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Table of of Cont Contents ents WHAT YOU WILL LEARN ANATOMY ANATOMY BREAK BREAK DOWN 5 PECTORALIS MINOR MINOR 8 THORACIC SPINE 8 SHOULDER BLADE 9 PECTORALIS MAJOR 10 MUSCLE FIBER TYPE 11 PRESSING ANGLE & GRIP WIDTH 15 SINGLE JOINT MOVEMENTS 6-WEEK CHEST 21 31 40 49 59 68
TRAINING TRAINING PROGRAM WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 WEEK 6
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WHAT YOU WILL LEARN • The chest is comprised of two muscles, the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. minor. This article will highlight highlig ht the function of each but will largely focus on the larger pec major with an emphasis on the anatomy of the muscle respective maximizing effort spent in the gym to provide the greatest stimulus for muscle and strength development. • The pec major, is a powerhouse muscle for creating upper arm pressing actions. With a higher hig her percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers (explosive work) compared to slow twitch muscle fibers (posture and endurance work) the pec should be trained through a lower rep range, with moderate to planned heavy sessions, that cover a spread-out weekly volume for for sets. Don’t forget to include higher reps as well though as slow twitch muscle fibers also show the capacity to grow. We need to maximize all muscular fiber development for the ultimate in i n chest size! • Including bands, and chains, are a novel way way to maximize gains while decreasing decreasing injury risk. This form of training, known as accommodating resistance, will allow you to progressively overload while under control. • Using deep loaded stretches are an excellent method to ensure muscle muscle growth but where it is placed in the workout is critical for injury prevention. Following the strategy to emphasize the pump early in the workout can c an allow for improved gains by limiting unnecessary soft tissue damage and the recovery down time that comes with it.
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We cannot and should not escape the lessons that anatomy provides for us in developing the understanding for how we move and subsequently develop. The pecs are no stranger to this concept and as we dive into the literature, we will see why certain pressing angles, arm positions, grip widths and down to the tools we select to train with, all have an impact on bringing out the best chest your body can build. Let’s get to breaking down the facts, dispelling the myths and elevating the science of how to dominate your chest for maximum growth and strength potential.
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ANATOMY BREAK DOWN The chest can be broken down into the 2 pectoral muscles known as the pectoralis major and minor. Let’s briefly discuss the pec minor, as its role is relative to overall shoulder pressing health.
PECTORALIS MINOR
The pec minor muscle is considered an accessory muscle of respiration, as its primary function is to lift the ribs 3 to 5 upward during forceful inhalation. This action of pulling the ribs upwards towards the bony origin of the shoulder blade called the coracoid process, which allows us to take in more air which is functionally useful during resistance training but also when on stage to increase the appearance of a larger chest. Direct strengthening of the pec minor can therefore have both positive effects for improving posture and overall aesthetic.
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Direct pec minor training is not a task where we simply take in a deep breath and hold it, although that thought process wouldn’t be wrong, it is simply just not effective enough at providing a training stimulus. The example of taking in a deep breath is an example of the pec minor working in an open kinetic chain, where the scapula is relatively fixed, allowing the insertion at the level of the ribs to pull towards the origin. If we were to switch roles and now fix the shoulder blade, what we will see when the pec minor contracts is, it will pull the scapula towards the ribs, or, it will perform scapular depression; the opposite of a shoulder shrug. This anti-shrug is directly influenced by the pec minor and is a way that we can overload the muscle to provide a direct training stimulus to it in the gym. The optimal way to perform an anti-shrug will come by way of the straight arm scapular press or anti-shrug. This exercise should be preformed with a slow and steady pace, that can be incorporated at the end of a pressing day for either the shoulder or chest. Ideally when performing the pec minor dip, you should maintain a straight arm position and you will want to also keep your head in as best posture to ensure full range of motion of the scapular into elevation and depression. What can help achieve this is by
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squeezing the shoulder blades together and the glutes, as these muscle groups will allow you to lock the body from excess sway. Less sway will mean improved control of the scapula. What you don’t want to end up doing in hunching you back and shooting your head forward. Training the pec minor in this manner will lead to less range of motion of the scapula which will limit the pec minor from being worked through a full range of motion. Equally, this poor training posture can lead to overall poor shoulder blade mechanics which can affect healthy shoulder range of motion. Pec Minor Dip Video Instruction
The overlay of poor posture and how it can affect your pec development has everything to do with proper pressing mechanics from a bench (shoulder blade fixed between bench and ribs), and during push-ups, shoulder press, dips, and cable presses (shoulder blade freely able to move). Before we dive into pressing mechanics, let’s take a moment to learn a bit about the thoracic spine, and the other muscles that control the scapula for optimizing a healthy shoulder joint and pressing strength.
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THORACIC SPINE
Due to the shoulder blade moving atop the thoracic spine, making what is known as the scapulothoracic joint; we need to quickly address the importance of thoracic extension, how to test for it and then fix any imbalances that may be present. TESTING YOUR SPINE MOBILITY Pec and Thoracic Spine Wall Test
SPINE WARM UP Exercise
Reps
Sets
Wall T Spine Opener
10
2
Scorpion Pose
5
3
Prone Roll over
5
3
Prone Angel of Death
10
3
SHOULDER BLADE
Now that we have covered the spine, lets quickly pass through a very important muscle known as the serratus anterior and its role in scapular stability. The serratus anterior is a muscle that controls scapular motion when performing a horizontal or vertical press. It is because of the serratus anterior role with scapular control that the rotator cuff is able to avoid impingement. In the event that the serratus anterior is very weak the shoulder blade will present with a winging type movement when reaching upwards in front of you. How we train the serratus anterior and the pec minor involve fixing the arm to the ground or a bench while we use a stiff-arm position to press towards and away from.
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TRAINING THE SHOULDER BLADE AND PEC MINOR
The following exercises are outlined in a progressive manner. Start with drill #1 and progress to the following drill if it is to easy or if you want another challenge. Reps
Sets
A1 – Scapular push ups
10
3
Focus on the upward drive.
A2 – Quadruped Elbow taps
15
3
Use a wide base for the feet.
8
3
Contract the glutes to stabilize.
B1 – Plank Punch
10
3
Do not arch the back.
B2 – Overhead Elbow taps
15
3
Relax the upper trap, by keeping your neck relaxed.
B3 – Wall Walks
8
3
Walk as high as you are comfortable with
C1 – Reverse Bridge
10
3
Watch hand position and neck posture.
C1 – Bench Dip
8
3
Watch posture.
2 per side, Hold for 30 seconds
2
Standard foot over foot or kneeling to start.
10 reps
3
Use a wide base at first and then progress narrow.
