Building a well-developed chest takes more then doing bench presses. In fact, the amount of weight you bench press has nothing to do with chest size or development. Although you will need to perform exercises like the bench press in order to build your chest, it is how you train, not how much weight you move. Other keys to building up your chest in the shortest amount of time are performing with full range of motion, providing your body with the proper fuel, and ensuring the proper recovery time.
Step 1
Overload your muscles. Your muscles will not grow unless they are overloaded. This means you must train to failure during each training session. This is done by progressively increasing the weight a small amount or increasing the number of repetitions completed every few workouts, if not weekly. Progression also comes from volume, so completing three or four sets of four or five different chest exercises will help stimulate muscle growth. Repetition range should between six to 10 reps on your working sets; warm-up sets can be slightly higher in rep range.
Step 2
Perform heavy barbell or dumbbell presses at the beginning of your workout. Flat pressing exercises build mass throughout the entire chest area. Include incline presses into your routine to target the upper chest and front deltoids. Dips and dumbbell flys work to stretch and shape the chest. Dumbbell pull-overs are effective at expanding and opening up the ribcage, which is essential in chest development.
Step 3
Perform each repetition with a full range-of-motion. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is using too heavy of a weight, resulting in a decrease in range-of-motion. The greater the range-of-motion you get in chest exercises, the more intense the muscle contraction you achieve, which ultimately leads to the maximum amount of muscle growth, according to Arnold Schwarzenegger, author of the "Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding."
Step 4
Consume plenty of protein to aid in repairing and building muscle tissue. Eat 1.5g of your goal weight in protein, and tailor your food consumption to follow the 40/40/20 split -- 40 percent protein, 40 percent carbs, 20 percent fat, according to MuscleBuildingPrograms.org.
Step 5
Get plenty of rest. Allow for at least 48 hours, if not a full week, between each chest workout. Too much training will not allow your muscle to fully recover and rebuild. Muscle grows at rest, not in the gym.
Tips and Warnings
- Vary your workouts. Decrease weight if you cannot properly execute the movement for the set number of repetitions.
- Always use a spotter during heavy lifts.
References
- MuscleBuildingPrograms.org: How to Build Chest Muscle Fast
- "Encyclopedia Of Modern Bodybuilding;" Arnold Schwarzenegger;1985
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