Intermediate Chest Workout: Build Strength and Size Across the Full Chest
This session is for you if you've got a solid training foundation and you're ready to push your chest development further — more range of motion, heavier loads, and smarter exercise variety. We'll walk you through a sequence designed to hit your pecs from multiple angles, build pressing strength, and leave you with a real sense of earned progress.
What the research says
A few things stand out from the research that are worth knowing before you train. One study on recreationally trained men found that performing total-body resistance training three days per week produced significant increases in bench press strength and chest girth regardless of whether those days were consecutive or spread out — both scheduling approaches worked similarly well. Separately, a study comparing two periodization approaches in beginner weight-training students found no significant difference between groups in chest press performance, though the flexible group showed a notable leg press advantage. Another study using a similar design and population confirmed that finding — chest press gains did not differ significantly between the flexible and standard periodization groups. A 12-week concurrent training study also found no significant difference in chest press performance between a group that added maximal-effort cycling intervals and a group that did not. Finally, a 4-week study in college-aged women found significant strength improvements over time across both traditional and superslow resistance training groups, but no significant difference between the two training styles for chest press specifically.
Moderate — the studies are randomized and use direct chest press measures, but most involve beginners or short durations, and sample sizes are small, so findings apply with some caution to intermediate trainees.
A 7-week study on recreationally trained men found significant increases in bench press strength for both a group training three consecutive days per week and a group training three nonconsecutive days per week, with no significant difference between the two groups.
View study →A 12-week study found no significant difference in chest press performance between a group that performed strength and endurance training and a group that added maximal-effort cycling intervals to the same program.
View study →A 12-week study in beginner weight-training students found no significant difference in chest press performance between a flexible nonlinear periodization group and a standard nonlinear periodization group.
View study →A 4-week study in college-aged women found a significant time effect for strength across both a traditional resistance training group and a superslow resistance training group, but no significant difference between the two groups in chest press performance.
View study →The routine
Warmup
Stand with your hands together, arms extended directly in front of you. This will be your starting position. Keeping your arms straight, quickly move your arms back as far as possible and back in again, similar to an exaggerated clapping motion. Repeat 5-10 times, increasing speed as you do so.
Main
Lay down on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with the palms of the hands facing towards the ceiling. Tip: Your arms should be parallel to the floor and next to your thighs. To avoid injury, make sure that you keep your elbows slightly bent. This will be your starting position. Now move the dumbbells by creating a semi-circle as you displace them from the initial position to over the head. All of the movement should happen with the arms parallel to the floor at all times. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement. Reverse the movement to return the weight to the starting position as you exhale.
Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over your neck with your arms locked. This will be your starting position. As you breathe in, bring the bar down slowly until it is about 1 inch from your neck. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench. Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench (torso across it as in forming a cross) with only your shoulders lying on the surface. Hips should be below the bench and legs bent with feet firmly on the floor. The head will be off the bench as well. Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest with a bend in your arms. Both palms should be pressing against the underside one of the sides of the dumbbell. This will be your starting position. Caution: Always ensure that the dumbbell used for this exercise is secure. Using a dumbbell with loose plates can result in the dumbbell falling apart and falling on your face. While keeping your arms locked in the bent arm position, lower the weight slowly in an arc behind your head while breathing in until you feel a stretch on the chest. At that point, bring the dumbbell back to the starting position using the arc through which the weight was lowered and exhale as you perform this movement. Hold the weight on the initial position for a second and repeat the motion for the prescribed number of repetitions.
Begin by connecting the chains to the cable handle attachments. Position yourself on the flat bench in the same position as for a dumbbell press. Your wrists should be pronated and arms perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position. Lower the chains by flexing the elbows, unloading some of the chain onto the floor. Continue until your elbow forms a 90 degree angle, and then reverse the motion by extending through the elbow to lockout.
Move into a prone position on the floor, supporting your weight on your hands and toes. Your arms should be fully extended with the hands around shoulder width. Keep your body straight throughout the movement. This will be your starting position. Descend by flexing at the elbow, lowering your chest toward the ground. At the bottom, reverse the motion by pushing yourself up through elbow extension as quickly as possible until you are air borne. Aim to "jump" 12-18 inches to one side. As you accelerate up, move your outside foot away from your direction of travel. Leaving the ground, shift your body about 30 degrees for the next repetition. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise, working all the way around until you are back where you started.
Cooldown
Sit upright on the floor with your partner behind you. Place your hands behind your hand, and push your elbows back as far as you can. Your partner should hold your elbows. This will be your starting position. Gently attempt to pull your elbows forward with your hands still behind your head for 10 or more seconds. Your partner should prevent your elbows from moving. Now, relax your muscles and have your partner gently pull the elbows back as far as it comfortable for you. Be sure to let your partner know when the stretch is adequate to prevent overstretching or injury.
Start off by standing with your legs together, holding a bodybar or a broomstick. Take a slightly wider than shoulder width grip on the pole and hold it in front of you with your palms facing down. Carefully lift the pole up and behind your head.
This content is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice — if you have any shoulder, rotator cuff, or wrist concerns, check with a qualified professional before attempting the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press or Chain Press, and NEVER sacrifice range of motion control for load.