The Trick to a Stronger Chest, Work on Your Back

I feel like I can hardly walk 5 feet without running across someone talking about how much they can bench, some "newest secret the experts don't want you to know" to make your chest stronger, or some reference to your pecs.  If you were visiting from a distant planet you would think being able to bench 225 is critically important to our survival, seconds only to breathing, consuming all meals in under 5 minutes and rock hard abs.

First, let's clear something up about experts.  We WANT you to know our "tricks."  We go out of our way to demonstrate our ticks in such a way as to show we ARE EXPERTS!  If all we did was run around announcing we are experts and then scurry under rocks you would be much less likely to believe us or pay us large wads of money!

Okay, as for your chest, and its strength.  I would like to mention, by the way, your chest is probably strong enough as it is.  If you can push the door open, or push yourself up off the ground you are probably all set in the chest strength department.  That is, of course, unless you are a professional athlete, or your job requires you to regularly push rocks up hills.  Then you need to constantly increase your chest strength.  So yes, to get a stronger chest you need to move heavy weight in the form of dumbbells, your body, large rocks, etc, but that is only part of the equation.  The other part is your back.  Let me explain.

Your body generally works best when you have balance between opposing muscle groups.  The closer in strength your quads are to your hamstrings the greater overall leg strength you have.  The same holds true for your upper body.  If all you do is chest exercise your chest tends to get tighter.  You might notice your shoulders are starting to wrap around forward a little and your palms are facing the front of your legs.  They should be facing the sides of your legs.  Your chest is now in a constant state of flexion.  And, because of this, can create less force.  Think of it as only being able to partially cock the hammer on a gun.  When the trigger is pulled it can not travel as far and cannot create as much force when striking the round.

If you have been neglecting your back and start to spend a little time on it you will likely notice two things: 1. Your back is nowhere near as strong as your chest.  Can you row as much as you can press?  Probably not.  Second, your chest is tight enough it is not allowing your shoulders to travel back as you pull an object back.  Start doing a ratio of 2:1 back exercise to chest exercise and stretch that chest!  Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades and keeping your shoulders low. Your chest will start to loosen up and your shoulder will start going back to where they belong.  Now you can fully cock that hammer and BAM!

For more on strength and muscle balance e mail Tom at tom@canyonptandf.com or visit canyonptandf.com.  Oh and for those of you following the story of my research assistant, she is two weeks post op, and doing very well.  With a little luck, today we lose the Cone of I Don't Know Why You Hate Me But I am Sorry for Whatever I Did and if You Take it Off I Will Stop Doing It And Love You Forever.