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Bodybuilding
Program Basics
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Isolated
Muscle Training
Complete
Pec Training Tips by
Allen Martin
Put these pec techniques to use and develop that full,
muscular chest today.
For most people I see in the gym, the bench press has
become more about building an ego than building a quality
set of pecs. Rather than worry about how much you can
lift, you need to focus your attention on how fully
you can train and fatigue the pecs themselves (rather
than the arms, shoulders, back, quads, etc.)
Here’s an oldie but a goodie to help get you to
isolate your pecs on the flat bench press. It’s
a simple technique that can really make a difference
in how fully and intensely you’re able to hit the
pecs:
Sit upright with perfect posture on the end of a flat
bench. Roll your shoulders back and down slightly—almost
as if you’re pushing your shoulder blades towards
each other. Hold this position as you lay back on the
flat bench.
With a shoulder’s width grip and your elbows in,
maintain this position throughout the bench press. It
may feel awkward at first and you won’t be able
to lift as much weight as you’re used to, but you’ll
hit your pecs hard and you’ll feel the pump.
Add some variation to your chest training and blast
your upper chest (the key to that ripped look) with
this killer Giant Set:
warm-up your pecs thoroughly first. Dumbbell Flyes
on the Incline Bench. Set the bench at a slight angle
of around 30 degrees or so. Be sure to get a full stretch
on each rep, and push yourself to failure. I like to
use moderately heavy weights here (60 lbs. or so).
Dumbbell Incline Presses. Go right into these without
any rest at all using the same dumbbells you have in
your hands from the Flyes. Go deep on each rep, throwing
your chest out and upward at the stretch point. Then
squeeze hard at the point of full contraction. Go to
failure.
Barbell Incline Press. Now jump right into Barbell
Incline Presses with a moderate weight. Your pecs will
be substantially fatigued at this point, so you’ll
want to have a spotter to help you push out some solid
reps. Again go to failure.
Dumbbell Flyes on the Incline Bench. Drop your original
dumbbell weight in half (30 lbs. in my example). Maintain
great form and go to failure. Dumbbell Incline Presses.
Finally, go right into Dumbbell Presses again with the
same weight you already have in your hands. No rest.
Pump out as many as you can. This final leg of the Giant
Set really separates the men from the boys, or the women
from the girls as the case may be.
Take a 90 second rest and repeat entire Giant Set once
or twice more if you dare.
To bring out the full striations in the pectorals,
you need the type of continuous tension you get from
doing cable work. Here are a couple of my favorite cable
movements for the chest.
Cable Crossovers. These are standard exercise for almost
every advanced trainer, and yet you watch ten different
people perform the exercise and you’re likely to
see ten different variations. Almost all variations
of this movement have some redeeming value.
Personally, I like to do Crossovers standing almost
straight-up. Pull your arms down and hands together
at a point about 6 inches in front of your lower abs.
Perform the negative slowly, allowing your arms to rise
above your head before exploding downward again.
In addition to this technique, I also like to do Crossovers
bent at the waist (about a 45 degree angle) leaning
forward. When the arms go up, the shoulder blades pinch
together. When the arms come down, you should flex as
if striking a “most muscular” pose.
Cable Flyes on the Flat Bench. A personal favorite.
I really enjoy the continuous tension Cable Flyes provide
and the explosive pump you get in your pecs when the
exercise is performed properly.
Place the handles on the low-pulley on the cable machine,
and position a flat bench in the middle. Use moderate
weight, keeping your elbows only slightly bent throughout
the entire movement. As with all cable work, emphasize
the movement by flexing hard at peak contraction.
Cable Flyes on the Incline Bench. Another favorite
of mine. For best results you want to use an incline
bench with about a 30 degree angle. This will really
hit the mid and upper pecs. A great movement for carving
that chiseled, plate of armor look into your chest.
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