The pecs are known as the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is the large, fan-shaped muscle that comprises most of the chest wall. The muscle is responsible for flapping, pressing and lifting actions. The pectoralis minor is considerably smaller and flatter, it lies underneath the pec major and is intrinsic to the functioning of the shoulder.
Strong pecs contribute to your overall upper body strength. They improve your ability to push things, strong pecs also encourage you to stand tall to show off sculpted muscles.
Challenge your pecs in ways they have not been before in order to grow a big, wide chest. Doing three sets of ten barbell bench press at the beginning of the week and little else is never going to be enough to build your chest.
If you want to add chest size, try these six exercises that targets your chest muscles from a variety of angles and through different rep ranges, to hit as many muscle fibres as possible. Do the moves as stated and prioritise proper form throughout.
This workout starts with two moves done as straight sets. Go as heavy as you can but still maintaining good form. This will get your chest muscles firing hard, you can then work them harder with the final four moves, these are split into two supersets and increases the muscles workload whilst minimising fatigue.
Close-Grip Bench Press
How to:
- Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest.
- After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles.
- Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 60 sec
Dumbbell Pull-Over
How to:
- Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench.
- Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench (torso across it as in forming a cross) with only your shoulders lying on the surface.
- Hips should be below the bench and legs bent with feet firmly on the floor. The head will be off the bench too.
- Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest at arms length. Both palms pressing against the underside one of the sides of the dumbbell.
- While keeping your arms straight, lower the weight slowly in an arc behind your head while breathing in until you feel a stretch on the chest.
- Bring the dumbbell back to the starting position using the arc through which the weight was lowered and exhale as you perform this movement.
- Hold the weight on the initial position for a second and repeat the motion for the prescribed number of repetitions
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 60 sec
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
How to:
- Lie back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand on your thighs. The palms of your hands facing each other.
- Using your thighs to help push the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them at shoulder width.
- Once you have the dumbbells raised to shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you.
- Keep full control of the dumbbells at all times. Then breathe out and push the dumbbells up with your chest.
- Lock your arms at the top, hold for a second, then start slowly lowering the weight.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the dumbbells back on your thighs and then on the floor.
Sets: 4 Reps: 12 Rest: 30 sec
Incline Dumbbell Flye
How to:
- Hold a dumbbell on each hand and lie on an incline bench that is set to an incline angle of no more than 30 degrees.
- Extend your arms above you with a slight bend at the elbows.
- Rotate the wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing you.
- Breathe in and start to slowly lower the arms to the side while keeping the arms extended and rotating the wrists until the palms of the hand are facing each other.
- As you exhale start to bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position by reversing the motion and rotating the hands so that the pinky fingers are next to each other.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Sets: 4 Reps: 12 Rest: 60 sec
Standing Cable Flye
How to:
- Place the pulleys on a high position (above your head), select the resistance to be used and hold the pulleys in each hand.
- Step forward in front of an imaginary straight line between both pulleys while pulling your arms together in front of you. Your torso should have a small forward bend from the waist.
- With a slight bend on your elbows, extend your arms to the side (straight out at both sides) in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest, breathe in.
- Return your arms back to the starting position as you breathe out. Make sure to use the same arc of motion used to lower the weights.
- Hold for a second at the starting position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Sets: 3 Reps: 15 Rest: 30 sec
Reverse Dumbbell Flyes
How to:
- Lie down on an incline bench with the chest and stomach pressing against the incline. Have the dumbbells in each hand with the palms facing each other (neutral grip).
- Extend the arms in front of you so that they are perpendicular to the angle of the bench. The legs should be stationary while applying pressure with the ball of your toes.
- Slightly bend the elbows, move the weights out and away from each other (to the side) in an arc motion while exhaling.
- The arms should be elevated until they are parallel to the floor.
- Feel the contraction and slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Sets: 4 Reps: 12 Rest: 60 sec
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