A3 – Stiff arm single scapular push up
D1 – Side plank D2 – Side Plank Thread the needle
Notes
PECTORALIS MAJOR
The pec major is largely comprised of two main sections: The superior clavicular head (CH) and the more medial sternocostal head (SH); with the SH being the larger of the two sections. Both of these sections insert along the arm and directly influence movement about the shoulder joint that can vary depending on which head is involved. We can see that the SH has the largest moment arm for creating horizontal adduction (bringing 9
the arm towards the midline of the body, the motion of a pec fly) but can also act to facilitate controlling arm extension once the arm is in an overhead position; giving reason for the programming of dumbbell pull-overs for chest thickness (Keuchle et al. 1997). Equally as important is the action of the CH, which appears to influence shoulder flexion and shoulder internal rotation. The CH can therefore be targeted more specifically with the incline barbell or dumbbell press, where shoulder flexion is more present (Barberini et al. 2014). MUSCLE FIBER TYPE
The muscle fiber type of the pec major, is a mix Pec Major Muscle Fiber Type of both fast twitch (heavy weight, explosive fiber type) and slow twitch (liter weight, slower more endurance-based fiber type). The pec Slow Twitch can be seen to cover a range of fiber type, 35% going from 35-43% slow twitch and 57-65% Fast Twitch fast twitch (Srinivasan et al. 2007). This larger 65% proportion of fast twitch muscle fibers, give rise to programming methods that mix both light and heavy loads that can be moved either slowly (sometimes isometric holds) or quickly, to influence gains. Although the pec major can be near maximally recruited with compound movements such as with the barbell bench press (80% 1RM = 93% maximal contraction), there appears to be agreeance within the literature that similar rates of muscle recruitment can be achieved with dumbbells, and or bands loads are relative or
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between the range of 70-90% 1RM (Welsch et al. 2005; Calatayud et al. 2015, Schick et al. 2010; Santana et al. 2007; Pinto et al. 2013). This last point should be stressed when programming for athletes attempting to train around current shoulder discomfort/pain or those recovering from prior shoulder injury/surgery. The option to use tools such as dumbbells, bands or cables are often the path best taken when addressing the shoulder through a recovery/rehab model. This greater single arm demand noted through these tools, directly can increase shoulder joint, and scapular joint stability, control/coordination and strength while permitting the athlete to have greater freedom of movement. Given that pressing angles and grip width are important to discuss; providing a return path to pain free training is a way to improve morale, and quality of life. PRESSING ANGLE & GRIP WIDTH
The actions of the pec major like all muscles, is bound within its respective origin and insertion. Summed up, this means that if worked in isolation, the muscle will only be able to contract both of its ends (origin and insertion) toward one another. Like all muscles too, the pec muscle will recruit different muscles fibers that are specialized for their rate of force production (fast twitch vs slow twitch) and the fiber orientation.
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The pec and the compound action of pressing occurs through a type 2 level mechanism. This type of leverage system is meant to hinge at the elbow in order to draw the arm away and towards the sternum or origin. In order for the leverage to occur one end of the joint must be stable and the other end must be allowed to move about the hinge or fulcrum. An example would be the pec contracting during a bench press vs a push up. During the bench press, the sternum (origin) becomes the stable end and the arm (insertion) becomes the moveable end. This example demonstrates the leverage of the arm moving both away from the sternum (horizontal abduction) and towards the sternum (horizontal adduction) (Ackland et al. 2008). During the pushup, the arm now becomes the stable end or segment allowing the ribs and sternum to move both away and towards the arm. Grip width can also influence pec muscle fiber requirement by increasing or decreasing the demand on assisting muscle groups such as the Triceps, and anterior deltoid. In the literature grip width is measured from sternum to shoulder blade, where the sternum is 0% and shoulder width is 100%. Any grip wider than shoulder width will be represented by values greater than 100% such as 150-200% grip width representing a wide bench.
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As described earlier, the pec major in comprised of 2 segments, the sternal head (SH) and clavicular head (CH). These two segments of muscle have a unique fiber alignment between their respective origin and insertion; making them individually specialized for different pressing angles. Sternal Head
Current evidence from Lauver (2015), identifies the decline bench as the most effective pressing angle for the SH. This can be seen through the segments anatomical muscle fiber alignment that as we stated before is involved with shoulder extension and horizontal adduction. One can feel this when performing the most muscular pose, where the arm is in a relative position for peak contraction of the SH. When considering grip width with the decline bench, it appears best to stick with a wide grip (150-200% from sternum) or outside of shoulder width (Lehman et al. 2005). Now, the flat bench is a good pressing angle for SH development but will be limited in total loads lifted due to the greater stability requirements at the shoulder; which for someone dealing with shoulder discomfort new or old, a greater demand will be needed. If you don’t have a barbell or bench, here are some floor press variations that can provide you with a work around either in the at home gym or while traveling.
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Reps
Sets
Rest
A1 – Floor Wide Dumbbell Bridge Press
5-8
4
60-90 seconds
A2 – Floor Wide Dumbbell Flat Press
5-8
4
60-90 seconds
Clavicular Head
The CH as we described before, plays a role with influencing shoulder flexion and internal rotation. When we perform the decline and flat bench, the CH is limited in its influence with shoulder flexion and IROT. In fact, the CH is placed on a stretch in either of these positions leading to less force production. When determining the optimal pressing angle for incline, there is a trade-off with CH and anterior delt dominance. It appears that an angle of 30-56° produces the greatest rates of CH contraction as compared to angles below this (flat to decline) and as well above (seated shoulder press) (Trebs et al. 2010, Luczak et al. 2013, Lauver et al. 2015). Interestingly, a wide grip when used with the incline press appears to increase SH recruitment, which will let you lift more weight but will come with a small trade off on CH recruitment (Barnet et al. 1995). This is where we can see that a narrow grip (100% and slightly less) can actually increase CH recruitment when using either decline, flat or incline (Barnet et al. 1995). Herein we can suggest that to target CH development stick with an incline bench angle (3056°) and a narrow grip (100% and slightly less). Now to increase at incline bench press overall strength and further SH development, select the incline bench but with a wider grip to allow for greater loads to be used.
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If you do not have a barbell, a narrow dumbbell hex press can be used. To optimize the use of lighter weights as well to place more emphasis on the inner fibers of the CH and SH we can incorporate a squeeze press as demonstrated below. Hex Press Instruction Video
SINGLE JOINT MOVEMENTS PEC DECK, CABLES AND BAND
Due to the pec major, playing a dominant role in isolated shoulder movements such as horizontal adduction, shoulder flexion, shoulder internal rotation, and shoulder extension from an overhead position; the use of single joints movements such as the pec fly, should be considered and not scoffed at by those who’s goals are not peak muscle hypertrophy. True that with increased loads the pec will significantly increase in muscle recruitment, but the unfortunate side of only using compound lifts, is the exposure to overuse.
