Push Up Progressions for a Massive Chest

A huge chest is a clear sign of a legitimate physique. As a result most guys hit the gym on Monday for bench, Wednesday for DB flyes, and Friday for cable crossovers.  But, is this really the best way?

Getting stuck in a rut of “chest work” is likely limiting your athletic ability and keeping you from developing the physique that you want.  Push ups might be the answer.  Push Ups can be done anywhere, and have tremendous total body benefits that make them a far superior choice to traditional chest work.  The key is to perform them correctly and program them appropriately.

Push Ups

Push ups are one of the most fundamental movements.  They are great for developing upper body strength and muscle mass.  They are key to maintaining optimal shoulder function.  And they are one of the best core stability and postural movements out there. There are a few coaching keys for getting the most out of your push ups.

Coaching Keys

• Start with a good hand position

• Create a neutral spine

• Maintain shoulder alignment – elbows at a 45 degree angle

Progressions

The number one goal is always movement quality.  It is easy to get caught up in doing more reps or more weight, but you should never sacrifice quality.  For this reason, we prescribe push ups as max reps (with prefect form) with a cap.  For example; 4 sets x Max Reps (up to 15 or until form breaks down).  This method allows for adequate volume to build a solid foundation, and continually reinforces proper movement quality.  Once an athlete can complete all the reps with perfect form, we change the variation or add load (plates on the back).  We use some basic variations for Men an Women

Men

• Push Ups

• Dumbbell Push Ups

• Push ups – 3 Sec. Hold

Women

• Bar Push Ups – Thigh Level

• Bar Push Ups – Knee Level

• Push Ups

What About the Bench???

Not to hate on the bench, but it just is not the best “bang for your buck” for most athletes.  Most athletes are much better off getting the added postural, core stability, and coordination benefits of push ups instead of dedicating time each week to multiple variations of the bench press.

When it comes to developing a huge chest, try doing 4 sets of 15 reps – 3 Sec. Hold Push Ups with 1 minute rest between sets.  If you can maintain perfect form, then you have developed a solid foundation of quality movement.  The result will be healthier shoulders and more efficient movement as well as some serious muscle mass.