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The Question: Building a stronger and bigger chest has many benefits and is often a point of focus for many. Equally important is doing it without injuring yourself. What is the most complete workout for building a huge chest? Be specific: list complete set, reps, exercises, etc... Do you prefer using a barbell, dumbbells or machines? Why? What should you do to avoid injury during your chest workout? Bonus Question: What bodybuilder has the most complete package in the chest department? Show off your knowledge to the world! The Winners:
2nd place - 50 in store credit. To use your credit, e-mail Justin @ justin.podzimek@bodybuilding.com for more info.
A well developed chest is a staple of a complete physique, and is often emphasized in a workout split. The pectoral muscles are one of the large muscle groups of the body, and as such have a lot of potential, but require focus to hit effectively. In order to build a wide, complete chest, exercises must be selected that work the chest in isolation and in conjunction with other muscles. Stretch overload and constant tension go a long way towards the development of a wide, striated chest.
In this case, the incline press was chosen. Although weaker than the flat bench press, it puts more stress on the upper pectorals, as opposed to the anterior deltoid, which is prone to overtraining. In this case, two rest-pause sets are used, instead of 3-4 normal sets.
The movement of heavy weights will also help to improve the nerve-muscle connection, which will help stimulate growth. Perform 8-10 repetitions, rack the bar and rest for 20 seconds, and do as many reps as possible, rack the bar yet again, rest 20 more seconds, and do as many reps as possible. This is considered one set.
The best exercise for activating the stretch overload reflex is the dumbbell fly, as it will leave the muscle fully extended at the end of the eccentric portion of each repetition. Constant tension has been shown to exclude blood from the muscles during the execution of the exercise, which causes the body to overcompensate afterwards and pull excess blood into the muscle (what is known as the "pump").
Speaking of Vince Gironda, part of building a huge chest is to work the rest of the body to project the illusion of an even larger chest. Remember, no part of the body exists in isolation. A wide back (from pull-ups, rows, pulldowns, etc.), cannonball shoulders (from lateral raises and military presses), and a trim waste (from cardio and abdominal exercises) will project the illusion of a truly impressive chest. Since no body part exists in isolation, it is advisable to perform other heavy compound lifts, such as squats, deadlifts, cleans, etc. These will stimulate the release of anabolic hormones which will spur muscle growth throughout the whole body.
 Click Here For A Printable Log Of Lynx_Lightning's Sample Workout.Overall, there are 10 sets directed at the chest, which it should handle once per week without risk of overtraining. Add another set of dips if you need more volume, or remove the pushups and one set of incline presses and dumbbell flyes if you need less.
Personally, I prefer dumbbells to barbells, as they engage the stabilizer muscles more than either barbells or machines, even though it cuts down on the amount of weight that can be lifted. For really building mass, however, the removal of the stabilizer muscles will allow for heavier lifting and thus more mass gain.
One of the main causes of injury during any workout regime is a failure to attend to supporting muscles that are designed to protect the body. Bench pressing and other chest exercises place stress on the shoulders and spine, so caution must be taken to avoid overtraining or otherwise injuring these muscles. A common source of injury in chest training is the shoulders. The anterior deltoid is worked heavily in pressing movements, and can be easily overtrained by the addition of too many front raises and military presses on the shoulder day. When training heavy for the chest, it may be wise to cut front raises from your shoulder workout.
The rotator cuff, a cluster of small muscles around the shoulder joint designed to stabilize and assist the surrounding muscles, is a chronic source of sports injury. It may be wise to train it with forearm adductions and abductions during the light phase of a periodized workout cycle to help prevent injury during the heavy phase. The deep abdominal muscles are designed to contract and protect the spine during physical activity. Improper form during pressing movements (which should not be a problem) can result in spinal injuries if the abdominal muscles are weak. Any serious workout routine should include sufficient abdominal work to prevent injury. Of course, proper form is key to injury prevention while exercising. Never lift more than you can handle. The bench press is often used as a marker for how strong a person is, so the amount a person can lift is often embellished. Pushing movements, such as the bench press, can be very dangerous if too much weight is lifted. The eccentric phase of motion must always be performed in a controlled manner, or else injury can occur.
I have personally damaged tendons in my elbow from dropping dumbbells during a press. A spotter is key to not becoming trapped under a weight you cannot lift, and no pressing movement should be done without supervision.
I would have to say that Vince Gironda has the best pectoral definition of any bodybuilder, past or present. He has size, definition, and separation. His pectoral muscles continue with their size and definition all the way up to the shoulder. There is a reason he was often considered "too defined".
