Iron Chest Workouts

You’re looking to get the most from your chest workout routine; this probably means a larger, more well-defined chest AND a noticable increase in strength. Here are a few quick tips to stop spinning your wheels and actually build muscle fast. Since lots of skinny guys are looking for shortcuts to build muscle mass fast, these tips will help you plan your workouts efficiently so you can get the best results by working out intelligently. The adage of working smarter not harder certainly rings true here.

1. Perform Less Reps

High repetition lifts emphasize the slow-twitch muscle fibers, which have the least opportunity for growth. Since you want to recruit as much muscle fiber as you can, it’s critical to lift with heavy weights and low repetitions. “Muscle fiber recruitment” means that you want to call as many muscle fibers into action as you can. Heavier weights will force your body to draw upon as much muscle as possible. Typically, an exercise that workouts out multiple muscle groups is what you want to do, like bench presses, dips, dead lifts, etc. Avoid high repetition exercises like isolated bicep curls that focus on just one muscle. Get in the frame of mind that every single rep of every single set is a battle in the war to build muscle. Having a workout partner or trainer will help ensure that you keep proper form and don’t injure yourself. Take this seriously if you want to actually build muscle.

2. Reduce Your Workout Time

In addition to doing less reps, make sure you perform the exercises in less time. Think about it, who’s more fit, a guy who can bench 4 sets of 185 pounds with 2 minutes or rest or the guy that can do the exact same amount of weight and reps with only 30 seconds of rest in between? This is why the Navy Seal conditioning workout, which calls for continuous sets of pushups, situps, and pullups calls for a very short rest in between. It won’t be easy, and you’ll probably feel exhausted. But if you want to build muscle, you have to act with purpose and push through the pain.

3. Do Only One Exercise Per Muscle Group

Your body builds muscle after you stimulate them… or dare I say, provoke them into growing. Working out breaks down your muscles and forces them to come back stronger and tougher. So to get the most out of it, some will say that you should just focus on one muscle group. For example, one day you could simply focus on chest exercises. Depending on the workout plan you’re following, you can just work on your bench press. To get the most out of your workout, and to ensure that you’ve recruited as much muscle fiber as possible, you can gradually build up the amount of weight and the in each of your sets by about 20 pounds. So if you start with a set of 8 reps doing 185 pounds, by your third set you should be benching 225 pounds. This will literally provoke your body to build muscle super fast.

4. Set Muscle Building Goals

Setting goals is the key to success in most any endeavor in life. One of the biggest mistakes people make is not creating muscle building goals. They hit the gym week in and week out with no real plan for the kind of results they expect. How do they expect to gain muscle mass without a clear plan and a way to track their progress? Think about it, your body is created to progressively handle whatever is thrown at it. But if you choose to add just 5% more weight to your workout every few weeks, you constantly trigger your body to deal with the incremental increase in weight. Having a plan and sticking to it is not only good for building muscle, it’s motivating! Tracking your progress just makes you feel better about yourself. If you add just 5% of weight to your workout every few weeks, in about 6 months, you’ll double the amount of weight you can lift.

5. Rest

Remember, the whole point of working out is to trigger, or as we mentioned earlier, provoke your muscles to regrow after being torn and broken down. But the real action happens after you put down the bar and head home. The rest after your workout is when your body begins the recovery process. After your workout is when your muscle fibers start to rebuild, and you guessed it, increase in size. Proper rest and nutrition are just what your body needs to do its thing.

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