The Most Effective CHEST WORKOUT for MUSCLE GROWTH (Using Science)

Summary

Dr. Miler Wolf, a sports science PhD, presents a comprehensive chest workout based on the latest research. The session focuses on minimizing redundancy, varying rep ranges, and maximizing muscle growth with the right volume and technique. Starting with incline dumbbell press for upper chest, moving to deficit push-ups for lower chest, and finishing with isolation exercises like dumbbell fly for overall hypertrophy. The workout emphasizes proper technique, rest periods, and a strategic exercise order for optimal results.

Takeaways

• 🏋️‍♂️ A good chest workout should be part of a larger program, with 2-3 sessions per week, each with similar structure to avoid redundancy.
• 🔍 The principle of diminishing returns suggests that each additional set for a muscle group in a single session has less impact, so variety in exercises is crucial.
• 💪 For muscle growth, a rep range of 5 to 50 reps per set is effective, though most training should occur within 5 to 15 reps due to practical limitations.
• 📈 Including a variety of rep ranges in training might provide a slight benefit, enhancing overall hypertrophy.
• 🔄 The number of sets should be maximized for muscle growth within the context of the routine, aiming for 10-20 sets per muscle group per week.
• 🚫 Avoid exercises that overly target the same muscle group with minimal variation, as this can be inefficient.
• 🤸‍♂️ Close to failure training on each set is important for muscle growth, but the degree of approaching failure can vary throughout the session to manage fatigue.
• 🔑 Effective exercises for muscle growth should be stable, stretch-friendly, and minimize the involvement of non-target muscle groups.
• ⏱ Rest periods between sets should be sufficiently long, generally at least 60 seconds, to maximize muscle growth, with longer rests for more compound exercises.
• 🛠️ Exercise order isn't as crucial for muscle growth, but starting with compound exercises and moving to isolation exercises can be a good strategy.
• 🛑 Good technique is essential for an effective workout, focusing on full range of motion, controlled tempo, and minimizing non-target muscle involvement.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the chest workout presented in the script?

The main focus of the chest workout is to maximize muscle growth by using a combination of exercises, rep ranges, and techniques based on the most up-to-date scientific research.

Why is it important to limit redundancy in a workout session according to the script?

Limiting redundancy is important because each additional set for a given muscle group in a single training session has diminishing returns, making the first set the most effective. Redundancy can lead to inefficiency and less overall hypertrophy.

What is the recommended rep range for muscle growth according to the script?

The recommended rep range for muscle growth is between five reps per set and 50 reps per set, with most training taking place in the 5 to 15 rep range due to practical limitations.

Why might including a variety of rep ranges within a training program be beneficial?

Including a variety of rep ranges can be beneficial as it may provide a slight boost in muscle growth by targeting different aspects of muscle development and accommodating individual preferences and recovery capabilities.

What is the recommended volume of sets per muscle group in a week according to the script?

The recommended volume of sets per muscle group in a week is about 10 to 20 sets, but recent evidence suggests that even going up to 40 sets per week might further increase hypertrophy.

How should one approach failure in sets to maximize muscle growth?

One should go sufficiently close to failure on each set to maximize muscle growth, but start with a bit further from failure earlier in the session and gradually get closer to failure as the session progresses to maintain performance and avoid early fatigue.

What are the key components of good technique for muscle growth mentioned in the script?

The key components of good technique for muscle growth are focusing on the stretch, using a full range of motion, having a repetition duration of at least around 2 seconds with control in the eccentric phase, and minimizing the involvement of non-target muscle groups.

Why is the incline press considered an effective exercise to start the chest workout session?

The incline press is considered effective because it targets the upper chest and allows for a full stretch, which is important for muscle growth. It also has been shown to lead to greater upper chest hypertrophy compared to a flat bench press.

What is the role of the deficit push-up in the chest workout routine described in the script?

The deficit push-up primarily targets the lower chest, effectively stretching and working the muscle group through transverse flexion of the shoulder, and is suitable for higher rep ranges.

Why is the dumbbell fly recommended as an optional third chest exercise in the workout?

The dumbbell fly is recommended as it is an isolation exercise that targets both the upper and lower chest effectively, allowing for a high rep range and providing a good stretch, which is beneficial for muscle growth.

How does the script suggest managing rest times between sets to maximize muscle growth?

The script suggests resting for at least 60 seconds between sets for most exercises, and up to 2 to 3 minutes for more compound exercises. Resting sufficiently long ensures that performance can be maintained set to set and hypertrophy can be maximized.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Effective Chest Workout Design

The paragraph introduces a comprehensive chest workout routine designed by Dr. Miler Wolf, a sports science PhD, focusing on the most effective exercises based on scientific research. It emphasizes the importance of context within a whole program, limiting redundancy to avoid diminishing returns, and varying rep ranges for muscle growth. The session is structured to include 5 to 15 sets per muscle group, with a gradual approach to failure to maximize hypertrophy. The paragraph also highlights the significance of choosing the right exercises for muscle growth, ensuring they are stable, stretch-friendly, and minimize the involvement of non-target muscles.

05:02

📈 Maximizing Muscle Growth Through Set and Rest Strategies

This section discusses the optimal strategies for maximizing muscle growth during chest workouts. It covers the importance of selecting the right rep ranges (5 to 15 reps per set) and set volumes (10 to 20 sets per week for each muscle group). The paragraph also addresses the benefits of varying rest times between sets, with longer rests for compound exercises, and the potential for shorter rests to compensate for higher volume. Additionally, it touches on the role of exercise order in a workout, suggesting starting with compound exercises and ending with isolation ones, although it notes that exercise order may not significantly affect muscle growth. The paragraph concludes with the importance of good technique, including full range of motion, controlled tempo, and minimizing non-target muscle involvement.

10:02

🏋️‍♂️ Science-Based Chest Workout Routine

The final paragraph presents a detailed chest workout routine based on the principles discussed earlier. It starts with an incline press to target the upper chest, followed by a deficit push-up for the lower chest, and an optional dumbbell fly or machine fly for isolation work. The routine is designed to hit different parts of the chest with varying exercises and rep ranges, ensuring a comprehensive stimulus. The paragraph also provides alternative exercises for those who may not have access to certain equipment or who may find certain movements challenging. It concludes with a checklist to ensure the workout meets all the criteria for an effective chest session, including targeting different functions of the chest, using a variety of exercises and rep ranges, and maintaining good technique throughout.

Keywords

💡Chest Workout

A chest workout is a series of exercises designed to target and strengthen the muscles in the chest area. In the video, the focus is on creating an effective chest workout based on the most up-to-date scientific research. The script discusses the importance of including different types of presses and flies to work the upper, lower, and overall chest muscles.

💡Diminishing Returns

Diminishing returns refer to the concept where each additional set of an exercise for a specific muscle group has progressively less impact on muscle growth. The script emphasizes that to avoid redundancy and maximize effectiveness, one should not perform the same exercise repeatedly within a single session.

💡Rep Range

Rep range denotes the number of repetitions performed in a set of an exercise. The video explains that for muscle growth, a rep range between five and fifty repetitions per set can be effective, with practical considerations suggesting a focus on the 5 to 15 rep range for most exercises.

💡Volume

Volume in the context of a workout refers to the total amount of work done for a specific muscle group, typically measured in sets. The script mentions that the total weekly volume should be around 10 to 20 sets per muscle group, with some evidence suggesting benefits to even higher volumes.

💡Failure

Failure in weight training occurs when one can no longer perform another repetition with proper form. The video discusses training close to failure to maximize muscle growth, suggesting a gradual approach where sets earlier in the workout are performed with some reserve, while later sets approach failure.

💡Exercise Selection

Exercise selection involves choosing the most effective exercises to target specific muscle groups. The script provides criteria for selecting exercises, such as stability, stretch-friendliness, and minimizing involvement of non-target muscles, using examples like the incline press and dumbbell fly.

💡Rest Periods

Rest periods are the intervals between sets during a workout, allowing for recovery. The video suggests resting for at least 60 seconds for most exercises and up to 2-3 minutes for more compound movements to maximize muscle growth.

💡Exercise Order

Exercise order refers to the sequence in which different exercises are performed in a workout. Although the script mentions that the order may not significantly impact muscle growth, it suggests starting with compound exercises and ending with isolation movements for optimal performance.

💡Technique

Technique in the context of a workout involves the proper execution of exercises to maximize muscle engagement and prevent injury. The video emphasizes three components of good technique: focusing on the stretch, controlled tempo, and minimizing non-target muscle involvement.

💡Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy is the increase in muscle fiber size, leading to muscle growth. The entire script is centered around creating a workout that maximizes hypertrophy through various factors such as rep range, volume, exercise selection, and training close to failure.

💡Isolation Exercises

Isolation exercises are those that target a specific muscle group with minimal involvement of other muscles. The script suggests including isolation exercises like the dumbbell fly for higher rep ranges to provide variety and ensure comprehensive chest development.

Highlights

Dr. Miler Wolf presents a science-based chest workout designed for optimal muscle growth.

The workout is contextualized within a weekly training program of 2 to 3 chest sessions.

Limiting redundancy in workouts is crucial for maximizing muscle growth and avoiding diminishing returns.

A variety of rep ranges (5 to 50 reps) can be effective for muscle growth, with practical limitations around 12 to 15 reps for comfort.

The session aims for 10 to 20 sets per muscle group per week, with evidence suggesting up to 40 sets could further enhance hypertrophy.

Approaching failure on sets is essential for muscle growth, with a gradual increase in intensity throughout the workout.

Effective exercises for muscle growth should be stable, stretch-friendly, and minimize the involvement of non-target muscles.

Rest periods between sets should be at least 60 seconds for compound exercises and up to 3 minutes for optimal recovery.

Exercise order may not significantly impact muscle growth, but starting with compound exercises is recommended.

Good technique is vital, focusing on stretch, controlled tempo, and minimizing non-target muscle involvement.

The workout begins with an incline press to target the upper chest, with 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 10 reps.

A 45° incline is recommended for the incline press based on research showing greater upper chest hypertrophy.

Deficit push-ups are introduced to target the lower chest, with 3 to 5 sets of higher reps for stretch and intensity.

Alternatives to deficit push-ups include flat dumbbell press and machine exercises for varied training.

An optional third exercise, such as dumbbell fly, is suggested for additional volume and rep range variety.

The dumbbell fly is considered an ultimate chest stretcher, targeting both upper and lower pectorals effectively.

The workout concludes with a checklist ensuring it meets criteria for an effective chest workout based on current scientific research.

Transcripts

here's what I think is the most

effective chest workout I've ever

designed according to the most upto-date

scientific

research welcome back Dr Miler wolf here

today PhD in sports science with wolf

coaching taking you through the best

chest workout I can possibly make what

makes for a good workout first any given

training session only exists within the

context of your whole program this

session I'm about to take you through a

exists within the context of you having

two to three chest workouts in a given

week that are roughly similar to what

I'm about to give you next with any

effective workout we want to make sure

we limit redundancy that is to say we

don't do the same thing over and over

again for instance each additional set

we perform for a given muscle group in a

single training session has diminishing

returns so on a set for set basis the

first set you do for a given muscle

group is going to be the most effective

this General principle of diminishing

returns and therefore why you'd want to

limit redundancy in a session was

evidenced in an in-house metanalysis

performed by James creger so we don't

want to be doing a ton of sets or a ton

of exercises for the exact same muscle

groups in the same movement pattern at

the expense of targeting other muscles a

little bit better for instance doing a

flat wide grip bench press followed by a

flat close grip bench press followed by

a flat dumbbell press is a pretty poor

use of your time and fatigue when you

consider that you could just have done a

flat press pressing variation followed

by an incline pressing variation and

gotten better hypertrophy overall so if

a given workout has a ton of the same

exercise done over and over again with

minimal difference between each exercise

that's a bad sign next we want to make

sure we pick maximally effective rep

ranges for muscle growth for muscle

growth provided you take a set

sufficiently close to failure a

repetition range of anywhere between

five reps per set and 50 reps per set is

going to be equally effective however

there are some prac iCal limitations to

going with super high rep work

specifically it's miserable it's a lot

of pain and most people become far less

accurate once they go much past 12 to 15

reps per set for that reason most of our

training will take place in the 5 to 15

rep range however there might be a

slight benefit to including a variety of

rep ranges within your training so not

just training heavy or just training

light but using a combination of

different rep ranges next we want to

make sure that we're using the amount of

sets that will Max imiz muscle growth in

the context of your routine so making

sure that if we do a similar session two

to three times in a given week that

overall adds up to a very effective

weekly volume for a really solid

starting spot your two to 3 weekly

sessions should lead to about 10 to 20

sets for each muscle group that you're

trying to grow however some more recent

evidence suggest that even going all the

way up to say 20 to 40 sets per week for

muscle group might further increase

hypertrophy and so for this session

we'll be aiming to hit no most muscle

groups with between 5 and 15 sets per

muscle depending on how much you're

focusing on your chest specifically how

much volume you can recover from and

more next we want to make sure we're

going sufficiently close to failure on

each set to maximize muscle growth a met

regression by Robinson colleagues showed

that as you take a set closer to failure

the muscle growth you get from that set

also increases however because you do

see additional fatigue from going closer

to failure it may be a good idea to go a

little bit further from failure earlier

in a session and a little bit closer to

failure later in that session so that

overall you're still maintaining a good

amount of performance throughout the

session and not getting gassed out or

too fatigued too early in the session

and so generally for exercises you're

performing earlier in the session and on

earlier sets within an exercise will

stay a little bit further from failure

and gradually inch closer to failure

with each additional set and each

exercise next a huge part of a good

walkout is picking the most effective

exercises for different muscle groups

you're trying to Target I have a whole

series on this exact topic and there's a

video for the chest somewhere up here

but here's a quick breakdown of what I

look for in a good muscle growth

exercise first the exercise should be

sufficiently stable that the target

muscle group is the limiting factor we

want to be targeting one of the

functions of the muscle group we're

trying to Target it's important that the

target muscle is the limiting factor and

the reason why you have to end the set

the exercise we pick for muscle growth

should likely also be stretch friendly

and that can be broken down into one

getting a good stretch on the target

muscle group in the exercise two having

plenty of tension in that stretch

position and three the exercise we pick

being length and partial friendly so if

you want to increase the emphasis on

that stretch position you can do so

safely wherever possible we also want to

minimize the involvement of other

non-target muscle groups so if for

example we can sit down or lie down as

opposed to standing up that might reduce

the involvement of non-pet muscle groups

and finally if you're someone who's time

constrained picking exercises that are

more time efficient like for example a

dumbbell or a stack loaded machine

exercise over something like a barbell

exercise can save you time and allow you

to get more effective training in in

whatever time you have to work out next

up we want to make sure we're resting

sufficiently long between sets to

maximize muscle growth what this means

is that we generally want to rest for at

least 60 seconds between sets of a given

exercise for more compound exercises

like for example a barbell bench press

or L dumo press we may want to rest

closer to 2 to 3 minutes A good rule of

themb is if you feel like you can

perform another set that is similar in

performance to your last set and you're

really pushing yourself hard enough it's

a good sign that you've rested for long

enough with that being said you can make

up for shorter rest Times by just doing

more sets and you will likely see the

same hypertrophy according to a study by

Longo colleagues in 2022 while exercise

order or essentially the order in which

you you do different exercises in your

workout is likely not that important for

muscle growth there might be a couple

things we want to pay attention to

specifically we generally want to start

your workouts with whatever exercises or

muscle Hoops you're trying to specialize

on or emphasize the most secondly we

want to order exercises in a way that

maximizes performance across the whole

session ideally for example if starting

with a dumbbell fly really impacts your

performance on the bench press

afterwards but starting with a bench

press doesn't really impact your

performance on the dumbbuff Fly

afterwards there's a chance that you'd

be better off starting with the barber

lch press followed by the dumbbuff fly A

good rule of thumb if you don't want to

worry about any of this is to generally

start with the more compound exercises

and then gradually move on to the more

isolation type exercises but again

exercise order probably doesn't play a

big role and the final big component of

a really effective workout is good

technique on all exercises and in fact I

was recently involved in a review paper

that looked at exactly this topic good

technique for muscle growth right now

can be broken down to three things first

the range of motion that you use needs

to focus on the stretch at least a

little bit at the very least use a full

range of motion which incorporates that

fully lengthened stretch position or you

can emphasize it further by just doing

the length and half of the repetition

and that's what we call length and

partials the second part of good

technique is having a repetition

duration of at least around 2 seconds

with some control in the Ecentric phase

of a movement and the final component of

good technique is to minimize the

involvement of non-target muscle groups

so that is what makes a good effective

chest workout without further Ado let me

give you what I think is a super

effective science-based chest workout

first off we'll be starting the session

with some sort of incline press if an

inine dumbbell press allows you to get a

full stretch on your chest like you

couldn't possibly get more of a stretch

the inine dumbbell press is a great

option time efficient and a great

movement to start a session with you'll

be doing three to five sets of 5 to 10

repetitions with the first set being

around three reps in reserve gradually

inching closer and closer to one

repetition in the tank by the last set

if you're specializing on your upper

chest or if you're only training your

chest say twice a week feel free to do

closer to five sets or closer to three

sets if you're not specializing or if

you're training your chest more

frequently the inclin thma Press targets

the upper chest and the lower chest

through transverse flexion of the

shoulder and flexion of the shoulder why

are we starting the session with an

incline press

well a recent study by Chavez and

colleagues actually found greater upper

chest hypertrophy with an incline press

at 45° on the Smith machine compared to

a flat Smith machine bench press but

similar lower chest hypertrophy so as

far as overall hypertrophy goes an

incline press might actually be slightly

better for that same reason we'll be

using a 45° incline to Target the upper

chest between sets on the incline mumo

press Take 2 to 3 minutes of rest or

however long is required for you to get

a good performance from set to set

importantly the incline dumbbell press

is stretch friendly you can easily do

partials on this exercise and just drop

the dumbbells if you can't get another

one for a lot of people you can get a

full stretch on the upper chest however

what if you can't or what if you just

don't have sufficiently heavy dumbbells

well here are a couple other good

options the first if you have access to

it is the prime incline chest press this

machine allows you to selectively low to

lengthen position and usually allows

most people to get a full stretch on

their chest as well if you don't have

this Tri a deficit decline push-up this

mimics the positioning of an incline

dumbbell press and allows you to get a

full stretch on your upper chest it's

just potentially a little bit less

stable or involves more other muscle

groups than an Inc condom press after

our upper chest focused exercise we now

