A sculpted chest isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a cornerstone of functional strength and a balanced physique. On July 11, 2024, fitness content creator Will Tennyson published a video on his YouTube channel, sharing 10 techniques for building a bigger, fuller chest:
Will Tennyson’s 10 Chest Hypertrophy Tips
- Use the Smith machine
- Don’t pre-exhaust your chest
- Partial reps past failure
- Use machines
- Pause your reps
- Focus on the stretched position
- Chest to the sky
- Chest training is not complex
- Train your triceps
- Programming
You don’t need incredibly heavy weight to build a big chest; you need incredibly good technique.
Check out the complete video below:
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1. Bench Press on the Smith Machine
The Smith machine’s fixed line of pull allows better control during the bench press. Lifters can push closer to mechanical failure on a Smith machine than on a conventional bench press because the former does not require stabilizing the weight.
Tennyson recommends alternating between flat, incline, and decline setups to target the chest from different angles and ensure balanced, overall development.
2. Don’t Pre-Exhaust Your Chest
Pre-exhausting the chest with isolation exercises like flyes before compound movements such as bench presses can be counterproductive. This approach fatigues the chest muscles prematurely, potentially hindering the ability to lift heavier during compound lifts, which can impede stimulation and growth.
A study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine concluded that pre-exhausting the chest with isolation exercises increases the reliance on triceps during bench presses, potentially diminishing the targeted stimulus required for chest growth. (1)
Tennyson prescribes the pre-exhaustion technique for experienced lifters seeking to limit systematic fatigue.
3. Partial Reps Past Failure
Tennyson advises pushing beyond mechanical failure by incorporating partial reps in the lengthened position. “The stretched position is where most of the growth happens,” he said. (2)
Tennyson recommends limiting lengthened partials to a couple of exercises per workout or the last two sets of an exercise.
4. Use Machines
Machines excel at targeting a particular muscle group. By minimizing stabilizer muscle activation, machines allow a fuller range of motion, a more controlled rep tempo, and maximizing the stretch and contractions.
5. Use Pause Reps
Tennyson suggests a deliberate two-second pause in the fully stretched position. Pausing during each rep can deepen the mind-muscle connection and max out muscle pumps, further contributing to growth. (3)
6. Focus on the Stretched Position
Tennyson favors exercises that allow a deep chest stretch in the bottom position. The Canadian prefers a cambered bar bench press machine over the conventional barbell bench press, as the former allows a deeper stretch during the eccentric.
Tennyson replicates this deep stretch during dumbbell bench presses by employing a wide grip and lowering the dumbbells until the handles are level with his shoulders.
7. “Chest to the Sky”
While lowering the weight to the chest during the bench press, consider reaching your chest toward the ceiling while retracting and depressing the scapula for a deep stretch. Conversely, extending the scapula during chest exercises can restrict the range of motion.
8. Chest Training Is Not Complex
Tennyson advises against overly complex exercises, comparing them to “the gym equivalent of investing in NFTs.” Instead, focus on compound movements like bench press and incline press for superior results.
9. Train Your Triceps
Strong triceps play a crucial role in developing a massive chest. Stronger triceps enhance pressing and lockout strength.
Tennyson opts for a straight bar attachment instead of a rope for his preferred triceps exercise, cable pushdowns. After completing three sets of 10 to 12 reps, Tennyson transitions to overhead cable extensions for an additional three sets.
10. Rely On Programming
Tennyson advises against following the typical bro-split, which involves doing 15 to 20 sets of chest exercises once per week. Instead, he recommends training chest twice weekly to split the total training volume and prioritize high-quality repetitions and sets.
Will Tennyson’s Chest Programming
Tennyson uses the following split to maximize chest hypertrophy:
Day One:
- Incline Chest Press — 3 sets
- Flat Chest Press (secondary) — 3 sets
- Chest Flye — 2-3 sets
Day Two:
- Flat Chest Press — 3 sets
- Incline Chest Press (secondary) — 3 sets
- Chest Flye or Dips — 2-3 sets
[Related: The Best Pre-Workout Meal for Bodybuilding Based on Your Goals]
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References
- Soares EG, Brown LE, Gomes WA, et al. Comparison Between Pre-Exhaustion and Traditional Exercise Order on Muscle Activation and Performance in Trained Men. J Sports Sci Med. 2016;15(1):111-117. Published 2016 Feb 23.
- Pedrosa, G. F., Lima, F. V., Schoenfeld, B. J., Lacerda, L. T., Simões, M. G., Pereira, M. R., Diniz, R. C. R., & Chagas, M. H. (2022). Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. European journal of sport science, 22(8), 1250–1260. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1927199
- Hirono, T., Ikezoe, T., Taniguchi, M., Tanaka, H., Saeki, J., Yagi, M., Umehara, J., & Ichihashi, N. (2022). Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(2), 359–364. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003478
Featured image: @willtenny on Instagram
