Walk into the gym on any Monday night, and you’re likely to see the majority of guys working like crazy in an effort to build up their pecs. So why is it that chest usually leads off the training week? Well, because big pecs are a classic indicator of strength and athleticism. Just look at the Terminator, Rocky, and Superman, and it’s easy to see why most men covet massive, thick, and striated pectorals.

The funny thing is, despite all of the hard work, very few get to display the kind of chest that you’d find on the likes of Golden Age bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Frank Zane. That’s because building perfect pecs isn’t as easy as lying on a bench and mindlessly pressing humongous weights. It takes a well-thought-out, progressive, and meticulous approach that carefully avoids the following mistakes.