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Your Goal: The Perfect Chest
Your Time: 18 Minutes

This routine attacks the primary cause of puniness. “The mistake most men make when looking for more chest size and strength is always sticking to the traditional eight-to-12-repetition principle,” says Jason Ferruggia, a strength and conditioning trainer. Ferruggia’s first rule: Diversify your repetition schemes and emphasise heavier-weight, lower-repetition sets. This allows you to target your body’s fast-twitch muscle fibres, the ones with the greatest potential for growth.

At times, this workout calls for you to lift only your body weight while in a suspended position. Think gymnasts, who build rock-hard bodies without ever picking up a weight. “Moving your body through space is more taxing to your central nervous system than regular weight training,” says Ferruggia. This means you’ll improve your brain-to-muscle connection, which will train your body to recruit more muscle in every exercise.

Do Phase 1 for four weeks, working your chest twice a week with two separate routines (Day 1 and Day 2). (Do the exercises shown here as the chest portion of your upper- or total-body routine.) Rest at least two days between workouts. Complete Phase 2 workouts in the next four weeks.

Benchmark Of Success
How Do You Measure Up?
The best barometer of chest strength is your maximum bench press – the most weight you can lift for a single repetition. To determine your max, you’ll need a spotter.

Grab an empty bar and perform 10 repetitions of the barbell bench press (see right). Rest for 30 to 90 seconds, then add 10 to 20kg and repeat. Continue this process until the weight feels difficult. Then do only one repetition per set until you work up to the heaviest weight you can lift once – your one-repetition maximum, or one-rep max.

Track Your Progress
Record your one-rep max on this chart. Then follow the plan on the right and retest yourself every four weeks.
START (weight in kg) __________
WEEK 4 (weight in kg) _________
FINISH (weight in kg) __________

Phase 1
Weeks 1-4

Day 1
Dumbbell Single-Arm Bench Press
• Lie on your back on a bench with a heavy dumbbell in one hand along the side of your chest, palm facing in. Hold your opposite arm straight out to the side for balance.
• Push the weight up so your arm is straight above your chest. Pause, then slowly lower the weight to the starting position.
The plan: Do five to seven repetitions with each hand. Complete four sets, resting two minutes after each set.

Day 1
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
• Lie face-up on an incline bench and hold a pair of heavy dumbbells along the outsides of your chest with a neutral grip (palms facing in). Slowly press the weights straight above your chest. Pause, then lower them to the starting position.
The plan: Perform six to eight repetitions. Do three sets and rest two minutes after each set.

Next page: Phase 1 Day 2 exercises