Size where you want it




By: Myatt Murphy, Photographs by: Darryl Estrine











The Payoff
The Muscles That Make an Impact

Your chest is composed of two muscle groups: the pectoralis major
and a smaller, deeper group called the pectoralis minor. Changing the
angle of your body during classic chest exercises can challenge
different parts of these muscle groups for maximum development. The
anterior deltoids--the front of the shoulders--and the triceps assist
your pectoral muscles. Strengthen them and you can use heavier weights
for even more growth.



Goal 1: Impressive Power!

The bench press is typically--though incorrectly--considered the
true measure of a man's strength. A powerful chest will give you an
impressive answer to the classic question "Whaddaya bench?" And people
will think you must be equally strong in other exercises.



Goal 2: A Thinner Waistline!

Building a bigger, stronger chest also adds size to your shoulders
and triceps, widening the top of your body. The larger you are on top,
the smaller your waistline appears. So if your diet and aerobic plan
are lagging, building a larger upper body will create the illusion of a
thinner midsection.



Goal 3: More Fat Burning!

Swimming burns an astounding 280 to 400 calories in 30 minutes,
depending on the stroke--with little risk of injury. Stronger pectoral
and shoulder muscles give you more pulling power with every stroke and
can keep your upper body from tiring out before your legs do. So you
can stay in the water for a longer workout.



Goal 4: An Edge in Sports!

A strong chest is a big advantage in sports: setting picks in hoops,
pushing off in football. Extra muscle packed onto your upper body also
protects you against errant elbows and intentional punches. Build a
bigger chest and you'll dominate.

















Build the Perfect Chest
More Size, Greater Strength

There are two approaches to building an impressive chest. "The
classic method is to isolate the pectoral muscles and minimize the
involvement of other, secondary muscles," says celebrity trainer Steve
Lischin, M.S., NASM, C.P.T. "However, a smarter plan for more strength
and power begins with teaching your chest, shoulders, triceps, and
other upper-body muscles to work together." Compound exercises that
involve your upper body and incorporate functional core strength will
get your muscles working together. This plan gives you exercises that
isolate your chest muscles for size and exercises that integrate your
shoulders and triceps for strength.



The Workout

You'll start the routine with a bench-press superset: a barbell
bench press immediately followed by a dumbbell bench press. (The
dumbbell press can be performed on a stability ball to develop core
strength.) Then you'll follow with exercises from the other four
sections of the workout. This mix places your body in various positions
to thoroughly train your middle, upper, lower, inner, and outer
pectoral muscles, as well as your shoulders. The workout finishes with
a power move for your triceps, the weakest of the muscle groups that
contribute to chest strength.



Muscles must rest to grow. Perform the workout twice a week, but
listen to your body--if you feel sore, do the routine only once a week.



















Week 1

Create your routine by doing the superset, then . . . Picking one exercise from each section

Sets of each exercise . . . 3

Your total workout should be . . . 15 sets

Repetitions per set: 12-15, 8-12, 6-8

Speed of each repetition: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Rest between sets: 60-90 seconds

Do this workout: Twice a week



Week 2

Create your routine by doing the superset, then . . . Picking one
exercise from each section. (Do any exercises not chosen in Week 1.)

Sets of each exercise . . . 3

Your total workout should be . . . 15 sets

Repetitions per set: 12-15, 8-12, 6-8

Speed of each repetition: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Rest between sets: 60-90 seconds

Do this workout: Twice a week



Week 3

Create your routine by doing the superset, then . . . Picking one exercise from each section

Sets of each exercise . . . 4

Your total workout should be . . . 20 sets

Repetitions per set: 12-15, 10-12, 8-10, 6-8

Speed of each repetition: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Rest between sets: 90-120 seconds

Do this workout: Once or twice a week



Week 4

Create your routine by doing the superset, then . . . Doing all the exercises in the routine

Sets of each exercise . . . 4 of the superset; 2 of all the rest

Your total workout should be . . . 20 sets

Repetitions per set: Superset: 12-15, 10-12, 8-10, 6-8; remaining exercises: 8-10, 6-8

Speed of each repetition: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down

Rest between sets: 2 minutes

Do this workout: Once or twice a week

















Bench-Press Superset:
Barbell Bench Press

(works chest, shoulders, triceps)

Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grab the barbell
with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you), your hands slightly
wider than shoulder-width apart. Remove the bar from the uprights and
position it above your chest with your arms straight. Slowly lower the
bar to your chest, just below your nipples. Pause, then press the
weight back up until your arms are straight again. After finishing the
set, return the bar to the uprights and move to the dumbbell bench
press.



Video Demo

















Dumbbell Bench Press (works chest, shoulders, triceps) Grab
a pair of dumbbells and lie back on the bench, positioning the weights
along the sides of your chest. Press the dumbbells straight up, lower
them, and repeat for one set. Watch Your Form:
During both the barbell and dumbbell bench presses. avoid arching your
back as you push the weight above your chest. That puts your spine at
risk of injury. Instead, press your back into the bench and keep your
abs drawn in. Video Demo

















Section 1:
Seated Twisting Cable Fly (works inner chest) Sit
on a bench between the towers of a cable-crossover station and grab a
handle from the bottom of each weight stack. Slide forward on the bench
until your arms are extended slightly behind you. Maintaining a slight
bend in your elbows, slowly draw your hands forward until your arms are
in front of your chest. As you go, rotate your hands so your palms face
out at the top. Pause, then reverse the motion back to the starting
position. Watch Your Form: Keep your torso upright to avoid unnecessary stress on your lower back. Video Demo