Chest Routine for Definition and Proportion

For men who are trying to achieve a higher level of definition in their chest, there are some simple though highly effective exercise techniques that can help you reach that goal in no time at all. One of the key things to remember when building the muscles of the chest is to work towards proportion across all areas of the pectorals, this means building the upper and lower regions, as well as the crucial inner portion of the muscle. Reaching this goal doesn’t have to be an excruciating experience either, by committing yourself to a simple routine and following these guidelines, your labors will result in the well-defined chest that you’ve been longing for.

Balance and Proportion

One of the most common misconceptions about building the chest is that the most effective exercise needed to reach your goal is the bench-press. While bench-pressing is a great way to test your overall strength, the exercise itself is too one-dimensional to achieve the goal of ultimate definition. By using dumbbells to establish greater proportion you can exercise the chest muscles through a greater range of motion, and the need to balance and coordinate two separate weights forces the stabilizer muscles to grow and adapt as well. This can be easily achieved with a bench that can be inclined from an upright to a flat position, and all angles in-between, this is a piece of equipment common in most gyms or available for purchase at many fitness equipment retailers.

The Dumbbell Technique

When building the chest it is important to note that there are other muscle groups that are going to be crucial to your success; these include the deltoid muscles of the shoulders, and the triceps, which are located on the back of the upper arm. Be sure to spend time working on these muscle groups in addition to the chest in order to reach your goal of defining your pectorals. The technique is simple, beginning either in the flat position or inclined, perform three sets of dumbbell presses at three or more angles. It is most effective to pyramid these sets as well, which means performing sets that begin with high repetitions and then descend, while at the same time increasing the amount of weight that you are lifting. A common pyramid routine consists of sets of 15, 12, and 10 repetitions. Do three sets at each angle before changing the incline of the bench, whether you begin at the top or in the flat position depends upon what you consider to be your weakest area. Since you will inevitably tire with each set, if your upper chest isn’t as well-developed as the lower, then begin there and focus on building mass in that region first.

Definition

To achieve definition the shape of the muscle must be clearly visible, a high level of definition also permits the strands of muscle tissue to be seen as striated structures. To do this you will need to follow up your dumbbell routine with sets of cable/pulley-machine butterfly’s performed by pulling the handles from a position above you to one directly in front of you with your palms facing one another. Finishing your workout by doing butterfly’s on a guided machine that isolates that middle region of the chest will also add definition to the center, and performing burnouts on a machine such as this is a great way to round out your routine and add definition. You don’t have to do these in any specific fashion, and variations are recommended; this may include doing butterfly’s from a position pulling the weight from a low position to one directly in front of you, or from a position even with your shoulders. You will find that there are many ways to do butterfly’s and the key thing to remember is that variations are essential and any manner in which you can do them is good as long as you do not experience pain in any of your joints.