How to Chisel your Pecs : Step by step instructions

Realize it: The seat press or bench press is vital. No fellow ought to totally wipe out the activity from his workout. Be that as it may the fact of the matter is, you can fabricate heaps of muscle in your pecs and arms—and support your seat without lifting a barbell or a dumbbell, or utilizing a machine.

We're adapted to believing that utilizing weights is the best way to add to an in number, solid

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5 exercises for massive chest

Figure out how apprentices can assemble an enormous midsection! This aide examines the midsection, its capacity and proposed activities. Attempt these 5 extraordinary midsection workout programs for size!

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BOOST YOUR BENCH PRESS, SQUAT, AND DEAD-LIFT

Mastering the three basic lifts is essential for building an awesome body. Learning these variations can turn awesome to amazing.

When it comes to building muscle and strength, three exercises can kick sand in the face of pretty much any other move out there. I'm talking about "the big three" for getting big: the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

Unfortunately, performing these exercises endlessly can lead to stagnation—

mental and physical—and once your brain hits the exit, your gains are likely to go on hiatus, too.

Sure, you could ditch these exercises for a while and embark on an entirely new program to shake things up, but these are awesome moves and gym staples for good reason.

So, I have plan that can give you the best of both worlds: the gains these exercises undeniably and inevitably produce, but enough variety to hold your interest, too. Try these variations after your basic sets for the big three exercises. It's as simple as that—and the resulting gains will amaze you.

The muscle-making and strength-building magic happens in three basic ways:

• You do more work than before, which leads to progress.
• Your body adapts neurologically, which leads to even more progress.
• Your work on the variations will improve your technique on the originals.

Check out these variations for each of the big three lifts, and learn how you can implement them to elevate your training and improve your physique!

1

 DEADLIFT VARIATIONS

Complete your planned rep and weight scheme of deadlifts, and then try one of the following variations:

DEFICIT DEADLIFTS

This variation is for more advanced lifters and is designed to help increase the range of motion. Basically, elevate your feet 1-2 inches off the ground and pull from there. You can stand on top of 45-pound plates, use hard mats, or a short box.

DEFICIT DEADLIFT

When performing the deficit deadlift, I recommend dropping the weight by 10-20 percent. The set and rep scheme would be identical to that of your deadlift off the ground.

ROMANIAN DEADLIFTS

Drop the weight 10-20 percent and perform 3-5 additional sets of 3-8 repetitions.

BLOCK PULLS

Blocks pulls are not to be confused with rack pulls, which use the power rack. Placing the bar on the pins of a power rack takes any slack out of the bar and changes the lift drastically.

For a block pull, simply elevate the plates 1-4 inches off the ground by using mats, blocks, or even other 45-pound plates. Then either use the same weight as you did on your last set or add up to 10 percent to the bar.

Complete another few sets at the same number of repetitions you used for deadlift.

2

 SQUAT VARIATIONS

Similarly, after crushing your regularly scheduled squats, you could work in one of these variations for getting out of particularly troublesome sticking points:

PAUSE SQUATS

"BRUTAL IS ONE WAY TO DESCRIBE THE PAUSE SQUAT."

Brutal is one way to describe the pause squat. Brutally effective, that is. A pause squat is just as it sounds: an ever-so-slight pause at the bottom, then bounce right back up.

I recommend dropping the bar weight by 10-20 percent and performing a few more sets at the same rep range this way. One to three seconds at the bottom more than suffices.

The paused position should be where you actively hold the weight up, not in the fully rested position. If you drop to the verybottom, you'd most likely engage the end range of your joints to create stability, but not so much your muscles to create the much preferred "active" stability.

PIN SQUATS

Try squatting from the pins. The pins change the nature of the exercise by removing the lowering (eccentric) portion. To set these up, move the safety pins in your squat rack so they hold the bar in a position where you are at or about 1-2 inches above parallel.

With the pins set and the bar loaded, dip yourself under the bar and into a proper position to squat the weight up. Maintain the same bar weight as you did for reps—keeping between 60-80 percent effort—except now perform only single reps.

3

 BENCH PRESS VARIATIONS

The bench press is a gym standard, but a few key variations can help push you past sticking points, should they arise. If you're keen on improving your bench press, try using one of the following:

FLOOR PRESS

Essentially a bench press from the ground, the floor press doesn't make the bench press any easier. Quite the opposite! The nature of the position nearly eliminates the drive of your legs and the arch of your back. The upshot is that this exercise will add productive volume to your upper body and contribute to an improved bench press.

To set up a floor press, simply move what are called the "J" hooks in your squat rack so they sit just low enough that you can un-rack the bar from a lying position on the floor.

