Hello I would like to know if anyone there knows a way to grow the pecs/chest so it looks bigger? I have not been doing much woukout but I am feeling I am starting to need it. And I would like to train my pecs.
Workout wuestion: Gow to get bigger pecs?
- Thread starter TrekkieRiker
- Start date
Basically, there are two kinds of movements for pectoral development: presses and flys. And size increases will depend on adequate food intake. Protein is essential.
The barbell bench press (on a flat bench) is a good overall upper body mass builder, though some feel that it involves the deltoids and triceps too much. Pressing dumbbells on an incline bench may target the pectorals better. There are also weight machines that allow you to do chest presses from different angles.
Fly movements can be done lying on a bench with dumbbells, with a pec deck machine, or cable crossovers.
There are various set/rep routines that have their proponents. Many recommend doing a few sets in the range of 8-12 reps to best stimulate muscular hypertrophy (that basically means making them bigger). As time goes on and the muscles adapt, you can add more weight.
Try not to exercise the same muscles more than three times a week, with a couple days of rest in between each session. Definitely don't exercise the same muscles two days in a row. This will not allow adequate recovery and growth.
To get started, I would suggest finding someone experienced in weight training to personally coach you. That way you can become accustomed to proper technique and prevent injury. And do bench presses with a training partner there to spot you, so you don't get end up pinned under the barbell or hurt yourself unracking and racking the weight.
Kor
The barbell bench press (on a flat bench) is a good overall upper body mass builder, though some feel that it involves the deltoids and triceps too much. Pressing dumbbells on an incline bench may target the pectorals better. There are also weight machines that allow you to do chest presses from different angles.
Fly movements can be done lying on a bench with dumbbells, with a pec deck machine, or cable crossovers.
There are various set/rep routines that have their proponents. Many recommend doing a few sets in the range of 8-12 reps to best stimulate muscular hypertrophy (that basically means making them bigger). As time goes on and the muscles adapt, you can add more weight.
Try not to exercise the same muscles more than three times a week, with a couple days of rest in between each session. Definitely don't exercise the same muscles two days in a row. This will not allow adequate recovery and growth.
To get started, I would suggest finding someone experienced in weight training to personally coach you. That way you can become accustomed to proper technique and prevent injury. And do bench presses with a training partner there to spot you, so you don't get end up pinned under the barbell or hurt yourself unracking and racking the weight.
Kor
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Thank you :-) Unfortunately where I live I don't have access to a bench or a machine, do you know any way to get away with it?
Get a pair of dumbbells and do the fly exercises.
I thought about that, but what can I use instead of "bench" to lay on?
There are simple exercise benches just for such work and they aren't expensive (less than $100 in some cases).
You do want a padded surface and it needs to be narrow enough to give clearance.
You do want a padded surface and it needs to be narrow enough to give clearance.
If worse comes to worse, you could lay on the floor and do dumbbell flys and presses. You won't get the same amount of stretch as on a bench, though.
I would also suggest looking into different kinds of push ups.
Is there a community center in your neighborhood? Sometimes they have a workout room that you can use for just a few dollars.
Kor
I would also suggest looking into different kinds of push ups.
Is there a community center in your neighborhood? Sometimes they have a workout room that you can use for just a few dollars.
Kor
Only available at Summers, so I will have to look for cheap benches to be able to do this at winters then. Any chance to use any other piece of furniture as substitute?
Key concept - safety!
Just lying on any ol' piece of furniture may not be a good idea.
I don't know where you are but, you can order just about anything online now.
Just lying on any ol' piece of furniture may not be a good idea.
I don't know where you are but, you can order just about anything online now.
Press ups may be enough if you are new to exercising, there are plenty of ways to enhance them such as getting press up grips or using exercise bands behind the back. Ultimately though if you develop further you will need to use weights, in this case on a bench. To do that you really should have another key ingredient, someone to train with. This is both for psychological reasons (it's easier to push yourself with a buddy) and safety ones (you really shouldn't be testing yourself on the bench without a spotter and you won't progress if you don't test yourself).
