Now that you have abs of steel, in this article, you will find everything you need to have pecs of steel. The chest is usually the body part that is hardest to grow compared to other muscles. Sometimes, even if you keep training your chest, gains don’t come as expected. How can we make sure your chest receives the best stimulation in order to have optimal growth?
As for any other muscle group, training your chest requires:
- Persistence, but patience: do not over-train your chest, and after a heavy session, allow it 3 to 4 days of rest for an optimal recovery.
- Proper and adequate diet: now you know our moto: training is cool, eating adequately is cooler. Your chest won’t pop up if your diet doesn’t support its growth. A diet slightly over-maintenance is thus necessary. Proteins to build muscle, carbs to jack up your training and lipids for optimal hormonal activity; in case you are wondering how to set up your diet, check out our famous article, The Athlete’s Diet here.
- Proper form: focus on your form and on efficient repetitions. Push yourself to the corner, but push wisely.
1st exercise: Hammer Grip Incline Press
This exercise particularly solicits the chest stabilizer, which will help make you stronger. Begin with this exercise which will strengthen the upper part of your pecs- which is often the hardest part to stimulate.
Warm-up for 20 minutes using a weight that you could perform 20 repetitions with, then:
- Perform one set of 12 to 15 repetitions with the heaviest weight you can lift, then
- a set of 10 to 12 repetitions, then finally
- a set of 8 to 10 repetitions.
Allow yourself 2 minutes for resting between every set, but no more. Too much rest won’t lead to the kind of stimulation we are looking for here!
2nd exercise: Hammer Grip Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
One of the best exercise to develop the lower part of your pecs.
Warm-up for 20 minutes with a lighter weight, then:
- Perform a set of 12 to 15 repetitions with 80% of your 1 RM, then
- a set of 10 to 12 repetitions, then
- a set of 8 to 12 repetitions.
For this exercise, rest for 2 minutes, and make sure to have a partner to spot you.
3rd exercise: Bench Press
THE exercise for pecs of steel. Make sure to include this one in your routine.
Have a partner assist you for this exercise!
4th exercise: Cable Fly
Lay down on a bench and lower the cables. Add some weight in order to be able to perform 15 repetitions. For this movement, bring your hands together above your chest, keeping your arms straight. Your hands should almost touch each other.
For this exercise, you can perform up to 4 sets, with one minute rest in-between each:
- 1 set of 15 repetitions, using the heaviest weight you can use,
- 1 set of 10 to 12 repetitions,
- 1 set of 8 to 10 repetitions, and finally
- 1 set of 20 repetitions- push as hard as you can!
5th exercise: Dumbbell Pullover
Lay down on a bench, and use a weight allowing you to reach 15 repetitions. Lift your arm and rotate your shoulder, then rotating your elbows. Do not overdo it and watch your form. If the angle is too high, you might end up using your back rather than your pecs.
Bring the weight down, then bring your arms back up. For this exercise:
- 1 set of 15 repetitions
- 1 set of 10 to 12 repetitions, then
- 1 set of 8 to 10 repetitions, and finally
- 1 set of 4 to 6 repetitions
For this last set, push as hard as you can! If this is your first time, make sure to have someone assist you.
For those who have experience, you can supercharge your set with extra push ups if you want to increase the muscle pump
Fit !