If you want to grow your chest to its biggest and widest proportions, you should try this workout. First of all, let’s look at what you’re trying to improve.
You will be creating new muscle tissue in your pecs, named pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. The former is a large muscle in the shape of a fan and it takes up a larger portion of the chest wall. The pectoralis major adducts, medially rotates, and transversely adducts arm at glenohumeral joint.
There’s also the pectoralis minor which is far smaller and flatter and resides under the pec major, but is incredibly important for the functioning of the shoulder. Its role is stabilization, depression, abduction or protraction, internal rotation and downward rotation of the scapula.
If you want to build a bigger chest, try these five different exercises that will hit your pecs from multiple angles. Using multiple rep ranges as well will activate as many muscle fibers as possible.
The 40 minute chest workout
The workout begins with two exercises performed with straight sets, as heavy as you can go, with perfect form. The other three exercises are workload boosters which will pump your chest and get the blood flowing and maximize exhaustion. Let’s begin.
1. Close-Grip Bench Press
Lay on a flat bench. Grab the bar from the rack at a shoulder width and hold it straight in front of you with your elbows locked. Breathe in and lower the bar until you feel it touch your chest.
Pause and press up while breathing out. Make sure to squeeze your chest muscles. Lock your arms in, hold for a second and then bring the bar back down again. Repeat for the necessary number of reps and put the bar back in the rack when you’re done.
Do this exercise for 5 sets of 10 reps, each with a minute of rest in between.
2. Dumbbell Pullover
Grab a dumbbell with both hands and lay across a bench with only your shoulders on its surface. Your head should be hanging off the bench, your hips should be below it and your legs should be bent and firmly positioned on the ground.
Hold the dumbbell over your chest with your arms straight. Both hands need to be touching the underside of one of the sides of the dumbbell.
Keep your arms as straight as possible and lower the weight down behind your head while breathing in. You will feel your chest stretching – this is good.
Bring back the dumbbell back in its starting position position and exhale simultaneously while trying to keep your arms as straight as possible. Do the necessary number of reps and take a minute’s rest.
Do this exercise for 5 sets of 10 reps each with 60 seconds of rest in between.
3. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Lay on an incline bench and take two dumbbells, one in each hand and put them on your thighs. Both your palms should be facing each other. Use your thighs to kick-lift the dumbbells just a bit to lift them over your chest. Try to lift the dumbbells one at a time to their starting position.
When you have your dumbbells raised, rotate your wrists so that your palms are looking away from your face. Breathe out and push up the dumbbells maintaining full control over the weight.
Lock your elbows when you get to the top, hold for a second and then lower down the weight, making sure you get a good stretch.
Repeat for the necessary number of reps, and when you’re done, make sure to put the dumbbells on your thighs and then on the ground.
Do this exercise for 4 sets with 12 reps each and 30 seconds of rest in between.
4. Incline Dumbbell Flye
Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lay down on a low incline bench (inclination of 30 degrees or less).
Bend your elbows slightly while you extend your arms above you. Both of your palms should be positioned towards each other.
Take a breath and open your arms to the sides with a slight bend in your elbows.
Bring the weights back up and reverse the rotating motion. At the end, your pinky fingers need to be next to each other.
Do this exercise for 4 sets of 12 reps each with a minute’s rest between sets.
5. Standing Cable Flye
Put the pulleys in a position higher than your head. Select the resistance that you want to use and grab the pulleys in your hands. Take a step forward to an imaginary straight line between the pulleys and put your arms together in front of your waist.
Bend your waist just a bit so that your torso is slightly leaning forward. Bend your elbows and extend your arms straight out to the sides in a wide arc while breathing in. You will feel a stretching sensation in your chest.
Return your arms in their previous position while breathing out. Use the same arc of motion for raising as you do for lowering the weights.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps each with 30 seconds of rest in between. Also, you will need to hold a second or so at your starting position after every rep for best effect.
With this advanced chest routine you’ll definitely exhaust your chest and trigger new growth. Just remember, it’s not just about training – you also have to eat correctly and maintain flawless form.
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