Every guy wants a thick, ripped up chest! So where do you start? There are a few common misconceptions that I run into when speaking with clients and I'd like to first point them out.
1. Flat bench strength is not the end all be all for a well built chest!
2. Pushups are not a great way to add mass to your chest.
These two things definitely have their place in chest development, but I see too many guys relying on these things for their chest workouts. Instead, I will be showing you some basic guidelines and principles to keep in mind next time you decide to hit chest hard at the gym! The easiest way to do this will be to write a guideline and following that describe why I have designed the cycle this way.
Warm-up: 2 sets dumbbell flys
Exercise 1: Incline Barbell Press 4 sets 6-12 reps
Exercise 2: Flat Dumbbell Presses 4 sets 8-12 reps
Exercise 3: Cable Flys 3 sets 8-12 reps
Exercise 4: Dips 3 sets 8-15 reps
This is a great place to start when looking for a very effective chest program. It hit all areas of the chest (upper, middle, lower), and has a perfect balance of mass exercises and finesse exercises for that nice shape and deep cuts. Now lets break this program down into sections so you understand exactly what you're doing.
Incline Barbell Press: I'm sure many of you were expecting a flat power type movement for the first exercise, but that's not what you will be doing during this training program. I almost always suggest an incline exercise first for a few reasons. First of all, most people's upper chest is there weak point so this will add more focus to that area. Secondly, it will work the mid chest very well also, so you are getting a great upper/middle pec workout. You can keep the heavy weights in your workout in this exercise going down to 6 reps and also get the benefits of focusing on lagging bodyparts.
Flat Dumbbell Press: Now for all you flat bench guys, here's your flat exercise to keep you happy! Flat dumbbell presses are great because you can get a nice squeeze at the top as well as a great workout for your stabilizer muscles. This will help your barbell bench press improve as well. Theres also the added benefit of independent arm movement so you won't be pushing one pec harder than the other. We all know how important symmetry is to an asthetically pleasing body!
Cable Flys: Who ever said cable exercises can't build a solid chest?! Well I'm a firm believer that cable flys if performed correctly can be a great on or offseason exercise. If you are in the off-season try and perform heavier cable flys going between 8-10 reps. If you are cutting or preparing for contest I would recommend anywhere between 10-20 reps for those striations to show! The cable flys I have listed in this program are to be performed as high cable flys (meaning that your arms will start at a high point and end in the middle at a low point). Make sure to SQUEEZE those powerful pecs with each repetition!
Dips: these are great for any athlete. This is a great compound movement that involves not only the chest but also the triceps and shoulders as well. This will give a nice balanced look to your upper body. I have also selected this exercise because its great for carving out the lower portion of your chest. You can do these weighted or unweighted. The way I do them is the first set unweighted to warm-up the motion and the next two sets are weighted… but this is up to you and what feels best!
This program can be followed for sometime before needing to be switched up. I recommend doing this for 4 weeks then switch the first exercise to incline dumbbell press and the second exercise to flat barbell bench. This will shock your chest a little and keep it growing!
