Chest Workout: Hunter Labrada's 5 Moves To Massive Pecs!

New Exercise and Fitness Review

Vital Stats

Name: Hunter Labrada
Age: 21
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 235 lbs
Education: Texas A&M University
Sponsor: Labrada Nutrition Athlete
Location: College Station, TX

Nearly every guy in the gym hungers for a bigger, broader, stronger chest. Heck, the chest is the only body part with its own holiday: Monday, aka “International Chest Day.” Building a barrel chest isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. This workout contains only five main exercises, but it’s exactly what you need to carve powerful pecs.

My five-move chest blast pushes you to start heavy with incline dumbbell presses. It moves into isolation work with incline dumbbell flyes, stretching your chest and drawing nutrient-rich blood into the muscle. From there, you’ll jump to machines and knock out a Smith machine bench press and pec deck fly, fully engaging your chest as your stabilizer muscles start to fail. The workout ends with dumbbell pullovers for maximum shape.

You only need to complete this workout once every week. Push it hard and it’s all you’ll need.

Hunter Labrada
Watch The Video – 6:02

Perform this workout once per week. Rest 45-60 seconds between sets.

• 
  

  Warm-Up

  
  


• Arm Circles
  10 per arm


• 
  10 per arm


• 
  

   

  
  


• Incline Dumbbell Press
  3 sets of 10-12 reps


• Incline Dumbbell Fly
  4 sets of 12 reps


• Machine Bench Press
  3 sets to failure


• Pec Deck Fly
  2 sets of 15 reps


• Dumbbell Pull-Over
  2 sets of 15 reps

Hunting for Powerful Pecs

I like to warm up my shoulders before I start any heavy chest work. I don’t want to start cold. I use arm circles and rotator cuff exercises to get blood into my shoulders and loosen the joints. I suggest you do the same.

Once you get warmed up, move on to your working sets. I pick weights that allow me to lift 10-12 reps to keep me injury-free. That’s the prime range for growth. This is bodybuilding, so we are after growth!

1 Incline dumbbell press

I know everyone has shoulder problems, so use help if you need it to get your dumbbells into position. However, if you can’t press the dumbbells out of the hole, they’re too heavy, so lower the weight. I like to envision a bar going through the dumbbells. I touch that imaginary bar to my chest at the bottom of every rep to ensure a full stretch.

Incline dumbbell press

2 Incline dumbbell fly

Lower an adjustable bench just one notch shy of completely flat. Why? Because when you’re completely flat and keeping an open chest like you’re supposed to, it places an inordinate amount of tension on your front delts. By lifting the bench a bit, the pressure shifts from your shoulders to your chest, which is exactly where you want it.

I almost pause at the bottom of each rep, as you can see in the video.

Incline dumbbell fly

3 Machine bench press (Smith machine)

I use the Smith machine in this video because it’s the only machine press most gyms have. Typically, I prefer to use a Hammer Strength machine. It helps you get the correct angle, and you don’t have to worry about getting the bench centered, as you do on the Smith.

You are going for a pump with the flat bench, so you go just short of lockout and get a good stretch at the bottom of the movement.

Machine bench press

4 Pec Deck Fly

As I complete every rep on the pec deck machine, I turn the bottoms of my hands in. Doing so will remove your propensity to round your shoulders and use your back and shoulders to move the weight. It also allows you to get a better inner-chest contraction. Cup your hands inward and keep shoulders back as you move through each rep.

Pec Deck Fly

5 Dumbbell Pull-Over

This exercise is typically done on back day, but whenever you have this much blood in your chest, the stretch that this exercise gives will elongate the muscle. A longer muscle is a stronger and safer muscle.

Dumbbell Pull-Over

Push Your Pecs

Give this workout a shot on your next chest day. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed! Drop any questions or ideas in the comments section below. I’m excited to hear what you think!

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About The Author

Hunter Labrada, son of IFBB Mr. Universe Lee Labrada, is a bodybuilder on the rise and proudly helping build the family business!

Bodybuilding.com Articles

Chest Workout: Hunter Labrada"s 5 Moves To Massive Pecs!

5 Crock-Pot Recipes For Massive Muscle!

New Exercise and Fitness Review

It’s 2013: Why isn’t my food ready the instant I want it? As a busy working parent, I wish I could just snap my fingers at mealtime and thereby summon a magic genie to whip up something healthy and delicious. I can’t rely on my wife—she’s as slammed as I am!

I don’t want a repeat of my earlier years, when I lived off canned tuna and boiled eggs for months at a time. During one bout of contest prep, I ate the same thing every damn day: a head of lettuce, a pound of chicken, a dozen boiled eggs, and veggies all mixed into one big bowl with salsa. That was it … for 12 … straight … weeks.

When I got married, some kind soul bought us a Crock-pot. What a revelation! This gadget works quick and easy: All you do is throw all the ingredients into the pot and let it do its thing. You’re a lousy cook? Ha! You couldn’t screw this up if you tried, especially because cooking times have a ton of leeway. Most meals might be ruined if you cooked them for an hour too long, but your only penalty in a Crock-pot is that your meat becomes more tender.

Sold? Ready to get pot-trained? Try these five Crock-pot recipes for massive muscle.