From there, drop the bar weight by about 10-15 percent and perform a few more sets after the bench press, using the same number of repetitions you did with the standard bench press.

PAUSED BENCH PRESS/BENCH PRESS FROM PINS

The same guidelines as the pause squats or pin squats apply here. In this case, pause the bench press on your chest for the allotted time or set the safety pins about 1-2 inches above your chest.

Drop the bar weight by 10-20 percent and perform a few more sets at the same rep range with one of these two variations.

CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS

Bring your grip a few inches closer together and perform the press with the same movement as normal. Just be extra careful about keeping your elbows tucked so they remain under this narrow hand spacing.

CLOSE-GRIP BARBELL BENCH PRESS

Drop the weight by 10-15 percent and perform a few more sets of close-grip bench presses using the same repetition numbers as the standard bench press.

Now go out and give these a try!

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Arnold's Bench Basics

The barbell bench press is one of the most crucial exercises for building size and strength in the pecs, front delts, and triceps. But your primary goal of building size or strength will dictate your form and technique in this all-important move. Bodybuilding is about training the muscles to become bigger,

more symmetrical, and, ultimately, more aesthetically appealing. Regardless of the exercise, bodybuilders strive to perform moderate rep ranges (8–12 reps per set is standard, although abs, calves, and sometimes even legs respond well to high reps); strict technique (keeping the weight under full control in every rep); and a full range of motion (not stopping halfway).

Yet when it comes to benching, powerlifters have different concerns. Because they use so much weight (the world’s top benchers press about 1,000 pounds), they need to keep their feet planted during the lift. This is fine for bodybuilders, but it’s less critical. In fact, lifting your feet of the floor when benching (assuming you’re not going too heavy) is a good way to train your torso’s stabilizing muscles. Powerlifters also increase stability by pulling their shoulders down and in during the movement and locking out the elbows at the top of the lift.

This isn’t the ideal way for bodybuilders to bench press. As you lift the bar, think about pushing your shoulders forward and squeezing your pecs together at the top of each rep. This increase in range of motion is fairly small, but it’s nonetheless significant: It prevents you from using your triceps too much at the top and keeps maximum tension on the pecs. Locking out your elbows will do little for you as a bodybuilder. Powerlifters also adjust their grip width on the bar (wider or narrower) according to what allows them to lift the most weight. The grip width used by bodybuilders will vary depending on individual proportions, but you need to make sure the pecs do more of the work. With too narrow a grip, you end up working the triceps rather than the pecs. I suggest keeping your bench-press grip outside shoulder width for maximum pec development. Another key benching technique for powerlifters is keeping the elbows in tight to their sides to increase power output. For bodybuilding, keep your elbows out to your sides, to the point where your upper arms are about perpendicular to your torso. Again, this will maintain tension on the pecs and minimize triceps involvement. It’s not about being able to answer the question of how much do you bench with some inflated number. If you’re after bigger pecs, leave the 1,000-pound benches to the powerlifters. - FLEX

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Bench Press Secrets - By Arnold

The barbell seat press is a standout amongst the most vital activities for building size and quality in the pecs, front delts, and triceps. At the same time your essential objective of building size or quality will direct your structure and method in this terrifically imperative move. Working out is about preparing the muscles to wind up greater, more symmetrical, and, eventually, more

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6 Favorite Mass Exercises - Ronnie Coleman, 8 Time Mr. Olympia

Let's get right to the guts of the matter. I could run through my list of favorite workouts, principles, techniques and combinations of exercises, but it all comes down to one basic old-fashioned “best” exercise for each bodypart, without which you cannot reach your maximum mass potential. That exercise is not the only one in the workout, but it’s the foundation

movement. It works more of the muscle harder, heavier and more thoroughly than any other. Not every workout has to start with one of these favorites, but your training program should be designed around them.

My favorites will come as no great surprise. You’ve probably been doing them all along. I just want to emphasize their importance and persuade you to give them even more prominence in your workouts by reiterating why they are the best and how to get the best out of them.

CHEST - BENCH PRESS

WHY: No other exercise synergizes the entire complex of chest muscles as efficiently as barbell bench presses. This movement is so compound (requiring the coordination of pectoral muscles with all ancillaries and tie-ins to shoulders, traps, arms and midsection) that every chest muscle is developed proportionately. Bench presses facilitate the only position from which maximum compound power can be applied, which produces maximum overall mass. The horizontal position also allows the chest muscles to move through their greatest range of power.

HOW: Your mind plays a big part in getting the most for your chest from bench presses. “Think” the contractions into your pecs. As the bar is lowered, resist with your pectoral muscles. Press by contracting your pecs. I use a fairly wide grip, beyond shoulder width, to accentuate the spread of my pec muscles.

Unfortunately, today’s popular style of benching is the opposite of the correct style for chest development, in that the bar is lowered not across the chest, but to the bottom of the rib cage. The body is crunching inward, rather than expanding upward to meet the bar. This is done for leverage, but it removes the chest from the exercise.

Precisely the opposite motion should occur. The chest should rise to meet the bar, as your scapulae contract together under your back, forcing your chest muscles through their greatest range of motion.

Always pyramidyour sets gradually. I get in a couple of warm-up sets, then pyramid up through five sets, starting with 12 reps and finishing with eight.

SUGGESTED CHEST WORKOUT

WARM-UP SETS: 2-3 sets; 20-25 reps

BENCH PRESSES: 5 sets*; 12-8 reps

INCLINE BARBELL PRESSES: 3 sets; 12 reps

FLAT DUMBBELL PRESSES: 3 sets; 12 reps

FLAT DUMBBELL FLYES: 4 sets; 10 reps

*Note: Pyramid up through weights while decreasing reps.

LEGS - SQUATS

WHY: I never think of any specific muscle operating independently of any others. Each muscle has to accommodate stress vectors from every direction, in order to balance moving weight and apply variable power. This is especially true for legs. For those reasons, squats produce the greatest overall and naturally proportioned development, because all of the thigh muscles — quads and hamstrings alike — must coordinate their support, stability and strength duties throughout the everchanging dynamics of each repetition. You’re putting more into it, so you get more out of it.

HOW: Use a comfortable stance; not so wide that you’ll shear your hips, but wide enough for stability. Maintain an upright position, so the weight is directed through your hips and thighs, not into your lower back. Keep your head up, flex your traps and abs, tighten your glutes and then squeeze all the way down to “hams on calves.”

Halfway down, start thinking “up,” so that your squat movement becomes not “down and up,” but one continuous loop. Never shift gears at the bottom; you should be on your way up before you reach the bottom.

Warm up thoroughly, so your knees are well lubricated. For my counted sets, I pyramid the weight upward through five or six sets, starting with 12 reps and going all the way down to two.

SUGGESTED LEG WORKOUT

WARM-UP SETS: 2-3 sets; 15 reps

SQUATS: 5-6 sets*; 12-2 reps

LEG PRESSES: 4 sets; 8-10 reps

HACK SQUATS: 3 sets; 10 reps

*Note: Pyramid up through weights while decreasing reps.

BACK - BARBELL ROWS

WHY: Get used to the expression “compound movement,” until it becomes a beloved cliché. It’s the key to my muscle mass for every bodypart; even more so for back, since that’s the most complex muscle group of all. It needs to be developed simultaneously for thickness, width, drape and detail, and that requires very heavy three-dimensional weight resistance, which coordinates all of its muscles, as well as those of the trapezius complex. Only the barbell rowing movement accomplishes this. 

HOW: Don’t fix your back in a concave arch (swaybacked). That will only hurt your spine, reduce the range of motion for your lats and limit your power.

To hit the lats as low as possible, I try to keep my upper body bent at a 90-degree angle for the initial sets and bring the bar up into the middle of my stomach. Reps are explosive but controlled, never with a slack point at the bottom. My glutes and lower back are flexed tightly throughout the set. If they aren’t, I will feel stress more in my lower back than in my lats.

As sets pyramid upward in weight, I might have to bend my knees a bit more. This lets me absorb more shock and elevate the angle of my upper body for balance and maximum power, but my concentration remains on getting a full long pull into my gut; i.e., a full range of motion for my lats. I do four heavy working sets, from 12 reps down to seven, squeezing every contraction and feeling my back muscles pump with every rep.

SUGGESTED BACK WORKOUT

WARM-UP SETS: 2-3 sets; 10-12 reps

DEADLIFTS: 4 sets*; 12-2 reps

BARBELL ROWS: 4 sets*; 12-7 reps 

T-BAR ROWS: 3 sets; 10-12 reps

PULLEY ROWS: 3 sets; 10-12 reps

*Note: Pyramid up through weights while decreasing reps.

SHOULDERS - SEATED MILITARY PRESS

WHY: For separation of each deltoid head, I train them individually. For maximum mass and width of my entire shoulder girdle, and for full development of my total deltoid caps, military presses are the only solution. A free-weight barbell proportionately spreads the stress laterally across the shoulder beam, as well as distributes it evenly from front to back. A seated position on an upright bench provides more pressing power. A machine barbell press distributes the stress across the entire width of the shoulders, but not from front to back. Dumbbells are good for isolating deltoid heads, but they do not yield the power of a free-weight barbell.

