Muscle Growth with Extreme Fascial Stretching
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