Arnold’s Forgotten Chest Hack: Pullovers + Dips 💪

Two simple lifts can carve out the chest definition you’ve been missing.

Most lifters obsess over the flat bench but still wonder why their chest looks “flat” and lacks that deep separation between the pecs and abs. Here’s the truth: the lower chest gets skipped by most people’s routines.

Arnold didn’t just build his chest with heavy bench presses—he relied on two specific moves that carved out that iconic lower pec shelf. You don’t need a barbell for these exercises. What you need is intention, consistency, and a willingness to feel the stretch and squeeze where it matters most.

The 2 Lower Chest Game-Changers

1. Dumbbell Pullovers

This old-school classic is one of Arnold’s favorite movements for shaping the chest.

• Lie across a bench with a single dumbbell.
• Keep your arms slightly bent, lower the weight slowly behind your head, and focus on pulling it back up with your chest (not your arms).
• Think of “hugging” the weight back to the starting position.
• Why it works: It opens up the ribcage and stretches the lower chest like nothing else.

2. Dips

This might be the most underrated lower chest mass builder out there.

• Lean forward slightly (don’t stay straight up and down).
• Lower yourself until you feel a deep stretch in your chest, then push through the bottom with control.
• Keep your reps slow and intentional — this is about muscle, not momentum.
• Why it works: It targets the bottom portion of the pecs where most bench presses can’t reach.

How to Train Them

• Add these moves to your push or chest day 2x a week.
• Keep the reps controlled — 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps for dips (on a bar or bench), and 10-15 reps for pullovers.
• Think “stretch and squeeze” — don’t rush the movement.

Why Most People Miss This

• They only bench press and skip accessory lifts.
• They don’t focus on form or tempo, meaning they never hit the right angles.
• They ignore the classics (like pullovers) that built the best chests in history.

Building a chest that pops isn’t about piling plates on the bar. It’s about hitting angles that most people overlook. Stick to dips and pullovers with purpose, and you’ll build that sharp, shadow-casting lower pec shelf.