HOW: Use a grip just beyond shoulder width; not so close that your triceps do more work than your shoulders and not so wide as to prevent a full range of motion for your shoulders. Do not arch your back. Tighten your abs and your grip for stability and control.

This movement can be used in any order during your shoulder workout — first, middle or last — because no other exercise totally fatigues your shoulder-muscle complex. You’ll probably find that you are almost as strong doing these at the end of the workout as you are when you do them at the beginning.

I do four sets of 10-12 reps.

SUGGESTED SHOULDER WORKOUT

WARM-UP SETS: 2 sets; 10-12 reps

SEATED MILITARY PRESSES: 4 sets, 10-12 reps 

SIDE LATERAL RAISES: 4 sets; 10 reps

FRONT DUMBBELL RAISES: 4 sets; 10 reps

REAR LATERAL RAISES: 4 sets; 10 reps

TRICEPS - LYING EXTENSIONS

WHY: This is not necessarily the most important triceps exercise, but it’s my favorite for pulling the horseshoe of muscle down the back of my arm, so my triceps look like a separate bulging twisted-steel bodypart of their own. Lying extensions offer a combined advantage of focusing heavy compound weight and concentrated stress into the triceps complex, without sapping energy to stabilize the rest of the body.

HOW: It is important to keep your elbows pointed straight up. Do not allow your arms to rotate at your shoulders. Doing so brings your chest and shoulders into the movement and robs your triceps of the extension. Think only in terms of extending your forearms vertically, with your elbows as the only hinge.

I get the best pump from these with six sets, 12 reps per set, in the following manner: do one set, release it, take a breath, do a second set, release it, take a breath and do a third set. After a brief shakeout, repeat that sequence.

SUGGESTED TRICEPS WORKOUT

LYING EXTENSIONS: 6 sets; 12 reps

SEATED FRENCH CURLS: 4 sets; 12 reps

WEIGHTED DIPS: 4 sets; 25 reps

BICEPS - PREACHER CURLS

WHY: This may not be the most important biceps exercise, but it’s my favorite. For maximum size and overall biceps belly mass, do standing barbell curls, but for maximum peak, hardness and split, nothing beats the concentrated pump from preacher curls. It packs my biceps so hard that they end up feeling as solid as forged steel. I credit preachers more than any other exercise for the hardness and cannonball shape of my biceps and for the deep split in their peaks.

HOW: Use heavy weight, but stay tight and don’t fully extend your arms at the bottom; you could tear a muscle and/or hyperextend your elbows. Do not leverage the curl upward by pulling back with your body, no matter how much you’re tempted. Watch your biceps pump and harden as they flex. It’s a great motivator, and it helps keep your mind on how the muscle, not the ballast-effect of your body, functions. At the top, get a peakcontraction squeeze. Maintain a moderate pace, the same during the extension as during the curl.

For every other workout, superset preacher curls with another two-arm curling movement. For the most immediate mass production, I do four sets of eight to 12 reps each.

SUGGESTED BICEPS WORKOUT

BARBELL CURLS: 4 sets; 8-12 reps

SEATED ALTERNATE DUMBBELL CURLS: 3 sets; 8-12 reps

PREACHER CURLS: 4 sets; 8-12 reps

superset with

STANDING CABLE CURLS: 4 sets; 8-12 reps

MY FAVORITE MASS PRINCIPLES

STRENGTH | Constantly push your limits. Always try to become stronger, every time you’re in the gym, and don’t become frustrated. The stronger you become, the longer your plateaus will last. That doesn’t mean you’ve stopped growing, only that you’re going beyond normal human limits. That’s where you want to be, so keep blasting away. Eventually, you’ll break through to a new level.

DON’T CHEAT | No matter how hard you work, make sure the muscle is doing the lifting and that you’re not cheating. Feel the pump build hard and tight in the muscle you’re working, before you feel it in adjacent muscles.

THE PROPER PUMP | Concentrate on building the highest-quality pump possible: a healthy full coursing of blood precisely where you want it in the muscle. The sensation doesn’t have to be painful or numb, just a wholesome tightness in the muscle belly, telling you it’s swollen with blood under high pressure.

CONSISTENCY | Select a workout schedule and stick with it. Mass gains are a matter of commitment, as much as they are of your workout. Regardless of how hard you lift, if you’re not relentlessly consistent, it won’t work. Don’t let unscheduled rest days become a habit.

Source - FLEX

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Best Chest Exercises to Build Muscle Fast

I like pectorals. Midsection activities are most likely my top choice, particularly those that assistance to construct muscle quick and build the extent of my midsection...

...since I feel great when I can fill my shirt!

Is it true that you are similar to me?

Well it doesn't make a difference. What matters is that

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