How can you use a chest workout to build an impressive chest in 30 minutes or less? Developing a vast and muscular chest might be challenging when you don’t have enough time. Today’s bodybuilders do not spend all day in the gym, and they still create massive gains. So how do they do it? By concentrating on proper form, sets, repetition, and rest.
The primary issue with virtually all chest training routines is that they primarily target the middle area of the chest with the same movements as the barbell bench press and dumbbell fly.
Every part of the pecs, especially the upper chest, is developed with a perfect chest. We’ll go through a chest workout in this article, which will allow you to create a thick and robust set of pecs in 30 minutes are less.
Use this workout that takes only thirty minutes to complete.
The most important factors determining whether a workout can build a big chest are volume, warmup, form, and cool down. More specifically, you must perform 9 to 26 sets of chest exercises each week to build the chest. Also, you must complete 8 – 12 reps at 70% to 80% of your one-repetition max.
Finally, it is best to use compound exercises to build the primary muscle group and the supporting muscle groups. You want to build supporting muscle groups like the shoulders and triceps, so they don’t sabotage your chest workout. A chain always breaks at the weakest link, no matter where that link is located.
Volume:
- 4 Exercises
- 4 Sets
- 10 Reps
- 60 second rest time
- 70 – 80% of 1rpm
Warmup:
Dips are a wonderful chest and triceps workout that you can do in three different rep ranges: heavy, medium, and mild. All of those are excellent for growing a lower chest, and they can frequently be superset with isolation exercises like flyes to boost the muscle-building benefits even more.
Decline push-ups, like regular push-ups, are the best chest exercise for mass, but executing them on a deficit expands the range of motion and development. Like dips, these are an excellent method to go from bodyweight activities to more complicated versions or combine them with other chest exercises in supersets to boost muscular development.
Workout:
1. Regular Bench Press
Lie down on the bench and spread your feet out so that they are well beyond shoulder-width apart. Keep your back pressed against the bench throughout the whole lift. This will keep you stable and help you keep the weight moving in a straight line.
Tighten your glutes, abs, and quads before unracking the weight. This will create a stable base from which to press and help keep your back pressed against the bench.
Slowly lower the bar to your chest. When the bar touches your chest, drive hard back up fully, extending your arm without hyperextending your elbows. Don’t forget to keep your feet on the ground and your butt, back, and head flat and squarely on the bench.
Dial yourself in for a big lift with these five bench press tips:
- Use the “Widowmaker” Hold
To maximally engage your long tricep head (which is crucial for the bench), pause each rep at the bottom of the movement to keep tension on your pecs.
- Train Your Triceps!
Do you want a big bench? You need to train all three heads of your triceps. While you’re doing close-grip bench presses, do a few sets of tricep pushdowns as well.
- Train With Chains
Adding chains to the end of a barbell during a bench press makes for a more effective lockout because it forces your chest and shoulders to work harder through the entire range of motion – meaning more muscle growth.
- Grip the Bar Correctly
A wider grip (shoulder-width or wider) will place more emphasis on your chest, while a narrower grip will work your triceps more. Experiment to see what works best for you.
- Use a Spotter
When you’re lifting heavy weights, it’s always a good idea to have a spotter. If you’re stuck and can’t complete the rep, they can help you get the bar back to the starting position.
2. Dumbbell Flye
Dumbbell fly is one of the best exercises for chest muscles, belonging to the group of “Pectoral” or “Pecs.” However, you must perform this exercise correctly not to harm your back. If you are performing it incorrectly, there is a high probability that you will experience lower back pain.
To perform the basic dumbbell, fly, lie on a flat bench, and hold a light dumbbell in each hand above your chest. Your palms should be facing your feet. Now lower them to the sides of your body as far as possible without arching or shrugging up your shoulder blades (you will feel it in your chest). Hold for a second and then raise the weights back to the starting position.
When lowering the weights, make sure that you do not allow them to touch your chest. Touching your chest will reduce the range of motion and not work the muscles. Instead, you should feel a stretch in your chest when lowering the weights.
Here are a few tips to make the dumbbell fly more effective:
- Keep your back pressed firmly against the bench. Do not let it arch.
- Don’t allow your shoulder blades to come together (shrug up).
- Keep your elbows slightly bent. This will help reduce stress on your shoulder joint.
- Do not lock your arms at the top of the movement. This will take some pressure off your chest muscles.
- Finally, ensure that you do not allow the dumbbells to touch when lowering them (touching your chest).
- Keep in mind that this is a challenging exercise, and if it causes any pain, stop immediately.
- Decline Bench Press
3. Decline Bench Presses
Decline bench presses are the sister lift of flat bench presses, so anyone already comfortable doing flat benches can perform this movement. This exercise trains you to press weight away from your chest towards a more horizontal line above your head. This targets your upper pectoral muscles and triceps particularly well.
On the bench set-up, put your feet on a step, and you will make a greater range of motion for yourself. If you don’t have a decline bench press bench or seat, you can either do it with dumbbells using an incline bench press station or a flat bench with your back against a wall.
Position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and before you start the lift, take a deep breath in and hold it.
Start the lift by driving your heels into the ground and pushing your torso down toward the bench as with any pressing exercise. Keep your glutes and abdominal muscles tight to help stabilize your body. From here, slowly lower the weight towards your chest, maintaining control the entire way. Stop when your elbows reach a 90-degree angle, then press the weight back up to the starting position.
