There are a few things that need to happen in order to produce muscle growth. You need to use significant load when lifting weights Enough time under tension to create structural damage to the muscle tissue Enough stimuli to up-regulate anabolic hormones and increase protein synthesis Proper recovery and workout nutrition Many people often think that if they lift as heavy as possible, or use as much volume (sets and reps) as possible they will […]
There are a few things that need to happen in order to produce muscle growth. You need to use significant load when lifting weights Enough time under tension to create structural damage to the muscle tissue Enough stimuli to up-regulate anabolic hormones and increase protein synthesis Proper recovery and workout nutrition Many people often think that if they lift as heavy as possible, or use as much volume (sets and reps) as possible they will […]
There are a few things that need to happen in order to produce muscle growth. You need to use significant load when lifting weights Enough time under tension to create structural damage to the muscle tissue Enough stimuli to up-regulate anabolic hormones and increase protein synthesis Proper recovery and workout nutrition Workout #1 When I think of athletes with huge quads, I think of Olympic lifters. They perform a ton of fronts, heavy. So […]
During the last several years, the loaded carry (most notable the farmers carry) has exploded on the scene. Everyone from bodybuilders to Cross fitters has started to include various loaded carries into their routines and for a good reason. A loaded carry is where an athlete picks up and carries a heavy object and walks with it for an extended period of time or distance. This can be done with various objects, such as dumbbells, […]
The longer that I am in the lifting game, the more I look to be more efficient with my workouts. In a perfect world, I would write programs for my clients and myself that would include the following: Soft tissue works with various foam rollers and massage balls Corrective exercises to improve any dysfunctions Mobility work Stretching Groundwork (rolling, crawling, Get-ups, etc.) Nervous system development/power work (med ball throws and plyos) Strength training Conditioning/cardiovascular work […]
The best way to build muscle is to perform full-body strength training sessions frequently throughout the week. The combo of lower and upper-body movement that involves multiple muscle groups done in a circuit fashion stimulates anabolic hormones and protein synthesis which are two of the major players at stimulating muscle growth. Performing multiple full-body strength routines must be done correctly in order to produce results. Hitting each muscle group 3 to 4 days per week […]
Power training is a vital piece of the functional training puzzle for both competitive athletes & general population clients. Progressive exposure to high-velocity movements trains the nervous system to recruit high-threshold motor units, reflexively stabilize joints and develop the local tissue resiliency necessary to withstand the demands of high-velocity sports, making it a valuable tool for both performance enhancement and injury reduction. Throwing low/moderate weight medicine balls with intent and at high velocity promotes the […]
In 2017, I wrote a Complete Programming Guide For Small Group and Large Group Personal Training Since then, there has been over 100 of our intern at State of Fitness that have read the manual. Each semester, our interns are required to turn in a detailed summary of what they learned from the manual. One of our amazing interns, Maryam Abbasi, has written a fantastic summary I wanted to share. You can click io the […]
Real Workouts. Real Eating. Real life.
There are a few things that need to happen in order to produce muscle growth.
Many people often think that if they lift as heavy as possible, or use as much volume (sets and reps) as possible they will trigger muscle growth. Lifting more weight and doing it too much can often lead to overtraining; beat-up joints and poor results in the muscle development category.
I have found that there is a sweet spot for a time under tension for each muscle group, load, and volume in order to produce muscle growth. In general, spending about 30-45 minutes working for a larger muscle group twice a week (chest, back, legs, shoulders), with 65-85% of your estimated 1-rep max, in a circuit fashion, will produce the best results for muscle growth.
Here is a breakdown to do this when you want to get your chest to grow into mountains!
Workout #1
If you want to build thickness and mass in the chest area, you need to start with incline presses! I love the flat bench press, but nothing beats the incline barbell press. It builds your chest muscle from the clavicle to the sternum and negates that sagging chest look.
For the heavier workout of the week, we want to stick with presses and push-ups. We can work more muscle at one time with these moves and safely use more weight. We will save the flies for the higher rep day.
Exercise Sets Rep Tempo Rest Period
1A Incline Bench 4 6 1/1/3 90 seconds
1B Flat DB Bench 4 6-8 1/1/3 90 seconds
*1C Push-ups 2 6 1/1/8 2-minutes
** Make sure to count the 8-second eccentric portion of the rep very slow. If the reps are too easy, add weight.
Notes: Perform all three exercises in a circuit fashion. After 1 warm-up set using lightweight (except the push-ups), use a weight that is about 80-85% of your 1-rep max. Make sure to rest at least 48-72 hours before you perform the next chest workout.
Workout #2
Most people utilize the flat bench press for heavyweight and low-reps. But I have to see bodybuilders build huge chests with high-rep bench presses (Franco, Arnold, football players).
We then move onto the incline fly to put in some detail in the upper chest. Finish off with some push-ups and your chest is finished for the week.
Exercise Sets Rep Tempo Rest Period
1A Bench Press 3 10 1/1/3 90 seconds
1B Incline DB Fly 3 10 1/1/3 90 seconds
1C Push-ups 3 12 1/1/3 2-minutes
Notes: Perform 1 light warm-up set and then start at a weight that is about 65% of your 1-rep max (except the push-ups). Add weight on each set until you reach about 80% of your 1-rep max. Make sure to rest at least 48-72 hours before you perform your next chest workout.
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