Are you struggling to build chest muscles and get the gains you want?
You can’t just aimlessly do reps and hope for the best!
A great plan is going to be key in making sure you get what you want out of your precious time in the gym.
Our upper body workout here at GymViper makes sure you have a plan of attack when it comes to your time at the gym. We put together an exercise that will build muscles on your upper chest, lower chest, and sides.
No matter how you want to work out, we’ve got something for everybody, even if you want to do chest exercises with dumbbells!
Let’s get into it!
The Importance of Building Your Chest
We recommend you do these workouts on Monday.
Why? No reason, it’s just that we’ve heard in passing that Monday is Chest Day International.
All jokes aside, this workout we have for you will get you looking ripped and feeling stronger.
Aside from making you feel more confident in how you look, the health benefits of building your muscles and working out are numerous.
It’s common knowledge that you can reduce the risk of heart disease, keep weight under control, and improve your mood and mental health! In case you need more info on these benefits, check here.
And as a bonus, you will be a hero at work or home when it’s easy for you to lift and move something heavy, like boxes of supplies or a desk that somebody wants repositioned.
Working the Upper Chest
There are two parts of this muscle-the upper pec and the lower pec. Upper pecs are a little tricky because they don’t get a great workout when we do most chest or upper body moves, and so they don’t develop correctly.
The workout we’ve put together will ensure everything gets a fair workout.
Working the Lower Chest
These create the shape and appearance of your chest. These are also the masters of controlling several arm movements, such as when you flex or rotate your arm.
There are two muscles that make up the pectorals. Pectoralis major runs from the shoulder to middle of the chest, and the pectoralis minor is located on the chest’s outer edge.
If you would like to build up your pecs, do movements that exercise the WHOLE chest are. You should aim to do these moves at least two times per week.
Working the Sides & Outer Chest
Examples of some moves you can do include dumbbell flyes, dips, and a variety of push-ups. Our workout contains them all, so you can count on us to help get you the chest you want.
Before You Get Started…
Make sure you have yourself on a solid foundation before you get started in building your chest. The goal is to get the blood flowing to the muscles, so you get results.
Be sure to follow the program correctly and make sure you allow two days of rest before you move onto the next part of it.
In the second part, you will be working with the fibrous tissues that surround muscles. You will also increase your fascial stretching (fascia is a material that allows your body to go back to its original position after it has been stretched) before we begin to work out the pectoralis major and minor. It will increase your chest size and depth.
You will also want two days of rest before you get back to the first workout.
With all of that good stuff out of the way, let’s get into the actual workout!
Chest Workout 1
Bench Presses with Barbell
Aim for: 10 sets of 6 Reps
Rest Time: 60 Sec
Here’s How You Do It: Lie on your back on a flat bench, with a barbell above you in the rack. Get a shoulder-width, overhanded grip.
Now lift the bar off the rack and get it into position above the chest with your arms totally extended. It is the starting position.
Inhale and lower the bar downward slowly until it slightly touches your chest’s middle. Then push the bar upward to the starting position, doing an explosive movement. Exhale as you do this.
That is one rep
Reverse Grip Push Up
You are going to want to do this four-movement circuit twice. The reasoning is that it will get blood into your pectorals and will flood them with nutrients, plus improve posture.
It will help smooth out imbalances. The bonus is that these push up moves can be done just about anywhere, no gym required!
Aim For: 1 Set of 60 Reps
Rest Time: 1.5 minutes
Here’s How You Do It: Begin by getting down into a push-up position with hands positioned so that fingers are pointing at toward toes. Lower yourself down until the chest is just 1 inch from the ground and then explode upward, extending the arms completely.
Standard Push Up
Aim For: 1 set consisting of 60 seconds of work
Rest Time: 1.5 minutes
Here’s How You Do It: Get into a push up position with weight being distributed through the toes. Make sure hands are under the shoulders, and make sure your body is straight-you should imagine a cup sitting on your back filled with ice-cold water. (You wouldn’t want that icy water to splash all over you now, would you?)
Make sure your core is locked so that your head, butt, and heels are all in a straight line. Now lower yourself down until the chest is one inch off the ground. Explode upward, extending the arms completely.
Push-ups with Incline
Aim For: 1 set of 60 seconds of work
Rest time: 1.5 minutes
Position hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart using a bench. Plant feet onto the floor. Now bend the arms and bring the body down until your chest touches that bench. Now, push upward into the starting position.
Push-Ups with Clap
Aim For: 1 Set of 60 Seconds of work
Rest Time: 1.5 minutes
Here’s How You Do It: Begin in a push-up position. Make sure hands are shoulder-width apart and keep that back straight, using the idea that there is a cup of water on your back if needed.
Now lower yourself down onto the floor, until the chest is just one inch off the floor. Then explode upward, clap your hands together, and go directly into the next push-up.