If you’re having trouble maintaining control during the lowering phase, it’s a sign that you’re using too much weight. Try reducing the load and see if that makes the exercise easier to control.
When doing this exercise, always be aware of your range of motion. For example, don’t let your butt come up off the bench, or your elbows flare out to the sides. Instead, keep your glutes and abdominal muscles tight, and maintain a straight line from your shoulders to your hips to your knees.
4. Pullover
The pullover exercise is an isolation exercise that targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. You can perform it with either a barbell or dumbbells.
To perform the pullover exercise:
- Lie on your back on a bench, with your head at one end and your feet at the other. Hold a barbell over your head with straight arms.
- Lower the bar toward the floor behind you, then immediately come up again and lift it over your chest as you exhale, keeping your arms straight. Repeat for reps at a weight that elicits failure around 10 – 15 reps per set, depending on strength level. Again, a spotter may be required, as the descending weight is quite heavy.
- You must maintain proper form for this exercise to avoid injury. Unlike bench presses, there are no bodyweights or spotters to hold you in place or help lift the weight if your strength fails mid-rep. Make sure your back is pressed against a bench with your head resting on the bench.
- With your feet flat on the floor, and your hands holding a barbell above you, push with your legs to lift your buttocks off the bench. This will be the starting position for performing a pullover exercise.
- Pull your shoulder blades down and back as you slowly lower the weight behind your head. Keep your elbows close to your head.
- Pause when the weight is directly behind your head, then slowly bring the weight back to the starting position above your chest.
- Exhale as you lift the weight and inhale as you lower it. Repeat for reps.
The pullover exercise is also effective when performed with dumbbells. Using this variation may help you avoid possible shoulder injury, as it does not involve the heavier weight and more dangerous range of motion that comes from using a barbell.
Cooldown:
Planks are a powerful way to develop abdominal and oblique (side) muscles and the rest of the abdominal and lumbar (lower back) musculature. Planks can be used for training the body in general or as part of a conditioning program. To hold a plank requires your shoulder, chest, and triceps because you push against the floor to hold your position. Any push activity that works the upper body also works the chest, shoulders, and triceps. These muscles perform all push activities for the upper body.
Workout Tips and Directions for a 30 Minute Chest Workout
The best tips and directions involve following proven training principles like the granddaddy principles. Also, any advice that informs you how to perfect your form is valuable. Lastly, you got to know your numbers because you can’t build a big chest without the correct amount of sets, reps, and rest time.
Lift heavy using compound exercises
Many individuals make the most significant error in bodybuilding chest workouts. They don’t concentrate on massive, compound exercises. These exercises are particularly efficient at adding additional volume towards the conclusion of your session. They should never take center stage throughout your chest day.
The pec dec machine will never help you gain muscle mass or strength. This is the issue with a lot of bodybuilding chest workout programs. Stick to the tried-and-true fundamental lifts. There will be no equipment or pec dec unless you’ve put in the time on the big presses. Sorry, gentlemen, but this is the secret to a fully developed chest.
Train with a wide range of rep ranges and the optimum amount of sets
Most lifters stick to a single rep range for muscle building, usually 8-12 reps. Although this is a beautiful place to start when growing muscle, it may miss significant gains. Rather than repeating the same rep ranges every session, mix up your workouts to challenge the muscles, force adjustments, and keep ahead of the body’s natural tendency to respond to stressors.
Obtain Sufficient Protein and Calories
Maintaining a modest calorie surplus is necessary to enhance muscular and strength gains. That is, you must consume around 110 percent of your daily energy expenditure (TDEE) daily.
The reason for this is that a calorie surplus enhances your body’s “muscle-building machinery,” improving your body’s capacity to recover from and respond favorably to your chest workout for mass. But that’s not all—you also need enough protein in your diet to enable your muscles to heal, repair and develop properly.
Use Progressive Overload to maximize a 30-minute chest workout
You’ll ultimately cease becoming larger when you quit receiving stronger. As a result, you must make progressive overload a priority in your training. You may use all the sophisticated training methods you desire, and if you’re not consistently adding weight to the bar, you’ll struggle to grow muscle.
Use a periodization plan to adjust a 30-minute chest workout
In the first phase of your plan, focus on hypertrophy. In this phase, you will use a basic periodization program to increase training volume and expose the muscles to a wide variety of stimuli, which will provide your body with a catalyst for growth.
During the second phase of your plan, focus on strength. In this phase, you will use a basic periodization program to increase training intensity and expose the muscles to progressively heavier workloads that should prepare your body for the next training phase.
Finally, in the third phase of your plan, focus on power. This phase will use a basic periodization plan to increase training speed and expose the muscles to higher power output.
The last word on a 30-minute workout that builds a massive chest.
With just 30-minutes of your time, you can build a massive chest. Our article on the last word on 30-minute workouts that creates a more prominent chest will give you all the information you need to get started with this workout plan today!
If any part of this sounds too good to be true, or if there is something we missed in our post, please let us know, and we’ll do what we can to help out. We want everyone who wants it to have access to these exercises, so they don’t miss out on their chance for success. What has been your experience with 30-minute workouts?
