Wesley Vissers shares the secret tactic he used to build a massive chest when he started bodybuilding.

Everyone wants to know the secret. It doesn’t matter what thing you are talking about. It can be sports, dating, money, or any other wide variety of challenges we try to overcome in life. We wall want to know a secret that makes it all easier. This is certainly true for bodybuilding and building muscle. While there’s no magic bullet – there are tips that can help make all that hard work more effective. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Wesley Vissers explains how he used outtakes from Pumping Iron to discover secrets that helped him build a bigger chest.

Whenever we have an opportunity to speak with a talented pro bodybuilder, we always ask them for insider knowledge on building the perfect physique. While there is never a short cut that can overcome hard work – insights into pro tactics and techniques can help inspire up-and-coming bodybuilders towards a more successful path.

Wesley Vissers is a bodybuilder well known for having an incredible chest. So we asked him – what is his personal secret towards building the ultimate chest?  His training tactics have evolved over the years as he has built his pro career. But he does point towards one tactic he used early in his career that made a huge difference.

Wesley Vissers used to watch and rewatch Pumping Iron. Not simply because he loved the movie (he did) but also to track the sequences of Arnold Schwarzenegger training. Wesley understood early on that he had a height and aesthetic similar to Schwarzenegger. He figured that this was the perfect person to mimic to improve his own physique.

Wesley Vissers didn’t just stop at watching the full film. He watched the deleted scenes and outtakes of Arnold Schwarzenegger as well. He recalls that there were full sequences showcasing other exercises and workouts Schwarzenegger did while being filmed. Wesley found these cut scenes to be even more insightful than what was in the film.

“There are exercises not shown in the movie itself but they are shown in some clips,” Wesley Vissers states in our interview. He continues:

“For example, you can see Arnold doing incline bench press. Just a few reps but I could see – ‘Okay, how is he doing this?’ He’s gripping the bar wider. He’s letting the bar drop down to his chest a lot higher than I’m used to. So I really mimicked how he was doing the exercise and found out that ‘Okay, I’m actually getting a better stretch, a better mind-muscle connection, I’m getting a better pump like this.”

As you can see from his explanation, Wesley Vissers looked at Pumping Iron and all of the available clips almost like a sports replay. The same way a coach might review a play from a previous game with the team. That’s what Wesley did watching Arnold Schwarzenegger in Pumping Iron.

Wesley Vissers goes on to explain how he evolved his training from that point forward. He met Barry De May, worked on some new tactics and techniques, and continues to evolve his training towards champion success. One such tactic was to move away from the bench press and lifting too heavy. It’s a common mistake bodybuilders make that can lead to injury over time. This is a sentiment we’ve seen repeated in interviews with past pro bodybuilders as well.

You can watch Wesley Vissers’ full comments on how to build a bigger chest in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.

Derek Dufour
Derek Dufour has been managing all digital operations on the Generation Iron Network for over six years. He currently manages a team of editors, writers, and designers to provide up-to-date content across the GI Network.