Lie on a flat bench with your feet on the floor. Grasp a barbell or EZ-bar with both hands. Your palms should be facing up with your thumbs and forefingers wrapped around the handles.
1. Inhale as you lower the weight behind your head, slightly bending your elbows.
2. Return to the starting position. Exhale as you do so. Repeat the next repetition.
Notes:
This is a great exercise to develop the entire pectoral muscle. It also works the pectoralis minor, triceps long head, teres major, lats, serratus anterior, and the rhomboids.
This movement will stretch your ribcage. Do so by using a light-weight dumbbell and make sure you bend your elbows slightly. The best position to accomplish this is to use either a convex bench or to lie across a flat bench with your pelvis lower than your pectoral girdle.
Inhale as much as possible when you begin the movement, exhale as you raise the dumbbell, not before.