The 4 week chest routine is designed to blast your chest with a variety of advanced intensity techniques to push you through a tough plateau. You can cycle this routine into your current weekly muscle building workout.
This workout is designed for intermediate to advanced lifters. Some of the techniques used are very stressful on the body, and may cause an injury. As always, you should do a thorough warmup before your session.
There are 4 workouts listed below, which you should use over 4 weeks. Just replace your current chest routine with this one. As always, you won't get anything out of this chest workout if you don't have the diet and calories to back it up!
Weekly Workout Schedule:
| Week 1 - Chest Routine |
Chest
|
| Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
| Swiss Ball Dumbbell Press (see instructions) |
4 |
10 |
| Incline Bench Press followed by pushups |
4 |
8 |
| Chest Dips |
4 |
Max |
| Cable Crossovers (see instructions) |
4 |
15 |
Workout Notes
|
- Swiss ball dumbbell press:
Use alternate arms and 3-1-3 rep timing. Focus on squeezing the muscle at the top of the movement and keeping the tension on the muscle throughout the whole set.
- Incline bench:
After each set hit the ground for as many pushups as possible with slow rep timing.
- Cable crossovers:
We're looking for complete control here, ultra slow and controlled. Huge squeeze in the middle. Concentrate on muscle pump!
|
| Week 2 - Chest Routine |
Chest
|
| Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
| Chest Dips (weighted if possible) |
4 |
12,10,8,8 |
| Bench Press/Dumbbell Fly superset |
4 |
8 bench/12 flys |
| Bench Cable Flys/Pushups superset |
4 |
12 flys/MAX pushups |
Workout Notes
|
- Chest Dips:
Slow movement. Add weight if you can. Lean forward to emphasize pecs.
- Bench superset:
Heavy benching followed by 12 slow flys. Keep arms wide and low for good stretch and squeeze on contraction at the top of exercise.
|
| Week 4 - Chest Routine |
Chest
|
| Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
| Dumbbell Bench Press (Drop Set) |
4 |
Max |
| Bench Press (see instructions) |
4 |
12 |
| Cable Crossovers (Drop Set) |
4 |
Max |
Workout Notes
|
- Dumbbell bench press drop set:
Start with a weight that you can just press for 10 reps. Drop down 4 times. For example: 30kg, 25kg, 20kg, 15kg.
- Bench press:
You should be almost spent from that last drop set so now we're doing slow reps with a lighter weight focusing on controlling the weight, stretch at the bottom and big contraction at the top. Look for 4-1-4 rep timing. Weight does not matter on this!
- Cable crossovers:
Same instructions as dumbbell drop set. Good from, good stretch and contraction - feel the chest burn!
|
Got Something To Say? Post Your Comments Below
Do you do 4 sets of dropsets? Eg Bench press 30kg, 25kg, 20kg, 15kg and then the same all over again 4 times. Or by 4 sets do you just mean the drop the weight down 4 times?
The 4 sets are one big drop set. You don't do 4 sets of the drop sets.
Could i do this more than once a week or just once?
I wouldn't recommend this type of chest volume twice a week.
why not twice week if i do this weekly dan my muscle will not appear bigger...........think in a month just four time chest training...........
I am very confused by drop sets in general is it
30lbs failure reps
no rest
25lbs failure reps
no rest
20lbs failure reps
no rest
15lbs failure reps
rest thn repeat tht another 3 times
or is it just 30lbs to 25lbs to 20lbs to 15lbs thn ur finished and on 2 the next work out
You do:
30lbs failure reps
no rest
25lbs failure reps
no rest
20lbs failure reps
no rest
15lbs failure reps
...then move on to the next exercise. You do not perform this cycle another 3 times.
hey can i use this more then one a week?
It's a 4 week cycle. You could continue to use it longer then that if you are satisfied with your progress.
hey can i add one or more other excercise(s) to this cycle? coz usually i do decline bench press for lower chest..does it matter?
I wouldn't add in more work. If you like a specific exercise, I would swap it out instead.
WOW just did the first weeks workout and I love it. The pump was great my chest felt huge afterwards this workout was exactly what i was looking for thank you
Glad to hear it! Keep working hard!
