Just because you go real hard at the gym doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing. For guys targeting their pectorals, the most common mistake is concern with bench press weight and not focusing on contracting the muscles. Because developing a body part is all about creating tension, it’s important to go heavy on your movements while keeping repetitions low for strength while focusing on getting blood to your muscles. It’s time for guys to stop focusing on getting swole and just stick to the good ol’ basics.
Fitness expert and personal trainer Don Saladino of Drive495 (the guy who trains superheroes like Deadpool‘s Ryan Reynolds and Captain America‘s Sebastian Stan, among others) shared his tips on how to mix things up in a typical pectoral workout. Follow his guidelines, and you’ll be filling out your t-shirt in no time.
Try this program for a month, 5 to 6 days a week, and you will develop a good mind to muscle connection.
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1. Decline Barbell Bench Press: Focus on 3 sets where you are steadily increasing the weight. Despite popular belief, the decline press focuses on the entire pec region and not just the lower chest. Make sure you are controlling the weight but fall in between the following number of reps:
– Sets 1&2 (10-12 reps)
– Set 3 (8-10 reps)
– Set 4 (6-8 reps)
2. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: Adding an incline helps focus on lack of pectoral development. For your first two sets, aim to get within that range, and go all out for your third set, pushing as much as you can.
– Sets 1&2 (8-12 reps)
– Set 3 (6-8 reps)
3. Superset Finisher Fly Variation/Superset with Pushups: This is a very basic, yet effective layout that gets straight to the point for your pecs.
– Do 10-12 reps on the flys getting a good squeeze then go immediately into pushups until failure.
Still in the mood to get swole? Check out our other ‘Fitness Friday’ columns.