There’s a reason the debate between light-weights-and-high-reps versus heavy-weights-with-low-reps has raged on for so long: it's because they both work.
In fact, picking a side in the war of weights may just be costing you your beloved gains. A healthy spread of rep targets, and using exercises that complement those ranges could be your ticket to playing both sides (and reaping the benefits).
The ‘5/20’ principle, detailed below, starts hard and heavy but shifts gears, to move you up in reps until you reach a fiery, 20-rep crescendo. This workout targets your pecs, hitting them from all angles, ensuring maximum growth, in minimum time.
For the chest pump of the century, work your way through five rounds of the following circuit. Leave no rest between each movement, but rest for two to three minutes between each round, allowing yourself to fully recover, ready to bulldoze the next circuit.
1. INCLINE DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS x 5
Lay on a bench set at a 45-degree angle, holding two dumbbells above your head (A), slowly lower both bells over 4 seconds, keeping your elbows at a slight angle to your torso, until both dumbbells touch your chest (A) explosively press the bells back to full lockout and repeat.
2. DUMBBELL FLOOR PRESS x 10
After your final incline press, jump off of the bench and lay flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground, still holding your dumbbells. Press the weights above your chest, locking out your elbows (A). Lower them slowly until your upper arms are resting on the floor (B) pause here before explosively pressing back up.
3. DIPS x 15
Jump up on two parallel bars with your palms facing inward and your arms straight (A). Use two boxes or the backs of two sturdy chairs if you’re at home. Lean forward and slowly lower your body over 3 seconds until you feel a deep stretch in your chest.(B). Drive yourself back up to the top and repeat.
4. PUSH-UP ON DUMBBELLS x 20
With dips despatched, drop into a plank position, with your core tight and hands on your dumbbells (A), bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor (B). Keep your elbows close to your body as you push back up explosively.
With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.
As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.
Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.
You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.
