For years, you’ve been putting around the gym, lifting fairly heavy, eating fairly big, and you have seen some decent growth as a result. You have seen your physique change from that of an untrained, average looking guy, into someone who is proud to take his shirt off – even if you don’t look like Mr. Olympia. You’ve become a lot stronger too. You’re definitely not one of the stronger guys in your gym, but among your untrained friends, you stand head and shoulders above them in terms of strength. You have evaluated your goals, and while you are one day interested in adding a great deal of size to your frame, you have come to the realization that the numbers you move – particularly on the bench press – are what is of the most interest ...

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When targeting a specific muscle group, it is often beneficial to select movements which will hit a specific portion of the muscle, then move to different sections. Chest is one such muscle group in which it may benefit you tremendously to start with one area, such as the inner pectorals, and use exercises to target it specifically. Then, you would move to the center then outer pectorals with each preceding exercise. The result would be a spreading of blood throughout the pectorals, and presumably, more targeted growth.   Incline Dumbbell Flyes Use very moderate weight which will allow you to reach 12 to 15 repetitions per set. Your goal for this movement isn’t to hit some personal best with the poundage. Rather, you want to stimulate that area where the pectorals meet. Keep your reps slow ...

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Ask any top bodybuilder what area of his chest he works to stimulate most, and barring a few exceptions, they will all answer in the same manner: Upper chest! The upper pectoral shelf was made legendary by Arnold Schwarzenegger in his bodybuilding heyday, and not a whole lot has changed since then. Arnold could balance a full glass of water on his upper pectorals, and bodybuilders have been trying for years to match that feat! Here is a training style which emphasizes the upper pectorals. Incline bench press For this particular movement, you will be challenging yourself to bring the barbell down to a point at the very top of your chest. Remember that you’re working from the top of the chest down, so you will need to start at the top of the chest. Flex the ...

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Today’s gyms are equipped with a multitude of machines which allow the trainer to hit the various areas of the pectorals (chest muscles) with relatively no pain or balance. You can hop on any device in the gym and pump, pump, pump to your heart’s content. The problem is that you’re probably not going to build that much muscle as a result. You’re going to fill it with blood, and you’re going to feel like the strongest man in the gym inserting that pin and moving the stack. But the bodybuilder across the gym repping out with 225 on the bench press is going to be making better gains. Chest machines are highlighted as a safe, efficient way to build a chest. There is a problem with that. They are safe, but not nearly ...

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While the chest is actually considered to be a single muscle group, it actually contains five separate yet equal areas which need to be developed to their fullest if you wish to display a full and complete chest. Let’s check out these five areas, along with exercises which hit them most effectively. The Inner Chest Close-grip bench press (used for triceps) is a great way to isolate the inner chest. Also useful are incline and flat dumbbell flyes. The contraction and flexion you feel at the peak of every repetition is highly important as well. The Outer Chest Cable crossovers, wide incline dumbbell flyers, and parallel bar dips work to help develop that pectoral-shoulder tie-in area. Remember that this part of the upper chest shelf is visible in many poses, and its development is essential if you want ...

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Pectoral training can be a very confusing ting, given the wide variety of exercises and routines out there. Here is a breakdown of the seven most effective exercises for building and shaping the pectorals. Other movements should be used occasionally, but these seven movements should be the cornerstone for your mass building chest routine. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press This is the granddaddy of all chest movements. Targeting the upper and middle pectorals while keeping the shoulders and triceps pumped, this exercise belongs in every chest routine, at least seven times every two months. Keep your rep range in the 7 to 12 area, and employ at least two warm-up sets to avoid injury. Flat Bench Press This movement is used most by bodybuilders, particularly in the beginning of their training. Many lifters evolve into powerlifters based upon their ...

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The bench press is one of the most complex movements one can complete in the gym. This may seem odd to many trainers. After all, you lie down on the bench, grab the bar, and just press the weight. If you can move it, then you rep out with the weight. If you can’t, then a spotter needs to pull the weight off of you. It’s not rocket science, right? Actually there are some techniques or methods that you should be employing to make your benching safer and more productive. Let’s check them out! Plant those feet Many trainers in the gym tend to use their feet to help move greater amounts of weight. They will put them on the bench, they will flail them around, and sometimes they will even wrap them around the ...

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Decades ago, bodybuilders didn’t use the bench press as a chest movement. They used it as THE chest movement. Men such as Surge Nubret would complete up to 20 straight sets of bench press in a single workout. Instead of Monday being chest day, it would be considered Bench day. Obviously, today we know enough about human kinesiology to realize that a wide variety of movements is required to develop a thick and complete chest. However, when you look back at photos of bodybuilders from the 60s and 70s, you might notice something – their chests were as good as, or better, than the chests we see on many bodybuilders today! They used a limited variety of movements, but they were able to develop thick chests with that incredible upper shelf that rivals those we ...

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Are you satisfied with your chest progress? Do you feel you’re getting the most out of your training? It may just be time to re-evaluate your training practices to determine if you are undermining your efforts in any way. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before you hit the gym for your next chest training session. What is your primary goal? This is often the hardest question of all for trainers in the gym. Invariably, the answer will usually be something along the lines of “To get bigger and stronger”. This response doesn’t provide enough of the meaningful information required to properly design a training protocol. Do you want to be a bodybuilder? If so, you should be training for muscle mass, which will include higher rep range sets, and a wide variety ...

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Bodybuilders love to bench press. It’s a movement which allows one to demonstrate his strength, and pump up most of the upper body at the same time. Chest, triceps, and shoulders all receive stimulation from this very useful movement, and body mass grows as a result of its use. In some individuals, however, the movement does lead to problems in chest development. Whether it be due to short arms, chest shape, muscle insertion locations, or just plain lifting technique and feel, many bodybuilders develop great shoulders and triceps, but poor triceps, as a result of using the bench press. When this occurs, it can be an irreversible problem. Great bodybuilders such as Lee Priest and Kevin Levrone, and more recently Phil Heath, all have suffered from a genetically narrow chest, which causes their triceps and shoulders to ...

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