4 Weeks to a Chest-Pounding Workout

Are you looking to stimulate some muscle growth in your chest? I've got just the workout for you! This 4-week program is sure to help you build muscle in your chest once and for all.Whether you are stuck in a muscle gain plateau or are just an overall hard gainer, switching up your chest workout will stimulate muscle growth. That's because our bodies become accustomed to the same workout pretty quickly and when it no longer becomes a challenge, the changes stop happening, so bring in some new moves and let's get your chest pumped up!

Your Workout Isn't the Only Key to Gaining Muscle

You can lift and lift until you're blue in the face, but if your nutrition isn't on point, you won't get much for results.Be sure you're getting in a good pre-workout meal that consists of some complex carbs, healthy fats, and lean protein. Also, just before your workout, feel free to have some simple (fast acting) carbs such as an orange or some type of fruit juice to get you some instant energy.Protein it up afterward as well ( you can never have too much of the good muscle building stuff), and always avoid "dirty bulking" that's just a horrible way to gain muscle, it's unhealthy and takes a toll on your hardworking organs. Eat real food, get real results.Be sure you are getting plenty of sleep, that's when all the magic happens. See, late at night when you are lost in dreamland, the muscle building fairies start stitching new layers onto your pecs and other areas that you worked on that day, so give them enough time to do their job!

Let's Get to The Good Part!

This chest workout will target your pectoral muscles directly, but you also need to work on your back muscle equally! If you put all the focus on your chest without getting in some good back workouts, this will set you up for having some horrible posture (and you'll look really weird too) so be sure to take care of back days as well!For this workout, lift heavy! You don't have to fail, but you need to be putting a ton of effort into your chest workout in order to spark muscle growth. A lot of people tend to go easy with the chest workouts, but lifting heavier weights is where it's at when it comes to these large muscles.Do the workout 2 non-consecutive days per week and increase your weights by a few pounds on the second week. Start with a good warm up for best results and to minimize muscle soreness and injury. Rest for 1-2 minutes in between each set and be sure to cool down and stretch the chest muscles, holding each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds.

Week 1

• Barbell Bench Press 3 Sets X 10,8,6 Reps
• Incline Barbell Bench Press 3 Sets X 10,8,6 Reps
• Decline Dumbbell Bench Press 3 Sets X 10,8,6 Reps
• Decline Barbell Bench Press 3 Sets X 10,8,6 Reps

Week 2

• Barbell Bench Press 3 Sets X 10,8,6 Reps
• Heavy Dumbbell Chest Fly 3 Sets X 10,8, 6 Reps
• Close Grip Barbell Press 3 Sets X 10, 8, 6 Reps
• Weighted Push-ups (vest) 3 Sets X as Many Reps as you can complete

Week 3

• Incline Barbell Bench Press 4 Sets X 6-8 Reps
• Decline Barbell Bench Press 4 Sets X 6-8 Reps
• Dumbbell Chest Fly 4 Sets X 6-8 Reps
• Cable Fly 4 Sets X 10 Reps

Week 4

• Barbell Bench Press 4 Sets X 6-8 Reps
• Heavy Dumbbell Press 4 Sets X 6-8 Reps
• Decline Dumbbell Press 4 Sets X 6-8 Reps
• Cable Fly 4 Sets X 10 Reps
• Push-ups 4 Sets X as many reps as you can complete

As mentioned before, you should be stretching your muscles after each workout. This will not only decrease soreness, but it also increases your range of motion making each exercise more efficient. Stretching is also important for muscle growth, so don't cut yourself short by skipping a stretch session. Here's a few chest stretches you can perform after your workout:Wall Stretch- Stand in a doorway and bring your right forearm up by bending at the elbow. Place your forearm flat against the wall and open your left side to stretch the right pec. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the opposite side.Stability Ball Stretch- Lie on your back on the ball with your legs stretched out in front of you. Lift both of your arms straight overhead and arch the back. As you reach far behind the head, you should feel a good stretch in the chest. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat one more time.Arm Reach- Stand up tall and bring both arms out wide as if you're going to give someone a hug (aw so sweet), bring the shoulder blades together and reach the arms back as far as you can until you feel a stretch in the pecs. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat.Read more fitness articles here.