Mirror Friendly Summer Body Series – Episode 4 – Beefy Pecs

Calling out all our male followers!

Hands up those of you who would not like to have or do not appreciate a prominent chest (technically referred to as pectoralis or pecs)… Pecs, not boobs 😉

I will never forget my astonishment at Arnold’s pecs every time I saw him on tv or pictures when I was still a child. He could well be the reason why I still get excited every time it’s chest day at the gym. There is no broken secret in saying that the chest is my favourite muscle group and for this reason today I am glad to share with you my chest workout which I have called Beefy Pecs; because full and beefy is what your chest will feel like during this burning session. So get ready for a legendary pump!

The Beefy Pecs Workout:

The chest primarily consists of 3 main parts: the lower, the middle and the upper chest. In choosing the exercises for this workout I ensured I’d be hitting all such 3 parts plus I included an additional exercise at the end to hit the chest on a lateral plane, from the outside to the inside. It is up to you to decide the sequence of the parts trained. I always like to start with the main part which is the middle chest.

1) MIDDLE CHEST:

Dumbbell Bench Press followed by Hammer Bench Press: 

The Dumbbell Bench Press requires an overhand grip:

• Grasp two dumbbells and hold them with your palms facing inwards. Rest the end of each dumbbell on your thighs and sit down on a flat bench.
• Lean back and bring the dumbbells to the starting position. At the starting position, the dumbbells should be to the side of your chest with your upper arms parallel to the ground. Your forearms should form a close-to 90 degree angle with your upper arms.
• Press upwards and extend your arms until you have almost locked them out. I would suggest stopping just short of locking out to avoid wear and tear on the joints.
• Squeeze your pecs together for a second at the top of the lift and then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. Repeat this process for the desired number of repetitions. I usually perform 8 to 10 repetitions before going on to the next exercise in the superset.

Once you complete the desired number of repetitions, while holding on to the dumbbells turn your grip to a neutral one in preparation for the Hammer Bench Press:

The basic motions of this variation are the same as the dumbbell bench press explained above, except that you hold the dumbbells so that your palms are facing inward towards each other. When performing the hammer bench press I choose to alternate between left and right . As fatigue kicks in there is a higher risk to overcompensate with one particular side when both dumbbells are lifted together, hence why I alternate sides. Finally I usually perform this latter part of the superset to failure.

Note: Make sure you have complete control over the dumbbells at all times. If you find yourself shaking excessively or feel like you are losing control of the weight, you should decrease the weights and practice dumbbell presses with strict form. Furthermore when dropping the weights on the ground try to release them on their edges to avoid making a lot of noise 😉

2) UPPER CHEST:

Incline Bench Press followed by Decline Pushups:

The Incline Bench Press:

• Find a bench which is set at an angle of between 30 to 40 degrees (30 is preferable as anything higher than that will use your shoulder muscles too much) and load the weight you want to use.
• Lay back on the bench with your feet firmly on the floor and grasp the barbell with a wider than shoulder width overhand grip (palms facing your feet).
• Take the barbell off the rack. Slowly lower the barbell down to the top of your chest (where the clavicles meet; the nipple area is too low!) as you inhale.
• Pause, then slowly raise the bar to the starting position as you exhale. Do not lock your elbows out.
• Repeat for the desired reps. I usually perform 8 to 10 repetitions before going on to the next exercise in the superset.

The Decline Pushups:

• Lie on the floor face down and place your hands a bit less than shoulder width apart while holding your torso up at arms length. Move your feet up to a box or bench. This will be your starting position.
• Lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
• Exhale and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest.
• After a brief pause at the top contracted position, you can begin to lower yourself downward again for as many repetitions as needed. I usually do this to failure.

Note: Make sure that you keep your abs and lower back contracted while you do this exercise. You don’t want your pelvis to arch so make sure you keep your body in a straight line during the exercise.

3) LOWER CHEST:

Low Cable Crossover:

• Place pulleys on either side of a cable machine at the low position, select the resistance to be used and grasp a handle in each hand.
• Step forward, gaining tension in the pulleys. Your palms should be facing forward, hands below the waist, and your arms straight. This will be your starting position.
• With a slight bend in your arms, draw your hands upward and toward the midline of your body. Your hands should come together in front of your chest, palms facing up.
• Return your arms back to the starting position after a brief pause.
• Repeat for the desired reps. I usually perform 8 to 10 repetitions.

4) OUTER TO INNER CHEST:

Pec-Deck Machine:

• Sit on the machine with your back flat on the pad.
• Take hold of the handles. Your upper arms should be positioned parallel to the floor; adjust the machine accordingly. This will be your starting position.
• Push the handles together slowly as you squeeze your chest in the middle. Breathe out during this part of the motion and hold the contraction for a second.
• Return back to the starting position slowly as you inhale until your chest muscles are fully stretched.
• Repeat for the desired reps. I usually perform 8 to 10 repetitions.

So that was our Beefy Pecs workout for a step closer to your best ever summer body 🙂 Never forget to stretch your trained muscles at the end of every workout!

To fitness with love,

Andrew