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Therefore, it is reasonable to implement single joint movements such as the fly which can be performed with machines (ped deck), or free weights (dumbbells, kettle bells) and cables or bands; have all been found to produce similar levels of pec muscle recruitment when compared to one another (Rocha-Junior et al. 2007; Shanke et al. 2012; Welsch et al. 2005). The benefit of each of these exercises producing similar levels of muscle recruitment is that cookie cutter program can now more specifically be adapted to the individual based on available tools, past and current shoulder health and specific goals. Just as with the difference noted in incline, flat and decline pressing, we can more specifically address the individual areas of the pec major’s SH and CH. Sternal Head
Addressing the SH with an isolation exercise can now combine the former compound pressing angle with a larger focus on full range of motion. Using a decline or flat pressing angle as Lauver (2015) demonstrated produced far superior SH muscle recruitment than the incline press. We can use the same decline or flat angle while performing a fly along with greater freedom of movement towards horizontal abduction (stretch) into horizontal adduction (shorten) of the SH. To aid in maximizing the peak adduction stress we can combine cables (constant tension) or free weights and elastic band or elastic bands on their own. Banded Dumbbell Chest Press
As such, we can also include a dumbbell pull over while either the decline or flat bench position, that can also be modified to use a resistance band or a cable; depending on whichever is available to you. Banded Chest Pullover
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Lastly, the good ole pec deck is a favorite to target the SH. One such modification is adjusting the seat height upwards, to once again create the slight decline angle, which addresses a larger SH muscle fiber focus. Clavicular Head
As with the SH we can optimize CH recruitment by implementing the incline pressing angle. As the CH plays a larger role in producing shoulder flexion, combining it with shoulder horizontal adduction and internal rotation (slightly inhibit the SH), we can provide a more targeted CH training stimulus. One such free weight exercise I prescribe is the Sven press which is a plate squeeze while moving in a press to overhead arch of motion. Standing Sven Press Video 1 Standing Sven Press Video 2 Standing Sven Press Video 3
Push ups
Pushup all on their own don’t appear to be as effective at training the pec’s as they typically range between 20 – 40% of maximal muscle contraction, which is not optimal for developing strength and hypertrophy. But, there are exclusions to the rule. The elevated narrow grip push up is the exception to the rule, coming in at 63-86% maximal muscle contraction a potentially more (Cogley et a. 2005; Lehman et al. 2006). The hand placement width is quite interesting here as wide grip feet elevated push ups appear to generally produce 20% less muscle contraction when compared to narrow grip (Gouvali et al. 2005). This may be due to the closer grip push up providing less stability via a narrower base of support. Naturally, like all activities requiring more balance there is a higher likelihood to demand more slow twitch fibers 17
which once exhausted will tap into their faster, more powerful fast twitch fiber to complete the task, but also generate lactate which is a potent driver for local muscle hypertrophy and systemic tissue healing. A work around for a sore wrist is to use parallel bars, dumbbells or a kettle bell (just be cautious of it tipping over). Some anecdotal experimenting can allow you to use a wider grip with feet elevated through applying a few step boxes to gain depth. This is an exercise that John used in the past with much success and is best thrown into the end of a workout to engorge the muscle with further blood and plasma. Deep Push up feet elevated
Another such anecdotal exception is the ladder push up. This variation takes into account fatigue, which is a prime stimulus for muscle hypertrophy when using light loads (Schoenfeld et al. 2015). Ladder Push Up
Now the relative change in support doesn’t always pan out the way we would think. Narrowing the grip is one thing but exercising off of an unstable surface while performing a dumbbell or barbell press doesn’t appear to have similar results. In fact, we typically can see that unstable surfaces like a bosu ball, or inflated bench only produce around 30% of relative pec muscle recruitment due to a drop-in weight, which is ultimately unsuitable for gaining any appreciable amount of strength or muscle hypertrophy (Lehman et al. 2006, Marshall & Murphey. 2006).
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References 1.
Ackland, D. C., Pak, P., Richardson, M., & Pandy, M. G. (2008). Moment arms of the muscles crossing the anatomical shoulder. Journal of Anatomy, 213(4), 383-390.
2.
Barberini, F. (2014). The clavicular part of the pectoralis major: a true entity of the upper limb on anatomical, phylogenetic, ontogenetic, functional and clinical bases: case report and review of the literature. IJAE, 119(1), 49-59.
3.
Barnett, C., Kippers, V., & Turner, P. (1995). Effects of Variations of the Bench Press Exercise on the EMG Activity of Five Shoulder Muscles. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research , 9(4), 222-227.
4.
Calatayud, J., Borreani, S., Colado, J. C., Martin, F., Tella, V., & Andersen, L. L. (2015). Bench press and push-up at comparable levels of muscle activity results in similar strength gains. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research , 29(1), 246-253.
5.
Cogley, R. M., Archambault, T. A., Fibeger, J. F., Koverman, M. M., Youdas, J. W., & Hollman, J. H. (2005). Comparison of muscle activation using various hand positions during the push-up exercise. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research , 19(3), 628-633.
6.
Gouvali, M. K., & Boudolos, K. (2005). Dynamic and electromyographical analysis in variants of push-up exercise. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research , 19(1), 146-151
7.
Kuechle, D. K., Newman, S. R., Itoi, E., Morrey, B. F., & An, K. N. (1997). Shoulder muscle moment arms during horizontal flexion and elevation. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 6(5), 429-439
8.
Lauver, J. D., Cayot, T. E., & Scheuermann, B. W. (2015). Influence of bench angle on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press exercise. European journal of sport science , (ahead-of-print), 1-8.
9.
Lehman, G. J. (2005). The influence of grip width and forearm pronation/supination on upper-body myoelectric activity during the flat bench press. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 19(3), 587-591.
10. Lehman, G. J., MacMillan, B., MacIntyre, I., Chivers, M., & Fluter, M. (2006). Shoulder muscle EMG activity during push up variations on and off a Swiss ball. Dynamic Medicine, 5(1), 7. 11.
Luczak, J., Bosak, A., & Riemann, B. L. (2013). Shoulder muscle activation of novice and resistance trained women during variations of dumbbell press exercises. Journal of Sports Medicine, 2013.
