Having trouble getting your chest to grow? You’re not alone! Good chest workouts are few and far between, and most lifters take years to build decent chests. While you will have to put in some serious time and effort, you CAN make crazy progress in a matter of weeks – if you know how to train. The chest is a weak point for a lot of guys, but these 5 tips will supercharge your progress like nothing else.

1. Bench for Mass

Incline presses, dumbbell presses, and all sorts of flyes are in vogue, but the basic bench press will take you far. A lot of lifters have abandoned the flat bench, claiming it’s more of a triceps exercise than a pec builder. I strongly disagree! I’ve never seen a guy with a big bench who DIDN’T have a massive chest.

There  are all sorts of routines for increasing your bench, but your training doesn’t have to be complicated. If you’re still not benching 1.5x your body weight, all you really need is consistent heavy training. Every time you bench, aim for one or two top sets of 4-6 reps, and ALWAYS try to add more weight. If your nutrition and sleep are on point, and if you’re gradually gaining body weight, your bench numbers will keep on flying up.

2. Feel the Burn

As important as it is to lift heavy, you’ve also got to feel the muscle contract! Good chest workouts require a great pump, and you won’t achieve that with sets of 5. Once you’ve finished your heavy pressing, hit up some flyes, cable crossovers, and higher-rep benches. Pump tons of blood into your chest, and stretch hard in between sets. Your chest should feel swollen for hours after you’re done!

3. Do Your Dips

Back before the bench press was even invented, dips were THE movement for building a big chest. Take as wide a grip as possible, go as deep as you can, and strap on some extra weight if you’re strong enough. I like to do these right after benching, when my chest is still fresh enough for heavy weights. Dips are also a great pump movement, so hit up some high reps, as well.

4. Don’t Obsess

It’s tempting to train a week body part all the time, but one or two good chest workouts per week is all you need! If you’re blasting your pecs as hard as you should be, they’ll need a few days to recover. Plus, it’s critical that you spend just as much time on bigger, stronger body parts like back and legs. Those areas make up most of your body, the “foundation” for your pecs, shoulders, arms, and other smaller muscles. In fact, increasing your squat – and your body weight – is one of the best ways to improve your bench.

 

5. Pound the Protein!

Hopefully you understand the importance of a proper diet. Unfortunately, guys who focus on specific body parts – chest and arms especially – often fail to eat properly. You can have the best chest training routine in the world, but your pecs won’t grow if you don’t eat enough.

Don’t think you can get by on all your favorite junk foods, either. Big guys get that way by eating meat, eggs, and other high-protein foods in HUGE amounts. Meat should the mainstay of every meal, and you should always slam a protein shake after training. Get consistent with your diet, and you’ll be amazed at how much progress you finally make.

 

If you want more cutting-edge advice on diet, training, and everything else it takes to get big, check out Bigger, Better, Faster Now – the final word on strength and muscle building.

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