Chest Exercises: Form and Safety

To minimize the risk of injury when performing chest exercises, follow these guidelines:

Don’t overstretch: When doing weight-based exercises for your chest, don’t allow your elbows to move back behind your torso. Overstretching will place too much stress on your shoulders.
Don’t arch your back: Arching your back is tempting during chest exercises because it can help you lift more weight. But though arching may make you feel stronger, it won’t help you get stronger. When you arch, you’re not really engaging your chest muscles to perform the exercise. Instead, you’re placing extra strain on your back, which can cause injury.
Don’t pin your back to the bench: Just as it’s a bad idea to arch your back, it’s also a bad idea to overcorrect for arching by pinning your entire lower back against the bench. Instead, maintain a “neutral spine” with an easy, unforced curve in your lower back.
Use your abs to support your back while lifting: When lifting a weight (contracting your pecs), exhale, pull your belly button to your spine, and tighten your lower abs. During the negative part of the rep (when you’re returning to the starting position), inhale.
Don’t lock your elbows: Avoid snapping your elbows into place at the top of a movement. Doing so can inflame your joints.

Stretching Your Chest

Stretching your chest after your workout will reduce muscle soreness. To stretch your chest:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Raise your arm, bend it at 90° angle, and place your forearm against the edge of a wall or door.
Press forward with the shoulder of your raised arm while rotating your torso slightly away from the wall.
Hold the pose for a few moments. Breathe.
Switch sides and repeat.