Developing a big chest is often one of the primary goals when a man decides to pack on new muscle. Well-defined, muscular pectorals help round out your entire physique, and give the chiseled look so many men are after. It requires dedication and a variety of different exercises to hit the muscles from all angles to sculpt the chest you want. Visit your doctor if you are starting a new weightlifting program or haven’t lifted weights before, to ensure you’re in good enough shape to give it your all.
Step 1
Lie back on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells with your palms facing each other and elbows close to your body. Press them straight up and twist them, so your palms face your feet at the top, to activate more muscle fibers, according to "Men’s Fitness Magazine." Lower the dumbbells the same way and repeat. Feel the outer pec stretch at the bottom of the exercise, and flex your upper pecs at the top.
Step 2
Lie on a flat bench between two low-pulley cables to do cable flys. Grasp a cable in each hand with palms up and pull your hands together, to meet above your chest. Squeeze the inside of your pecs together at the top of the movement and feel the stretch on the sides of your chest and inside of your shoulders at the bottom.
Step 3
Position parallel dip bars a little wider than they normally are, and jump up so you’re supporting your body weight on straight arms. Lower yourself slowly, feeling the stretch along the outside of your pecs. Press your body back to the top and repeat. Move the bars closer if you can’t go all the way down and up. Dips work the lower part of your pectoral muscles.
Step 4
Perform sets of standard pushups before or after your other chest exercises to help activate more muscle fibers. Choose one exercise to combine your pushups with for each workout, and change which one you use from workout to workout.
Tips and Warnings
- Use a barbell for the bench press if you choose, but the straight bar allows your stronger side to compensate for the weaker one during the lift, which won’t happen with dumbbells. Perform the cable crossovers and bench press on incline or decline benches as well as flat, to isolate the upper and lower portions of the chest. Incline exercises work the upper pecs and decline exercises work the lower pecs. Add one set of either incline or decline for each exercise, in each workout. You can also perform the cable fly from a standing position, pulling the handles together in front of your belt. Work your chest two or three times per week, but not on consecutive days. Lift weights that are heavy enough to do three sets of eight to 12 repetitions for each exercise in your chest routine. Use dumbbells in place of cables for the fly exercise if it’s all you have. Cables help keep constant tension on the muscle. Perform cardio exercise several times per week to burn fat and keep your body lean.
- Avoid working your chest if it is still sore from the last workout.
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