The best damn chest workout, period: build the upper body you've always wanted with your very own personalized routine - Pec Special

Men's Fitness, Dec, 2002 by Ian Cohen

Imagine if King Kong had flexed his biceps to display his supremacy rather than pound his massive chest. Impressive, yes, but not nearly as daunting. The chest has been equated with strength and virility since long before homo became erectus. But before you stack yet another 45-pound plate onto your barbell, understand that to build a bigger chest you don't have to re-create the agonizing groans of Mel Gibson getting gutted in Braveheart.

"It's not about how much weight you can lift or how many exercises you can cram into a routine, explains Jim Mara, a fitness performance specialist in Los Angeles. "It's about using good techniques and maintaining proper mechanics."

THE FIVE-STEP PECTORAL PLAN

Step 1: Pick a side One section in this training guide is devoted to beginners and the other to more advanced weight trainers. Once you've determined your level of experience, you've successfully completed the first phase of creating your routine.

Step 2: Assembly required It's time to build a program that will build your chest. There are multiple exercises in each of the barbell, dumbbell, machine, cable and body-weight sections. Select one exercise from each of these four sections and incorporate them into your chest routine.

Mara suggests using at least two pressing exercises, each of which utilizes a different bench angle. "If selecting a fiat-bench press for your barbell exercise, use an incline or decline for the other press exercise," he explains. "The same holds true for flyes. The number-one key to building a full, shapely chest is to hit the muscles from a variety of angles on a regular basis."

Step 3: Crunch the numbers For both beginners and advanced trainers, the desired number of total sets for a solid chest routine should be in the 10-to-14 range. Your goal should be to achieve muscular failure on each set while maintaining a high intensity. Failure is defined as being unable to complete another rep while maintaining proper form.

Repetitions play a vital role in any training regimen. The six-to 12-rep range is the practiced standard. Heavier weights are often used in conjunction with fewer reps (six to eight) when trying to build mass, while less weight and more reps (10 to 12) are combined when your goal is to carve and chisel.

Also, be conscious not to take too much time between sets. The longer you wait, the less likely your muscles will remain active. "If you can do another set after just 30 seconds of rest, then by all means do it," says Mara. "Two minutes is the maximum amount of time you should give yourself between sets."

Mara recommends holding off for five to seven days between workouts to allow for total muscle recovery.

Step 4: Try the pyramid scheme This technique has nothing to do with a Ponzi vertical marketing scheme. The pyramids we're referring to actually do pay off by enabling you to blast your deep-muscle fibers. This is accomplished by using less weight and higher reps at the start of an exercise routine, and progressing toward heavier weight and fewer reps at the end. By pyramiding the weight, you are gradually warming yourself up for the next set, and at the same time strengthening your muscle or the exhausting task ahead. Pyramiding also helps to improve your balance and get you comfortable with the movement, so you'll be able to pound out that final heavy set to absolute muscular failure.

Step 5: Get fresh "To maintain a consistent level of maximum performance, it's a good idea to frequently add some variety to your routine," says Mara. "Don't be afraid to shake things up by trying new things." One of the best techniques is to change the order of your routine.

CHEST-TRAINING GUIDE: BEGINNER SECTION

BARBELL EXERCISES Barbell exercises are ideal for putting on size. However, range of motion is limited, so to compensate, use different bench angles (incline and decline) and grip widths to work the entire chest region.

Quick Tip: Bouncing may be a whole lot of fun when done in the bedroom, but it has no place in the weight room. Never bounce a weight off your chest to help bring it back up. You're better off doing less weight or fewer reps.

1. FLAT-BENCH BARBELL PRESS (entire chest, anterior deltoid, triceps) Lie on a flat bench with your feet on the ground. Position yourself so the bar is directly above your eyes. Grasp the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width and extend your arms upward (1a). Lower the bar slowly until your upper arms are roughly parallel with the floor (1b). Return to the starting position and repeat.

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2. DECLINE BARBELL PRESS (lower chest, anterior deltoid, triceps) Lie on a decline bench set at a 30- to 45-degree angle. Grasp the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width and extend your arms toward the ceiling (2a). Lower the bar slowly to a point right below your nipples until your upper arms are roughly parallel with the floor (2b). Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

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DUMBBELL EXERCISES While dumbbell exercises require more stability and coordination than those done with a barbell, they also provide a greater range of flexibility and motion.