Don’t just stop at a bigger chest –
If you want to know how to get big pecs or a bigger chest, you have to look far beyond the chest exercises and workouts that you’re doing. In fact, you have to look at how you are doing your chest workouts to find the answer! In this video, I show you the most common chest workout mistakes that guys make that limits the size of their pecs. As you’ll notice, it’s not about how strong you are or how much you bench. It’s actually more about your ability to work the chest muscles as you originally intended them to work!
To start, one of the biggest flaws in a chest workout is the bench press exercise. Am I saying that the bench press is bad? No way. Not at all. In fact, it’s one of the premier chest exercises for building bigger pecs. The problem is, most guys don’t have a good ability to contract their pecs during the exercise. Instead, they focus on moving the weight from point A to point B without regard for the muscles they are contracting to do this. The result is chest muscles that are underfired and undertrained.
The next issue is the approach to chest isolation exercises. First of all, it’s a big mistake to look at any exercise as an isolation exercise. As you may know if you’ve been following ATHLEAN-X, all exercises are considered more beneficial if muscles are allowed to train together the way they are intended to.
In the chest exercise I show you in the video, you can quickly see how it can give you bigger pecs. It’s because you are able to overload on it much more safely and lift heavier weights without subjecting your pecs to injury as you might from the compromised low position of a fly. Even then, you can certainly do flys if you want. Just make sure to lift heavier weights on the exercise so you aren’t treating it like a sculpting exercise if you want to get a bigger chest and pecs.
These are just some of the mistakes that are often made in chest workouts. The result is smaller pecs and less size than is desired. If you want to get a bigger chest then it’s time to start training the right way and using the right type of chest workouts. You can find these in the ATHLEAN-X Training System at
For more workout videos on chest training and exercises as well as nutrition and supplementation advice delivered weekly…be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at
48 comments
I just saw one of his bench press videos and he uses a more than shoulder width grip..im confused now
I dont see no fucking difference but whatever.
I see people giving this video a thumbs down, you have to be a pretty miserable person to give this video a thumbs down!
Hey Jeff I was wondering if the decline bench press is something worth considering? I've been doing the flat bench and incline, and was wondering if it would be beneficial to add? I know dips probably go through a similar range of motion. Thanks a bunch in advance if you ever see this question I know it's an old video!
I do 27 sets of chest workout is that to much? I do 12 set for my upper chest then 6 set middle and 9 set for my lower. I train chest once a week
7:25 this is the ONLY way I will ever do cable crossovers for chest again. By far, this method is much superior than the common method.
Thanks so much Jeff for your sharing such valuable techniques. I have learned so much from watching many of your videos.
Slow heavy negatives build muscle. 5×8
Heavy eccentric = micro damage = mass gains
Look at those biceps 😳
Jeff with another great video, best fitness channel ever
You have become thin, but looking tired than younger sire, sleep more please, now a days i am doing so
With no gym membership and just loose weights,how can I do, or copy,the crossover?
As a ep I wanna hate you cause you're shirtless BUT look past that and you have great insight and show good form. Can't hate you for that. Subscribed. Keep it going kid.
My shoulder hurts every time I train chest, that's why I can't do 100% chest training
How do you feel about shorts?
I guess i am late
But not everybody has a smith machine
I'm going to try that cable exercise.
I like cable crossovers, but find my feet start to slide at heavier weights, as my gym has kind of a slippery floor, I try to solve by putting down a grippy matt, but still struggle to keep a good stand.. Hinders me in correct execution and obtaining good overload on this excercise. Anybody else have this problem? Do you anchor yourself perhaps? I would have to bring my own equipment to do this in my gym and I'm not sure how gym management would feel about this, so that's why I haven't tried..
what do you think about. Jumproping
I dont understand. So what’s better in building chest for flat bench? Wide or the closer grip?
I love this guy. My name is Craig. I know he wasn’t really talking to me, but he pretty much was, cuz all of that I was doing wrong.
Who used to film these before Jesse?
That's what I used to do and came by myself 10, 12 years ago. Honestly speaking. Because I saw a cartoon of a body builder bench pressing with a close grip and that gave me a thought of angels of arm and elbows, giving a close grip it will stimulate chest and then I implemented it. And it killed me from the lower weight I was pressing.
Very helpful.
How dare you teach me how to bench on that inverted row machine
Jeff looks bigger here than he does now?
5:53 he’s got a nice body. No homo
Are there any exercises to get a bigger cock 🐓
Wheres the ROM on that bench? Thought that was important
I just stumbled on this one today. I'm looking forward to giving this a try. I've had chest issues for my adult life and think that I finally understand why. This video is still helpful to someone 5.5 years later! Thank you!
This is something I've been saying for years go closer on the grip for your bench press to get a better chest
I agree so darn much
Why are you only coming down halfway??? That is working more triceps than the chest. And for the record, I have always used the inside grip for one set, middle grip for another set and a wide grip for another. This works the entire chest, instead of only part of it.
Sounds like the little dude has bad genetics
Jeff, I like the 3D crossovers (yes I know this is an old video). I typically follow your perfect workout series, where you have cable crossovers in there. For the outer chest, thinking of switching to the 3D crossovers based on this vid. Any tips for incline/lower?
Who's taping this? I know it's not jesse?
But 14 sets is too much?? I understand overtraining, but I feel 20 is reasonable
5 good sets, twice per week, is ALL you need. The chest is EASILY damaged thus easy to prod forward to make progress.
Thanks very much.
im 5'10" 185 lbs ………how many sets of how much weight should i do?
Isn’t overload technically inevitable though? Sure more reps but if you’re training for hypertrophy why would 10 to 20 reps matter? Isn’t the same amount of hypertrophy happening, just at a longer duration and more thorough?
It's odd that craig writes Jeff I do the same thing you do. Jeff doesn't do incline or any kind of flys. Craig needs to hire a translator because he can't understand simple things
Old video😳
75 year old former wimp being transformed by Althlean-X. Getting ready for the next phase of the journey as a dancer-professor ex-wimp. Wife of 50 years says she won't trade me in for a young stud if I start looking like Jeff.
Jeff has the right stuff and right education.
These older videos are better than the new ones
If the weight moves, the muscle had to contract lol
Hi Glorious Jeff, the best natural athlete of all time the greatest unstoppable dynamic performer with the most powerful willpower. Congratulations🎄💖🤘🏻🌞⭐💯❌💯👍💪