Dwayne Johnson is known as The Rock for a reason. His incredible physique is complete both on the lower and upper parts of the body. Speaking of the upper body, the Hollywood A-lister unveiled one of his favourite exercises to develop his chest area: pec decks. A choice which might surprise many, since it is a guided exercise. Nonetheless, it remains a very effective exercise that produces results in the long run when used in conjunction with compound exercises like the bench press.
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He jokingly said on instagram:
This exercise is one of the reasons why I'm a big hugger
Indeed, the pec deck is excellent for isolating the pectoral muscles, as long as you don't pull your shoulders too far back. The risk of hyper-extension on this part of the body is high if you are not careful.
What are other exercises to supplement our chest routines with?
These exercises can be done in several ways, but the pec deck is still the best if you are a beginner. Being assisted by the machine allows better control of the movement and prevents injuries. If you want to change things up a bit, it is suggested to use the pulley to make the movements, which will be smoother and more secure. Especially, since we can vary the angles and go even further in the contraction of the movement.
How to avoid injury
Although we often start with exercises that require dumbbells, this should be avoided if you do not master the form of the exercise in question first. The weight of the dumbbells along with gravity can quickly lead to hyper-extension of your shoulders and destroy your joints.
Finally, if all fails, pushups, and all of its variations, are a great and easy way to get your chest pumping. Simple, no equipment required and highly effective!
Check out the video above for more pec deck tips!
