Getting massive pecs is a great way to give yourself a more masculine and imposing physique and it’s something that a lot of guys are keen to develop.
But actually, building massive pecs isn’t necessarily the same as building great pecs. The problem is that pecs that are ‘indiscriminately large’ can end up looking very oddly proportioned and maybe even somewhat ‘breast like’ – which is anything but manly!
The other potential pitfall of pecs training is that you can end up actually flattening them by training too hard or with very heavy weights. In this article then, we’ll look at how to sculpt those pecs to perfection so that you have a chest like Superman!
The Problem With Pecs
The problem that most people have when they train their pecs is that they train them using only the bench press and perhaps with some press ups thrown in for good measure. While the bench press is a very fun, rewarding and challenging station in the gym, it unfortunately isn’t able to form the entire basis for a complete chest training program. The main issue here is that the bench is completely flat, which means you can use any part of the pecs you like – it isn’t at all targeted.
This then often leads to a situation where you end up using the lower portion of your pecs in most lifts, which in turn causes them to look bigger at the bottom than they do at the top. Remember: the pecs can actually be split into two muscle heads: the upper and lower portion of the muscle.
Because the upper muscle head of the chest is much smaller than the lower, exercises like the bench press will tend to be taken care of primarily by the lower chest and the result is that unwanted ‘man boobs’ look.
Instead then, you need to make sure that you’re training the upper portion of the chest at least some of the time by using the incline bench press and even maybe the chest press machine. Get this right and you can develop that perfect ridge along the top of your chest, just below the collar bones.
Building Size
The other mistake people often make is to train their pecs with very heavy weights. As mentioned, the bench is a fun and rewarding move for seeing real progress in your lifts. However, if you’re interested in size, then lifting heavy isn’t the answer. Instead, you should be aiming to lift lighter weights for a greater number of repetitions. This is what will flood the pecs with blood and metabolites and thereby really trigger growth.
At the same time, you of course need to follow all of the usual advice such as eating a high protein diet and getting plenty of rest.
If you do this and focus on the upper portion of the muscles, then you’ll be able to strike the perfect superhero pose with your chest puffed out to the sky!
