Know Your Muscles - The Chest And Upper Back

Your chest and upper back can often be the hardest muscle to work and the hardest to see progress with.

Unfortunately most new lifters make some very simple mistakes like making their own routine or performing the exercises wrong - which costs them precious time and effort.

Luckily, this article will discuss how to avoid these costly mistakes and build an effective and efficient routine for your chest and upper back.

 By following these tips you will build a ripped, strong chest and back in no time!

The first mistake that new individuals make when starting a strength training routine is that the try to make their own routine. More often than not, they put together a routine that does not take into account their goals, preferences, or specific principles of fitness. These three things are very important to consider when choosing or making a routine.

Because most people are not trained fitness professionals, I would advise picking an established and well-known routine to begin with. Routines like this have stood the test of time and have a high success rate among program followers.

Research routines like stronglifts, madcow 5x5, and new rules for lifting. These are great routines for beginners and intermediate lifters looking to build a strong base in their chest and upper back.

These workout programs focus primarily on the big three - squats, deadlifts, and bench press. Make no mistake about it, these three exercises will help you build muscle mass in no time flat. Once you have mastered these compound exercises, you can start adding isolation or assistant exercises into your routine. Naturally, the squat will work your lower body and abdominals so the exercises you really want to focus on for your chest and upper back are the deadlift and the bench press.

The deadlift and the bench press are two intense exercises. As you will find, most programs recommend that you only workout 3 times a week - and trust me, you will need 4 days to recover once you start lifting your personal bests each week. These two exercises will not only add mass to your chest and back, but they will also work every other muscle in the area. This leave you with an increase in overall strength and well as some chiseled and defined muscles!

For hypertrophy and muscle gain, perform these exercises in the 4-5 set and 5-8 rep range. This will work your fast twitch muscle fibers that are designed for strength and power. Also, if you are new to these exercises, be sure to read up on and watch videos of the technique. Perfecting your technique will not only decrease the chance of injury but will also help you lift more weight and challenge your body even more.

The workouts I mentioned above (stronglifts, madcow 5x5, and new rules for lifting) are your best bet when it comes to developing strength and mass in your chest and back. Focusing on the main compound lift like the deadlift and the bench press will ensure that you are being as efficient as possible and getting the results you want!

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