For some lucky bastards, building a full, round chest is as simple as doing a few sets of barbell bench press. However, for those of you who weren’t gifted with superior pectoral genetics, it takes a bit more of a precise, methodical approach.Assuming you’re not a freak of nature, then here are five examples of hard work that will help serve as your genetic equaliser. All of the following training methods use techniques that prolong the time under tension of your sets and make your muscles work harder for longer. Consider this article as an all-you-can-eat buffet where you can pick and choose the routines that you like best.
THE WORKOUTS
ECCENTRIC CHEST HYPERTROPHY
While it may seem counter-intuitive, one of the best strategies for building maximum muscle mass is to perform a few eccentric-only sets of an exercise at the END of your workout. This will help exhaust your eccentric strength levels after you are pre-fatigued from the earlier exercises. The Dip is a fantastic choice for this as no spotter is needed for safety.
A1: Flat DB press, 8-10 reps, 2/2/X/0, 120 seconds rest
- A1: Flat DB press, 8-10 reps, 2/2/X/0, 120 seconds rest
- B1: 30 degree incline bench press, 8-10 reps, 2/2/X/0
- 120 secs rest. 4 rounds
- C1: Eccentric-only V-bar dips (forward torso), 4-6 reps, 8/0/1/0, 180 seconds rest. 4 rounds. (Lower yourself down to the bottom position over 8 seconds. Before you let your feet hit the ground and you stand up to get back to the lockout position.)
MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE DROP SET ROUTINE
These are somewhat similar to old-school drop sets with one key difference: instead of lowering the weight in between sets you just slightly change the exercise while keeping the total weight the same. The idea is to pair together 3-4 similar variations of one key exercise. Start with the variation that you are weakest on and finish with the one that you are strongest on.
- A1: 60 degree incline DB press, 10-12 reps, 2/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- A2: 30 degree incline DB press, AMRAP**, 2/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- A3: Flat DB press, AMRAP**, 2/0/X/0
- 180 seconds rest. 3 – 5 rounds.
**AMRAP stands for “as many reps as possible.” Just perform as many reps as you can with the same weight used on exercise “A1.”
GIANT SETS FOR GIANT GAINS
These are one of the most brutal hypertrophy training methods. You perform multiple exercises (at least four) back-to-back for the same body part with only 10 seconds rest between exercises. In this sample workout, we use five exercises that are designed to overload your muscles in different ways and from different angles.
- A1: Decline bench press, 10-12 reps, 2/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- A2: Flat DB press, 10-12 reps, 2/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- A3: 30 degree incline DB press, 10-12 reps, 2/0/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- A4: 15 degree incline DB fly, 10-12 reps, 2/0/1/0, 10 seconds rest
- A5: 45 degree incline DB fly, 10-12 reps, 2/0/1/0
- 180 seconds rest. 4 rounds
TOP TIP
When it comes to weight selection, you want each individual exercise to be challenging on it’s own without going to failure. You should have 1-2 reps left in the tank at the end of each set.
POST-EXHAUSTION SUPERSETS FOR THE WIN
This involves performing a compound chest exercise immediately followed by an isolation exercise. This is a great way to stimulate growth in the chest because you get the best of both worlds: you get to move a ton of weight with the initial compound exercise and then you get to isolate the chest with a higher-rep isolation movement. If you are feeling especially brave then give this double header a crack. It features two separate supersets: one targeting the upper head of your pecs and the other targeting the middle/lower.
- A1: 30 degree incline DB press, 6-8 reps, 3/2/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- A2: 30 degree incline DB fly, 12-15 reps, 3/0/1/0
180 secs rest. 5 rounds - B1: V-bar chest dips, 6-8 reps, 3/2/X/0, 10 seconds rest
- B2: Pec-dec machine, 12-15 reps, 3/0/1/0
- 180 secs rest. 3 rds
DORIAN YATES’ FORCED REPS CHEST ROUTINE
Unfortunately not everyone responds well to high volume training because they can’t recover adequately. The six-time Mr Olympia winner and one of the most successful bodybuilders of all time – Dorian Yates – showed that there are plenty of ways to skin a cat by using a low volume/high intensity training style. While he trained each body part with multiple exercises, the thing that made his training unique was that he only performed one working set to failure per exercise. In many cases he even trained beyond failure by performing 1-3 additional forced reps at the end of his sets. To perform a forced rep, your spotter assists you through the concentric range and you lower the weight under control by yourself. This means you are selecting a weight that you will fail with at the end of that 6-8 rep range.
- A1: 30 degree incline bench press, 1 x 6-8 reps, 4/0/X/0, rest as needed
- B1: Flat machine press, 1 x 6-8 reps + 2 forced reps, 4/0/X/0, rest as needed
- C1: 30 degree incline fly, 1 x 6-8 reps + 2 forced reps, 3/0/X/0, rest as needed
- D1: Standing cable crossover, 1 x 6-8***, 3/0/X/0, rest as needed
TOP TIP
The primary function of the pectoralis muscles is horizontal adduction of the shoulder joint, which is exactly what you see when observing a dumbbell flye or the pec deck exercise. The problem with these exercises is that they can beat up the shoulder joints when done frequently. A good and “safe” alternative would be the Swiss ball squeeze, and it’s proven to be the most effective way to build pecs while preserving shoulder health. Stand and hold a large Swiss ball between your elbows. The ball should be big enough to keep the elbows wider than shoulder-width apart when you squeeze it with maximum effort. Do it as though you’re mimicking a pec deck exercise. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and keep the upper arms parallel to the floor.
By ALEXA TOWERSEY
MAXIM fitness guru, ALEXA TOWERSEY, gives us the lowdown on how to push your pecs to the limit…