Chest Workout 2
Stretch for Pecs
Aim For: 1 on either side
Reps: Until your time is up
Rest Time: 60 Seconds
Here’s How You Do It: While you stand up, put your hand behind you, and then push it into your lower back. Now pull shoulders back and push out the chest. Go back to the starting position.
Chest Press: 45 Degree Incline with Dumbbell
Aim For: 4 Sets of 12 Reps
Rest Time: 60 Seconds
Here’s How You Do It: Set up your fitness bench to be at a 45-degree angle, and then lift your dumbbells to your shoulders with palms facing away from your body.
Now exhale as you push the dumbbells up with both of your arms. Lock the arms out and squeeze the chest before you bring the dumbbells slowly back to their starting position.
Dumbbell Flyes (No Incline)
Aim For: 3 Sets of 12 Reps
Rest Time: 60 Seconds
Here’s How You Do It: Lie down on a bench in the flat position. Hold two dumbbells at the shoulders, ensuring that palms are facing toward you. Now press up the dumbbells until your arms are just about extended completely. That’s the start position.
Now you will arch the weights downward to the sides until you feel a stretch in your chest. Squeeze pectorals to bring weights back to their starting position by reversing this movement.
Dumbbell Flyes With Incline
Aim For: 3 Sets of 12 Reps
Rest For: 60 Seconds
Here’s How You Do It: Begin by holding a dumbbell in each hand and lie on your incline bench. Begin with arms extended above you. Then bring them down out to your sides, making sure your elbow is bent slightly.
Now reverse the movement and bring arms above you. Repeat this movement until your reps have been completed.
Classic Move: Dips
Aim For: 4 sets of 12 Reps
Rest Time: 60 Seconds
Here’s How You Do It: Get a firm grip on the bars designed for dipping and make sure palms are facing inward. Make sure arms are straight, also.
Now slowly lower down until your elbows form right angles, making sure they are tucked against your body and do not bow outward. Push yourself back to the start and repeat until done.
The Importance of the Bench Press
We wanted to take a moment and really talk about how important it is to use the bench press in your arsenal of moves. It works ALL of your chest muscles and helps you build up those pecs.
As a reminder, make sure you lie on the bench face up. With the barbell on the rack, make sure you get a grip that is just shoulder-width apart. Now lift it and bring it back down, so it just slightly touches the chest. Breathe out when you lift and breathe in when you lower.
Start at a weight that is challenging but doable for you. As you get better at that weight, add more to keep improving your performance.
If you lack somebody to spot you, you may wish to use a machine to perform these exercises as a bar attached to a weight stack eliminates the risk of dropping a heavy bar on your chest. It’s an excellent way to get the work in if nobody is available for spotting.
Why Build a Bigger Chest?
No matter your reasoning, it’s a good idea to do it. Not only will you feel great and look good, but it will help you as you grow older, according to Dr. Michael Joyner of the Mayo Clinic.
Starting at age 50 says Joyner, and going upward, activities that were once very easy can be made a bit more difficult thanks to the loss of muscle strength.
Many people think that problems of the cardiopulmonary variety are the culprit-and by no means should we ignore them-but muscle strength seems to be the bigger player here.
Make the aging process easier on yourself by establishing a routine that helps you work your chest as well as the rest of your body.
Diabetes Protection Thanks to Chest Muscles
Building the muscles of the chest as well as the rest of your body helps make you stronger and improves your metabolism by aiding the body in removing sugar from the blood. It will help guard you against diabetes.
The more muscle mass a person has, the easier it is for glucose to go into the skeletal muscles. Active skeletal muscles burn up more glucose.
As muscles contract, a series of events take place that enables them to efficiently use glucose and thus make the body more sensitive when it comes to insulin.
Buff Dudes: 3 Easy Tips On Building A Big Chest Fast!
Here’s a great and short video we encourage you to check out as you set out on your chest-building journey. The Buff Dudes are a popular YouTube fitness channel, and they really know their stuff.
Here, I have adapted their tips for building up a bigger chest-fast!
- Tip 1: Packing the Shoulders- Doing this helps you isolate shoulders and enables you to get your chest to do most of the work. In the video, Hudson shows you how using his own fitness bench.
- Tip 2: Time Under Tension-Hudson demonstrates how using a slow and appropriately paced movement helps you keep tension and stress on the muscle, getting the full benefit of a workout move.
- Tip 3: Importance of Triceps– Triceps are a huge muscle group and should not be ignored. Make sure you integrate tricep moves into your routine, such as dips, which will help you build the chest you want.
Wrapping It Up
It is not going to be easy to build up your chest by any means. It’s going to require dedication, strictly following your workout regiment, and eating the right way, so you have the healthy energy needed to exercise, build muscle, and feel great at the gym.
However, the end result is worth it. You will not only look and feel better about yourself, but you will love the health benefits such as reducing the risk for diabetes and staying healthy as you get older.
Good luck, work hard, and enjoy the results!