The Truth About Pec Workouts
by Bob Myhal author of the Ultimate Muscle Mass Bodybuilding Program
For most people at the gym, the bench press has become more about building an
ego than building a quality set of pecs. Rather than worry about how much you
can lift, you need to focus on how fully you can train—and fatigue—the pecs
themselves (rather than your arms, shoulders, back, quads,
etc.)
Target Your Pecs
Here’s an oldie but a goodie to isolate your pecs on the flat bench press.
It’s a simple technique that can really make a difference in how fully and
intensely you’re able to target your pec muscles.
Sit upright with perfect posture on the end of a flat bench. Roll your
shoulders back and down slightly—almost as if you’re pushing your shoulder
blades towards each other. Hold this position as you lay back on the flat bench.
With a shoulder’s width grip and your elbows in, maintain this position
throughout the bench press. It may feel awkward at first and you won’t be able
to lift as much weight as you’re used to, but you’ll hit your pecs hard and
you’ll feel the pump.
You should also add some variation to your chest training.
Killer Giant Set
To get that ripped look, try blasting your upper chest with this killer pec-blasting
set:
- First, warm-up your pecs thoroughly.
- Dumbbell Flyes on the Incline Bench: Part I: Set the bench at a slight angle of
around 30 degrees or so. Be sure to get a full stretch on each rep, and push
yourself to failure. I like to use moderately heavy weights here (60 lbs. or
so).
- Dumbbell Incline Presses. Go right into these without any rest at all using
the same dumbbells you have in your hands from the Flyes. Go deep on each rep,
throwing your chest out and upward at the stretch point. Then squeeze hard at
the point of full contraction. Go to failure.
- Barbell Incline Press. Now jump right into Barbell Incline Presses with a
moderate weight. Your pecs will be substantially fatigued at this point, so
you’ll want to have a spotter to help you push out some solid reps. Again, go to
failure.
- Dumbbell Flyes on the Incline Bench: Part II: Drop your original dumbbell weight in
half (30 lbs. in my example). Maintain great form and go to failure.
- Dumbbell Incline Presses. Finally, go right into Dumbbell Presses again
with the same weight you already have in your hands. No rest. Pump out as many
as you can. This final leg of the Giant Set really separates the men from the
boys, or the women from the girls as the case may be.
- Take a 90 second rest and repeat entire Giant Set once or twice—more if you
dare.
Check out more of my bodybuilding workouts!
