The chest press machine is a safer alternative machine that works many of the same muscles that the bench press does, the pectoral muscles in particular. While it may not cater to some whose fitness needs cannot be met by the limited weights on the machine, it is an ideal option for those who are just getting started on their road to fitness, or for those who have medical conditions that may prevent them from using the bench press.
Be it labeled the chest press, seated chest press, machine chest press, or machine press, all these are actually just one and the same. The difference the chest press machine has with the bench press is that while the bench press is performed lying down on your back, the chest press is performed in an upright position. Furthermore, the chest press machine offers multiple handles that are positioned in different angles, allowing an athlete to choose which one is best suited to them, or which one is safest for them in consideration of past injuries.
To safely use the chest press machine, simply place your back against the backrest of the chest press machine, and hold on to the handles on both sides of the machine. Make sure that you are holding handles that are angled in the same way as the other, as holding two heavyweights at different angles is one way of getting yourself a shoulder injury or a sprain. Next, keep both of your feet positioned flat on the floor, or on the chest press machine footstool. Push both of the handles you’re holding on to forward until your arms are locked straight. Stay in this position for one second. After that, bend your elbows slowly, and carefully return toward the position you began the exercise in. It is best to use the chest press machine in four sets of 8-12 repetitions, allotting a 60 second rest period in between the sets, this may, however, be adjusted according to the person’s capacity and fitness goals.
As mentioned above, anyone who has experienced significant shoulder injuries has shoulder pains, has back problems, or has been told to stay away from the bench press by a doctor, the chest press machine is easily the best option available. Furthermore, there is much less associated risk with the use of the chest press machine in comparison to how much there would be in the use of the chest press, as while the bench press requires you to learn the technique and perform it properly in order to avoid injury, using the chest press requires nothing more than for one to push his hands forward against the weight of a few metal plates.
While it cannot be used for heavier weights without running the risk of the machine breaking under the weight, the chest press machine is undoubtedly an ideal option for someone who is just getting started on exercising their pectorals, for whom the machine’s limitations have yet to become a problem, and for whom the simplicity of using the machine is bound to keep them safe from overexertion or from poor form.
