The 4 Best Ways to Reignite Chest Growth

1 – Add Some Instability Work… At the Right Time There’s a time and place for everything and that includes using some instability training for the chest. Here’s the only rule about instability training: Make sure you do your stable movements first so that your chest is pre-fatigued before you hit it with something unstable. If you haven’t tried it before, use the “hanging band technique.” If you don’t have a specialized bar, you can double up some loop bands and add kettlebells or plates, as seen below: Alternatively, you can use an unstable base of support by doing push-ups off a stretch band: You’ll find yourself struggling to maintain stability from four different directions (up, down, forward, and backward). 2 – Stop Counting Reps on Accessory Exercises After you’ve already finished your heavy barbell or dumbbell bench workout and are ready to move on to accessory movements (flyes, push-ups, banded exercises, machine work), use a rep range that actually makes you lose count. I’m not saying you need to be doing sets of 85, but high reps are your friend. If you’re strictly counting out sets of 6 or 8 reps on these exercises, you’re not going to build your chest much. Get some blood into the muscle bellies for once so you can get that insane pump you’ve only read about. Use these high-rep accessory exercises as a way to ease up on the shoulder joints, take advantage of superior isolation, and groove the movement patterns for efficiency. 3 – Use Cables for Flyes The classic dumbbell flye is perfectly fine, as long as you realize it forfeits a piece of your force curve. Remember, the chest fibers run in a generally horizontal fashion. When you hold on to a pair of dumbbells, the force angle follows that fibrous path – in theory at least – because of the movement pattern, but in truth, the force angle is directly downward, bearing on the shoulder joint. In other words, you’re attempting to do a horizontal movement using a relatively vertical load. To clarify, let’s exaggerate a bit. Imagine you were going to try flyes with 100-pound dumbbells. There’s a high chance you couldn’t perform a deep flye movement with that kind of weight because it’s just too heavy for the pattern. But, you COULD hold them there at the top of the lift for as long as you want because that position doesn’t stress the actual muscles. However, when you switch that force angle to a horizontal one – in the form of a cable flye where the cables are trying to pull your hands apart rather than the dumbbells simply pressing downward – it can act as a game changer for your activation levels. Not only does this better match the direction of the pec fibers for better quality reps that use more of the force curve, it also makes it much easier to keep good form, even when you’re losing steam. The video gives a demo of conventional incline cable flyes, but also shows an easy way to extend a set by simply converting the flye into a cable press to get some help from the triceps. 4 – Stop Ignoring Push-Ups Whether you want to do them one handed, two handed, using rings, a suspension setup, or with your feet elevated, the classic push-up affords too many benefits that many other movements can’t deliver. There just aren’t many people who are really good at push-ups who don’t have a great chest. That says something. Here are some distinct advantages that push-ups offer: Push-ups are healthier for the shoulder joint. They allow the shoulder blade to move around the ribcage as the movement progresses. This movement matches the upper arm’s change in position – scapulohumeral rhythm. Without it, we’d have gummy shoulders. This is particularly important because conventional bench press patterns force you to pin your shoulder blades back. Consequently, you don’t get a chance to train that healthy scapulohumeral rhythm as much as you need to. Push-ups help engage the serratus anterior, a muscle on the side of the torso that engages when the shoulder blades protract. Developing that muscle can keep your shoulders healthy AND really help finish off an impressive V-taper. Proper push-ups create plenty of time under tension that can’t be duplicated with other exercises. You’ll understand that when you crush repeated sets of 40. You shouldn’t be afraid to make a whole workout out of push-ups. You haven’t “graduated” from them just because you’re strong enough to press 300 pounds. Look at it this way: If you can’t do a set of 35 unbroken push-ups, then you’ve got work to do. No one should get to the point in their fitness where having proper control over bodyweight staples goes to shit and they no longer possess the strength or endurance to do them properly. Try This: If you really want to cook your chest, try super-setting push-ups and bodyweight deep dips. Do 12 reps of push-ups and then do dips to failure and see how many rounds you can get done in 25 minutes. When your chest and triceps are ready to pop out of your shirt, you can DM me
Origin: The 4 Best Ways to Reignite Chest Growth

