Jim Smith asked:


ng>Massive Muscle Building for Your Chest

Raise your hand if you know how much you bench? I should see all of your hands raised. Whether you have an internet forum record 900 lbs bench or are still trying to slap on 2 plates and press it up, most of us will always want to know ‘How do I get a huge bench?’. Well, it’s not as confusing as it may seem, but it will require some thought. Below you will find 3 areas that are crucial elements toward developing a monster bench and a bullet-proof chest.

1. Press From Every Angle: How many of you bench and bench and bench some more? If you are one of those types, get your **** off the bench and try pressing from different angles. If you are a raw bencher, shoulder and tricep strength is crucial for putting up monster numbers. Military pressing with either dumbbells or a barbell, will help balance out the musculature of the shoulder girdle and also give your triceps a tremendous strength boost. Also, balancing out your horizontal pressing with vertical pressing variations can actually HELP shoulder problems. However, if you shoulder is shot and you can’t kick you bench addiction, incline pressing also gives the anterior delts, pecs, and triceps a good stretch and will help your bench strength.

2. Row to grow: Many people are lacking in posterior muscle strength. I could go on and on about the posterior chain, but for the sake of this article I will keep it condensed to the muscles of the upper back and the lats. The only way you are going to be able to press big weights is if you create a strong and stable foundation from which to bench from. Have you ever gotten a case of the “wobbles”? You know where you unrack the weight and the weight of the bar throws you to one side and you have to counterbalance before you start to bench? Well, that is a lack of stability because of weak lats. Barbell rows, chest-supported rows, DB rows, chins, pull-ups, all will help you develop a huge bench. Generally speaking, I like to perform 2 sets of rows or vertical pulls for every set of pressing I do, including warm up sets. Get your lats thick and strong and watch as PR’s fall on your bench.

3. Pre-Hab work: It’s not **** or even cool, but you MUST do some sort of shoulder pre-hab work. The muscles of the rotator cuff play a huge role in stabilizing heavy weights when you bench. The weaker they are or become, the more likely you will stall on your bench progress or even worse, get injured. Band external rotations, DB external rotations, really any sort of external rotation, will help you stay healthy and help your quest for a monster bench. Also, do not forget shoulder girdle mobility as well. Band Dislocates, plate halos etc., will help lube up the joints prior to starting your heavy benching.

Well, there you have it. Three action items you must address in order to get your bench moving and get that chest “SWOLE”. Check out below for a way to tie it all together.

Sample Workout:

Warm Up:

A. Band Dislocates: 1 x 12

B. Plate Halos: 2 x 12

1. Bench 5 x 5 2. DB Military Press 3 x 10

3. Chins 3 x max reps (2 min rest between sets)

4. DB Rows 5 x 15

5. Band External Rotations 2 x 20



Muscle Growth

Anyone who has ever suffered from a major backache knows how central the back is; even in times you might think it isn’t important. Even something like squeezing a tennis ball, an action that involves a focus on the fingers, forearm and bicep will involve the latissimus dorsi and other back muscles.

 

The lats are the large ‘side’ muscles that make a man triangle-shaped. To demonstrate how they are used during squeezing a tennis ball, try it! You’ll quickly feel a tensing of the muscles on the side of the arm you use. It’s especially noticeable if you have back pain.

 

Any sport will require strong back muscles, for speed and coordination, for balance and movement and for providing a strong ‘pillar’ for all the limbs to move off of.

 

Here are some simple exercises to help stretch and strengthen those all-important back muscles. Most of them are better performed on a firm, but not hard surface. While you work the muscles, you don’t want to cause undue, painful pressure on bony parts of the body.

 

Knee to Chest

 

Lie on your back and clasp your hands behind one thigh. Pull slowly toward the chest, keeping the other leg flat on the ground. Vary the action by flexing the ankle – first pointing the toe, and then pulling it back toward the knee – at the same time as you stretch the leg.

 

Hold each position for 5 seconds, then switch legs and repeat. Do 10 reps.

 

Rotations

 

Lie back, knees raised and together, feet flat on the floor. With your arms extended and near the body, and your palms flat on the floor, lift the feet off the ground slightly and rotate your trunk by moving the knee. Move the knees slightly left, then right.

 

Over time, as you become more flexible and build strength, you can increase the range of motion. Ultimately, you should be able to touch your knee to the floor.

 

Alternate the action by crossing your arms over your chest, then repeat.

 

Pelvic Press

 

Lie down on your back, knees raised and feet flat on the floor. Push the small of the back into the floor, feel the tension in the lower abdominals. Vary the action by moving your feet together and performing the exercise, then slightly apart and repeat.

 

As you press into the ground, hold for 5 seconds, but continue to breath slowly and normally.

 

Pelvic Lift

 

Lie on your back, knees raised and feet flat on the ground, arms crossed over your chest. Keeping the legs and knees together, raise the buttocks up slightly and hold for 5 seconds. Lower slowly, count to two, then repeat.

 

Remember to breathe normally through the exercise, in and out slowly.

 

Dog Stretches

 

On all fours, raise your head, eyes forward. Lower your arms and arch your back, hold 2 seconds, then resume the starting position. Slowly extend one leg, as near parallel to the floor as you can. Hold 3 seconds, and then put the leg back into starting position.  (If this produces back, hip, or leg pain stop immediately.)

 

Switch legs and repeat. Vary the exercise by extending the leg with toe pointed, and then flex the ankle perpendicular to the leg. Hold for 2 seconds and repeat. Do 10 reps for each leg.

 

Never perform these exercises if they produce back pain. Mild discomfort from inactivity is natural. Pain is a signal that something is wrong. Consult your physician.

 

Muscle Growth