Also, why the focus on just pecs? Your body grows far more effectively if you balance out your training and frankly gyms all around the world are full of guys who train nothing but chest and arms, wondering why they never progress. Legs are far more important, as is the back. Typical weekly split for bodybuilders tends to be a day on each with supplementary work in between, arms effectively falling into the chest and back days naturally.
If you want to get bigger (especially if you want to do it naturally - without chemical assistance) you really need to be doing squats, preferably deadlifts too, not to mention pull ups if you can do them.
Also, why the focus on just pecs? Your body grows far more effectively if you balance out your training and frankly gyms all around the world are full of guys who train nothing but chest and arms, wondering why they never progress. Legs are far more important, as is the back. Typical weekly split for bodybuilders tends to be a day on each with supplementary work in between, arms effectively falling into the chest and back days naturally.
If you want to get bigger (especially if you want to do it naturally - without chemical assistance) you really need to be doing squats, preferably deadlifts too, not to mention pull ups if you can do them.
I think people gave good advice here, do push ups or do flys lying on the ground. Be careful with presses though if nobody is around to lift the weight off you. If you can get yourself a bench then it's a good investment for the years to come.
I also agree that you should train your whole body. I've seen guys with massive pecs but the front of their body has collapsed inwards because they didn't work on their back and shoulders. That kind of body shape is going to cause you problems later.
I also agree that you should train your whole body. I've seen guys with massive pecs but the front of their body has collapsed inwards because they didn't work on their back and shoulders. That kind of body shape is going to cause you problems later.
You should always work opposite sets of muscles.
If you do presses, you need to do some kind of pulls. If you do lifts, you need to do chin ups/pull ups etc...
Also, don't try to push yourself too hard early on, start with modest weight and don't workout longer than about 30 minutes. Follow-up with a decent meal to refuel your body.
Never work the same set of muscles back to back - or day after day. Always allow a couple of days between sessions on specific muscle groups.
If you do presses, you need to do some kind of pulls. If you do lifts, you need to do chin ups/pull ups etc...
Also, don't try to push yourself too hard early on, start with modest weight and don't workout longer than about 30 minutes. Follow-up with a decent meal to refuel your body.
Never work the same set of muscles back to back - or day after day. Always allow a couple of days between sessions on specific muscle groups.
I am sorry I kjnow no one else who even wants to touch a weight, alas all of my friends are living "unhealthy" lifes, and I therefore need to do this all by myself.
Well turning around on the bench laying with the face down to do Trapecius would not be hard either, right? Good advice thank you :-)
A really good place to start would be here but if you're interested in varying things a wee bit then a site like this might help.
Pulls are always worth doing (although the traps in particular - best described as the muscles which sit between your neck and shoulders - are better served by deadlifts, cleans and shrugs) as are all the "compound" exercises (ie movements that incorporate multiple joints and therefore muscle groups) but equally important is that you educate yourself.
As with the poster above I'm curious where you are that you have no access to a gym. Standards vary but few major towns have nothing at all.
Pulls are always worth doing (although the traps in particular - best described as the muscles which sit between your neck and shoulders - are better served by deadlifts, cleans and shrugs) as are all the "compound" exercises (ie movements that incorporate multiple joints and therefore muscle groups) but equally important is that you educate yourself.
As with the poster above I'm curious where you are that you have no access to a gym. Standards vary but few major towns have nothing at all.
Chest flys were always my go-to to work the chest. However, all summer I've been off the barbell and been doing chin-ups and pull-ups as pretty much my only resistance work. The pecs have been noticeably bigger - though for all I know it's one of those cases where switching things up after an extended period of working them in a certain way has yielded a sudden change.
Mark
Mark
So chin-ups and pull-ups might help me as well then?
My wife has noted that I've gotten more buff over the summer around my chest, back and shoulders. YMMV. 
Don't forget that your chest and your back muscles work together too. Pull-ups definitely work the back.
http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/pull-ups-work-chest-14210.html
Mark
Don't forget that your chest and your back muscles work together too. Pull-ups definitely work the back.
http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/pull-ups-work-chest-14210.html
Mark
Well thank you, at least so I have a little bit of something that I can do over the winter, once summer comes, I can do things better.
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