Tip: Pull Your Way to Growth

One of the things that separate the wolves from the sheep in the iron game is back development. A guy who puts in years grinding away on his upper back and lats will end up with a physique that ultimately blows away the one developed by the dude who’s just pressing, flying, and curling his way to mediocrity. So if you’re looking for more to do on back day, add this finisher to the mix. Just do ONE set at the end of your normal back workout. Pulldown Drop Set for Maximum Gains This is an efficient mechanical drop set requiring only a high pulley and a rope attachment. You won’t even have to change the weight. Do the following: Straight-Arm Pulldown:12-15 reps to failure (upright position) Straight-Arm Pulldown:max reps (bent over position) Bent-Over “J” Pulldown:max reps Hybrid Motorcycle Row/Face Pull:max reps Bent-Over Lat Pulldown:max reps Take no rest between exercises. This protocol has a nice flow to it and you’ll appreciate the
Origin: Tip: Pull Your Way to Growth

Tip: Slow Cook Your Biceps for Growth

Biceps Rotisseries Let’s “slow cook” your biceps, as well as the brachioradialis, via a lot of rotation and change in hand position. The Protocol Dumbbell Reverse Curl:6-8 reps with an estimated 12-rep max weight Dumbbell Hammer Curl:6-8 reps (same weight) Dumbbell Curl:6-8 reps (same weight) Dumbbell Cheat Curl:6-8 reps (same weight) 90-Degree Alternating Pronation/Supination:6-8 reps (after last cheat rep) 90-Degree Isometric Hold:Hold for as long as possible (after last supination and pronation) You’ll use the same weight throughout and there’s no rest between the variations. Rest 90-120 seconds and repeat. You’ll likely have to drop down a set of dumbbells to do a second series. (You’ll only need two “sets” of this at the end of your workout.) Leave your ego at the door for this one. This protocol is straight-up metabolic stress, skin-splitting pump work! If you need to use 15-20 pound dumbbells, then so be it. Now isn’t the time to try and impress the Gym Shark girl next to you with huge weights. Weight Selection is Key on the First Exercise You want to have several reps in reserve. If you go too heavy on the reverse curl and get too close to failure, you won’t last and won’t hit the rep targets on the movements that follow. Trust me, by the third or fourth movement, it’ll get plenty hard. Note on the Cheat Curl You want to hip hinge just a little and “pop” up powerfully. Pause the contraction and then do a very slow and focused
Origin: Tip: Slow Cook Your Biceps for Growth

The Real Driver of Muscle Growth

Most people think the primary driver for muscle growth is volume, but most of these same people define volume as the number of sets you’re performing in a training session (not counting your warm-up sets, mind you). More accurately defined, volume is sets x reps x loading (weight). Total tonnage – that’s what really determines growth. Let’s take a look at a solid study that proves it, along with defining the exact amount of volume that builds the most muscle. Study Design Barbalho, et al. separated 40 experienced female lifters into four groups. Each group trained to failure using a different amount of volume. Average Age:24-25 years old Training Experience:At least three years Length of Study:24 weeks Note that a resistance training study done for 24 weeks is very rare. The usual is 8 to 12 weeks. We’re literally looking at six months worth of training with a 100% completion rate by the subjects. That means all 40 women who started the study finished it. Fantastic. The Program Each group did a different amount of total sets per workout: 5 sets per workout 10 sets per workout 15 sets per workout 20 sets per workout The program itself was done three days a week, hitting each muscle group once a week. Monday Training A. Barbell Bench Press B. Incline Barbell Press C. Barbell Military Press The 5 set group did 2 sets of bench presses, 2 sets of inclines, and 1 set of military presses. The 10 set group did 4 sets of bench presses, 4 sets of inclines, and 2 sets of military presses. The 15 set group did 5 sets of bench presses, 5 sets of inclines, and 5 sets of military presses. The 20 set group did 7 sets of bench presses, 7 sets of inclines, and 6 sets of military presses. Thursday Training A. Lat Pulldown B. Cable Row C. Upright Row The 5 set group did 2 sets of pulldowns, 2 sets of cable rows, and 1 set of upright rows. The 10 set group did 4 sets of pulldowns, 4 sets of cable rows, and 2 sets of upright rows. The 15 set group did 5 sets of pulldowns, 5 sets of cable rows, and 5 sets of upright rows. The 20 set group did 7 sets of pulldowns, 7 sets of cable rows, and 6 sets of upright rows. Friday Training A. 45-Degree Leg Press B. Barbell Squat C. Stiff Legged Deadlift The 5 set group did 2 sets of leg presses, 2 sets of squats, and 1 set of stiff legged deadlifts. The 10 set group did 4 sets of leg presses, 4 sets of squats, and 2 sets of stiff legged deadlifts. The 15 set group did 5 sets of leg presses, 5 sets of squats, and 5 sets of stiff legged deadlifts. The 20 set group did 7 sets of leg presses, 7 sets of squats, and 6 sets of stiff legged deadlifts. Rep Periodization The scientists periodized the training so that the lifters used different rep schemes each week. Then they rotated back around each month: Week 1:12-15 reps, 30-60 seconds rest between sets Week 2:4-6 reps, 3-4 minutes rest between sets Week 3:10-12 reps, 1-2 minutes rest between sets Week 4:6-8 reps, 2-3 minutes rest between sets This periodization model was repeated six times (there’s your 24 weeks). The Results The researchers tested the women’s 10-rep max on the bench press, lat pulldown, leg press, and stiff-legged deadlift at the beginning of the study. The scientists also measured muscle thickness of the biceps, triceps, pecs, quads, and glutes. The tests and measurements were repeated after 24 weeks. This is what they found: All groups showed significant increases in all muscle thickness measurements and 10-rep max tests. There were no differences in any 10-rep max tests between the 5 and 10 set groups. The 5 and 10 set groups showed significantly greater 10-rep max increases for lat pulldowns, leg presses, and stiff-legged deadlifts than the 15-set group. For the bench press, the results from the 5, 10, and 15 set groups didn’t differ significantly, but the 20-set group tested out the worst. In fact, 10-rep max changes for the 20-set group were lower than all other groups for all exercises. As for muscle thickness improvement, as you might expect, it correlated with the strength gains. The 5 and 10 set groups showed significantly greater increases than the 15 and 20 set groups in all measured sites. Muscle thickness increased more in the 15 set group than the 20 set group in all sites. The increases in the 5-set group were higher than the 10 set group for the pecs, whereas the 10-set group showed higher increases in quadriceps muscle thickness than the 5-set group. To put this in perspective, the 20-set group exhibited about a quarter of the gains that the 10 set group did. A Possible Flaw in Their Findings? The one argument against this study is that the subjects in the 15 and 20 set groups probably did too much volume in their sessions and exceeded their capacity to recover. If the work load had been spread out over more training days in the week, the outcome could have been different. Nice try, but they didn’t exceed their maximum recoverable volume in a single session! Look at the
Origin: The Real Driver of Muscle Growth