12. Marshall, P., & Murphy, B. (2006). Changes in muscle activity and perceived exertion during exercises performed on a swiss ball. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism, 31(4), 376-383. 13. Pinto, R., Cadore, E., Correa, C., da Silva, B., Alberton, C., Lima, C., & de Moraes, A. (2013). Relationship between workload and neuromuscular activity in the bench press exercise. Medicina Sportiva, 17(1), 1-6. 14. Rocha Júnior, V. D. A., Gentil, P., Oliveira, E., & Carmo, J. D. (2007). Comparison among the EMG activity of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoidis and triceps brachii during the bench press and peck deck exercises (200/2005). Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte, 13(1), 51-54. 15. Santana, J. C., Vera-Garcia, F. J., & McGill, S. M. (2007). A kinetic and electromyographic comparison of the standing cable press and bench press. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research , 21(4), 1271-1277. 16. Schanke, W. (2012). Electromyographical analysis of the pectoralis major muscle during various chest exercises (Doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse). 17. Schick, E. E., Coburn, J. W., Brown, L. E., Judelson, D. A., Khamoui, A. V., Tran, T. T., & Uribe, B. P. (2010). A comparison of muscle activation between a Smith machine and free weight bench press. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research , 24(3), 779-784. 18. Schoenfeld, BJ., Peterson, MD., Ogborn, D., Contreras, B., Sonmez, GT. (2015). Effects of low vs. high-load resistance training on muscle strength and hypertrophy in well-trained men. J Strength Cond Res 29: 2954-63. 19. Srinivasan, R. C., Lungren, M. P., Langenderfer, J. E., & Hughes, R. E. (2007). Fiber type composition and maximum shortening velocity of muscles crossing the human shoulder. Clinical Anatomy, 20(2), 144-149. 20. Trebs, A. A., Brandenburg, J. P., & Pitney, W. A. (2010). An electromyography analysis of 3 muscles surrounding the shoulder joint during the performance of a chest press exercise at several angles. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research , 24(7), 1925-1930. 21. Welsch, E. A., Bird, M., & Mayhew, J. L. (2005). Electromyographic activity of the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid muscles during three upper-body lifts. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research , 19(2), 449-452.
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6-week Chest Training Program Ok now that we have laid down the basic foundational knowledge you need, let’s get you on your way to building a massive chest! Next up – The program. We lay out the split for you and give you an idea of volume and frequency of other bodyparts, but the emphasis is of course on your direct pec work. In order to understand how close to failure you should take each set, there is an RPE chart below, that will tell you exactly how hard to go. Rate of Perceived Exertion Flow Chart Fairly easy like a warm-up weight
@ 6.0
You can do 4-6 more reps
@ 7.0
You can do 2-3 more reps
@ 8.0
You have 2 more reps left in the tank
@ 8.5
You have 1 more rep left in the tank
@ 9.0
Went to failure at perfect form
@ 10
Went to failure with loose form after perfect reps completed
@ 11
Used a high intensity technique to push beyond failure
@ 12
Used multiple high intensity techniques/go apeshit set!
@ 13
Click on any one of the tags for an example
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Week 1 Monday
Saturday
Chest
4 exercises
12 sets
Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
7 exercises
21 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
8 exercises
28 sets
Tuesday
Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercise
6 sets
7 exercises
21 sets
Sunday - Off - Family Day
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
6 sets
5 exercises
18 sets
Friday Chest
4 exercises
12 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
6 exercises
20 sets
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WEEK 1 - MONDAY Chest
4 exercises
12 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
So many guys come to us with a lagging chest but have these massive front delts and triceps. This is a classic example of the wrong muscles moving the weight, so to ensure pec recruitment, start your chest sessions with these 2 activation exercises. We want all the load to go on your pecs and we cannot do that if you don’t know how to contract them. Feel free to use these as often as you need throughout the program.
Chest Activation | How To Feel Your Chest
Chest: Monday we will stick to the basics of Mountain Dog Training, which means lots of dumbbell and barbell pressing. Like all the programs, the format will be activation, explosion, pump and then stretch.
1/ Chest | Slight incline dumbbell press After a few warm up sets of 12, start pyramiding up to a weight that is a tough 8. Do not make big jumps as I want some good work sets here. If you really work hard on this movement it will add dimension to your chest. 3 total work sets Seated overhead rope extensions These sets are all RPE of 8-10 – The last set is the 10 Goal – Activation and start pump
2/ Chest | Incline barbell press Let’s stay with the slight incline as this really pounds your upper chest, while not recruiting as much anterior delt like a steeper incline would. Control the weight on the descent, stop the bar 1-2 inches above your chest, then fire it up with speed. I want sets of 6 until you hit a weight where the bar speed slows drastically and you can barely get your 6th rep with good form. That will be your last set. 3 total work sets
Incline barbell press on slight angle These sets are all RPE of 8-10 – The last set is the 10
Pro Tip On any dumbbell pressing movements, have a good arch in your back, keep your shoulders pulled down and think about driving your biceps together at the top. Equally have a sense of driving the floor away with your feet and encouraging a slight glute squeeze to keep everything tight. This will help you place more “drive” into the press.
Pro Tip As many of you know this is my staple of developing a thick chest. We will do these every week. Just like with the dumbbell we started with, keep your shoulders back and down and try to ram the bar through the ceiling. Additionally, place an emphasis on maintaining a strong grip, squeeze the bar hard while attempting to squeeze the space between the bar together. Often you can hear this cue differently as “bend the bar”. This will ensure you are not simply pressing but also encouraging adduction of the arm bone (humerus) towards your midline.
Goal – Train explosively
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3/ Chest | Banded machine press Ideally you would do the decline Hammer Strength, but if your gym does not have one of these, simply do any machine that you can band, but also feel the most in your chest. What I want as far as execution here is really focusing on the lockout. Come back to where your elbows are by your rib cage at about 90 degrees, then drive out and flex your chest as hard as you can. Pick a weight that is a tough 12. I want 3 total sets with 60 second rest periods. You may lose some reps on the second and third set and that’s ok. 3 total work sets
Pro Tip After 2 free weight presses, lock into this machine and demolish your pecs. Our goal here is maximum pump, so this should burn like crazy. Keep focus on maintaining the shoulder blades held back and down, while relaxing your upper trap.
Banded Hammer Declines And how to attach the bands: How to attach bands to a Hammer chest press These sets are all RPE of 9-10 Goal – Supramax pump
4/ Chest | Incline dumbbell flyes Back to the incline bench, but this time use a higher incline. Feel free to use the pronated grip like in the video, semi-pronated or neutral based on your shoulder health and what you feel the most in your chest. I want 3 hardworking sets of 10 reps. You should be beyond pumped at this point, so let’s stretch everything out. On your last set I want you to hit your 10 reps, then come down and hold the stretch position for 20 seconds. This should be awful. 3 total work sets
Pro Tip With the weighted stretch on set 3, your chest will want to cave to take the tension off, do NOT let this happen. Keep a huge arch and stretch this chest out. Again, press the ground away through your feet and keep a slight glute contraction in order to keep the low back safe.
