Chest Routines

Chest Overview

The chest, relative to other body-parts, responds very well to using heavy weights (using moderate to light weights are effective as well). Also there are three distinctive parts to the chest which require nearly equal attention and concentration. They are the upper chest. middle chest, and lower chest.

The upper chest can be stimulated through incline movements such as the incline bench press. The middle chest is stimulated through flat bench presses and the lower portion through decline bench presses and dips. Presses can executed with both dumbbells and barbells. Barbells allow you to push heavier weights but dumbbells allow for a freer range of motion and a more natural movement. Both should be used.

Mass Builders: Flat+incline+decline  barbell bench presses, flat+incline+decline dumbbell bench presses, dips, and dumbbell pullovers which is a unique exercise that expands the rib cage to make the chest area look more impressive.

Isolation Exercises: Flat+incline+decline dumbbell flys, cable crossovers

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Chest Routines for Mass

The following routines are specifically designed for gaining mass because they involve using the barbell bench press to target both the middle and upper chest. The other element to these routines which make them conducive to gaining mass is their allotted rep ranges. Lifting for 6-8 reps as opposed to 10-12 allows for you to use heavier weights and thus increase strength and mass in sacrifice of muscle definition. And as we all know, lifting heavier weights activate our fast twitch muscle fibers, which when strengthened, make our muscles bigger. Slow twitch muscle fibers on the other hand are activated when lifting with light weights and engaging in high endurance activities like distance running, but account for very little gains in mass when strengthened.  These sample workouts all target each distinctive section of the chest (middle, upper, and lower).

Also keep in mind that the total sets for each of these sample workouts adds up to a total of about 16 (less for mass workouts which require heavier weights and more for muscle definition workouts which requires using lighter weights for more reps). For some individuals this set range is ideal and for others, they require more or less. You must experiment with set ranges for your chest routines to decipher what feels best for you. If you require more or less sets, you may still use these sample workouts by keeping the exact order of the exercises in tact but simply adjusting the number of sets for each exercise.

For all mass routines rest 60-90 seconds in-between sets (more than usual) in order to be recuperated enough between sets to lift as heavy as possible. As we all know, lifting heavier weights perpetuates increases in muscle mass, whereas lifting lighter weights due to shorter rest times tears up more muscle fibers and enhances muscle definition.

Notes: Beginning with dumbbell flys to pre-exhaust the chest is optional… Beginning with the flat bench while you are fresh which allows you to lift more than the incline bench press… Performing Dumbbell Pullovers (an Arnold Schwarzenegger favorite) expands the rip cage, which in a bodybuilding sense, is an extension of the chest.

Notes: This is a more simplistic routine… It excludes dumbbell pullovers for the expansion of the rib cage in exchange for more sets on bench presses, but keeps the main mass building structure intact…Begins with incline bench presses to prioritize the upper chest, which in bodybuilding is often a lagging muscle.

Notes: This routine uses dumbbells instead of a barbell for flat presses to accomidate those who feel that the barbell bench press in an unnatural movement… Excludes exercises for the lower chest which in bodybuilding is often an overdeveloped muscle relative to the rest of the chest.

Notes: Incorporates the dumbbell variation of each pressing movement for the purpose of increasing the number of overall exercises in the workout in order to “shock the chest” into growth.  The alternative approach to shocking the chest would be to incorporate an entire dumbbell exclusive chest workout the week after you engage in a “barbell only” routines.

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Balanced Chest Routines

The following routines are designed to give your chest an overall workout in terms of delivering an optimum combination of both muscle mass and definition. They are ideal for those who are not seeking a specialized workout but want to engage in a balanced one to thoroughly develop the chest as a whole. In order to meet up to these standards, these sample regimens will emphasize a medium level of rep ranges and a variety of exercises.

Notes: Very simple chest workout… Thoroughly and efficiently works the chest without incorporating anything fancy… You also have the option to begin this workout with flys rather than bench presses to isolate the chest more.

Notes: Instead of being fixated on the 8-12 rep range (which isn’t necessarily a bad thin) this routine covers the entire spectrum of all the bodybuilding rep ranges throughout the course of the workout… Leaves out decline movements to try to limit the number of sets in the routine, and due to the fact that the average persons lower chest is overdeveloped relative to the upper and middle sections… Cable crossovers are an excellent isolation exercise to bring out muscle definition, and the push-ups at the end ensure that you flush out every last muscle fiber in your chest before you leave the gym.

Notes: Incorporates the use of giant sets (usually consists of 3 exercises but in this case 2) to really “shock” the chest into growth.

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Chest Routines for Muscle Definition

The following workouts are designed to shape your muscles to make your chest more “cut” as opposed to more massive.

However, keep in mind that this does not mean that incorporating these sample routines will not make your muscles bigger. All weight training routines increase both muscle mass and definition to a certain extent. It is just those extents that we can tinker with by modifying our routines.

Also, another thing to consider is that the primary factor in looking “cut” is having a low body-fat percentage. Weight training only shapes your muscles which is essential, but if they are covered in layers of fat, you will not attain a shredded physique. These sample workouts put a high emphasis on incorporating a variety of exercises as well as some bodybuilding special techniques such as drop-sets  and supersets (if you don’t know what these are, see the bodybuilding terminology section of this website) to give you that look.

Make sure for that for all of the straight set exercises in this routine that you rest no more than 45 seconds (preferably 30) as this will tear up more of your muscle fibers, but also sacrifice muscle mass since shorter rests coincide with being able to handle lighter weights.

Notes: Completing the giant-sets portion of this routine is very strenuous, but is well worth the effort because it will tax and “pump up” the chest far more than traditional straight sets can, thus increasing definition. However, since the implementation of giant-sets for these exercises restrict the amount of weight that can be lifted while performing them, it won’t greatly increase muscle mass.