The muscles in the chest are known in anatomical notation as the pectoralis major and minor. These muscles get called into play when you make forward shrugging movements with your shoulders, or when your upper arms move across your body. If you want to get big chest muscles, you need to do exercises from multiple angles with multiple joint movements. This will insure that you recruit a maximal amount of muscle fibers.
Step 1
Press a barbell to work your middle chest. Lie face-up on a weight bench with your knees bent and feet planted on the ground. Grab the bar with a wide grip, push it off the supports and hold it straight above you. Slowly lower it down until it lightly touches your chest and push it back up. Stop just short of completely locking out your elbows and repeat.
Step 2
Execute a set of dumbbell incline presses. Lie on the bench with your arms extended above you. Hold the weights and inch apart with your palms facing forward. Slowly lower the weights down until you feel a strong contraction in your upper chest. Push the weights back up and toward each other. Stop the dumbbells an inch apart and repeat.
Step 3
Hook your lower shins under the padded support on a decline bench to target your lower chest. Hold dumbbells straight above you with your palms facing forward. Lower the weights down by the sides of your stomach and push them back up. Stop the weights an inch apart and repeat.
Step 4
Perform dumbbell flys to develop the inner pecs. Lie face-up on the flat bench with your arms extended above you and the weights facing each other. Slightly bend your elbows and keep them bent as you lower the weights down to your sides. Stop when you feel a strong contraction in your middle chest and push the weights back up. Stop them an inch apart and repeat.
Step 5
Move two dumbbells in a circular fashion to do "around the worlds." Lie face-up on the flat bench with dumbbells held back behind your head. Face your palms to the ceiling and hold the weights an inch apart. Swing the dumbbells around in an arcing motion and stop them right above your thighs. Move the weights back to the starting point and repeat. Keep your palms facing up when the weights are above your thighs and keep them an inch apart.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform 8 to 12 reps and three to four sets with the heaviest weights you are capable of lifting. Take two days off in between workouts. Work in some back exercises to help prevent muscle imbalances. Back rows, pullovers, lat pulldowns and back extensions are examples.
Things You'll Need
- Bench
- Barbell
- Incline bench
- Dumbbells
- Decline bench
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