Chest

Make sure you build your chest with a wide range of exercises. Don't just do flat bench-presses. Every gym has one guy who only does flat bench press! Before long he will suffer shoulder injury, and develop a very imbalanced physique. Don't let that be you.

I recommend you work your chest with a range of dumbbell, barbell, and machine exercises. Remember, the pec major, your main chest muscle, has a clavicular portion (that connects with the clavicles, or collarbones) and a sternal portion (that connects with the sternum, or breastbone). Make sure you exercise both portions. Incline presses work the sternal portion more, which develops your upper chest. Flat presses work the clavicular portion.

Include also some decline bench presses, where your head is lower than your legs. Most good gyms have a decline bench. This develops the clavicular portion of your chest, as well as a very important but neglected muscle called the serratus anterior, which stabilises your shoulder-blades, stops them winging out, and improves the posture and appearance of your upper body. By flattening your shoulder blades, a well developed serratus anterior widens your shoulders, because the serratus pulls your scapula (shoulder blades) into better alignment.

Make sure you include this range of exercises in your chest workout:

Flat bench press, incline bench press, decline bench press (all with barbell or dumbbells)

Dumbbell flyes (flat and incline)

Machine press (seated, incline, and flat)

Pec Dec (seated)

Cable-crossovers

If you're in any doubt about your exercise technique, invest in a few sessions with a personal trainer, who will ensure you're exercising safely and effectively.

A few personal training tips for your chest routine: Always do some warm-up sets with a light weight, before going heavier. When you rehearse good technique with lighter weights immediately before lifting more challenging weights, you'll reduce the risk of injury. And make sure you vary your chest routine. Don't do barbell bench press every time!