Nancy Arnold presents the bodybuilding side chest pose. This pose emphasizes the torso and the legs as well as the chest for which it is named.
In this video exercise analysis, I present the side chest pose (Quicktime, 1 MB; Google Video, no download but quality problems the first few seconds). As you can see from the video I begin facing forward and I enter the pose by turning so my left side is facing forward. I take one small step with my right foot and I bring the left leg over so that my feel are about even. I keep all the weight on my right leg as this allows me to keep the left knee slightly bent and left heel off the ground. This slight bend in the knee creates an aesthetically pleasing pose.
As I am stepping with my right leg I am simultaneously extending my left arm to shoulder height (using my long arms to create a dramatic effect as I did with the front double biceps). It is after my left arm reaches shoulder height that I extend my right arm to allow my hands meet when my arms are at the fully extended position. I clasp my right hand over my left wrist and then pull into the pose.
As I pull into the pose I am rotating my shoulders to face forward and keeping my hips sideways. It is important to keep the hips sideways to creat the illusion of a very narrow waist and broad shoulders. Also, notice that my hands remain at about naval level so I don't cover the narrow waist or the obliques.
By pushing down on my right hand and pulling up on my left I can fully engage the pecs. This will also contract the biceps and triceps of both arms as well as enhancing the look of both shoulders. As I am flexing I slowly blow all the air out of my lungs. This keeps the abs tight and engages the obliques to show off the definition there as well.
As I mentioned in the front double biceps analysis every pose involves the legs and this is no exception. By pushing the ball of my left foot into the floor I can keep tension on my quad and calf at all times. This will complete the entire look of the pose.
Additional Links
- The NPC rules describe how compulsory poses like the side chest are judged.
- Bodybuilding.com describes three different leg positions the poser can adopt, emphasizing the importance of choosing the right stance for your physique.
- Tom Venuto provides an interesting analysis of his side chest pose relative to competitors in October 2005.