About the drop set.
Is whitout rest? i.e. 30 max, 25 max, 20 max, 15 max or 30 max rest about 60 seconds, 25 max rest .....??????
There is no rest in between sets of a drop set. You immediately move to a lighter weight.
will this workout make my 1 rep max go up ?
Can I use the machine dips for chest? and Im trying to desighn my workout as 3 or 4 day split would this work?
Mon-legs and back http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/32-the-coconut-shoulders-worko...
Tues- This chest routine with shoulders http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/32-the-coconut-shoulders-worko...
wed- cardio/abs
thurs- arms
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/31-the-big-arm-routine.html
You can use machine dips, but I would stick with bar dips if possible.
Regarding your workout, it looks like a solid approach. Best of luck!
hey like to say, love your website think u guys do a great job! just wondering with this routine can you incorporate these 2 times a week, like every other muscle group i would like to hit it 2 times week. If not why not? and also could i just do my own chest workout on the other day?
cheers guys
I wouldn't recommend this type of chest volume twice a week. The real key to improving strength and muscle size is progression of weight, a good diet and rest. Heavy volume twice a week might be counterproductive and slow growth.
great website
For the Swiss dumbbell press, it says use alternate arms. Is that 10 reps with each arm or 10 reps total?
10 reps for each arm.
This may sound like a dumb question but...
When you are performing an alternating dumbell press are you keeping your arms in the the "up" position and lowering and raising one arm to count as a rep or keeping arms in the "down" position and raising and lowering one arm for a rep? I hope that made sense...
would this work out routine help get rid of man boobs also
No. You need a proper cutting diet and some cardio for that.
However, if you do your chest workouts with less rest it turns into cardio. Do not forget this.
this workout plan is good.but will this workout help me gain weight, im on muscle juice protein, by following this routine, can i increase in size?
The keys to adding weight and muscle are:
A) Progression - push for more reps/weight on every set.
B) Eating more then it takes to maintain your body weight.
If you push for more weight in the gym and eat big this program will serve you well.
Love the workout, but I'm approaching week 3
Drop sets for chest- I read the previous comments but they seem unclear to me.
Do you repeat this four times or just once?
Is it A or B?
A)30,25,20,15 - done
or
B)30,25,20,15 break 30,25,20,15 break 30,25,20,15 break 30,25,20,15 - done
Thanks!
A)30,25,20,15 - done
Only 4 total sets. Not 16.
You have beginers routine and advanced routine recomends... What about guys falling inbetween like 1-2 years old in working outs.
Here is an intermediate chest workout:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/high-intensity-chest-blaster.html
what could i replace Swiss Ball Dumbbell Press and chest dips with?
Hi Danny,
Dumbbell Bench Press and Closegrip Bench Press would serve you well.
so the drop set workouts are: 3 sets normal reps. and last one drop set?
Hi Marcus,
They are one normal set followed by 3 drop sets.
Will this workout help me gain size, if not what would be a good workout to gain size in my chest?
Hi Robert,
This is a good workout for size as long as you are eating enough daily calories and protein.
Steve can you provide me the video of close grip bench press?
Here is the video. I recommend a grip that is a bit wider then presented in the video...about 4 inches closer then your normal bench press grip.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises/close-grip-bench-press.html
Great workout, tho I would like to ad $0.02 lol I recommend doing supersets weighted dips/pushups both till failure. Great pump!
Hi,
What is 4-1-4- rep timing. thanx
Hi Madhu,
4-1-4 means you take 4 seconds to lift or perform the exercise, hold the weight for one second at contraction, and then take 4 seconds to lower the weight to the starting position.
our gym do not have stand for Dips, tell me is there any other excersice which i can replace by dips, if yess then how much sets and reps and weight on it.
Hi Ozzi,
I recommend performing barbell or dumbbell bench pres for the same amount of sets and reps as dips.
what is a good replacement for the cable crossover in week 1?
Hi John,
You could use pec dec or flyes.
how come you don't have any decline dumbbell fly's
Hi. i would like some help. i'm doing these exercises 3-4 times a week and not seeing much progress. what could be the problem?
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