If you train in a big commercial gym, you’ve probably noticed Monday is National Bench Day. Everyone seems to be training their chest. Tuesday is often National Bench Day part 2 with more of the same.
But how do you train your chest efficiently for maximum growth? In this post I’ll explain you which mistakes you must avoid to build a bigger chest and the right method to increase your chest size.
Top 3 Chest Building Mistakes
Training your chest muscles 4x/week using pro bodybuilders routines is wasting your time. Especially if you’re skinny.
Isolation Exercises. You can’t stress your chest with heavy weights using exercises like dumbbell flies. So you won’t trigger the release of Testosterone & Growth Hormone as much as with compounds.
Eating Like a Pigeon. You’ll never get a big chest if you’re 120lbs at 6′. Training your chest 3x/week won’t get it bigger unless you eat more.
Isolating Your Chest. Although your chest has to 2 main heads, it’s 1 muscle and contracts as a whole. You can’t isolate your upper or lower chest. You can only emphasize it.
Here’s How to Build a Bigger Chest
The key to increasing the size of your chest muscles is to eat more and get stronger. Build a foundation before you even think of adding isolation exercises.
Eat More. Your chest will never be big if you’re underweight. You need to fill up your frame by eating more. Check the guide to gaining weight.
Do Heavy Compounds. Free weight compound exercises like the Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press and Overhead Press are the fastest way to build overall strength & bulk. Do them often & heavy.
Rest. Your muscles grow when they rest, not when you train them. Train your chest maximum 2x/week. Eat your calories so your chest gets the nutrients it needs to recover and grow bigger.
Use Proper Technique. A partial bench press doesn’t work your chest through a full range of motion. Touch your shirt on the way down, lock your elbows at the top. Lower the weight if you have to.
Set Realistic Goals. The average guy will gain maximum 2lb of lean muscle a month. There’s nothing you can do to accelerate this process. You need to be patient and keep chipping at it.
Be Patient. Especially if you’re still a teen. Your body is still developing. You won’t get the chest development of a 30y old if you’re only 15. Build the foundation and be patient. Your chest will change as you get older.
Top 3 Chest Building Exercises
Don’t do things like Bench Pressing to your neck or with your elbows out. Both are potentially dangerous and will injure your shoulders. Use exercises where you can go heavy safely.
Bench Press. Allows you to stress your body with heavy weights. Forget about getting a bigger chest if you can’t at least bench your body-weight for 5×5 (so at least 160lbs for 5×5 if you weigh 160lbs).
Weighted Dips. If your shoulders can take them: dips between parallel bars while wearing a belt with weight will build your chest muscles.
Dumbbell Press. Increase chest growth by stretching your pecs on the way down. But you can’t use as much weight as with barbells.
