Beginners guide to chest training
The chest, along with the arms, shoulders and abdominals, is typically a muscle which receives a high level of focus by male weight trainers who have embarked on their first training plan. These muscles are commonly referred to as the “beach muscles”; the muscle groups which are most noticed and are often perceived to portray masculinity and power. This is an understandable mindset; after all, people more often than not begin weight training to look good, and these are the muscles which are initially seen as being important. In this article we aim to uncover the best methods by which to train the chest, and get an idea of how to best structure your training to ensure balance and optimal results.
The muscles of the chest
The chest can be divided into three parts; the pectoralis minor, the clavicular head of the pectoralis major, and the sternal head of the pectoralis major. The pectoralis minor is a small three headed muscle which runs beneath the major head, and is of less concern for those looking to add size to their chest. The major head composes the main bulk of the chest, and it is the sternal and clavicular heads which are targeted to induce muscle growth.
The clavicular head is often referred to as the upper chest, with the muscle head spanning from the humerus to the clavicle (collar bone). The sternal head is the larger head of the chest and is responsible for much of the shape of the chest. The fibres of the chest muscle fan outward from their common insertion point, the humerus.
Common chest exercises
There are a handful of “bread and butter” chest exercises, with a wide verity of chest exercises being variations of these staple choices.
Barbell bench press
A barbell is loaded with a suitable weight as it is racked on a bench. The trainee lays flat on the bench and grasps the barbell with a slightly further than shoulder width grip. The barbell is then un-racked by extending the arms, and the barbell is brought directly above the chest as the arms remain fully extended. The barbell is then lowered in a controlled fashion until the barbell is just shy of the chest. The barbell is then pressed upward until the arms are fully extended. This is repeated for the desired number of repetitions.
This exercise can also be performed with dumbbells and on a machine. The angle can also be altered by using a decline or incline bench.
Dumbbell fly
A trainee lays flat on a bench whilst grasping a set of dumbbells directly above their head. The elbows should be slightly bent and fixed at this angle throughout the exercise. The dumbbells are then brought downward until the upper arms are at the level of the torso. The movement is then reversed, with the chest contracted to bring the dumbbells back to the top of the movement. This is repeated for the desired number of repetitions.
There are various machines which mimic this movement. The fly can also be performed using cables, which may provide a better alternative. As with the bench press, the fly can also be executed on an angled bench.
Dips
This exercise is slightly less common than the two mentioned above, and a dipping station is usually required to perform this exercise. Holding onto two parallel handles, the trainee fully extends his arms so he is supporting his body. The torso should be bent forward and the arms flared outward. The body is then lowered until the upper arms become parallel to the floor. The trainee then presses back up to the starting position. This is repeated for the desired number of repetitions.
A typical chest session
The overall structure of a weight training program will dictate how a chest session will be composed. For this example we will assume the chest is trained with the triceps, a popular choice due to the triceps being employed during most chest exercises.
Dumbbell or cable flies 12 reps x 3 sets
Barbell bench press 10 reps x 3 sets
Dips 10 reps x 3 sets
Close grip bench press 12 reps x 3 sets
How to structure your training
It is out the scope of this article to cover all the endless ways in which you could structure your training program. There are some important points to take on board when structuring your plan, however. For a balanced training plan we must train all the major muscle groups of the body, and exercise them in balance to the rest of the body. That is to say, just because we want to have large arms does not mean we should train our arms three times per, and the rest of the muscle groups only once. For optimal results we should have a balanced training plan which allows for the muscle groups to repair and recover between workouts.
Whether we are implementing a full body workout, a body part split routine, or an upper and lower split, we must allow for sufficient rest in between sessions to allow the body to recovery and grow. It is the times in between training, when a sound diet is consumed that the muscle repairs and grows. A beginner would be best training each major muscle group once per week, with three training sessions.