When it comes to building chest and arm muscles, you need to progressively overload them with a resistance they are not accustomed to. The key thing to do is target these areas from various angles to get a maximal amount of muscle recruitment. You can do this by blending mulit-joint exercises with isolation exercises. The good thing about chest exercises is the fact that you will get a carryover effect to your arms when you perform them.
Step 1
Lift a barbell to do bench presses. Lie flat on the bench and grab the bar with a wide grip. Push it off the safety supports and hold it straight above your chest. Lower it down until it lightly touches your chest and push it back up. Stop just short of locking out your arms and repeat.
Step 2
Grab a pair of dumbbells to do incline presses for your upper chest. Lie on the bench and hold the dumbbells straight up with your palms facing your knees. Lower the weights down by your shoulders until you feel a strong contraction in your upper chest. Push the weights back up and towards each other until they are an inch apart. Repeat for a set of reps.
Step 3
Hook your lower shins under the padded support on a decline bench to target your lower chest. Hold dumbbells an inch apart above you with your palms facing your knees. Slowly lower the weights down until they are at stomach height. Push them back to the starting point and repeat.
Step 4
Execute a set of dips with two weight benches. Place the benches just wider apart than the length of your legs. Prop your heels up on one bench and grasp the edge of the other bench with your hands. Lower your body down and stop when your upper arms parallel the floor. Push back up, stop right before your elbows lock out and repeat. Place a weight plate of dumbbell on your thighs for added resistance.
Step 5
Lie on the flat bench to do triceps extensions. Hold dumbbells in your hands and extend your arms straight above you. Turn your palms so they are facing each other and lower the weights down to the sides of your forehead. Push the weights back up and repeat. Do not let your upper arms move throughout the exercise.
Step 6
Reach up and grab a pull-up bar to do chin-ups. Grasp the bar with an underhand, slightly less than shoulder-width grip. Bend your knees and cross your legs behind your body. Pull yourself up until your chest meets the bar. Lower yourself back down and repeat.
Step 7
Sit on a bench to do concentration curls. Place your feet wide apart on the ground and hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Pin the back part of your upper arm inside your right thigh. Let the weight hang straight down toward the floor at this point. Lift the weight up in the direction of your shoulder and squeeze for a second. Slowly lower the weight back down and repeat. Do a set of reps and switch arms.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform 12, 10, eight and six reps with every exercise. Add weight as you go down in reps. Do this workout every three days.
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