Have you ever been bored with your pec workout and wanted to liven things up a little? Here’s a quick-fire workout we like for breaking the monotony while giving the pecs all the muscle stimulation they need.

April 7, 2008

FLEXONLINE.COM

The workout involves a three-exercise 12-set combo that thoroughly pounds the chest by working all areas of this large and complex muscle group. Adding to the intensity is the triset format of this routine, wherein you do a set of the first exercise, move to the second and then the third, before starting all over again.

The first two exercises (incline dumbbell presses and flat Flyes) work the meat of the pectoral muscles, while the third exercise, cable crossover, acts as a finishing movement to really flush blood into the area.

Between exercises, rest only as long as it takes you to move from one movement to the next, and rest only 60 seconds at the end of each triset. Use strict form and by the end of the workout, which should take only 30 minutes tops, your chest will be burning like a Mercury rocket.

EXERCISE ONE
Incline Dumbbell Press

* Grasp two dumbbells and lie on an incline bench.

* Rest the dumbbells at shoulder level with your thumb knuckles facing toward each other.

* Keeping your elbows out, begin to press the dumbbells overhead.

* Stop just short of lockout, without the dumbbells touching. Slowly return the weights to shoulder level. (Not locking out keeps constant stress on the deltoids and sustains the intensity of the set.)

EXERCISE TWO
Flat Flye

* Grasp two dumbbells and lie on a flat bench.

* Raise the dumbbells overhead with your palms facing each other. The dumbbells should not touch one another.

* Bend your elbows and maintain this bent-arm position throughout the set.

* Slowly lower the dumbbells out to the side until they are at shoulder level; your elbows should be below shoulder level.

* At this point, you should feel a deep stretch in your pecs.

* Using only the power of your pecs, return the dumbbells to the starting position and repeat.

EXERCISE THREE
Cable Crossovers

* Stand at the center of the cable station and grasp both handles of the apparatus.

* Release the cables until your arms are straiqht and your hands are above shoulder level.

* Bend from the waist. With your elbows bent, mimic a “most muscular” movement as you brinq the cables together.

* Let your hands cross each other, and then hold and squeeze for a maximum contraction.

Discuss this article in the FLEX FORUMS. FLEX.