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Everyone
wants a huge chest, plain and simple. It is all too common
to see inexperienced lifters slaving away on endless sets of
bench presses and cable crossovers in search of full, thick
pecs. The reality is that there is nothing complicated about
building an impressive chest. The bottom line for huge chest
gains is consistency, effort and steady progression in
weight and repetitions.
To stimulate the
chest using weights you will be using one of two motions: a
press or a flye. If you want the greatest bang for your buck
from your chest workouts, the true gains lie in your
pressing movements. |
Flyes may have their place
from time to time, but nothing can compare to the overall anabolic
effect of high intensity pressing movements. I’m talking about the
basic, bread-and-butter lifts such as heavy barbell presses,
dumbbell presses and wide-grip dips.
There are no secrets,
magic formulas or killer techniques that will "shock" your
chest into massive growth. Stick to your basic presses, focus on
overload and progression, and I promise that you will see impressive
gains.
Here are the most
effective lifts for packing muscle onto the chest:
Flat/Incline/Decline
Barbell Bench Press:
A standard barbell press
is the meat and potatoes of any effective chest routine. This basic
compound movement will allow you to handle the most weight through
the given range of motion. The incline press will shift more of the
stress to the upper region of the chest while the decline does the
opposite, targeting the lower/outer region. The flat bench press
works the upper and lower regions equally. I highly recommend a
standard barbell press as a basic component of your chest routine.
Flat/Incline/Decline
Dumbbell Press:
Dumbbell presses are
another basic and highly effective movement for stimulating chest
development. The main advantage that they have over the barbell is
that they allow you to move through a more natural range of motion,
helping to prevent shoulder injuries. They also prevent strength
imbalances from occurring since one arm can't cheat for the other.
The only drawback is that you are not able to handle as much weight.
In any case, a standard dumbbell press is an awesome movement that
allows for great chest stimulation.
Wide-Grip
Dips:
An amazing movement for
the chest that is often overlooked. Make sure to use a wider grip
and lean forward to shift the stress from the triceps onto the
pectorals. If pressing your own body weight is not sufficient then
you can always add resistance using a weight belt. Dips are an
excellent compound movement for overall chest development.
Here
are a couple sample chest routines:
1) Flat
Barbell Bench Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Wide-Grip Dips: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
2)
Incline Barbell Bench Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Wide-Grip Dips: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Flat Dumbbell Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
All sets should stay
within the 5-7 rep range and should be taken to complete muscular
failure. Write down the details of each workout you perform and
focus on progressing in either weight or reps from week to week.
To learn about the proper
methods for training all of your other muscle groups, visit my
website by clicking the link below. You can gain instant access to a
complete online video lesson series outlining the most effective
techniques for training your shoulders, arms, back, legs and abs,
all in step-by-step detail.
About The Author
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Once an awkward,
pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is
now a renowned bodybuilding expert, fitness author, and
creator of the most celebrated natural bodybuilding program
online today: "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail
System".
If you can spare
just 24 minutes a day, then you too can build a powerful new
head-turning body that will skyrocket your confidence, drive
gorgeous women crazy, and leave your friends, family and
co-workers staring in disbelief... ALL in just a matter of
months: www.MuscleGainTruth.com |
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