Balanced Pectoral Training: The Guide To A Muscular Chest

!±8± Balanced Pectoral Training: The Guide To A Muscular Chest

The pectorals, or muscles of the chest, are perhaps the muscle group most likely to receive unbalanced training in the gym. This doesn't make much sense. After all, most commercial gyms are packed with machines dedicated to delivering complete pectoral training - including free weights, machines, dips, dumbbells, cable stations, and more. It seems to strange that bodybuilders, with their knack for complete well-rounded training and varied diets, would somehow succumb to some outside force and train pectorals in an incorrect manner.

The reason, of course, is human nature. We have been conditioned to enter the gym, make out way to the flat bench press, and see how much weight we can push up. It is a challenge that is both innate and taught to us, from every avenue possible. From the earliest exposure, we typically equate "lifting weight" with either biceps curls or bench pressing. Additionally, the sport of Powerlifting's emphasis upon the importance of bench press numbers has made every man's max bench either his badge of honor, or the albatross of shame which he must wear everywhere.

We can break out of it - but only if we realize that the bench press (whether it be flat, incline, or even decline) should only comprise a quarter of our chest training. Once we limit 25% of our sets to benching, we are suddenly awakened to the possibilities that exist in the gym. If your workout is a standard 20 sets for chest, which is very reasonable, this will equate to a full 15 sets that you will be completing which are NOT of the bench pressing variety. You are appropriated only five sets per workout to split between your favorite pressing bench movements, so use them wisely. A split of 3 sets incline pressing, followed with two sets of either flat or decline pressing would probably be ideal for maintaining your existing levels of solid chest muscle mass.

Fill in this void with the wide variety of movements your gym has to offer. Cable crossovers are great for isolating that pectoral, shoulder tie-in. The hammer strength and nautilus machines are very solid mass builders. And you can't forget the importance of the incline, flat and decline variety of dumbbell presses for your mass building goals. Plus your gym probably contains a whole mess of machines that isolate the pectorals in either the pressing or butterfly motion. You might even find a dip or pullover machine in your gym. Use them!

Remember that the bench press- particularly the incline bench press - is a highly useful exercise for adding strength and mass. However, it is not the ONLY tool. Use it more from time to time, particularly when the upper chest begins to lose some of the mass and thickness on its "ledge" that you desire. However, using only these pressing movements leaves you with an incomplete chest. And since the goal of bodybuilding is complete body development - it's time to mix things up!