Peak your pecs!

a mass-building strategy

photography by Cory Sorensen

 


No muscle group is more visually intimidating when fully loaded than a man’s chest. Full, thick, hard pectorals warn of the power within, whether displayed au natural or thrusting forth from behind a tight tee. The following workout is designed for just such driven men. Utilizing cable and dumbbell exercises, this stressful session is a twice-weekly affair. You’ll need at least a few days to recover.

Here’s how it works. After warming up, you begin with a single-arm exercise, performing a set of 15 repetitions. Upon completion, you do another set with the other arm. Next up are two maneuvers using both arms. You do reps to exhaustion. After a brief rest, there is another single-arm session and two more double-arm drills.




SEATED SINGLE
ARM PULLS

Seated at a low cable station, grasp the handle in the right hand. Keeping the back straight, proceed to pull it back to the chest. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform 15 repetitions, then switch the handle to the left hand for another set. Upon completion, move on to Standing Flyes.


STANDING FLYES

Stand between two high cables, grasping handles at arms’ length, palms down. Proceed to pull handles in until hands almost meet in front of the chest. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform repetitions to exhaustion, then move on to Bench Presses.


BENCH PRESSES

Lie face up on a flat bench grasping dumbbells just above the chest. Proceed to press them up to arms’ length. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform repetitions to exhaustion, then rest briefly before next performing Single-Arm Rows.


SEATED DOUBLE-ARM PULLS

Seated at a low cable station, grasp the handle in both hands. Keeping the back straight, proceed to pull it back to the chest. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform 15 repetitions, then move on to Seated Wide-Grip Pulls.


SINGLE-ARM ROWS

Kneel on a flat bench with the right knee, grasping a dumbbell in the left hand just off the floor. Proceed to pull the weight up to the chest. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform 15 repetitions, then switch the weight to the right hand for another set. Upon completion, move on to Seated Double-Arm Pulls.


SEATED WIDE-GRIP PULLS

Seated at a low cable station, grasp a long bar with a wide grip. Keeping the back straight, proceed to pull it back to the chest. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform 15 repetitions.