| When most people first get into weight training and | | | | of these sets every time you bench press. |
| bodybuilding, the first things on their mind are getting a | | | | Incline Bench Press |
| huge chest and a strong bench press. Pressing | | | | After the flat bench press, the incline bench is probably |
| strength and chest size have long been seen as | | | | the best exercise for building mass in the chest. |
| hallmarks of a strong, muscular, and fit body. Though | | | | Whereas flat and decline movements often bring the |
| you may often read about the myriad of fancy chest | | | | shoulders and triceps heavily into play, most people find |
| workouts you can perform in the gym, the barbell | | | | that this exercise places the majority of the stress |
| basics are always going to give you your best results. | | | | directly on the pecs. The incline bench also heavily |
| Read on to find out how you can use these simple | | | | stimulates the upper chest, an often hard-to-target |
| movements to build massive pecs in your own chest | | | | area that can give your upper body a very thick, |
| workouts. | | | | dense look when developed properly. |
| Bench Press | | | | The best way to perform the incline bench press is to |
| In the past few years, there has been an increasingly | | | | set the bench at a moderate angle of about 30 |
| prominent trend for trainers, gurus, and other "experts" | | | | degrees. Rather than trying to bring the bar to your |
| to tell weight lifters NOT to use the bench press as a | | | | lower chest or abdomen, you should lower it in a |
| primary muscle builder in their chest workouts. They | | | | straight path towards your clavicle. If you are putting |
| say that it's more of a triceps and front delts | | | | this exercise first in your chest workouts, you should |
| movement, and that trying to use the flat bench to | | | | follow the previous protocol of one set of 4-6 reps |
| build your chest will surely lead to damaged shoulders | | | | followed by one set of 8-10 reps. If this exercise |
| and torn pecs. Frankly, you should completely disregard | | | | comes later in the routine, work up to one or two sets |
| this advice. If you ask any top bodybuilder what | | | | of 8-10 reps to failure. |
| exercises he used to build the majority of his chest | | | | Floor Press |
| mass, the bench press will almost certainly top the list. | | | | If you have read much about powerlifting training, you |
| Likewise, if you take a look at any of the top bench | | | | may have come across descriptions of this |
| pressers in the powerlifting world, they will have some | | | | movement. It is essentially a bench press performed |
| of the largest chests you have ever seen. | | | | lying on the floor. You lower the bar in roughly the |
| The best way to perform the bench press, both for | | | | same path as on a flat bench, stop and slightly pause |
| chest building and for shoulder safety, is to keep a | | | | when your triceps touch the floor, and press the |
| moderate arch in your lower back, a tightly retracted | | | | weight back up to lockout. Though many people use |
| scapula and upper back, and a solid, flat foot | | | | this as more of a triceps exercise, you can take a |
| placement on the floor. Have a spotter hand off heavy | | | | moderately wide grip on the bar and stimulate your |
| weights to you, so you can save your rotator cuffs | | | | chest very well. |
| and your energy. Keeping a tight grip on the bar, bring it | | | | Some people find that they can handle more weight |
| to your lower pecs or upper abdominal area and press | | | | on the floor press than on the regular bench press. In |
| back up and slightly back towards your face. Rather | | | | many cases, this is due to a lack of proper technique |
| than flaring your arms out like you might often see, | | | | on the actual bench, but the floor press does have the |
| keep them in at about a 45 degree angle. Do not be | | | | advantage of a decreased range of motion. Unless |
| afraid to use a little bit of leg drive to keep the weight | | | | your arms are very short, you will reach the bottom of |
| moving; the emphasis of the movement will still be | | | | the movement when the bar is still several inches |
| heavily on your chest. | | | | above your chest. For this reason, the floor press |
| If you are putting the bench press first in your chest | | | | should be one of your go-to movements for stimulating |
| workouts (and you should), work up to a heavy set to | | | | your chest with extra weight. As far as sets and reps |
| failure of about 4-6 reps. If you like, follow this with a | | | | go, follow one of the two protocols previous outlined |
| "down" set of 8-10 reps with a little bit lighter weight. | | | | for chest workouts using the flat and incline bench |
| Make sure you strive to increase the weights for both | | | | press. |