Try this small tweak to in your next chest workout for some serious pec shaping
Chest day – for most Americans it’s Monday. Yes, Monday is American work-your-chest day and every bench is taken. We’ve all been there and we all know how frustrating it is because the pec muscles are what most people notice on a body first. Whether you’re a guy or a girl, well developed pec muscles create that incredible, eye-catching upper body that everyone dreams of. Unfortunately, most people get stuck in the pitfall of doing the same chest workout over and over again. Even I’m guilty of it. I find a routine that I like and where I can slam some serious weight around and my ego inflates like a balloon and I start walking around like a silver-back gorilla grunting at the mirror. Yeah, that’s chest day for most of us.
One of the most neglected areas of the pectoral muscles is the lower region. Decline press and decline flyes are avoided like the plague for some unknown reason. I’m not exactly sure why either. Perhaps it’s the rush of blood to the head from being in the decline position or maybe it’s because it’s not the standard “bench press” that everyone thinks their manliness depends on. That being said, decline exercises target the pectoral muscles harder than most other inclinations. Dorian Yates noted in his video series Blood, Sweat, and Guts that the decline press engages more of the pectoral muscles than any other exercise. So with that in mind, it’s time to start focusing on some decline exercises.
Decline Cable Flyes
One of my favorite exercises to finish my chest workout with are standing cable flyes targeting the same angle as a decline bench. This is much different than the average cable fly you see being performed at the gym. Most guys or girls will step forward and pull the cables in front of them. Through some experimentation over the years I’ve found a variation that will target your chest in a completely different manner.
- Start by picking a weight about 70% of your normal cable fly to ensure that you don’t cause injury. This particular exercise places a lot of strain on the upper, outer pectoral region. So you will need to start light and work your way up the weight stack.
- Set the cables to the highest position on the post.
- Stand directly in-line with the cables and start the exercise as shown in the first photo below.
- With your palms facing the floor, slowly pull the cables downward and towards your waistline.
- When you hit the full contraction, hold it for a two count before slowly raising the cables back to the starting position. Think of this as a “most muscular pose” and at the peak of the movement, flex hard as if you were on stage in front of a crowd at a body building contest.
- Keep the reps in the 8-12 range .
This is the same exercise that I recommend in my 12-week workout program, Body Spartan: Genesis. I’ve found that this exercise really helps to develop the lower and outer pecs and helps to give them a great shape. So throw in a decline barbell press and finish your chest workout with these decline flies and let me know what you think! Leave your comments below!
Also, if you haven’t had the chance to read my book and you are serious about changing your physique, you need to make time for it. Turn the TV off for a few evenings and do something that will change your life instead.