Incline dumbell flyes These sets are all RPE of 9-10, then final set 11 Goal – Train muscle from a stretched position NOTE: We will be pressing a ton over these next 6 weeks, so for shoulders I would stick with side and rear
delt raises, band pullaparts and especially spider crawls to keep your shoulders strong and healthy.
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TUESDAY Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercises
6 sets
24
WEDNESDAY OFF DAY
25
THURSDAY Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercises
6 sets
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WEEK 1 - FRIDAY Chest
4 exercises
12 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
*These secondary pump days you will find we stay away from barbells and the focus is 100% on pump, not using massive loads. Now that does not mean use the pink dumbbells, but if you move at a quicker pace (rest periods 60-90 seconds) it will limit the weight and enhance blood flow. For activation on your pump day I want you to superset a Svend Press with the 3 warm-up sets you do of hex press. All you do here is take a 5-pound plate, squeeze it between your hands as hard as you can, press out and flex your chest even harder. This will start you off in a very pumped state. Give me 10 reps here and then right into 10 reps of hex press.
Standing Sven Press Variations for supper Pec (Clavicular Head)
1/ Chest | Hex press After your 3 warm-up super sets of this and Svend press get right into your working weight for sets of 10. Remember not only are you pressing up, you are pushing the dumbbells together as well. I promise you will love this combo to start. 3 total work sets Exercise Index - Hex Press These sets are all RPE of 8-9 Goal – Activation and start pump
Pro Tip This is a great exercise for people who struggle to feel their chest working. As your sets progress, do NOT neglect driving the dumbbells together. I always think “IN, IN, IN” as I’m pressing them up. This should give an almost cramping sensation when done right. Ensure that you keep the shoulder blades together while performing this movement.
2/ Chest | Pec dec flyes The attached video has tons of intensity techniques and we aren’t doing those today, but I want you all to see the proper form. Chest is up, chin is tucked, good range of motion and squeezing hard at the contraction. Give me 3 sets of 12 here. 3 total work sets Machine flye with forced reps, iso hold, and partials. These sets are all RPE of 8-9 Goal – Supramax pump
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3/ Chest | Pec minor dips This is a tricky exercise, but we will be doing this every week in order for you to master this technique. What I want you to think about is a reverse shrug. Leaving your elbows in a fixed position, lower your body (trying to make your shoulders touch your ears) then drive up and squeeze your chest as hard as possible. I want 3 sets to failure here. 3 total work sets
Pro Tip These are a game changer for your side chest pose. Master this movement and I promise a thicker chest. If you are really good at these, feel free to strap on weight via a dip belt. Don’t over stress your neck by shoving it forward. Stay connected to your posture of the shoulders and neck as this will help you crank out a few more reps due to improved stability.
Exercise Index - Pec Minor Dip | Chest Exercise These sets are all RPE of 9-10 Goal – Supramax pump
4/ Chest | Ladder push ups Let’s finish today with 3 sets of ladder pushups. You will do 3 mini-sets within each given set just like in the video. Hopefully your gym has this bar, so you can get a good stretch with every rep. Go right to the edge of failure with every mini-set, then move the bar up a few inches. 3 total work sets Ladder Push Ups - Chest Exercise Note: In between all 3 sets of pushups, give me 10 band over and backs for the chest stretch and added shoulder health. Shoulder rehabilitation exercises These sets are all RPE of 9-10 Goal – Train muscle from a stretched position
28
SATURDAY Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
29
SUNDAY OFF DAY - FAMILY DAY
30
Week 2 Monday
Saturday
Chest
4 exercises
15 sets
Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
7 exercises
24 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
8 exercises
28 sets
Tuesday
Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercise
6 sets
7 exercises
21 sets
Sunday - Off - Family Day
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
6 sets
5 exercises
18 sets
Friday Chest
4 exercises
12 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
6 exercises
20 sets
31
WEEK 2 - MONDAY Chest
4 exercises
15 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
Chest: As promised, tons of free weight pressing to fill that #GRAINTRAIN shirt out.
1/ Chest | Decline dumbbell press A slight decline is all we need here today. If you don’t have one of these benches, just throw a plate under the end of the bench to give you a slight decline. Sink these deep and really open that chest up. Today we are coming all the way down, fully pausing the dumbbells, then drive up to full contraction for 4 sets of 8. Work your way up slowly until you can barely get 8 on your last set. 4 total work sets Decline Dumbell Press These sets are all RPE of 8-10 – The last set is the 10
Pro Tip Dorian Yates swore by slight decline pressing for chest thickness and who is going to question him and his 6 Mr. Olympia titles. The slight decline has been shown to have the greatest level of pec major muscle recruitment. If you by chance don’t have a decline bench, recall you can perform these from the ground as seen in the manual.
Goal – Activation and start pump
2/ Chest | Incline barbell press Fast forward to “4:51” in the video and I want this exact set up. So, it’s more of the traditional incline, as opposed to last week where we used a slight incline. Do 1 feeder set of 5 or 6, then start working up to your max effort set of 8. Coming off the decline, the bar should be flying off your chest. 3 total work sets
Pro Tip The higher incline gives you that thick chest/ front delt that everyone wants from the side. Killer exercise if you can get really strong at this with perfect form.
Killer Chest Workout for Mass at any skill level These sets are all RPE of 8-10 – The last set is the 10 Goal – Train explosively
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3/ Chest | Flat barbell press Ok these are a ball buster and I know you will love them. We are going to come down about 2-3 inches above your chest, completely stop the bar for a split second, then lower all the way down to your chest and press up. I want 4 sets of 8 like this. The last couple sets you are going to have to fight to not let the bar just slam down on your chest. 4 total work sets
Pro Tip This technique forces you to “own” the weight, not let it just fly down, which causes even more muscle growth. Again, use the driving force of the legs to leverage the barbell better by increasing stability and torque.
Bench with a pause above chest These sets are all RPE of 9 Goal – Supramax pump
4/ Chest | Pronated machine flyes The main goal here is to use a machine with a back support, use a semi-pronated grip and really stretch your chest out. I want 4 sets of 10 plus 10 bottom half partials for all sets. So, do your 10 full range of motion, then bang out 10 partials (do not rush these, make them burn). 4 total work sets Pronated Cable Chest Flies These sets are all RPE of 10-11
Pro Tip The more we stretch and pump the chest, the more it will grow. Do not treat this like a fluff exercise, go to WORK! With the shift in plasma into the pec after the previous exercises. This is the time to drive further growth potential. Be safe and listen to what depth is right for you.