have to hit the lower chest and for the

lower chest we'll be doing the deficit

push-up the deficit push-up primarily

targets transverse flexion of the

shoulder and therefore targets the lower

chest quite effectively we'll be doing 3

to five sets of 10 to 20 reps or more if

you're too strong for that rep range

taking the first set to about two reps

shy of failure and gradually inching

closer to failure with the last set

being taken to failure generally the

push-up will be more appropriate for

higher reps most people don't have the

means to sufficiently load the push-up

to make it work in a much heavier rep

range within about 10 to 20 because of

the deficit you're using you're able to

fully lengthen the lower chest which

makes it very stretch friendly and if

you wanted to further increase the

emphasis on the stretch position you

could easily easily do length and

partial safely just as for the ink on

noro press try resting for 2 to 3

minutes between sets or however long is

required for you to maintain a good

performance set to set if for some

reason you can't or you don't want to do

deficit push-ups try the flat dumbbell

press instead many of the same benefits

of the incline dumbbell press for the

upper chest apply to the flat dumbbell

press for lower chest alternatively if

you have it the prime machine for flat

chest pressing can be great too and

finally if you want to do further volume

for your chest or for example if you're

only train your chest twice a week you

can get in an optional third chest

exercise for this optional third chest

exercise I would include an isolation

exercise that we can perform for higher

repetitions as a means to get a variety

of rep ranges in within the same session

the exercise I recommend is the dumbbell

fly I think the dumbbell fly is the

ultimate chest stretcher and is

therefore likely a good choice for

muscle growth the dumbbell fly targets

shoulder transfers flexion allowing you

to Target both the upper and lower peack

effectively alternatively if Dumbo flies

give you trouble as far as your

shoulders go or something like that try

the machine fly instead just as for the

other movements mentioned in this video

you can feel free to cut out top portion

of the movement the further increase the

emphasis on the stretch because this is

an isolation movement you may be able to

get away with shorter rest times maybe

closer to 1 and 1/2 to 2 minutes between

sets but once again pay attention to

Performance take the first set of this

exercise to about one rep shy of failure

and then gradually in closer and closer

to failure taking the last set or two

two failure following on from the

optional dumo fly or machine fly you can

include any tricep front belt workor you

want let's go through the checklist of

what makes a good session together and

see whether or not this session passes

the test first by including a flat

pressing an incline pressing variation

and potentially a fly we've targeted the

majority of the functions of the chest

we've used different exercises and

different movement patterns and we've

used different rep ranges therefore

limiting redundancy within the session

this makes sure we're getting your upper

chest your lower chest both a good

stimulus we've also included a variety

of rep ranges to potentially get a

slight boost in muscle growth next up as

far as volume goes you're getting about

6 to 14 sets for your chest in the

session in some guard so if you repeat

this twice or three times a week that

takes you from about 12 weekly sets all

the way up to potentially 42 weekly sets

depending on how much of an emphasis

you're placing on your chest in your

routine we've also made sure to train

sufficiently close to failure throughout

the session to maximize hypertrophy

going further from failure earlier in

the session and then gradually going

closer to failure as we reach the end of

the session to mitigate any negative

impact of the fatigue from going too

close to failure on the session overall

by taking somewhere between 90 seconds

of rest and 3 minutes of rest between

each set on each exercise depending on

the ref range involved depending on the

exercise involved we are likely

maximizing hypertrophy next while

exercise order likely doesn't play much

if any role we have tried to Prior PR

ize movements that are best for

hypertrophy putting the incline press

first in the session as potentially the

most effective chest exercise of the

session and then gradually having you

move from more compound exercises to

more isolation type exercises and

finally on all exercises we're hitting

the three major components of good

technique a focus on the stretch a

sufficiently controlled Tempo and

minimizing involvement of non-target

muscle groups that is the smartest chest

workout I can come up with for muscle

building according to the sign at this

point in 2024 if you enjoy the video

leave a comment down below letting me

know if you think this is a good workout

if you think it's terrible let me know

too if you want to see me break down the

best possible workout for any other

muscle group leave a comment down below

and I'll get to it if you'd like me to

coach you consider taking a look at the

link above to see what I offer with that

being said have a great day try this

chest walkout get wo and I'll see you

guys my subscribers in that next one

peace