"Whaddya bench?" is a common question in gyms. Men ask it often. In western society, the image of a large, muscular chest is a sign of virility in men. Too often, though, men focus on the bench press to the exclusion of other chest exercises. While the bench press should be the foundation of most men's chest workouts, there are other exercises that supplement it in a well-designed training program.
Step 1
Perform the bench press. A heavy bench press is still the most important aspect of developing a thick, muscular chest. According to strength coach Mark Rippetoe, owner of the Wichita Falls Barbell Club, in his book "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training," you should perform three to five sets of five repetitions of the bench press. Ensure that the weight you are lifting is heavy enough that you can barely complete the final repetition, or "rep," of each set.
Step 2
Do push-ups. While push-ups do not build large chest muscles as well as the bench press, they develop the strength of the stabilizer muscles of the shoulder such as the infraspinatus, supraspintaus and teres major of the shoulder. These are critical to your ability to continue bench pressing.
Step 3
Add parallel bar dips into your chest workouts. According to strength coach and personal trainer Alwyn Cosgrove in "The New Rules of Lifting," the parallel dip is at least as effective as the bench press in developing the muscles of the chest and shoulders. At the same time, it can aid in developing the same shoulder stabilizer muscles as the push-up.
Step 4
Match every pushing chest exercise with a pulling exercise for the upper back that moves along the same movement plane. Supplement the bench press with a bent-over barbell row or a seated cable row. Answer the parallel dip with a high barbell pull or a rack clean. In his bodybuilding treatise, "Huge in a Hurry," personal trainer Chad Waterbury explains that failing to develop the musculature of the upper back will detract from any visual mass of the chest. Simply put, your chest won't look big if your back is tiny. The back forms the foundation that the mass of the chest rests upon.
Step 5
Do dumbbell flies at the end of your routine. While Coach Rippetoe points out that these actually do little to improve the size of the chest, bodybuilders traditionally add flies into their chest routine to develop a more refined definition in the appearance of the muscles.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform a minimum number of exercises per body part for maximum strength and size gains. There is some evidence that performing fewer exercises while using more weight may be the most beneficial to gain both size and strength.
- Always consult your personal physician prior to beginning any new exercise routine.
Things You'll Need
- Barbell
- Bench press bench and rack
- Parallel bars
- Dumbbells
References
- "Huge in a Hurry;" Chad Waterbury; 2008
- "New Rules of Lifting: Six Basic Moves for Maximum Muscle;" Alwyn Cosgrove; 2008
- "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training;" Mark Rippetoe; 2007
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