A bigger, thicker, and stronger chest is the goal of nearly every bodybuilder on the planet. Heck, it's a goal for nearly every guy on the planet. Nothing says brawn like a big strong chest. So the question becomes how should somebody go about trying to get it. Well, the best way to get a huge chest is to hit it hard with a variety of exercises and grips. You have to tax all the fibers in the chest to the max so that it responds and grows. How to do that? Well, I'm here to tell you.
Week 1: Heavy
Week 2: Not-So-Heavy
Click Here For A Printable Log Of sweatbloodtears' Chest 1 Workout.* After each set strip the weight off and continue to failure. Chest 2
Click Here For A Printable Log Of sweatbloodtears' Chest 2 Workout.* Have rack set somewhat high, so that you place more focus on the end of the bench movement, which focuses more on the inner portion of the pecs. You will probably need to add a bit of weight considering the shorter range of motion. Test the waters with this exercise until you find the right weight for you. I'd suggest increasing the weight by only 10% from your regular bench press and adding about 5% more after that until you reach the point where you can fail at about 10 reps. Then add a bit more for 8 reps, and again for 6. Chest 3 Overall Development
Click Here For A Printable Log Of sweatbloodtears' Chest 3 Workout.
I think it's best to incorporate a mix of the barbells, dumbbells, and machines. They each have their advantages and disadvantages. For instance:
Basically, if you want the best physique possible, you should incorporate all three into your workouts, whether it's chest, back, arms or any other body part.
For starters, control the weight on the negative. Don't just let it fall. That's a big no no. If you're using barbells, you can crush your rib cage. If you're using dumbbells, you can tear your pecs. Same with a machine. So control the weight at all times. If you can't control the negative, odds are you're using too much weight.
  Click To Enlarge. If You Can't Control The Negative, You're Using Too Much Weight. Also, don't let your ego get the best of you. Lift what you can lift. If you can only get 225 for 8 reps, don't go gung-ho and put 265 on the bar to impress people. Sure, you should be able to get maybe 4 reps with that. But when you hit number five, it'll be stuck on your chest and you'll be in serious danger and you'll look like an idiot. Lastly. Use a spotter. The different bench variations are very dangerous. They place large amounts of weight over your head, neck, and obviously your chest. If you don't have a spotter to help you as you get tired, you'll be putting yourself in too much danger. And, if you don't have somebody to spot you, sacrifice a little bit of the weight until you can find one.
Well, isn't that just the question of the ages. It really falls down to opinion, and putting the question into greater focus. If you're talking about all time, then my opinion has to be Lou Ferrigno. He had size, detail, thickness, and upper and middle peck development. I personally think he had the greatest chest out of any bodybuilder ever.
 Click To Enlarge. I Personally Think He Had The Greatest Chest Ever. Now, if you're talking about modern times, I think I'd have to give Johnnie Jackson the nod. He might not be the best bodybuilder around, but his chest is HUGE. Period. It's friggin' massive. They're almost cartoonish in their freakiness.
 Click To Enlarge. They're Almost Cartoonish In Their Freakiness.
The chest is one of most coveted body parts that bodybuilders want to make sure is dialed in before a contest. Right after curls are bench press which many perform to get bigger and stronger chest. Without a dense and striated chest, a bodybuilder will fail to place in a top position. Every bodybuilder recognizes the need to have a dynamite chest.
Click Here For A Printable Log Of History in Effect's Chest Workout.
It is a good starting place for a beginner who wants to beef up his/her chest and make it stronger. Three sets of 10 is good for strength and a beginner as well as an advanced lifter will experience good gains while doing this routine.
I prefer switching up things every week and keeping my body fresh. It allows my body to keep growing like it should and not plateau as often. I often add into DB Incline Press or DB Decline Press in exchange for the ones listed. Dumbbells work my stabilizer muscles and also give me a better stretch allowing me to put on more quality muscles. I do use machines, but usually as quality warm-up sets or when I am taking a weight to failure.
I make sure and get quality rest between sets. If I am going for conditioning, I will rest between 45 and 60 seconds. If not, I rest between 90 and 120 seconds. I take in water during those rest sets to keep my body functioning at its best. After chest workouts, I also use hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy involves alternating between hot and cold water in the shower or bath which allows for recovery and brings more blood into the system. It is very useful. Last but not least, keep perfect form and you will be fine. Sloppy form and you might have a pec tear. Form is the key.
This might be the hardest question ever in bodybuilding history. When I think chest, I think of a lot of people. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman, Branch Warren, Johnnie Jackson, Markus Ruhl, and so on. I'm old school, so I would go with Arnold according to size and Columbu according to striations and detail in the chest.
 Click To Enlarge. I Would Go With Arnold According To Size.
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