| If you’ve read any of my articles on arm training | | | | requires and builds more strength than doing the same |
| you know I’m all about building big, muscular arms | | | | movement with a barbell. That means you’ll need |
| that ooze power and look great! But to look and feel | | | | to experiment initially with different poundage to find |
| your very best you’ve got to balance those GUNS | | | | the amount of weight that you can lift with proper |
| with a thick, muscular chest. | | | | training technique. Remember, don’t try to impress |
| Many beginning bodybuilders mistakenly believe that | | | | or keep up with anyone else in the gym – especially |
| barbell bench press is all they need to build a massive | | | | when you’re first starting out. And don’t worry |
| chest. And some guys love to impress themselves by | | | | about those guys doing nothing but incline barbell bench |
| bragging about how much they can “bench.” | | | | press. They’ll be shocked when they see your |
| Hopefully you’re not in this crowd because you | | | | chest after disciplined and consistent training with this |
| simply can’t build truly awesome pecs with barbell | | | | exercise. |
| bench press alone. The standard bench press is a | | | | 3. Parallel Bar Dips |
| compound exercise that involves coordinated work | | | | Parallel Bar Dips are great for shaping and building |
| from the chest, triceps and shoulders. While this | | | | mass in the entire pectoral region. Grasp the handles |
| exercise is great for building overall upper body | | | | of a parallel dip apparatus and hold your body |
| strength, it’s not enough for getting maximum | | | | suspended between them. For primary training |
| growth, shape and muscularity in the entire pectoral | | | | emphasis on your chest, lean forward as you perform |
| region. | | | | this exercise (holding your torso erect puts primary |
| If you really want a big, muscular chest with well | | | | resistance on your triceps). Inhale as you lower |
| defined pecs that look like tectonic plates, you should | | | | yourself as far down as you can comfortably |
| try the 5 chest building exercises I’ve listed below. | | | | descend and then exhale as you push yourself back |
| I’ve chosen these exercises because they’re | | | | up to the starting position. This exercise is a great |
| simple and effective for beginners who need a solid | | | | bodyweight chest builder as long as you watch your |
| foundation in chest-building fundamentals to achieve | | | | technique and lean forward throughout the movement. |
| long-term bodybuilding success. The equipment needed | | | | For an overload effect or to pyramid your work sets, |
| for each exercise is generally available at any gym or | | | | use a harness to hang a barbell plate or dumbbell from |
| health club. Each of my Top 5 chest-building exercises | | | | your waist for added resistance. Most commercial |
| will help you simultaneously build mass, shape and | | | | gyms and some health clubs have these harnesses, |
| power in your chest. The entire pectoral area is | | | | so if you need one, ask for it. |
| directly targeted during each exercise to maximize | | | | 4. Flat Bench Dumbbell Flys |
| growth and efficiency from your workouts. | | | | Flat Bench Dumbbell Flys are designed to build well |
| Now, here’s my list of the Top 5 starter exercises | | | | defined, massive pecs by isolating resistance on the |
| for building the big, muscular chest that you desire! | | | | chest as much as possible with strict training technique. |
| They’re not listed in any particular order, so | | | | Such technique requires the controlled movement of |
| there’s no reason to think that one particular | | | | the dumbbells over your chest with your back and |
| exercise is better than another. You must decide what | | | | shoulders planted firmly on a flat or incline workout |
| works best for you by experimenting with each | | | | bench. This means you shouldn’t try to do this |
| exercise. But rest assured that any chest-building | | | | exercise with excessively heavy weight (I suggest |
| program that includes all of these exercises will | | | | poundage that allows you to do 10-12 reps). Make sure |
| definitely add inches, symmetry and power to your | | | | that you don’t jerk the dumbbells together with |
| pecs. | | | | bodyweight or shoulder assistance. This type of |
| 1. Dumbbell Bench Press | | | | cheating on training technique deprives the chest of |
| Dumbbell Bench Press is one of my favorite exercises | | | | the work it needs to grow and simply wastes time. If |
| for building mass, shape and power in my pecs. Try it | | | | done properly, this exercise will thicken and shape the |
| and you’ll soon feel this way too! Unlike barbell | | | | “pec-delt tie-ins” where your chest and |
| bench press which often causes shoulder pain and | | | | shoulders meet to give your pecs a full and wide |
| risks rotator cuff injury, this exercise allows you to | | | | frontal appearance. |
| comfortably stretch your pecs through a greater | | | | 5. Weighted Pushups |
| range of motion to stimulate more muscle fibers for | | | | Standard pushups are a compound exercise that |
| enhanced growth and shape. | | | | involves the triceps, chest and shoulders in the |
| And if you really want to build strength in your chest, | | | | “pushing” motion. If you can do 3 sets of 15-20 |
| balancing and controlling each dumbbell during high | | | | pushups with little or no difficulty, you should try |
| intensity sets requires considerably more power than it | | | | Weighted Pushups to increase resistance on your |
| does to complete the same motion with a barbell. If | | | | chest. |
| you don’t believe me, consider the following. If your | | | | For proper performance, take a standard pushup |
| one-rep maximum in the barbell bench press is 250 | | | | position with your hands and arms extended and |
| pounds, you might logically assume that you could | | | | shoulder-width apart. Have a training buddy gently |
| work with two 125 dumbbells for your Dumbbell Bench | | | | place a 5-10 pound barbell plate on your back to force |
| Press. But if you actually tried to do this you’d be in | | | | your chest to work harder than it would with a |
| for a big surprise! Bench press with dumbbells is harder | | | | standard pushup (you can increase the amount of |
| and requires more strength than the barbell variety. I | | | | weight as needed). |
| recommend it for beginners because the difficulty lies | | | | Make sure you keep your back straight and your head |
| not in the technical aspects of the lift, but in the | | | | up to balance the weight and put maximum resistance |
| strength required to complete it. And the sooner you | | | | on your chest. Slowly lower your chest to nearly touch |
| start developing the strength in your chest necessary | | | | the floor and then push yourself back up to the starting |
| to effectively complete this exercise, the better. | | | | position. Try this and you’ll be amazed at the |
| 2. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | | | | results you can get from such a simple exercise! |
| The size, shape and strength building benefits of Incline | | | | So, there you have it – my Top 5 list of |
| Dumbbell Bench Press are basically the same as | | | | chest-building exercises for beginning bodybuilders. |
| discussed in Exercise #1 above. The basic difference | | | | When you try them, make sure that you use safe |
| is that these benefits are concentrated in the upper | | | | amounts of weight and proper training technique with |
| portion of your pecs. If you’ve never done this | | | | every exercise. Have fun and start making plans to |
| exercise before or if you’ve only done it with a | | | | buy some bigger shirts! |
| barbell, remember that Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | | | | |