The Best Science-Based Chest Workout for Mass & Symmetry

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide to chest muscle development, emphasizing the importance of symmetry over size. It delves into chest anatomy, explaining how to target the clavicular and sternal heads effectively. The script outlines a scientifically-backed chest workout, highlighting exercises like incline dumbbell presses, barbell bench press, dips, banded push-ups, and high to low cable crossovers. It also discusses the significance of exercise order, individual variation, and the role of mind-muscle connection for optimal chest growth.

Takeaways

• 💪 Developing chest symmetry is crucial for an attractive chest appearance, often more important than sheer size.
• 📚 Understanding chest anatomy is vital for targeted training; the chest is divided into the clavicular head (upper chest) and the sternal head (middle and lower chest).
• 🔄 Different chest exercises emphasize different parts of the chest based on the direction of the muscle fibers' movement.
• 🗣 Establishing a mind-muscle connection with verbal cues can significantly boost chest activation during exercises.
• 📉 Incline dumbbell presses are recommended for emphasizing the upper chest and have been shown to be highly effective for hypertrophy.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The barbell bench press is a staple exercise for overall chest thickness and has strong evidence supporting its effectiveness.
• 🤔 Individual responses to exercises like the bench press can vary, suggesting the need for personal experimentation with different exercises.
• 👍 Dips are identified as an effective exercise for the lower chest, with straight bar dips being a preferred variation for some.
• 🌐 Banded push-ups can provide similar chest activation and strength gains as the bench press, making them a valuable exercise.
• 🔄 High to low cable crossovers are a great finishing exercise, emphasizing both the middle and lower chest.
• 📝 The order of exercises in a workout should be based on individual strengths and weaknesses to prioritize and balance chest development.

Q & A

Why is chest symmetry more important than sheer size for developing an attractive chest?

Chest symmetry is more important because it provides a balanced and aesthetically pleasing appearance, which can be more challenging to achieve than simply increasing size.

What are the two main parts of the chest anatomically?

The two main parts of the chest are the clavicular head of the pectoralis major (upper chest) and the sternal head of the pectoralis major (which includes the middle and lower chest).

How do the fibers of the upper chest differ from the middle and lower chest fibers in terms of movement during exercises?

The upper chest fibers run upward and are best activated with exercises where the arms move upward, while the middle chest fibers run horizontally and are activated with horizontal arm movements, and the lower chest fibers run downward, benefiting from exercises with downward arm movements.

What is the significance of establishing a mind to muscle connection with the chest during workouts?

A solid mind to muscle connection ensures that the chest muscles are primarily worked during exercises, reducing the reliance on secondary muscles and leading to more effective chest growth.

How did verbal cues reportedly help in boosting chest activation during bench press according to a study by Snyder et al.?

The study showed that verbal cues helped to increase chest activation by 22 percent during bench press exercises, emphasizing the importance of proper mental focus and technique.

Why are inclined dumbbell presses recommended to start a chest workout, and what are their benefits?

Inclined dumbbell presses are recommended to prioritize the often lagging upper chest. They offer a full range of motion, effectively activate the upper chest, and help prevent muscle imbalances due to each hand managing equal weight.

What is the optimal bench angle for performing inclined dumbbell presses according to EMG studies?

The optimal bench angle for inclined dumbbell presses is between 30 to 56 degrees, with higher angles showing increased anterior delt activation.

Why is the barbell bench press considered an essential exercise in a chest workout routine?

The barbell bench press is essential due to its effectiveness in building overall chest thickness, its ability to activate the chest muscles well, and the heavy weight that can be lifted with this exercise.

What are some alternative exercises to the barbell bench press for those who may not respond well to it?

Alternatives include the dumbbell bench press, which has similar chest activation but less triceps activation, and may be better suited for individuals with overactive triceps.

How do dips help in developing the lower chest, and what is the recommended variation for better chest activation?

Dips are effective for the lower chest due to the extended shoulder position, and the straight bar dip variation with internal rotation is recommended for better chest activation.

What is the significance of banded push-ups in a chest workout, and how do they compare to the bench press in terms of effectiveness?

Banded push-ups are significant as they provide nearly identical chest activation to the bench press and have been shown to result in similar strength gains over time, making them a valuable exercise for chest development.

How do high to low cable crossovers contribute to chest development, and what makes them a great finishing exercise?

High to low cable crossovers are effective in activating the pecs, especially the middle and lower chest, and they allow for greater horizontal abduction at the shoulder, making them an excellent finishing exercise to ensure thorough chest activation.

What is the importance of exercise order in a chest workout, and how should it be determined based on individual strengths and weaknesses?

The order of exercises is crucial as it can impact hypertrophy and strength gains, with exercises done early in a session generally being more effective. The order should be based on individual weaknesses to prioritize those areas for better chest balance and development.

Why is there a need for individual experimentation with chest exercises despite scientific evidence and recommendations?

Individual experimentation is necessary because anatomical differences and personal responses to exercises can vary greatly. What works best for one person may not work as well for another, so trying different exercises is crucial for finding the most effective chest workout.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Importance of Chest Symmetry and Mind-Muscle Connection

This paragraph emphasizes the significance of chest symmetry over size and the importance of targeting different parts of the chest for balanced development. It introduces the anatomy of the chest, dividing it into the clavicular head (upper chest) and sternal head (middle and lower chest), and explains how these parts can be activated through specific exercises. The paragraph also highlights the role of mental focus, or mind-muscle connection, in maximizing chest activation, citing a study by Snyder that found verbal cues can increase chest activation by 22% during bench press. The importance of proper form and the function of the pectoral muscles are discussed, with tips on how to engage the chest more effectively during exercises.

05:02

🏋️‍♂️ A Scientific Approach to a Well-Rounded Chest Workout

The second paragraph outlines a comprehensive chest workout routine based on scientific literature and anatomical understanding. It begins with the inclined dumbbell press to target the upper chest, supported by evidence from an EMG study by Brett Contreras, which found this exercise to be highly effective for the upper chest. The paragraph continues with the traditional barbell bench press, noted for its effectiveness in building overall chest thickness and strength, referencing studies that correlate bench press strength with pectoral size. Alternatives like the dumbbell bench press are suggested for those with individual anatomical differences. The inclusion of dips is justified by their effectiveness in targeting the lower chest, with variations and progression tips provided. The paragraph concludes with the recommendation of banded push-ups and high to low cable crossovers as finishing exercises, both shown to activate the chest effectively, with a sample workout routine that considers the order of exercises for optimizing hypertrophy and strength gains.

Keywords

💡Chest Symmetry

Chest symmetry refers to the balanced development of the pectoral muscles on both sides of the chest. In the video, it is emphasized that symmetry is more important than sheer size for an attractive chest appearance. The script discusses how to target different portions of the chest to achieve this symmetry.

💡Anatomical Understanding

Anatomical understanding in this context pertains to the knowledge of the chest's muscle structure, which is divided into the clavicular head (upper chest) and sternal head (middle and lower chest) of the pectoralis major. The video uses this understanding to explain which exercises target specific parts of the chest for balanced development.

💡Clavicular Head

The clavicular head, also known as the upper chest, is the part of the pectoralis major muscle that attaches near the collarbone. The script mentions that exercises involving upward arm movement are best for activating this area, such as incline dumbbell presses.

💡Sternal Head

The sternal head is the part of the pectoralis major that attaches to the sternum and is responsible for the middle and lower chest development. The video explains that exercises with horizontal arm movement emphasize the middle chest, while those with downward movement target the lower chest.

💡Mind to Muscle Connection

Mind to muscle connection is the concept of mentally focusing on the muscle being trained to enhance muscle activation and growth. The script suggests using verbal cues to improve chest activation during exercises like the bench press.

💡Incline Dumbbell Press

Incline dumbbell press is an exercise mentioned in the script that emphasizes the upper chest. It is highlighted for allowing a full range of motion and for being effective at activating the clavicular head, as supported by EMG studies.

💡Barbell Bench Press

Barbell bench press is a traditional chest exercise that the script discusses for its effectiveness in building overall chest thickness and strength. It is noted for its ability to activate the chest and for being a heavy-weight exercise, with studies showing its correlation with chest size.

💡Dips

Dips are an exercise shown in the script to be effective for the lower chest development. The script describes the proper form for straight bar dips and mentions that they can be progressed by adding weight, emphasizing their effectiveness in targeting the lower chest fibers.

💡Banded Push-Ups

Banded push-ups involve using resistance bands to increase the difficulty of standard push-ups. The script cites a study showing that banded push-ups can activate the chest similarly to the bench press and contribute to strength gains.

💡High to Low Cable Crossover

High to low cable crossovers are a finishing exercise mentioned in the script that emphasizes both the middle and lower chest. The script notes that this exercise allows for greater horizontal abduction, effectively activating the chest muscles.

💡Exercise Order

Exercise order refers to the sequence in which exercises are performed during a workout. The script suggests that the order should be based on individual strengths and weaknesses, with studies showing better hypertrophy and strength gains for exercises done earlier in a session.

Highlights

The importance of chest symmetry over size for an attractive chest development.

Understanding the anatomy of the chest, divided into the clavicular head and sternal head of the pec major.

Different chest exercises emphasize different portions of the chest based on the direction of fiber movement.

The role of mind-muscle connection and verbal cues in boosting chest activation.

Incline dumbbell presses are effective for upper chest development and have a full range of motion.

Optimal bench angles for incline dumbbell presses are between 30 to 56 degrees.

Barbell bench press is effective for middle chest development and overall chest thickness.

Individual variation in response to bench press and the alternative of dumbbell bench press.

Dips are the most effective exercise for lower chest development according to Brett Contreras' study.

Straight bar dips are preferred for lower chest activation and core workout.

Banded push-ups as a finishing exercise with similar chest activation and strength gains as bench press.

High to low cable crossovers as an effective finishing movement for middle and lower chest.

Crossing hands over in cable crossovers for better chest activation.

The significance of exercise order in a workout based on individual chest weaknesses.

The necessity of individual experimentation with chest exercises due to anatomical differences.

The impact of individual variation on the effectiveness of chest exercises.

A sample chest workout routine based on the discussed exercises and their order.

The call to action for viewers to like, comment, share, and subscribe for more content.

Transcripts

[Music]

