Myth #6: You need a Swiss ball to build a stronger chest and shoulders

by Chris Sparling (Subscribe to Chris Sparling's posts)
Jul 22nd 2008 10:03AM

Categories: Womens Health, HealthWatch, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Men's Health

A gym is a great place to put in a solid workout, but it can sometimes be one of the worst places to get health and fitness advice. It's easy to assume that someone with a great physique must be an expert on health and fitness, but that may not necessarily be the case. Their advice, though well-intentioned, may not exactly be sound. Remember, not all great players make great coaches (ask Isiah Thomas). The approach to fitness these individuals take may work well for them, but for you they could potentially lead to disaster.

Men's Health magazine tackled this very topic in their article 7 Muscle Myths - Fact vs. Fiction. In it, researchers take a look at some common gym misconceptions and, in efforts to clear up any confusion and prevent potential injury, present their own expert advice. We'll be highlighting one of these myths each day here at That's Fit. Here's a look at Myth #6:

Myth #6
You need a Swiss ball to build a stronger chest and shoulders.
Don't abandon your trusty bench for exercises like the chest press and shoulder press if your goal is strength and size. "The reason people are using the ball and getting gains is because they're weak as kittens to begin with," says Craig Ballantyne, C.S.C.S. You have to reduce the weight in order to press on a Swiss ball, and this means you get less out of the exercise, he says.

The real expert says: A Swiss ball is great for variety, but center your chest and shoulder routines on exercises that are performed on a stable surface, Ballantyne says. Then use the ball to work your abs.

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Comments (2)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Vishaal 7-22-2008 @ 12:46PM

Hey Chris...

I've lost a lot of weight since high school (I was 240 six years ago, now I'm 179) and I'd really like to build the "U's" on my chest. I don't want any bulk, I just want that tight double U shape on my chest. When I lift heavy, it starts to bulk up real quick, however, when I use light weights, nothing seems to happen at all. My number one goal in fitness right now is to build a double U chest. Any help???

Unknown 7-23-2008 @ 12:00PM

Hi Vishaal,

Getting a defined chest involves two steps: building up the muscles in that area and losing body fat to help better expose the definition of those muscles.

For the first part of that process, my suggestion would be to stick to proven muscle-builders (eg. incline bench press, push-ups, dips, dumbbell flyes). If you're not looking to add bulk, keep your rep count to at least 8 reps per set.

Insofar as the second part of the process is concerned, be sure to include some high-intensity cardio into your weekly workout at least two or three days a week. Also, be mindful of what foods you're eating, as diet is at least half the battle when it comes to looking lean and muscular.

And lastly, if your main goal -- as you stated -- is to improve your chest, treat it like it's a lagging body part by throwing in some extra sets on your non-chest days. For example, if you're doing cardio today at the gym, finish off the workout with three sets of incline dumbbell press. Don't turn every day into a chest workout (or else you'll put yourself at risk for injury and over-training), but peppering your non-chest workout days with a few chest exercises will do the trick.