Do you struggle with activating your pecs and have a weak mind-muscle connection with them during your chest workout? Do you feel your triceps and shoulders doing most of the work while you bench press?
If so, you’re not alone. I too have struggled with these issues and it’s the reason why my chest became a lagging body part while my shoulders and arms grew like weeds.
As a result, I became a man on a mission to discover simple tips and tricks to build a bigger chest.
Here are the top chest exercise modifications and warm-up techniques that can make a world of a difference in your pec development;
Warm-Up Techniques
Cross Body Isometrics
Stand approximately two feet away from a fixed object such as a power rack, poll, or door frame.
With your arm stretched out parallel to the floor and palm facing down, make a fist and press your thumb against the fixed object.
Shift your body so that your arm crosses your body. Now apply a gentle force against the fixed object and feel your pecs contract.
Here’s a video demonstration to give you a clear picture of the movement;
Sven Press
You can perform this movement either standing or laying down on a bench, which is my preferred method.
Take two 5 or 10 pound weight plates and squeeze them together with the palms of your hands.
Bring them to your sternum then extend your arms in a pressing fashion just as you would a dumbbell bench press.
Rather than just drive the weight upward, think of squeezing your upper arm against your chest as you are extending your arms. All while continuously squeezing the palms of your hands against the weight plates (also demonstrated in the video above).
Create an Inward Force With Your Hands On The Bar
Warm Up on the bench press using just the bar.
Before you un-rack the weight squeeze your hands toward each other, creating an inward force. Immediately you will feel your pecs contract. Now maintain that inward force throughout the entire range of motion for every rep.
You’ll be amazed at how just 10 reps with the bar will fatigue your pecs. Perform 2-3 sets as your warm-up.
You may even want to choose one bench press exercise from your workout to apply this internal force with. Just note that the weight you can lift while applying this inward force will be significantly less than what you would normally use.
Keep Your Shoulders In Contact With The Bench
Before you lower the weight retract your shoulder blades (squeeze them together). This will bring your shoulders down and in contact with the bench. It’s important that you keep your shoulders in contact with the bench at all times. When pushing the weight up, resist the urge to reach for the ceiling. This will cause your shoulders to leave the bench, which will result in more anterior deltoid involvement.
Push Your Back Into The Bench
Instead of thinking about pushing your hands upward, think about pushing your back into the bench as hard as you can as your hands are moving upward.
Squeeze Your Upper Arm Against Your Chest During The Contraction
Instead of thinking about your hands pushing up, think about your upper arm squeezing against your chest. This simple adjustment will help maximize the contraction of your pecs.
Begin Your Chest Workout With A Fly Movement
Starting your chest workout with a fly movement such as a dumbbell fly or cable fly is a great way to enhance your mind-muscle connection with your pecs.
Apply the tips above (shoulders back and squeeze your upper arm against the chest).
Squeezing and holding the contraction for 5 seconds is another great way to enhance your mind-muscle connection with your pecs.
Keep Your Hands Outside Of Your Shoulders
While performing a Dumbbell Bench Press keep your hands outside of your shoulders during the contraction. This will keep constant tension on your pecs.
Try a Wider Grip
Using a wider grip will take some of the triceps involvement out of the Bench Press and will place more tension on the pecs. You’ll need to go lighter with this approach and I recommend only using this wider grip occasionally as it can be tough on the shoulders.
Utilize Partial Reps
From time to time utilize partial reps to maintain constant tension on the pecs.
It’s important to use a full range of motion to maximize muscle fiber recruitment, but if you struggle to feel your pecs activate, incorporating partial reps is a great way to ‘feel’ that muscle tension and enhance your mind-muscle connection.
Slow Down The Tempo
Slowing down the tempo to a 3 or 4 second negative is a great way to enhance your mind-muscle connection, allowing you to ‘feel’ the pecs stretching and contracting while making slight adjustments in form throughout the movement if necessary.
Pause at the Bottom
Briefly pause at the bottom of the movement and contract the pecs before you lift the weight upward.
This will take momentum out of the movement while ensuring that your pecs are the first muscles to engage rather than the supporting muscles.
Here’s a video demonstration in more detail of every tip included in this article;
Conclusion
As you can see, subtle little changes to exercise technique can make a world of a difference in how you ‘feel’ an exercise.
When it comes to pec activation and mind-muscle connection, ‘feeling’ is quite important.
I look forward to hearing your experience from applying these simple tips and tricks for building a bigger chest.
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Scott Tousignant