What special tricks have you tried to get in better shape? Even if you have tried a lot of "Strange methods", has your dream of a wider and thicker chest come true now?
No one would mind too big pecs, but it's not easy to get big and full pecs, and at the same time, you have to maintain a balanced growth of all the exercises in the training process, so what are the tips to get twice the result with half the effort?
feel the pecs in the flat bench press - there are other moves too
the pecs don't just build strength in the bench press. As well as stabilising the barbell during the lowering of the movement, squeezing the pectoral muscles helps to lock in the movement during the bench press with high weights. Of course, the triceps are also an engaged muscle group and if you want to lift bigger weights, you must master how to recruit more of them.
A lot of little guys, in any movement, struggle to concentrate on putting their pecs into the movement because the shoulders, triceps and gluteus maximus will all be firing to become assisted. It is important to try different techniques if your little buddy is also struggling. Even a bodybuilder can find it difficult to fully engage the pecs in certain movements.
techniques to engage the pectoral muscles in a movement
before we start talking about techniques, let's reiterate: Just because it may work for some pecs doesn't mean it will work for everyone. Try different techniques until you find a point where you do the chanting and moving in unison.
So don't get too caught up in finding the right technique! If you're still struggling, it's likely that you just don't have enough strength to feel engaged in compound movements, or don't do bench presses at first until you've mastered the muscle and technique base.
that said, if you're not new to fitness, you may just need to train in the right direction - the right technique, the right movement, the right form - to feel the key points. Instead you follow along and can probably force the pecs to engage in any upper body exercise.
The following are tips for recruiting the pectoral muscles.
1. Squeeze the biceps. Does it feel weird? So, each movement is linked, try squeezing the biceps to force the arms inwards while the barbell will counteract it, this will do a better job of getting the shoulders in and help to get the maximum contraction at the end of the movement for both the bench press and the flyes.
2. Lift the chest. Focus your attention on the front serratus, which helps to keep the entire torso in the correct position. More importantly, open the chest as if you were doing a back-spreading movement. By doing the movement in this way, you get a good sense of stretch in the centrifugal phase and allow the shoulders to be held in a secure position during the centripetal phase.
3. Pay attention to the elbows. Especially in the bench press, if you want to push heavier, the anterior deltoid and triceps are both involved a lot - this is effective for heavy bench presses, but not so good for training the pecs. If you focus on the elbows rather than the hands, the pecs will allow the arms to do a shoulder inward movement.
one more piece of advice: Slow down the speed. If the movement is too fast, it will habitually allow other muscle groups to complete the movement. Slow down and train the muscles in the right way.
The most popular pectoral assistance movements
when looking for chest assistance movements, the main concern is the range of motion. Barbell movements, and even most dumbbell movements, will not stretch the pecs sufficiently. The leverage mechanics of most machines can also be somewhat problematic: Although in some movements, for example the hummer machine upward incline bench press, which has a long range of motion, the triceps are exhausted before the pecs and will always interfere with the performance of the movement.
there is one exception: The hanging push-up. This push-up is performed with the feet on a hoop or trx machine, with the hands wide apart, a slight variation that allows for the best sense of stretch at the lowest point of the entire movement. In addition, the hanging push-up requires concentration to stabilise the body and squeeze the pecs at the same time.
This movement also has some limitations. Firstly, specialised equipment is required to perform this movement. If you are a lighter weight enthusiast, this movement may not seem challenging.
the following are some solutions.
1. If you don't have rings or trx equipment, try doing push-ups with your hands on a pair of upright dumbbells. Although the dumbbells do not provide quite the same stability to the body, they can improve the movement stroke.
2. If the standard movements are not challenging enough, lift your feet to stand in position or even have a partner place dumbbell pieces on your back during the first set.
3. If there is not enough strength or flexibility to do hanging push-ups, start with regular push-ups and then gradually start doing downward sloping push-ups (with feet elevated) and then move to push-ups with feet elevated and hands on dumbbells. This will prepare the muscles for the process.
Be careful of course, overstretching the pectoral muscles can also easily lead to injury.
a pectoral training programme for fitness enthusiasts
the first thing to remember about building an effective training plan is that everyone is different. This particular training plan is not a long-term training plan, but a template to refer to.
Training movements number of sets number of reps
plank barbell bench press (warm-up set) 2 12
plank barbell bench press (8rm weight) 4 10
incline dumbbell bench press (10rm weight) 5 12
triples (a+b+c in a row for 4 sets)
a. Rope clamp chest 4 20
b. Double bar arm curls 4 20
c. Hanging push-ups 4 exhaustion
supine dumbbell raises 4 power reps
the barbell bench press is of course the king of chest training. If you are not getting enough stimulation for your chest muscles, then the tips above will definitely be beneficial to you. It's not just a matter of getting more weight on your pecs, but a more focused and stimulating workout is the right way to train your chest!