Chest Workouts For Mass - A Beginner's Guide

Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip : 3 Sets Of 4-6 Reps

1.     Lie back on a flat bench. Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.

2.     From the starting position, breathe in and begin coming down slowly until the bar touches your middle chest.

3.     After a brief pause, push the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out. Focus on pushing the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position at the top of the motion, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.  As you start to change the direction of the bar and begin the press up, drive with the legs. If you have a tendency to shift your feet around, try placing 2.5 pound plates on your feet.

4.     Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

5.     When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

Caution:

1.     If you are new at this exercise, it is advised that you use a spotter. If no spotter is available, then be conservative with the amount of weight used.

2.     Also, beware of letting the bar drift too far forward. You want the bar to touch your middle chest and nowhere else.

3.     Don't bounce the weight off your chest. You should be in full control of the barbell at all times.

Dumbbell Bench Press : 3 Sets Of 8 Reps

1.     Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hands will be facing each other.

2.     Then, using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.

3.     Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. The dumbbells should be just to the sides of your chest, with your upper arm and forearm creating a 90 degree angle. Be sure to maintain full control of the dumbbells at all times. This will be your starting position.

4.     Then, as you breathe out, use your chest to push the dumbbells up. Lock your arms at the top of the lift and squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then begin coming down slowly. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.

5.     Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.

Caution:

1.     When you are done, do not drop the dumbbells next to you as this is dangerous to your rotator cuff in your shoulders and others working out around you.

2.     Just lift your legs from the floor bending at the knees, twist your wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing each other and place the dumbbells on top of your thighs. When both dumbbells are touching your thighs simultaneously push your upper torso up (while pressing the dumbbells on your thighs) and also perform a slight kick forward with your legs (keeping the dumbbells on top of the thighs). By doing this combined movement, momentum will help you get back to a sitting position with both dumbbells still on top of your thighs. At this moment you can place the dumbbells on the floor.

Variations:

• Another variation of this exercise is to perform it with the palms of the hands facing each other.
• Also, you can perform the exercise with the palms facing each other and then twisting the wrist as you lift the dumbbells so that at the top of the movement the palms are facing away from the body. I personally do not use this variation very often as it seems to be hard on my shoulders.

Dumbbell Flyes : 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps

1.     Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.

2.     Then using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width with the palms of your hands facing each other. Raise the dumbbells up like you're pressing them, but stop and hold just before you lock out. This will be your starting position.

3.     With a slight bend on your elbows in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon, lower your arms out at both sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Keep in mind that throughout the movement, the arms should remain stationary; the movement should only occur at the shoulder joint.

4.     Return your arms back to the starting position as you squeeze your chest muscles and breathe out. Tip: Make sure to use the same arc of motion used to lower the weights.

5.     Hold for a second at the contracted position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

Variations: You may want to use a palms facing forward version for different stimulation.

Pushups : 3 Sets Of 12 Reps

1.     Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart while holding your torso up at arms length.

2.     Next, lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.

3.     Now breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest.

4.     After a brief pause at the top contracted position, you can begin to lower yourself downward again for as many repetitions as needed.

Variations:

1.     If you are new at this exercise and do not have the strength to perform it, you can either bend your legs at the knees to take off resistance or perform the exercise against the wall instead of the floor.

2.     For the most advanced lifters, you can place your feet at a high surface such as a bench in order to increase the resistance and to target the upper chest more.