The two workouts that guys never miss…and the two muscle groups that they have the most trouble developing.
There are good reasons for this.
Except in the cases of genetic windfall, the biceps are small, stubborn muscles that take an inordinate amount of time and work to develop.
The pecs are larger and stronger than the biceps but, in most cases, start from basically nothing.
Modern, sedentary living just doesn’t involve the chest muscles to any significant degree and thus most guys and gals new to weightlifting are embarrassingly weak on the bench press.
Don’t despair, though.
No matter how small and weak you may feel your chest is…you can build that superhero, “armor plate” chest that you really want.
And this article is going to show you how.
The Simple Science of Effective Chest Training
The two biggest mistakes most people make in their chest workouts are:
1. Focusing on the wrong chest exercises.
Many people focus too much on machines and isolation exercises, which are of secondary importance in building big, “armor plate” pecs.
2. Focusing on high-rep training.
This mistake will stunt the growth of every major muscle group in the body and is particularly detrimental in a smaller muscle group like the pecs.
If those two points go against a lot of what you’ve heard and/or assumed about chest training, I understand.
EXERCISE BASICS
The chest is a muscle which must be trained for all of its areas to develop completely. Usually for males, a full and wide chest is the goal. It is very important as with most large muscle groups to build a foundation of the muscle before concerning yourself with details. This foundation phase will be the building blocks to further detailed work. With the pectoral muscles, it is significant to follow a plan which will consist of a few basic movements along with some isolation movements. Proper form, contraction and stretching will boost your gains and help prevent injuries. There is a wide range of exercise to properly stimulate all areas of the chest muscles for men and women.
CHEST EXERCISES
Barbell Bench Press
Incline Bench Press
Decline Bench Press
Wide Grip Bench Press
Wide Reverse Grip Bench Press
Guillotine Press
Barbell PullOver
Dumbbell Flys
Push Up Dumbbell Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
Cable Chest Press
Cable Lower Chest Raise
Chest Dip
Pec Deck
Incline Dumbbell Flys
Bench PushUps