Exercise technique is a completely different issue.

There are things we need to be doing to work this important muscle group effectively. Not surprisingly, these rules can be applied to your other workouts as well.

• Warming up comes first in your workout and it should be first on your list of things to do. (duh). Start out with about 50% of your working weight on the first two exercises you will be doing. Two sets of ten will get the blood flowing into your chest muscles, preparing them for the abuse ahead.

• Next some light stretching, both before and in between you’re your work sets. That’s right – in between. If your plan calls for sets of 5 reps with 3 minutes rest in between them, use that time to loosen up both your chest muscles, and the antagonistic muscle groups. You’ll see a decreased incidence of injuries, and the increased confidence that comes from the “loose” feeling during your chest exercises.

pectoral front view

When you are actually doing your work sets, there are a few things to remember as well.

• A complete range of motion is crucial, or you will reduce the effectiveness of what could otherwise be a killer chest workout. Make sure you take each movement from the fully contracted, to the full stretch position to develop the muscles throughout the range of motion, and also to give the connective tissues stretching and stress. They count too.

• The speed with which you are lifting has a great effect upon the muscles. If you think about it, ten reps done at a 2×2 tempo is putting the muscle under tension only half as much as the same set with the same weight done with a 4×4 tempo. These is a lot of debate surrounding this issue, but there is no denying that it does make a difference. You can try out different tempos to see which one works best for you, or you can do what the pros do: vary your tempos on a regular basis from workout to workout.

• Loading up the bar with as much iron as you can move may seem like the best way to get the most from your workout routine – but it’s not. It is better to vary your loading parameters from workout to workout, and from season to season. You wouldn’t expect to increase endurance, flexibility and max strength all at once, right? Choose the load that matches your current goal.

• Vary your workout routine on a regular basis. You should be changing something every two weeks, and completely re-vamping your workouts at least once every two months.

There you have it, the basics of a good chest work out for the chest or any other muscle group. Incorporate these techniques into your schedule, and you should see positive changes.

Don’t fall prey to these old wives’ tales that make it impossible ot get in your best chest workouts:

You need to use as much weight as possible.

Not so – while you should be doing your regular workout sets with something between 60 and 80 per cent of your one rep max, going over that on a regular basis will not spur growth, and may even hinder it. Heavy weight, low rep sets have their place in your chest workout regimen, but they should not be your bread and butter. They take a serious toll on your joints – especially your shoulders.

Only wimps need a spotter.

Ummmm….NO. Don’t be the guy that had to leave the gym via the ambulance. There is no shame in playing it safe, and the veterans in your gym will see that you know what you are doing. If you think there is any chance at all that your current set will go to failure, get a spotter.

Put your feet up on the bench.

This one has always amazed me. How can you create a stable base for your bench press with your feet up on the bench? Keep your feet on the ground, firmly planted. This gives you a tripod, an inherently stable platform from which to push. Lose your balance with 2 plates on a side, and you can join the guy in #2 for the ride to the E.R. It may also occur to you that a stable base may allow you to push more weight safely.

You need a big arch in your back.

You need an operation on your spine too I guess. No way this helps if what you are after is a good workout, and better chest development. What you are really doing is trying to turn a flat bench press into a decline bench press on the wrong piece of equipment. If you want to decline bench, go ahead. But get on the decline bench to do it.

You need to grunt and scream to get the weight up.

For crying out loud (literally) please stop this. If the weight is heavy, you may make a noise related to the effort – involuntarily. But purposely shouting and grunting make you look like what you are – a poser. It has nothing to do with getting in the best chest workouts possible, and everything to do with who is watching you.

Plus, ever notice that the guy making all the noise has one plate on a side and weighs 125 pounds? And an iPod, for some reason. Maybe so he can’t hear his own o-song?

Nothing makes you look like you’re not just a weightlifter, but a STRONG weightlifter more than massive pecs. It is important to set up yoru chest exercise routine to develop your chest – but not at the expense of your overall look.

However, you can take it too far. You don’t want to end up looking like the chest version of Greg Valentino. An out of balance, un-proportional physique is not only un-attractive, it looks ridiculous. So what are the proportions we should strive for?

That is a matter of ongoing debate, but over time somewhat of a consensus has emerged, and been accepted in both the bodybuilding community and the general public. Here are the most commonly agreed upon proportions for a body that looks strong and fit, without looking overblown or silly.

Starting from the top:

• Neck – same as biceps and calves
• Shoulders – Chest measurement plus several inches (this on is all over the place – primarily because your shoulder width is highly dependent upon your bone structure. You can add some width to your outer shoulders, but there is only so much mass there. In addition, the overall thickness of your torso will have an affect on this.)
• Chest – Your waist measurement plus 12 inches will give you a start towards a nice V-taper. This may sound like a lot to a beginner, but think about it: If you have a 32 inch waist and a 44 inch chest, you are already there. I don’t think I need to point out that dropping a little stomach fat from around your middle will help….
• Arms – Measured flexed, pre-workout, these should be the same size as your neck and calves.
• Waist – this will drive a lot of what you look like. Suffice it to say that you want this lean and tight. If you need to lose belly fat, there are a lot of resources on the internet to help you do that.
• Hips – Keep this as close to your waist measurement as you can. You want a V-taper, then a straight shot to your ankles, if possible. Now there will be a lot of variation here. Some guys simply have larger, more muscular glutes. (Can you say squats?)
• Quadriceps – This is going to be a function of both your workout program, and your genetics. While you don’t want to look like a modern day Tom Platz, you do want to have legs that are strong and look it as well. What you don’t want is to end up looking like a side of beef on stilts – the classic “bar-body”.
• Calves – These should be the same size as your biceps and neck, or close to it.
• Feet – you’re on your own here, dude

This is important stuff. The entire point of your chest workout out is appearance. Your exercise routine should be constructed to enhance this. Please hold any comments about health and longevity – I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I know why we’re all in the gym.

The awesome chest of charles Atlas

A thick, powerful chest is the key to a great physique. It is also foundational to building a total body you can be proud of.  It is extremely difficult to build your other upper body muscles if you have a weak chest. Building up your chest muscles will have unexpected benefits as well – when you are working out your pecs, you will also be working out your arms, shoulders, and the smaller stabilizing muscles in your torso. This in turn  will lead to increased gains in other areas, and more ease in making those gains.

For example, it is a lot easier t0 build a great back if your chest is not a weak point. It’s a lot easier to build great arms if your chest is there to act as an assistant when you are going for a new max on your triceps extensions.

I’ve been lifting since the early 1980s, and I’ve made every dumb mistake there is trying to build my chest up, but I’ve also figured a few things out.

In the near future, we’ll be building out this site with tons of chest workouts and so much more:

• Video chest workout routines
• Step by step instructions on building your own routine
• The best ways to integrate a focused chest workout within a whole body plan
• Tips and tricks from all around the net – and from the great bodybuilders of the past

We’re also going to attack some persistent myths and old wives’ tales concerning building a great chest, and hopefully we can show you a few things that you can apply to your situation.

We all have different reasons for working out, but the main one is appearance. Yes. I know, we can tell our friends and significant others that we want to stay young, or we think that out body is a temple, and so on, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the look you get when you walk past a a nice looking woman. Does her gaze slide over you as if you were a piece of furniture, or does it linger? Maybe she even does a second take? Time to say hello.

If you are already in a relationship, so much the better. Whether you are male or female (and we will adress the needs of both in this blog) your partner will love showing you off if you are in shape.