Written by Ron Harris
01 July 2019

19bestchest-part2

Best Chests Part 2

How Dexter, Johnnie & Jay Built Theirs

 

 

Wanting a big chest is a primal instinct. Many bird species puff up their chests to appear larger and more intimidating to rivals and to attract mates. Chimpanzees do it, and so do we humans. Make no mistake— if you’re a bodybuilder or even a serious weight trainer, you probably want a bigger, thicker set of pecs. To help you out, in this second of a three-part series we have compiled tips and routines from champion bodybuilders who have built the best chests ever.

 

DEXTER JACKSON

As I have pointed out many times in the past, Dexter rarely gets credit for his standout body parts for the simple fact that … they don’t stand out! His physique is so complete and balanced, with the possible exception of his calves, that you fail to notice just how good individual muscle groups are. Yet, all it takes is one look at his side chest or most-muscular pose to realize that his pecs are at an elite level of development, even compared to his A-list pro peers: thick and full from clavicle to sternum, and splintered with crevasse-like striations.

 

Built With Barbell Basics, the Old-School Way

“When I started out back at the very end of the ‘80s and as the ‘90s were just beginning, guys in the gyms still had that old-school mentality that barbell pressing was fundamental to building a good chest,” Dexter tells us. “On chest day, pretty much everybody would do flat barbell presses, incline barbell and declines. I don’t even recall too many guys using dumbbells. One phrase that really sunk in when I heard the older guys say it back then was ‘barbells build muscle.’”

Jackson might be seen using dumbbells and machines today in his chest workouts, but that’s only because at age 47, he’s already paid his dues with more than two decades of workouts that featured plenty of heavy barbell work. Just to give you an idea, he used to hit 10 reps with 405 on the bench press, every week for years.

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How Dexter Avoided Injuries

“Guys get hurt because they don’t warm up enough, they go way too heavy and they don’t use proper form,” Dexter explains. “I never jumped into a heavy weight on the bench press right away— that’s insane. Instead, I would start with 135 for 15, then 185 for 12, 225 for 10 and then start my work sets. My reps were never under eight, and mostly right at 10. You have to remember that you’re doing this exercise to build your chest, so focus on good contractions instead of worrying about being the guy at the gym who can bench press the most.”

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Prioritizing the Upper Chest

Dexter’s pecs are full from clavicle to sternum, but for the many who lack in upper-chest thickness, Jackson advises beginning all your chest workouts with an incline press. “You’re fresh in the gym and you can push as much weight at that time,” he points out. “Another thing I tell guys who need more upper chest is to lower the bar higher up on the chest near the bottom of your throat, instead of down close to the nipple line. That puts more stress on the upper chest. If you find that hurts your shoulder joints, try moving the point you lower the bar to a couple of inches.”

 

Dexter’s Foundation Chest Workout

Flat Barbell Bench Press         4 x 8-10

Incline Barbell Bench Press     4 x 8-10

Dumbbell Flyes or Pec Deck    4 x 8-10

 

Dexter’s Current Chest Workout

Smith Machine Incline Press    5 x 10

Smith Machine Flat Press        4 x 10

Dumbbell or Machine Flyes      4 x 10

 

JOHNNIE JACKSON

Johnnie Otis Jackson will not be remembered as one of the greatest bodybuilders in terms of titles or wins. He had four pro wins at smaller shows, and only cracked the back end of the top 10 at the Olympia twice, in 12 appearances. But he did earn a reputation as being one of the strongest bodybuilders of all time, and for having one of the thickest upper bodies ever seen— particularly his back, traps and chest. His pecs are so thick that they remind me of ‘80s star Bertil Fox, easily six inches of solid beef jutting out and hanging. It is not a coincidence in the least that he spent many years training at Metroflex Gym, and that his longtime training partner has been another man known for his tremendous chest, Branch Warren.

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Strong Point, From the Start

“When I was 15 and playing football for Hammonton High School in New Jersey, our team had a bench press meet against the kids from a local Catholic school, St. Joseph’s,” Johnnie tells us. “They were our big rival school. I won the whole thing with a bench press of 305, not weighing much more than 160. The coolest part was that they announced it the next morning while I was in homeroom! My chest was always big, too.”

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On Finding the Right Form for You

“A lot of people don’t understand that I’ve been training since I was 8 years old. Not 18 … 8! I’ve tried slow reps, half reps and many different ways of training in that time. No one way is the best, no matter what you hear. What you see Branch and I doing is what we do. Neither of us has ever said this is what you or everyone should do. This works for us. If you try it and it works well for you, great. If not, just keep trying different things and figure out what does give you the best results.”