Goal – Train muscle from a stretched position
33
TUESDAY Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercises
6 sets
34
WEDNESDAY OFF DAY
35
THURSDAY Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercises
6 sets
36
WEEK 2 - FRIDAY Chest
4 exercises
12 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Just like pump day from week 1, for activation I want you to superset a Svend Press with the 3 warm-up sets you do of machine press. Take a 5-pound plate, squeeze it between your hands as hard as you can, press out and flex your chest even harder. This will start you off in a very pumped state. Give me 10 reps here and then right into 10 reps of machine press.
1/ Chest | Machine press After your 3 warm-up super sets of this and Svend press get right into your working weight for sets of 10. Pay close attention to how Ken is doing this machine press. Ideally you would use a neutral grip, go slow out of the hole, then as you begin to flex your chest maximally, the weight will speed up to lockout. This technique will really tax your muscle fibers of your chest. 3 total work sets
Pro Tip Using this form takes your shoulders and triceps out of the press.
Machine press with pec focus These sets are all RPE of 8-9 Goal – Activation and start pump
2/ Chest | High incline smith press I want sets of 8 here. You will feel this in your front delt as well since we are doing a high incline but also right below your collarbones. We want that upper pec shelf look. 3 total work sets High Incline Smith Press These sets are all RPE of 8-9 Goal – Supramax pump
3/ Chest | Pec dec flyes superset with pec minor dips You will freaking love this superset. Do 10 reps of pec dec flyes really focusing on the stretch part of the movement and leaving a few reps in the tank, then go right over to the dip bars and give me pec minor dips to failure. Keep working on this form as it should be getting better each week. 3 rounds for 6 total work sets Exercise Index - Pec Minor Dip | Chest Exercise These sets are all RPE of 10 Goal – Supramax pump
37
SATURDAY Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
38
SUNDAY OFF DAY - FAMILY DAY
39
Week 3 Monday
Saturday
Chest
5 exercises
13 sets
Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
8 exercises
22 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
8 exercises
28 sets
Tuesday
Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercise
6 sets
7 exercises
21 sets
Sunday - Off - Family Day
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
6 sets
5 exercises
18 sets
Friday Chest
4 exercises
14 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
6 exercises
22 sets
40
WEEK 3 - MONDAY Chest
5 exercises
13 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
1/ Chest | Flat dumbbell press After 2 weeks of straight sets, it’s time to get a little crazy. Work your way up to a pretty challenging weight, then rest a full 3 minutes. I want you to summon the strength of Thor because I need super human strength. In the video Ken Jackson reps the #175’s for 28 reps before dropping to #100’s and doing 5 more. Notice how it’s an abbreviated ROM, not all the way down and not all the way up and done piston style. This is all chest, as we are removing the shoulders and the tris from the first part of the lift. So, do as many as you can with this form, then drop down, about 40% and do 5 full range of motion reps nice and slow. We will call this 4 sets. 4 total work sets
Pro Tip Using this heavy of a load coupled with constant tension is how big chests are built. Controlled forced reps and failure training can help you achieve reaching your genetic potential. Still, listen to your body. If you start to develop shoulder pain, press from the ground to limit and help you control some of the shoulder stress.
IFBB Pro Ken Jackson 175 lb dumbell press partials w full range of motion drop The lead up sets are 8-9 RPE, the 4 th set is 12 RPE Goal – Activation and start pump
2/ Chest | Reverse banded incline barbell press Back to the slight incline this week but adding the bands. Just like exercise 1, we are removing the load in the bottom of the lift to minimize shoulder recruitment. You will love these as it allows you to really load the bar up with heavy weight and you will have zero joint pain. I want 4 sets of 6 once you reach your top end weight. Take your time between sets and be explosive. 4 total work sets Banded Incline Barbell Press These sets are all RPE of 8-9
Pro Tip Using the reverse bands flatten the strength curve, which takes this already great exercise to the next level. Now these sets should feel easier from the bottom position and hard as you lockout. Don’t over load the bar at first. Use some warm up sets to find a sweet spot to work with.
Goal – Train explosively
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3/ Chest | Decline smith press So give me 2 feeder sets to get to your top end weight. Once there we are going to do a massive drop set that should leave you totally smoked. The goal is to move a heavy load for 3-5 reps, drop some weight so you can get another 3-5, drop the weight again and knock out 6-8 reps, then one final drop where you will widen your grip on the bar out and bang bottom half partials to failure. Listen to John repeatedly say “perfect form” that means keep those shoulders back and use only chest. We will call this 1 set. 1 total work set IFBB Pro Ken Jackson Decline Smith Machine Dropset The work set is RPE of 13 Goal – Supramax pump
4/ Chest | Incline manual resistance resistance flyes superset superset with dips Now let’s finish strong here. Only 2 sets, but I want you to work your tail off on these. I want 8 reps on the flyes and then right over to dips for around 8 reps. If you need to use the assistance machine for dips that’s perfectly fine because I want perfect form here. With the flyes have your partner push down on your forearms to create extra resistance on the eccentric portion of the exercise. This should be brutal. 2 rounds for 4 total work sets Dumbell fly and dip superset These sets are all RPE of 10-11 Goal – Train muscle from a stretched position
42
TUESDAY Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercises
6 sets
43
WEDNESDAY OFF DAY
44
THURSDAY Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercises
6 sets
45
WEEK 3 - FRIDAY Chest
4 exercises
14 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Last week of starting with the Svend press for activation. The only difference here is we do Svend press for all 4 sets of pec minor dip. All you do here is take a 5-pound plate, squeeze it between your hands as hard as you can, press out and flex your chest even harder.
