The chest is made up of two muscles the Pectoralis major, and the Pectoralis minor.

• Pectoralis Major - Is the large fan shaped muscle that is located on the front of the chest. It originates from both the sternum (breast bone) and the clavicle and inserts into the humerus. This muscle is responsible for flexing and extending the humerus, as well as adducting and medially rotating.

• Pectoralis Minor - Lies under the pectoralis major, and is a much smaller triangular shaped muscle that stabilizes the action of the scapula.

Safety is more important than lifting heavy weights. In addition to lifting the proper amount of weight, take the following precautions when working your chest:

Don't lock your elbows. In other words, don't straighten your arms to the point that your elbows snap. This arm extension puts too much pressure on the elbow joints and leads to tendonitis or inflammation of the elbow joint itself. When you straighten your arms, keep your elbows slightly relaxed.

Don't arch your back. In an effort to hoist more poundage, some people arch their backs so severely that there's enough room between their back and the bench for a Range Rover to drive through. Sooner or later, this position causes a back injury. Plus, you're doing nothing to strengthen your chest muscles. Instead, you're overstraining your lower back.

Don't flatten your back. In a sincere effort not to cheat, many people do the exact opposite of overarching their backs — they force their lower backs into the bench. This posture is equally bad for your back. When you lie down, make sure that a slight gap exists between your lower back and the bench, reflecting the natural arch of your lower back.

Don't lift your shoulder blades off the bench or backrest. If you do this, your shoulders bear too much weight — without any support from the bench. This error is subtle but one that may be costly for your shoulder joint.

Don't stretch too far. When you lie on your back and perform the bench press, you may be tempted to lower the bar all the way to your chest. Similarly, when you perform a push-up, you may want to lower your body all the way to the floor. Don't.

Mr. Mark Lyndsell - VP TRANSCOM (iFit PRO Unlimited)