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So, How Much Can He Bench?

“It’s been a long time since I maxed-out on the bench press. All the meets I’ve been doing in recent years have been just the deadlift. But I know I can get 545 pounds on the bench, in strict powerlifting style with a pause.”

 

Partner-Up on Chest Day

“A training partner is critical on chest day. Besides the safety factor, it’s just a great way to challenge and push each other to be your best. I never want to let Branch down and I don’t want him to outlift me, either. A regular training partner is better than some random spotter on chest day, because you need to be able to put your full trust in that person. That’s the only way you can have no fear at all, because you know that no matter what happens, this guy’s got you.”

 

Johnnie’s Off-Season Chest Workout

Incline Barbell Press       3 x 10-12                                

Flat Dumbbell Press       2-3 x 10-12

Seated Machine Press    3 x 12                                     

Pec Deck                      3 x 12

Cable Crossovers           3 x 12

 

Johnnie’s Pre-Contest Chest Workout*

Incline Barbell Press       3 x 10-12                                

Flat Dumbbell Press       2-3 x 10-12

Seated Machine Press    3 x 12                                     

Pec Deck                       3 x 12

Cable Crossovers            3 x 12

*Warm-ups not shown.

 

JAY CUTLER

Dorian and Ronnie often get credit for setting new standards regarding mass as Mr. Olympia champions, but Jay Cutler deserves that nod as well. At 5’9”, he competed at anywhere from 250 to 275 pounds of hulking thickness. His freaky legs got the most attention, followed closely by his astoundingly wide and round shoulders. Cutler also managed to craft an impressive set of pecs to match the rest of his massive physique. Unlike some of the men we are talking about here, chest did not come easy for him. Jay says it was actually his worst body part as a younger man.

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Two Major Fixes Jay Made to His Chest Training

Knowing that a weak set of pecs would hold him back as he strove to climb to the top of the heap, Cutler experimented with different variations in form until he eventually arrived at the style that allowed his chest to finally start growing to a respectable level of thickness. One major technique adjustment he made was to keep an arch in his back when he did any type of press. “I found that I had to get my chest up higher than my shoulders, or else my delts would always take over the movement,” he says. “I would say to myself, chest high, chest high, as a reminder of the position I needed to maintain during the set.”

 

The other form customization he made was to intentionally not use a full range of motion. A full range of motion would actually have prevented Jay from ever building his chest to its full potential. “When I used to touch the bar to my chest on bench presses, I could feel my shoulders and triceps working to get it moving back up again, not my chest,” Jay explains. “I found that if I stopped short an inch or two, I could keep the tension on my pecs, and I felt them doing a lot more of the work.” The same concept is why Jay doesn’t fully lock out his presses. “Again, at complete lockout of the arms, you bring the shoulders and tri’s into the movement too much, not to mention the stress you put on your elbows.”

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Checking the Ego

A final principle Jay subscribes to, that many other guys experiencing difficulty in building their chests would be wise to follow, is to stop worrying about how much weight you lift— because impressing the other knuckleheads at your gym isn’t worth missing out on the gains you should be making. “I can handle some decent weights, but I couldn’t care less about how much I use,” Jay tells us. “I’m not a powerlifter, so the numbers mean nothing to me. It’s all about the feeling in the muscle and keeping tension on it so I get a great pump. It makes no sense to bench press 500 pounds if you’re not feeling it in your pecs— because you have to use other muscle groups, not to mention a lot of help from a spotter, to get the weight up.”

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Jay’s Chest Workout, Circa 2011

Incline Dumbbell Press            2 warm-ups of 12-15; 3 x 10-12

Flat Smith Machine Press       3 x 10-12

Incline Dumbbell Flyes            3 x 10-12

Decline Barbell Press              3 x 10-12

Dumbbell Pullovers                  3 x 12

 

Jay’s Chest Workout, Circa 1992 – Age 18

Incline Dumbbell Press       4 x 10

Dumbbell Flyes                  4 x 10

Pec Deck                          4 x 10

Flat Bench Press               4 x 10

Cable Crossovers               4 x 10

 

DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE ON THE MD FORUM

READ PART 1 OF BEST CHESTS & HOW THEY BUILT THEM

READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS IN THE TRAINING SECTION

 

 

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