For most people, a chest workout will consist of only a few different varieties of movements, largely chest presses. However, if you're seeking to grow mass in your pecs you will need a variety of movements that target the chest muscles from every angle, including the three main parts of the chest: pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and serratus anterior. These muscles make up the largest group of "pushing" muscles, meaning this section helps us perform pushing actions (such as a barbell press or rearranging furniture).
It's especially important to train all three sections since the chest contributes to so many other important movements.
Some of the most important things to consider when you begin this muscle building journey are:
Progressive Overload
In simpler terms, you should be increasing the amount of weight or the amount of repetitions every couple of weeks. This allows you to continuously progress (hence the name) in your journey of getting stronger and gaining mass.
Compound Movements
A compound movement is going to be any movement that uses more than one muscle group at a time. Not only is this more practical and makes better use of your time at the gym (by burning more calories), but it also helps develop an overall proportional upper body. Some compound movements include push-ups, incline dumbbell bench press, dips, and the barbell bench press. If you don't have access to weights, no worries! You can still build a stronger chest with just these body weight exercises.
Shoulder Stability
One of the biggest hinderances to chest growth is shoulder injuries from pushing too much weight too early, or with improper form. Before starting chest day, make sure you're properly warmed up and that your shoulders have a full range of motion.
Nutrition/Recovery
Like with any fitness or aesthetic goals, nutrition is going to play a huge role in your success. Any time you are working to build more muscle, you're going to want to prioritize ample protein (along with enough carbs and fats to fuel and sustain your workouts). Recovery can be extremely underrated in the body building world, but remember, muscle is built during the recovery stage! For this reason, it's important to rest in between your upper body/chest days. If you're still wanting to speed up recovery or you're struggling with a lot of muscle soreness, we always recommend the VPod. This wireless electrical muscle stimulation unit has 24 different functions and adjustable intensity settings, so you're fully in charge of your recovery! Visit VPod.Life for more info.
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