1/ Chest | Pec minor dip Right out of the gate we are hammering some pec minor dips as opposed to third in rotation. So do your 10 reps of Svend press then right into failure sets of pec minor dips. You are fresh here today so really get some high reps. 4 total work sets Exercise Index - Pec Minor Dip | Chest Exercise These sets are all RPE of 10 Goal – Activation and start pump
2/ Chest | Dumbbell incline press So we have some foreshadowing here. In the video there is a drop set (which is coming Monday for exercise 1) today we do NOT do that. The reason for the attached video is so you can see the tempo at which I want you to press. Own every inch of this incline press and really control the negative. I want 4 perfect sets of 10 reps here. Coming off the pec minor dips you should feel great. 4 total work sets Dumbell press drop set with slow eccentric These sets are all RPE of 8-9 Goal – Supramax pump
3/ Chest | High cable crossover superset with dips Now let’s finish off the week with a superset again. High cable crossovers for sets of 10, then right into wide grip dips to failure. With the dips only use ¾ range of motion to keep the triceps out of the movement. 3 rounds for 6 total work sets Cable crossover and dip superset for Chest These sets are all RPE of 10 Goal – Supramax pump
46
SATURDAY Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
47
SUNDAY OFF DAY - FAMILY DAY
48
Week 4 Monday
Saturday
Chest
4 exercises
16 sets
Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
7 exercises
25 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
8 exercises
28 sets
Tuesday
Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercise
6 sets
7 exercises
21 sets
Sunday - Off - Family Day
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
6 sets
5 exercises
18 sets
Friday Chest
4 exercises
14 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
6 exercises
22 sets
49
WEEK 4 - MONDAY Chest
4 exercises
16 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
1/ Chest | Incline dumbbell press This video look familiar……..Ok let’s have some fun this week. Work up to a HARD 8 on incline press here and we are doing a triple drop set. Remember control every single rep and do not get sloppy. The final set we not only get a drop set but also some partials, so get ready for an RPE of 13. 3 total work sets Here is an example of how the weight for this exercise should look:
25# x 10 reps (warm up set) 40# x 10 reps (warm up set) 60# x 10 reps (warm up set) 90# x 6 reps (feel set) 100# x 8 reps (work set) 110# x 8 reps (work set) 120# x 8 -> 90# x 5 -> 60# x 5 full reps + 3 bottom half partials (final work set)
Dumbell press drop set with slow eccentric The lead up sets are 8-9 RPE, the 4 th set is 13 RPE Goal – Activation and start pump
2/ Chest | Chain flat benches Nothing makes you feel more powerful and explosive than chain bench pressing. And to up the ante even more to Pro Tip make you feel strong we are doing 5 sets of 5 here today. Flat bench pressing has probably caused the Control the weight down, then explode up with all your most pec tears in the history of lifting, but uspower to the top. Ideally you would use 1-2 chains per side, ing chains like this minimize the risk by lightwork up to your top end weight where you still have bar ening the load in the fully stretched position. speed and stay there for all 5 sets. Try your best to nail ALL 25 reps and not miss 1. Rest 2 minutes between sets. If you do not have access to chains, feel free to use reverse band flat benching today as the principle is very similar, you just won’t have the cool sound. 5 total work sets Chain Benches These sets are all RPE of 9 Goal – Train explosively
50
3/ Chest | Incline dumbbell flye with manual resistance Now this will crush you if done right. I want you to grab a challenging weight and do 8 reps of traditional incline dumbbell flyes. Immediately set that weight down, reduce your load by 10-15 pounds on each dumbbell and do 6 more partner-resisted flyes. Have your training partner ONLY apply pressure on the top third of the movement of the negative. This will force your chest to contract maximally. 4 total work sets Incline dumbell fly with manual resistance The work set is RPE of 11 Goal – Supramax pump
4/ Chest | Stretch pushups By this point of this session you should be feeling gassed. I want 4 sets of failure on stretch pushups today with your feet propped up to hit those upper pec fibers even more. Some coaching ques for you to remember: keep your chin up, keep a perfectly neutral spine (don’t let your hips sink), get a good stretch and do NOT come all the way up as we want all the tension on your chest. 4 total work sets Stretch Pushups These sets are all RPE of 10 Goal – Train muscle from a stretched position
51
TUESDAY Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercises
6 sets
52
WEDNESDAY OFF DAY
53
THURSDAY Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercises
6 sets
54
WEEK 4 - FRIDAY Chest
4 exercises
14 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
1/ Chest | Twist press Check out this old chest video from 2010!! But this exercise is still a great way to start a pump day because it forces you to reduce the load, yet maximally tax the chest. Give me 4 sets of 10 after a few warm up sets to kick off the day. 4 total work sets Twist Presses These sets are all RPE of 8-9 Goal – Activation and start pump
2/ Chest | Pec minor dips I pray you are loving these by now as the contraction should be massive. We are moving them all around on your pump day to keep your body responding to them. Like last week knock down 4 sets to failure then off to the next exercise. 4 total work sets Exercise Index - Pec Minor Dip | Chest Exercise These sets are all RPE of 10 Goal – Supramax pump
3/ Chest | Incline hammer strength press This is my favorite technique on this piece of equipment. Take the seat really low and pause each rep on the machine before pressing up explosively. I want 3 sets of 8 here with the same weight. In the video there is a drop set, but I do not want you to do that, just straight sets today please. 3 total work sets Hammer Strength Inclines These sets are all RPE of 9 Goal –Train explosively
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4/ Chest | Machine flyes This can be a machine like in the video or pec dec flyes, whichever you prefer and feel the most in your chest. Our goal is to stretch everything out and push your pump to the next level. Give me 3 sets of 12 here. Your chest should be so full by this point you should have a tough time seeing your toes if you are standing up. 3 total work sets Pronated Cable Chest Flies These sets are all RPE of 8-9 Goal – Train muscle from a stretched position
56
SATURDAY Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
57
SUNDAY OFF DAY - FAMILY DAY
58
Week 5 Monday
Saturday
Chest
5 exercises
18 sets
Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
8 exercises
27 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
8 exercises
13 sets
Tuesday
Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercise
6 sets
7 exercises
21 sets
Sunday - Off - Family Day
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
6 sets
5 exercises
18 sets
Friday Chest
4 exercises
15 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
6 exercises
23 sets
59
WEEK 5 - MONDAY Chest
5 exercises
18 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
1/ Chest | Banded dumbbell press I want to kick off week 5 with a punch in the teeth. Banded flat dumbbell press is just the ticket for this. Work your way up doing sets of 8, until you reach a top end weight. Rest 2 full minutes, get angry and go APE SHIT!! Watch Ken Jackson smoke the 130s + an orange and red band for 15 reps, just straight machine mode. 4 total work sets Banded Dumbbell Chest Press The lead up sets are 9 RPE, the 4 th set is 10 RPE Goal – Activation and start pump
