Among the big three movements that lifters use to gauge strength, most of us get to know the bench press first. Because it's easy, right? All you do is lay down, un-rack the bar, and press your brains out… until that day when you get hurt.

Listen: To lift big, and to lift a long time, you've got to lift right.

Here are 5 pointers that'll help you add size and strength to your pecs, delts, triceps—even your lats. But, hey, if you're not interested in developing a strong upper body, give Jazzercise a try.

1. Consider Your Grip

Although the width of your grip is largely a matter of preference, a balanced grip will also balance tension on your shoulders and triceps. Too wide a grip puts excessive amounts of stress on the shoulders: Too narrow a grip can beat up on the elbows.

Unfortunately, what feels like a balanced grip to you might not work for someone else. Experiment to find out what feel like the right width for you. If you feel shoulder or elbow pain, your grip may be either too wide or too narrow.

To further refine your grip, you can also either wrap your thumb around the bar or leaving it open, which is often referred to as a "suicide grip." Once again, the choice is yours, but using an open grip can tend to place too much stress on the wrists in my experience. I recommend wrapping your thumb and closing your grip firmly around the bar when benching.

2. Arch Your Back

To get the most out of a bench press, you absolutely have to arch your back so you can shift tension toward the upper part of your back and your traps. Then, you want to contract your scapula as if you're trying to make your shoulder blades touch each other. This is crucial for both strength and safety while benching.

If you simply lie with your back flat on the bench without arching your back or contracting your shoulder blades, your arms and shoulders will do most of the work, while your chest just sort of goes through the motions. Your shoulder will also probably hate you. That's a perfect way to end up with a weaker bench press and smaller pecs.

3. Tuck Your Elbows

Now that your grip is correct, your back is arched, and your scapulae are contracted, it’s time to unrack and lower the weight. The natural tendency at this point is to either stick your elbows out or keep them tucked in to your side. If you flare them out, you're going to stress your shoulders. If you keep them tucked in, you'll involve your lats and better recruit your pecs.

Tucking in your elbows sets you up for a more powerful drive—and it's safer. I like to compare it to squatting with the focus on your hips instead of your knees. Anytime you do compound movements, you always want to recruit the biggest and strongest joints and muscles so you can safely move the most weight.

4. Aim For Your Nipples

Now let's talk about the position of the bar as you lower it to your chest. You need to be sure you don't bring the bar too close or too far from your neck at the bottom of the movement. Many old-school bodybuilders aim higher up, dropping the bar near their throat, which causes them to flare the elbows. This often feel entirely unnatural to most of us, reduces the amount of weight you can lift, and increases the risk of shoulder injury.

If, on the other hand, you bring the bar too far down toward your midsection, you risk losing control of the weight altogether. For best results, aim for the bar to land in line with your nipples. This will help you keep your elbows tucked in, build tension on the way down, and explode on the way up.

And always bring the bar down until it touches your chest. There is no benefit whatsoever in stopping part of the way down. Full range of movement results in full development.

5. Avoid Locking At The Top

Now that you have all the proper bench mechanics in place, the only thing left to do is press. Keep your chest high, your elbows in, and your scapula contracted. Drive through your lats and chest, and thrust the bar toward the ceiling.

If you're benching for muscle gain or are a bodybuilder, I recommend that you don't lock out your elbows at the top of the movement. Stopping just short of locking maintains constant tension on your chest and minimizes stress on your elbows.

If, on the other hand, you're a powerlifter, then do what your sport demands. And if you're just someone who wants to be both strong as hell and look the part, then take what you've learned here and make your next chest day matter!

Many of us look forward to training chest, and if you're like me, you might even consider Monday the holy day of pec training.

If you seek ultimate chest gains and the kind of workout that will challenge your skills, keep reading—this pec workout is for you. Rookies be warned: This one won't be easy. With over 400 reps in less than 45 minutes, this is a chest workout for serious iron-game devotees.

Pec-Deck Fly

With this first exercise, you're really accomplishing two things: First, you're establishing a mind-muscle connection, feeling the pecs work so you'll know the reps you do are quality ones. Second, you're forcing blood to the area you want to build and stretching the muscle, so you can maximize the pump and build a chest to stretch any shirt.

You know the form on this exercise, so I won't bore you with the details. What makes this exercise a beast is the sheer number of reps in each set. Serious weight for 25 reps is no joke!

Choose a weight you know will be challenging. Then, sit down, rep it out, and feel the stretch and contraction in your pecs as you prep your muscles for what lies ahead. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Incline Barbell Bench Press

Barbells allow you to load up the weight so you're overloading the muscles. Using a free weight instead of a machine forces the pecs to stabilize the bar while you work. The inclined angle targets that elusive upper shelf on your pecs. So, keep your shoulders back and make sure you're feeling it in the right muscles.

This is a tough rep scheme, so grip the bar, use a full range of motion, and power up that weight. Unleash the beast you're trying to become. Load more weight after each set to push yourself on every rep.

A word about that last rep, the single. Don't do a max. Your pecs will be taxed. Load up a weight you feel confident you can push. Take a lift-off and spot to be safe. Rest 90 seconds between sets so you have enough recovery to hit it hard.

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press

Dumbbells force each side to do its own share of the work. They also allow for a better range of motion. You've already focused on power—now focus on making those muscles grow.

Using a wide variety of rep ranges gets all the muscle fibers to join the party. At 40 reps, you're starting fairly light on the weight, but don't be afraid to load up more weight with each drop in reps. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Incline Dumbbell Fly

Ideally, use a different angle for this than you did on the barbell press. The different angle will challenge your pecs in a different way.

This rep scheme is the opposite of the previous exercise. This time, as the reps go up, the weight comes down. Although it's tempting to speed through the reps, slow down and focus on feeling that muscle work. Don't just count your reps—make each rep count! Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Seated Machine Chest Press

If you don't have a seated chest press machine at your gym, use a resistance band and wrap it around an upright bar, or use a cable cross-over machine. Pressing horizontally is easier on your delts and tougher on your pecs, so keep your chest up and arms level.

Using a machine or band restricts the motion through your shoulders, so you can just focus on doing the work with your pecs. This is a lot of volume, but keep that rest to 60 seconds. You're on the home stretch now. Stay strong!

Push-Up

The good news is push-ups are the final exercise of this monster workout. Even better news? You get to do 100 total. You're welcome.

If you've been working hard, your muscles should be gassed at this point. To get through 100 grueling push-ups—without cheating—just start cranking out reps, performing as many good push-ups as you can until you reach failure.

Rest for 30 seconds, then pick up where you left off. Every time you hit failure, rest for 30 seconds, and keep counting. Keep going until you make it to that 100th and final rep of the day!