Setup
Sit upright on the pec deck machine with your back firmly against the pad and feet flat on the floor. Adjust the seat height so your upper arms are parallel to the ground, then place your forearms against the vertical pads with elbows bent at roughly 90 degrees.
How to do it
- Drive your elbows together in front of your chest using a smooth, controlled arc.
- Squeeze your chest hard at the peak contraction when the pads meet in the center.
- Slowly reverse the motion, allowing your arms to open wide until you feel a stretch across your chest.
- Keep your back pressed against the pad throughout the entire movement.
- Breathe out as you bring the pads together and inhale as you return to the start.
Watch out for
- ✗Using momentum by rocking the torso forward instead of isolating the chest muscles.
- ✗Letting the shoulders roll forward, which shifts tension away from the chest to the front delts.
- ✗Releasing the pads too far back, causing excessive shoulder strain and losing tension on the chest.