The Carnivore

I love a hearty breakfast, but half the time I just make a protein shake and head out the door unsatisfied. That’s why a Crock-pot omelet is freaking magical. I can prepare the meal right before I go to bed and awaken to a killer breakfast that’s ready to go, even if I’m not. Now if I could only get that automatic coffee-maker working!

• 6 Eggs


• 10 oz diced Potatoes


• 4 oz cubed Ham


• 2 oz chopped Turkey Bacon


• 3 oz Chuck Steak, sliced


• 1/4 cup Onions


• 1/2 Green Bell Pepper


• 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese


• Pepper

1. Dice or chop all of the meats and vegetables. (Here’s the neat trick; use a food processor and all of this chopping can be done in less than a minute.


2. Dump meats and vegetables into the Crock-pot.


3. In a small mixing bowl, mix eggs and spices and pour that into the bowl too.


4. Turn the Crockpot to low heat and leave it on while you go to sleep. You can thank me in the morning. (That’s what she said. Right?)


5. Top with cheese a few minutes prior to serving.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size

Amount per serving

Calories 341

Total Fat13.4g

Total Carbs24.25g

Protein32.4g

The Carnivore PDF (153 KB)

Loco Moco

Prepare to have your mind blown. My brothers at Lift Big Eat Big posted this the other day, and it has changed the course of history. Unlike our College Boy (see below), this meal requires a little bit of prep work, but it is more than worth it. It is a great way to start your day toward packing on the beef, and will give you a genuine mouth-gasm.

• 1 1/2 lb Lean Ground Beef (you can use patties if you prefer)


• 2 cups White Rice


• 3 Packets Herb Brown Gravy Mix


• 1/4 cup chopped Onions


• 3 cups Water


• 6 Eggs

1. Cook the beef and prior to loading them in your Crock-pot.


2. Add cooked beef and onions to Crock-pot; add rice, gravy mix, and water to the pot.


3. Press the rice down firmly to stop the eggs from running through; crack the eggs on top of the rice one at a time.


4. Slow cook all night or set it on high for half the night. Set a timer so the pot turns off when it is done.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size

Amount per serving

Calories 448

Total Fat24.6g

Total Carbs15.2g

Protein38.2g

Loco Moco PDF (101 KB)

The Make-It-Bacon Paleo Chicken Classic

Our prehistoric kin probably never ate anything like this, but there is a reason they gave up hunting and gathering—pigs and chickens are delish! This in-the-pot recipe will leave you licking the bottom for scraps. I throw this together a few hours before dinner.

• 1 lb cubed Chicken Breasts


• 1/3 lb chopped Bacon


• 1 small White Onion, thinly sliced


• 1 tsp Cumin


• 1 tsp Garlic Powder


• Salt


• Pepper


• 2 tbsp Chipotle Sauce

1. Place uncooked bacon pieces in the Crock-pot. Stir bacon in among cubed chicken, onion, and seasonings.


2. If you like, give it a light olive oil glaze. It will taste good and help keep your chicken from sticking to the pot.


3. Cook your bird on high for 3-4 hours.


4. Top with your chipotle sauce upon serving.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size

Amount per serving

Calories 594

Total Fat37.7g

Total Carbs1.8g

Protein56.2g

The Make-It-Bacon Paleo Chicken Classic PDF (101 KB)

The College Boy

I call this the “College Boy” because of its simple preparation. No chopping, dicing, slicing, or any real work is needed. You need only be able to use a can opener and get the top off the jar, and several hours later you will end up with some high-quality belly stuffing.

• 4 boneless Chicken Breasts


• 1 can Black Beans


• 1 can Corn


• Salsa (pick your poison)


• 8 oz Cream Cheese

1. Place chicken breasts in the Crock-pot. They can still be frozen if that is your style.


2. Drain cans of black beans and corn and add them into the cauldron.


3. Top it with your salsa, stir it up, and let it go!


4. Slow cook for 7-8 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high.


5. Save cream cheese until the food is nearly done; let it melt on top prior to serving.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 4 Servings

Amount per serving

Calories 679

Total Fat35g

Total Carbs50g

Protein45.8g

The College Boy PDF (101 KB)

The Classic

Everyone should be able to make a good roast. It is a great classic that should be familiar to every dinner table.

• 3 lb Chuck Roast


• 1 lb Yellow Potatoes


• 1 lb baby Carrots


• 1 cup thinly sliced Onion wedges


• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed


• 1 tsp Salt


• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper


• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil


• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can Cream of Mushroom Soup


• 1 tbsp Beef Bouillon granules


• 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1. Chop carrots, onion, and potatoes and put them in the pot.


2. Mix the garlic, pepper, and salt together into a small bowl. Rub this mixture onto both sides of your roast.


3. Combine the vegetable oil, cream of mushroom soup, Worcestershire sauce, and beef bouillon into a bowl. Pour this onto your roast, and add water (or low-sodium beef broth) until the roast is covered.


4. Cook on high for four hours, or roast on low for eight. Either way, it will be delicious.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size

Amount per serving

Calories 536

Total Fat20.2g

Total Carbs28.4g

Protein57.6g

The Classic PDF (102 KB)

About The Author

Matt is the Training and Nutrition Specialist for Bodybuilding.com. He has studied Exercise Science and is a competitive strength athlete.

Bodybuilding.com Articles

5 Crock-Pot Recipes For Massive Muscle!