A sports scientist says this three-move chest workout delivers a “crazy pec pump”
And you can do it at home or the gym


There’s a reason why ‘international chest day’ is on a Monday, because a lot of people are on a mission to supersize their pecs. We know you have plenty of other muscle groups to work through though, so this three-move workout from Sports Scientist Dr. Milo Wolf leaves you with plenty of time to attack the rest of your upper body, whilst also delivering a “crazy pec pump”. His humble words. Better still, you can do it at the gym, or attack it from home.
What is it about the chest though? Well, apart from donning the physique of superheroes and looking pretty nice in a t-shirt, a lot of chest exercises engage multiple muscles, contributing to upper body strength and improving the performance of other lifts. They also contribute to functional strength, as strong chest muscles help us push things, as well improving our posture. Basically, they’re not just a vanity project! Although, no judgment here if that’s only why you want to train them.
While you will definitely see improvements in your chest strength with this workout, its primary purpose is to build muscle, hence the high volume. What we like about it is that Dr. Wolf has provided alternatives for each exercise, so you can perform it at home or the gym. But, wherever you do it, you’re going to need a pair of dumbbells, minimum. Dr. Wolf says to rest for a minute between sets (this is what’s going to deliver that crazy pump) and that you’ll probably want to repeat it two times a week minimum for optimal results. Take at least two minutes of rest before moving on to the next exercise. Here’s the workout:
Exercise 1 4 x 5-10 reps | Exercise 2 3 x 10-20 reps | Exercise 3 3 x 15-30 reps | |
Gym workout | Smith machine incline press | Chest dips | Dumbbell fly |
Home workout | Incline dumbbell press | Deficit push-ups/OR flat dumbbell press | Dumbbell fly |
Why not turn this into a full-blown 'upper push' workout and train your triceps and shoulders too? If you need some inspiration, check out this short shoulder workout and sprinkle in a couple of these tricep exercises.
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Bryony’s T3’s official ‘gym-bunny’ and Active Staff Writer, covering all things fitness. She recently completed her Level 3 PT qualification with the PFCA to bring a deeper understanding of training techniques, fitness trends, and wellness advice to her writing. In her spare time, you will find her in her natural habitat - the gym - where her style of training is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Bryony loves writing about accessible workouts, nutrition and testing innovative fitness products that help you reach your fitness goals and take your training to the next level.
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