2/ Chest | Slight incline barbell benches Drag an adjustable bench over to the power rack so we can hit some slight incline barbell pressing. Today I want you to lower the bar 2 inches above your chest and do a 2-count pause with every single rep before ramming the bar up as fast as possible. Work your way up doing sets of 8 here as well, but do not make huge weight jumps because I want 4 good work sets here. 4 total work sets Incline barbell press on slight angle These sets are all RPE of 9 Goal – Train explosively
3/ Chest | High incline smith press Just working our way up the spectrum of incline angles here. You will welcome the Smith machine after these 2 free weight exercises first. Give me sets of 10 reps for all 4 working sets here. 4 total work sets High Incline Smith Press The work sets are RPE of 8-9 Goal – Supramax pump
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4/ Chest | Flat dumbbell flye with manual resistance This is just like last week but on the flat bench instead of incline. Grab a challenging weight and do 8 reps of traditional dumbbell flyes. Immediately set that weight down, reduce your load by 10-15 pounds on each dumbbell and do 6 more partner-resisted flyes. Have your training partner ONLY apply pressure on the top third of the movement of the negative. This will force your chest to contract maximally. I’m leaving the video attached so you can see the form and intensity, just remember we want a flat bench here. 3 total work sets Incline dumbell fly with manual resistance The work sets are RPE of 11 Goal – Supramax pump
5/ Chest | Front dumbbell chest flyes This is a great finisher for the day and you will love the feeling in your lower pecs. Make sure to not use a crazy range of motion here. Slow and controlled for 3 sets of 10 to wrap up week 5’s heavy day. 3 total work sets Front dumbell chest flies These sets are all RPE of 8-9 Goal – Train muscle from a stretched position
61
TUESDAY Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercises
6 sets
62
WEDNESDAY OFF DAY
63
THURSDAY Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercises
6 sets
64
WEEK 5 - FRIDAY Chest
4 exercises
15 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
1/ Chest | Hex press Right out of the gate let’s get those pecs burning. After a few warm ups, give me 4 sets of 8 reps. Remember, smash the dumbbells together the entire time while you press down and up. Notice in the video, the slight pause on the chest before every rep. I want you to copy that. 4 total work sets Exercise Index - Hex Press These sets are all RPE of 8-9 Goal – Activation and start pump
2/ Chest | Dips superset with stretch pushups You will love this superset. Bang really controlled dips where you only come up ¾’s of the way. Keep your chin tucked and give me 10 reps. Then go right into stretch pushups for around 10 reps. Notice the form in the video with these. Go very deep, open your chest up and then slowly press up just short of lockout. 4 rounds for 8 total work sets Dip and Stretch Pushup Superset These sets are all RPE of 10 Goal – Supramax pump
3/ Chest | Pec minor dips We are going to finish with the pec minor dips today. Since we are already at the parallel bars this will be perfect here. I want you to dig deep and shoot for 50 total reps. I’m hoping you get there in 3 sets. 3 total work sets Exercise Index - Pec Minor Dip | Chest Exercise These sets are all RPE of 10 Goal – Supramax pump
65
SATURDAY Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
66
SUNDAY OFF DAY - FAMILY DAY
67
Week 6 Monday
Saturday
Chest
5 exercises
18 sets
Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
8 exercises
27 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
8 exercises
13 sets
Tuesday
Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercise
6 sets
7 exercises
21 sets
Sunday - Off - Family Day
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
6 sets
5 exercises
18 sets
Friday Chest
6 exercises
18 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
8 exercises
26 sets
68
WEEK 6 - MONDAY Chest
5 exercises
18 sets
Shoulders
3 exercises
9 sets
*Last week!!! Leaving nothing in the gas tank.
1/ Chest | Machine press Work your way down the stack of your favorite pin selected machine press doing sets of 8. Once you reach your top end weight, or the entire stack, I want a drop set. Do 10 full range of motion reps with a contraction at each of these. Drop the weight 3-4 holes and try to get 6 more reps with a flex. From there drop another 2-3 holes and give me 10 bottom half partials. Push yourself here! 4 total work sets
Pro Tip If you wear a t-shirt under a tank top it increases pec fiber activation by 232.6% and growth hormone release triples.
Machine press with drop and partials The lead up sets are 9 RPE, the 4 th set is 13 RPE Goal – Activation and start pump
2/ Chest | Incline barbell benches Go to the “3:16” mark on the video so you can see the pyramid I want you all to use today. I want you doing sets of 6 on the way up. Pay close attention at the “6:20” point. Really amp yourself up for the final set and get 4-6 reps with a heavy weight while maintaining perfect form. 4 total work sets Basic Heavy Chest Workout For Mass | John Meadows & Seth Shaw These sets are all RPE of 8 until the 4 th which is 10 Goal – Train explosively
3/ Chest | Flat dumbbell press After a couple feeder sets, find a weight you can hit for roughly 12 reps. I want you to do 4 sets of 8 with 45 second rest periods here. I like to have a bench sitting in front of me to sit the dumbbells so when the stop watch goes off, you grab them, sit back and crank. By the 3rd and 4th set it should be a grind. 4 total work sets The work sets are RPE of 8-10 Goal – Supramax pump
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4/ Chest | Incline neutral grip dumbbell press This is exercise is going to give you a nasty contraction. Watch the video closely to see how much effort is put into the contracted position. In addition, the neutral grip allows for a safe stretch in the hole. Let’s do 3 sets of 8 here. 3 total work sets Neutral Grip Incline Dumbell Press The work set is RPE of 8-9 Goal – Supramax pump
5/ Chest | Pec dec flyes Time to stretch everything out. Do 10 full range of motion reps then tack on 10 bottom half partials. The key here is to keep your chest lifted and your shoulders back the entire set. On the partials, make these really burn by not rushing through them. Enjoy the pain. 3 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 9-10 Goal – Train muscle from a stretched position
70
TUESDAY Back
5 exercises
15 sets
Abs
2 exercises
6 sets
71
WEDNESDAY OFF DAY
72
THURSDAY Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercises
6 sets
73
WEEK 5 - FRIDAY Chest
6 exercises
18 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
1/ Chest | Hex press superset with pec minor dips Today’s session we are all about pec minor dips. So I want to start with hex press for sets of 8 because the pump I got last week was so amazing. But the kicker is supersetting these with 10-15 pec minor dips. We never let off this exercise the entire 6 weeks and I know your chest is thicker because of this. 3 rounds for 6 total work sets Exercise Index - Hex Press These sets are all RPE of 10 Goal – Activation and start pump
2/ Chest | Pec minor dips superset with dips Skip ahead to “7:32” in the video to see this sweet superset. We will go pec minor dips for 10-15 then transition right into regular chest dips for another 10-15 reps. If you have to use the assisted machine for the full dips, fell free to do so. Give me 3 rounds of this. 3 rounds for 6 total work sets
4 exercise chest workout for mass These sets are all RPE of 10 Goal – Supramax pump
3/ Chest | High cable cross over superset pec minor dips Last sequence of this entire chest manual, so finish STRONG! Give me 12-15 reps on the high cable crossover and then go bananas on the pec minor dips here. Leave nothing to chance today! Will your body into chest growth. 3 rounds for 6 total work sets Exercise Index - Pec Minor Dip | Chest Exercise These sets are all RPE of 10 Goal – Supramax pump
74
SATURDAY Arms
6 exercises
18 sets
Calves
1 exercise
5 sets
Abs
1 exercise
5 sets
75
SUNDAY OFF DAY - FAMILY DAY
76
