One thing’s for sure: A 50 inch chest is definitely not a normal chest size for a man—even one who’s been lifting weights for years.
So what exactly does it take to build a 50″ chest naturally? Well, it takes a lot more than just bench pressing and bulking. As you’ll soon discover, having the right genetics is absolutely crucial when it comes to sculpting a chiseled 50 in chest.
How Does Your Chest Stack Up?
- 46 inch chest
- 47 inch chest
- 48 inch chest
- 49 inch chest
- 51 inch chest
- 52 inch chest
- 55 inch chest
- 56 inch chest
- 60 inch chest
Is a 50 inch chest big?
Is a 50 inch chest big for a man? Yes, a 50 inch chest is very big for an adult male—even for a man who can bench press a lot of weight. This is because a 50″ chest is around 8-10 inches bigger than average, according to my anthropometric research.
Now, there are a few factors that influence how big your 50 inch chest will look. For example, the shorter that you are, the bigger your 50″ chest will naturally look. This is because shorter lifters tend to have narrow rib cages, meaning that a larger portion of your chest measurement will consist of muscle tissue rather than bone mass.
Of course, a 50 inch chest is still big for a tall person. It’s just that taller lifters tend to have big frames, which means that more of their circumference measurement will consist of bone mass (i.e., their ribcage) as opposed to pectoral and upper back muscle mass.
Similarly, if you have a really wide back, then your actual pectorals might not look huge, but you might still have a 50″ chest measurement because your back is so big.
What does a 50 inch chest look like?
Your body fat level is the main factor that affects how your 50 inch chest looks. For example, there are actually plenty of guys who have a 50″ chest. It’s just that these fellas have so much excess body fat that nobody realizes the extent of their chest mass.
On the other hand, there are some bodybuilders who have lean 50 inch chests. In this case, their bulging pecs and back muscles will very much stand out due to their extreme level of development.
Then, more commonly, you have the larger-framed natural lifters who have a 50 in chest due to a combination of chest mass, back size, and body fat. So if you’ve been a dedicated lifter for years and you have decent genetics, then it’s conceivable that you could end up with a legitimate 50″ chest while you’re bulking.
So, to recap, if you have a 50 inch chest, then you’re either overfat, absolutely jacked, or just have a massive frame. Of course, you could also have a 50 in chest due to a combination of these factors, which, admittedly, is much more likely for a natural lifter. More on this in a minute.
Who has a 50 inch chest?
Here are two examples of lifters with a 50 inch chest so that you can see what a 50″ chest actually looks like in real life.
Matt London
Matt London is 6 foot tall, weighs 260 lbs, and has a massive 50 inch chest. And that’s an unpumped measurement!
Most impressively of all, Matt is completely natural and has a remarkably lean physique. So it just goes to show that when you have a solid build and the determination to grow, you can absolutely build a 50″ chest.
As you can see on his channel, Matt is a very strong guy indeed. He’s not just doing a few push-ups here and there; he’s lifting seriously heavy weights that many of us would be intimidated by.
So, if you want to build extreme levels of chest mass, you’re going to need to put some heavy tension through your pecs (and your lats and traps, for that matter). Focus on increasing the resistance while maintaining good form, and the gains will come (though I can’t promise that you’ll get to 50 inches).
Micah LaCerte
Fitness model Micah LaCerte once posted a video where he measured his massive 50 inch chest while he was bulking. At this time, he weighed about 226 lbs, which makes his ginormous measurement even more impressive.
Nowadays, I wouldn’t be surprised if Micah has a 50″ chest at a much lower body fat level (though, in my opinion, he still looked pretty lean back then). The gains definitely slow down once you’ve been in the gym for a while, but a lean 50 in chest definitely seems achievable for someone with the work ethic of Micah LaCerte.
For reference, Micah, who describes himself as an ectomorph, is around 6 feet tall, which is definitely above average. However, Micah’s stats and 50 inch pecs just go to show that you don’t need the world’s biggest frame to build a huge physique; consistency and purposeful bulking can get you some serious size gains.
What shirt size is a 50 inch chest?
What size is a 50 inch chest? In most brands of men’s clothing, a 50 inch chest works out at a 2 XL or a 3 XL. Make sure to size up if you want a looser fit.
You also need to take into account your other measurements when buying a shirt. So if you have a 50 in chest due to being extremely muscular, then you’ll likely need to get your shirts tailored if you want them to fit well.
Can you build a 50″ chest naturally?
The million-dollar question: What does it take to build a 50 inch chest naturally?
Let me start by saying that not every lifter has the genetics to build a 50″ chest without getting fat. Some people just have narrow frames and small rib cages, which can make it really difficult to achieve big circumference measurements, especially when it comes to the torso area.
So, having a decently large frame is what I’d call a necessary (but not sufficient) prerequisite for being able to sculpt a 50 in chest. In other words, genetics alone won’t get you a 50 inch chest, but they’re definitely required for the 50 inch measurement to be achievable.
Additionally, most natural lifters will need to bulk up to around 17-25% body fat (it depends on how big your ribcage is) in order to get a 50″ chest. So if you prefer to stay lean, then you likely won’t be able to join the 50-inch club.
Most importantly, sculpting a respectable 50 inch chest (i.e., don’t get too fat) takes a long time. You’ll likely need to train with real purpose for at least 5 years before your chest will surpass the 50-inch mark. And even then, that’s the best-case scenario with good genetics.
Yeah, building a 50 inch chest is tough. But don’t get too hung up on specific circumference measurements because the reality is you can look absolutely jacked while having a chest that’s substantially smaller than 50 inches.
In conclusion: How long does it take to get a 50 in chest?
If you have the genetics to build a 50 inch chest, then I’d say that you can do it in about 5-7 years.
That might actually seem quite quick to some people seeing as many lifters train for decades and still don’t have a 50 in chest.
But the reality is that genetics are very important for bodybuilding. You either have the ability to build a 50″ chest, or you don’t.
Most of your mass gains as a natural lifter will come in your first 5 years of training, so this is when you can expect to get a 50 inch chest if you have good genetics for packing on size. Just don’t expect to be that lean while having a genuine 50 in chest!