P90X Chest and Back Workout

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Before diving into the P90X chest and back workout, it is important to understand why these two muscles are worked out together.  The chest and back are two major muscle groups that are worked out during exercise sessions. The chest consists of the pectoral muscles, and the back consists of a wide variety of muscles between the shoulders and hips. Both muscle groups are essential to a healthy life as they provide a good posture, proper appearance and take pressure off the heart by supporting it so that it doesn’t have to work as hard during movement. In this blog, we’ll discuss the benefits of the workouts, reasons for combing the workouts, and examples of chest and back workouts.

5 Benefits of Chest and Back Workouts

Working out both groups provides many benefits. Here are some benefits of back and chest workouts.

1. More Toned Appearance

Working out chest and back muscles helps provide a better-looking body. The more toned these muscle groups are, the better your appearance overall. Also, having good posture is important for both sexes as it allows you to stand straight up, giving off an air of confidence. It also takes the pressure off the heart by supporting it not to work as hard during movement.

2. Better Posture

A good workout will help improve posture, which is important for both sexes. Good posture gives off an air of confidence, takes the pressure off the heart by supporting it so that it doesn’t have to work as hard during movement, and gives you a healthy appearance overall. These reasons make having good posture very beneficial for your life in general.

3. More Stamina

An added benefit of working out the chest and back muscles is increased stamina through aerobic exercise or lifting weights. Having strong backs and chests strengthens them and requires more oxygen to be delivered throughout the body, which results in added endurance when performing strenuous tasks.

4. Reduced Chance of Injury

Having strong backs and chests offers added protection against injuries due to simple tasks such as carrying heavy bags or falling. Wearing a seat belt is important too, but having more support around the midsection will provide added pressure on your back which can be uncomfortable if not supported properly. Not only will you be better protected from injuries, but this also means you will recover quicker since there won’t be as much damage done if an injury has taken place.

5. Better Body Shape

Working out muscles makes them stronger, so they appear larger, which improves body shape overall. Many people like to do specific exercises for each muscle group, but it’s good to work on both the chest and back to tone both. Also, it does not have too much of an impact on weight loss as other exercises since it doesn’t burn that many calories during the workout.

P90X Chest and Back Workouts

The complete P90X chest and back workout is 50 minutes long, including a 10 minute workout.  The program has a 3 minute cool down.

Round 1

• Standard Push Ups
• Wide Front Pull Ups
• Military Push Ups
• Reverse Grip Chin Ups
• Wide Fly Push Ups
• Closed Grip Overhand Pull Ups
• Decline Push Ups
• Heavy Pants
• Diamond Push Ups
• Lawnmower
• Dive Bomber Push Ups
• Back Flys

Round 2

• Wide Front Pull Ups
• Standard Push Ups
• Military Push Ups
• Reverse Grip Chin Ups
• Closed Grip Overhand Pull Ups
• Wide Fly Push Ups
• Decline Push Ups
• Heavy Pants
• Diamond Push Ups
• Lawnmower
• Dive Bomber Push Ups
• Back Flys

Why Work Out Chest and Back Together

Combing chest and back workouts can provide numerous benefits. Working out chest and back muscles simultaneously allows you to maximize your workout time by focusing on two main muscle groups instead of one. Doing just one type of workout can be helpful, but exercising both is better because you’ll have a wider range of motion during exercise, which helps build more lean muscle tissue. If you’re only working out chest or back muscles, you’ll have to travel between equipment for different exercises, which wastes time. Working them both at the same time will allow you to save time as well as build more muscle. Since workouts don’t burn that many calories during the workout, it’s good to combine them with exercises that burn many calories, such as leg squats or lunges. You will see better results at building muscle and reducing fat, which can improve your appearance overall.

4 Alternative Chest and Back Workouts

Some machines may not be available in your gym, but you can still work out the muscles by doing free weight exercises instead. Here are some examples of workouts you can do at home or in a gym.

1. Wall Pushups

You can do this exercise against a wall, so it doesn’t require any equipment at all. You only have to stand facing the wall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lean forward and place your palms flat on the surface of the wall at about eye level. Your arms should be straight while your fingers are pointing upward as you push off the wall with your hands and feet to balance yourself in an upright position. Your back and legs should form a straight line and avoid tilting backward or forward as you lower yourself by bending both arms until your nose nearly touches the wall. Press off with both your hands and feet to bring yourself back up again as you exhale.

2. Machine Chest Press

This is one of those machines that’s available in most gyms. For the best results, choose a weight level to do at least 8 to 12 reps while still being challenged. The machine will adjust to your height, so set it in a comfortable position and place your feet on the platform before sitting down with your back straight against the seat. Then, move both handles of the machine until they rest comfortably on your chest. Your arms should also be slightly spread away from your body as you push both handles forward until they are extended all the way out with a slight bend at the elbows. When you feel a good stretch, then slowly bring them back to their original position inside by bending your arms while exhaling.

3. Chest Dips Exercise

This exercise requires resistance bands, so it’s helpful to have your own set at home. Attach the band to a stable object at about hip level and place your hands on either side of you, gripping the handles with your palms facing down. Your legs should be extended in front of you as you lift them off the ground. Then, straighten both arms while exhaling as your move downwards until your bottom dips below your elbows. Keep breathing normally throughout this exercise and push yourself back up again by straightening both arms until they are fully extended upwards.

4. Weighted Pullups or Chin-ups

Another exercise requires a machine available for most gyms called pullup bars. Choose a weight belt with 10 to 20 pounds to add more resistance for this workout. The belt will be worn around your waist during this exercise. It’s best to choose the pullup bar that offers multiple hand positions; otherwise, you may not be able to perform certain types of exercises for this muscle group. First, grip the handles with one palm facing forward and the other turned inwards at about 45 degrees. Your feet should also hang off the ground as you pull yourself upwards to full arm extension using your back muscles before bringing yourself down slowly until your chest nearly touches the handle.

Conclusion

Chest and back workouts are great to do at home or in the gym because these exercises are known for burning more calories than other muscle groups. This is because you use other muscles such as your legs, arms, and abdominals while performing chest and back workouts.