although chest is one of the most

frequently trained muscles by most

people it's also the one muscle group

that people tend to have the most

trouble developing when it comes to

developing an attractive chest symmetry

becomes more important than shear size

so it's vital that you target each

portion of your chest appropriately and

we can do this by first understanding

the anatomy of the chest anatomically

the chest is divided into two main parts

the clavicular head of the pec major

also known as the upper chest and the

sternal head of the pec major which

divides into both the middle chest and

the lower chest because of the way the

fibers run although all portions will be

activated during all chest exercises

certain portions can be emphasized since

the upper chest fibers run upward they

are best activated with chest exercises

where the arms move upward since the

middle chest fibers run horizontally

they are best activated with chest

exercises where the arms move directly

horizontally and since the lower chest

fibers run downwards they are best

activated with chest exercises that

involve the arms moving downwards so in

this video i'm going to show you guys a

well-rounded chest workout that's

optimized based on current scientific

literature and our anatomical

understanding of the chest before we get

started it's important that you

establish a solid mind to muscle

connection with your chest otherwise

you'll be working secondary muscles and

your chest won't grow as much as it

could in fact one study by snyder at l

actually showed that verbal cues helped

boost chest activation by 22 percent

during bench press and trained athletes

compared to when no cues were used some

helpful cues you can use are to depress

your traps and squeeze your shoulder

blades back into the bench before

starting any pressing movement and think

less about pushing the weight and more

about moving the weight by squeezing

your biceps together and back out again

during every rep as a main function of

the pecs is this exact movement

through the added shoulder flexion of

this movement incline dumbbell presses

put more emphasis on the clavicular head

of the pecs and work several other

secondary muscles as well the main

reason for starting with this exercise

is to prioritize the upper chest which

is often the lagging portion of the

chest in most people but i'll further

discuss exercise order later on in this

video now the great things about this

exercise are one it allows a more full

range of motion for the pecs which leads

to more hypertrophy which is something

that has been supported by many range of

motion studies and two it's very

effective at activating the upper chest

for example an extensive emg study by

brett contreras analyzed chest activity

with 15 different chest exercises and

inclined dumbbell presses were found to

be the most effective compound movement

for the upper chest and three it more

effectively prevents muscle imbalances

from forming since each hand is

responsible for an equal amount of

weight as for the best bench angle to

perform these with this is something

that will vary based on your anatomy emg

studies have shown that an optimal bench

angle is somewhere between 30 degrees to

56 degrees and showed higher anterior

delt activation as the angle got higher

i personally find that a 30 degree and

45 degree angle best activates my chest

which also seems to be the case for most

people so i'd suggest performing a

couple sets at both angles in order to

hit your chest most effectively

the next exercise which is the

traditional barbell bench press is going

to put the most emphasis on the middle

chest and just help with building

overall chest thickness this exercise is

something i had to include in this

workout because of the overwhelming

evidence supporting its effectiveness at

building the chest it has been shown in

several studies to be the best exercise

at activating the chest and additionally

the exercise that you can lift the most

weight with also studies like this one

by akage et al also show a positive

correlation between one rep max bench

press with the size of the pectoralis

major indicating that a strong bench

does indeed equate to a big chest in

many cases and regarding form you

definitely want to come down to your

chest for a full range of motion since

as i mentioned earlier this is more

effective for hypertrophy than shorter

ranges of motion however the main

problem i find with the bench press is

that some people respond very well to it

yet others tend to overcompensate with

adults regardless of their form and

various use of activation cues which i

personally think comes down to their

individual anatomy if this is the case

for you consider alternatively using an

exercise like the dumbbell bench press

which has been found to have similar

chest activation to the barbell bench

press but less triceps activation which

may be a plus if your triceps are

overactive when benching and in fact

dumbbell bench press was actually shown

by brett contreras study to elicit the

best activation for the middle chest and

another plus is the greater range of

motion with dumbbells since your range

of motion isn't limited by the bar like

it is in bench press but as you can see

even in the literature there is a lot of

individual variation so try them both

out and see which works best for you

the next exercise is going to be dips

which was shown in brett contreras study

to be the most effective exercise for

hitting the lower chest which makes

sense given that your shoulder is put in

an extended position i personally prefer

this variation called straight bar dips

as i feel it a lot more in my lower

chest probably due to the added internal

rotation during the movement which is

another main function of the lower chest

and it also gives my core a really good

workout you can do these on a smith

machine bar or any barbell that's set up

on a rack you want to lean your upper

body slightly over the bar and bring

your legs forward under the bar as you

descend to stay balanced and then use

your lower chest and triceps to push

back up and try to keep your elbows from

flaring out too much and make sure the

bar doesn't drag against your body

throughout the movement to be honest it

is a pretty tough exercise for most

people but i guarantee if you perform

them properly and start using weight on

them you will see huge improvements in

your lower chest but if you're

struggling with that then stick to

regular dips for now with a slight lean

forward to hit your chest more as

opposed to the triceps and you want to

eventually start adding weight to keep

progressing it

this exercise is kind of a finishing

movement but it's something i highly

recommend you include in your routine

all you do is you put a band around your

back and hold each end of the band with

your hands then perform regular push-ups

with the added resistance a study by

anderson at al compared banded push-ups

with the bench press they had one group

perform only banded push-ups for five

weeks and another group performed only

bench press for five weeks and compared

how their bench press strength changed

after the five weeks were complete the

researchers found that not only did

banded push-ups exhibit nearly identical

chest activation when compared to the

bench press but both groups resulted in

very similar bench press strength gains

over the five weeks the fact that this

exercise has a potential to improve your

upper body strength as much as a bench

press does and the fact that it has been

shown in multiple studies to activate

the chest especially the upper chest

very well is why i chose to include this

exercise

an easy way to progress this exercise is

just by using bands with higher

resistance as you get stronger

the last exercise is going to put more

emphasis on the sternal head of the pecs

so both the middle and lower chest will

be emphasized

high to low cable crossovers have been

shown in a few studies like this one by

shanked l to be almost as effective as a

bench press at activating the pecs so

it's definitely a great finishing

movement that you can perform the

failure another bonus with this exercise

and something that you can't do in most

other exercises is it enables you to

cross your hands over at the bottom

position to allow greater horizontal

abduction at the shoulder which will

better activate the chest so to conclude

here is a sample chest workout that you

can perform using the exercises i

previously discussed but one thing to

keep in mind is the order that you

perform the exercises in several studies

have shown a trend where lifters get

better gains in hypertrophy and strength

for exercises that are done early in a

session meaning you want to order

exercises based on what your strengths

and weaknesses are if your upper chest

is lagging then perform the workout in

this order if your mid chest and overall

thickness is lagging then perform the

workout in this order and if your lower

chest is lagging then perform the

workout in this order this will help

prioritize weaknesses and help balance

out your chest more thanks for watching

guys i hope you enjoyed the video one

important thing to keep note of and

something that i noticed in both my

personal experience and my review of the

literature is that there is a lot of

individual variation when it comes to

the best exercises for the chest for

example anatomical things like how far

down your pec inserts onto the humerus

can actually determine if bench press

will be a good option for you or not

although results from studies may apply

to most people they don't account for

each individual which is why i highly

recommend that you guys just try out a

bunch of different chest exercises and

see which one best activates your chest

and with that being said i put in a lot

of time and effort into this video so if

you could please support me by giving

the video a like leaving a comment and

sharing the video i would really

appreciate it and as always please don't

forget to subscribe and turn on

notifications from my channel as this

will really help me out anyways that's

it for this video guys i will see you

next time

[Music]