Proper Training for the Chest

This post follows the series describing how to design adequate routines for training the different body-parts. This chapter provides you with the general guidelines for proper chest training.

The chest is made up of two main muscles, the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is the main visible part of the chest and allows bringing the arms in front of it in a hugging motion and it is also heavily involved in any pressing movement that happens in perpendicular form to the body. The pectoralis major consists of two separate heads: the sternal head (a.k.a. lower pecs) and the clavicular head (a.k.a. upper pecs). The pectoralis minor is directly under the pectoralis major and it helps pulling the shoulder blade down.

Training the chest requires 3 to 4 exercises. The base must be some kind of pressing movement. The barbell bench press in a flat bench is the most popular exercise. It provides general chest stimulation, with special attention to the sternal head. Alternate this exercise with the dumbbell version, which involves also the stabilizers and allows better stretch. Your chest routine must include also some exercise for stimulating the clavicular head. This can be accomplished with the incline versions of the bench press. If you have started with barbell flat bench press, then use dumbbells for the incline bench press, and vice versa.

Pressing exercises tend to involve the triceps and the deltoids (the anterior head) to some extend in addition to pectorals. When performing these exercises, try to place the stress on the chest. To do this roll your shoulders down and back into the bench (i.e. scapular retraction) and keep them in this way throughout the entire movement. In addition, use a grip on the bar/dumbbells that puts the forearms perpendicular to the floor when arms are in a 90 degree position and emphasize the contraction (without locking the elbows) at the top of the movement.

For completing your chest routine you can choose from a variety of exercises. Flat/incline/pec-deck flies isolate the pectoralis major, developing especially the outer part. Flies are commonly used as a pre-exhausting exercise for the chest. Parallel dips (leaning a bit forward for hitting more the chest and less the triceps) and decline variations of bench press and flies can be also part of your chest routine, especially for giving special attention to the lower and outer parts of the muscle. Dips have the added value of all the exercises that move the body and not the weight, namely stimulating your hormonal release.

Close grip bench press, apart from working the triceps, hits also the chest, focusing in the inner part. Grab the barbell using shoulder width and squeeze the chest at the top of the extension. Cable crossover is a good isolator for the chest. Use light weights and maintain always a strict position in this exercise. Finally, for training the pectoralis minor you can use pullovers. This exercise has the ability of stretching the ribcage out a little bit and it hits also the lats and the serratus. Raise only the weight to the point where the tension on the pectoralis minor begins to drop off.

If you need more information for designing your chest workout, you can read the article “Champion Chest Development” which describes the right exercises for achieving symmetry and balance in your chest or the article “Training the Chest!” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat.