Flex Lewis Names Top 3 Chest Exercises For A Ripped Chest – Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network

There are only 3 moves needed to build an Olympia Champion Chest.

Do you want stunning visual impact and better performance in any activity that requires force projection? Then it’s time to build yours Chest correctly! And what’s better than looking good while stuffing your t-shirt? The Flex Lewis Chest Workout is the perfect routine to help you achieve those impressive pecs you’ve always dreamed of.

Flex Lewis he is a pensioner great bodybuildingIn the Men 212 division. He was inspired to start training after reading a book about Tom Platz at age 12. This is the inspiration from Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of his biggest idols, kept him going.

The Welsh Dragon, as he became known, entered and won his first bodybuilding competition at age 16. This turned into a career-high 30 1st place wins out of 37 competitions over the course of his career. He went undefeated in every competition he entered from 2012 to 2018 before retiring after his seventh 212 Mister Olympia win.

Although he no longer competes, Flex Lewis educates fans about bodybuilding. He constantly shares his thoughts on training, dietAND steroid he uses and left everyone in awe with his physique when he hit the scales at 200 pounds earlier this year. Here is his choice for the the three best exercises to build an Olympia-worthy chest which he recently shared on his Instagram.

Full name: James Flex Lewis
Weight	Height	Date of birth
200 – 238 lbs	55	11/15/1983
Division	Era	Nationality
Men 212	Years 2000-2010	Welsh

Flex Lewis chest workout

The Welsh Dragon used machines for all chest exercises in this workout. While free weight has benefits, research shows it pays off muscle mass and strength are similar whether you use free weights or machines (1). Using proper form when training with machines is also easier.

Exercises

Vertical chest press

Inclined flight

Prone Chest Press

Vertical chest press

The vertical chest press is a movement that targets the upper chest muscles. Chest presses also work your front end deltoids AND triceps (2). This is a great routine for building a bigger overall bust.

Using the reloaded machine for the vertical chest press allows you to lift heavier loads, leading to muscle gain hypertrophy. Its adjustment also allows you to isolate and target specific parts of the chest. When performing this routine, use controlled movements and avoid catching your own elbows too far back, as this overextends the elbow.

Flex Lewis uses the Arsenal Reloaded Vertical Chest Press and says the vertical chest press is his first move to build pectoral muscles. He also says that foundations are key when doing this movement.

You find the seat height in accordance with your biomechanics. So what I try to do is align the chest with the handles [and] get a beam a little closer. People will say you are incorporating your triceps. I’ve been doing this for a long time. There are ways I try to turn off that button, but the wider you get, the less triceps you’ll hit. Pinching against the pad and my shoulder blades. I’m not wriggling in my chair [in] normal motion. Chest high squeeze up.

Inclined flight

THE inclined flight it’s an isolation exercise that works the upper pecs. The key to the success of this exercise is the incline of the bench which this study shows results in greater muscle activation (3).

Using the Arsenal Reloaded angle fly also gives you an edge. It offers a great range of motion, and the curved bench helps open the chest during the movement. Flex Lewis claims that the movement with this machine is as close to the flight of dumbbellshow can it be a car.

This is about as close to a fly with dumbbells as a machine can be. Chest up, I’m arching my body. There is a definite little distance between my lower back and the pad on my shoulder blades firmly on the pad, fully stretched at the bottom. Twitching with flies all the way by squeezing them up, unfolding them, checking the weight. Ninety degrees and beyond. You can open or close your hands depending on your preference and what you are trying to achieve during your workout.

Prone Chest Press

The prone chest press is a strength exercise that works on yours upper chest, shouldersand triceps. This exercise is a great addition to yours upper body workout, and many people prefer to use the machine as it adds more stability, especially for beginners. You should also adjust this machine to fit yours arm and torso length.

Flex Lewis says the incline chest press is one of the GOATs for chest exercises. He also says he uses a suicide grip for this exercise, which he doesn’t recommend since it can be more dangerous. The suicide grip is also called a fake grip, and when using this grip, you place your thumb next to your index finger instead of wrapping it as usual.

While this grip keeps your wrists neutral and leaves the shoulder in a better position, can easily slip the weight off the hands as the thumbs are not present as a safety lock. Flex Lewis says,

Chest up, feet in a solid basic stance, and we were about to push through the top squeeze. As you can see, I have a suicidal grip which is something I don’t recommend, but this is how I train and feel best. Twitching all the time, control is the key.

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References

1. Schwanbeck, SR, Cornish, SM, Barss, T., and Chilibeck, PD (2020). Effects of training with free weights versus machines on muscle mass, strength, free testosterone, and free cortisol levels. Strength and Conditioning Research Journal, 34(7), 18511859. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003349
2. Muyor, JM, Rodrguez-Ridao, D., & Oliva-Lozano, JM (2023). Comparison of muscle activity between horizontal bench press and seated chest press exercises using different grips. Journal of Human Kinetics, 87, 2334. https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/161468
3. Lauver, JD, Cayot, TE & Scheuermann, BW (2016). Influence of bench angle on upper limb muscle activation during bench press exercise. European Journal of Sports Science, 16(3), 309316. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2015.1022605