Growth Factor Chest Training

Here’s what you need to know… To make a muscle grow, put it under constant tension for 50-70 seconds. This technique mimics the benefits of occlusion training. Occlusion training deprives the target muscle of oxygen during lifting and increases the release of growth factors in a muscle. The growth factor workout is a series of complexes that place your pecs under constant tension. You’ll use several flye and press variations. Contract the pecs. Focus on squeezing at the top. Don’t just go through the motions. Muscle Growth: The Short Version To build a muscle, make it release local growth factors. How? By keeping it under constant tension for 50-70 seconds. This does two things: A lot of lactate and hydrogen ions will accumulate inside the muscle. The muscle will be put in a relative hypoxic state – not enough oxygen enters the muscle which becomes oxygen-deprived. The result? Muscle growth is triggered. Growth Factor Training Growth factors are substances such as insulin-like growth factors (IGF-1, IGF-2) and mechanical growth factors (MGF) that have a very high impact on protein synthesis (muscle building). Stimulate the release of these in a muscle and you’ll build it. Studies have shown that growth factors are stimulated mostly via an accumulation of lactate/hydrogen ions inside the target muscle as well as depriving the target muscle of oxygen during lifting. The latter was found when doing studies on occlusion training: performing sets where blood flow to the muscle is greatly reduced by wearing a compressive cuff. Doing so diminishes oxygen transport to the muscles as well as the clearance of metabolic waste (lactate/hydrogen ions). Sets under these conditions have shown a similar hypertrophy response even when very light weights were used compared to regular, heavier sets. Researchers found that the main contributing factor was the release of growth factors. But you don’t have to create an occlusion with a pressure cuff to get the same effect. When a muscle is either tensed (flexing) or stretched, blood entry inside the muscle is greatly reduced. Less oxygen gets in and less metabolic waste is taken out, which creates the same effect as occlusion training in regard to the release of growth factors. How to Mimic The Effects of Occlusion To mimic the beneficial effects of occlusion training, keep the muscles contracted for 50-70 seconds. Out of those 50-70 seconds, spend as much time as possible with the muscles being flexed. So it’s not just about doing the exercises for the duration required, but about focusing on keeping them under tension/flexed throughout. Sure, you could simply perform one exercise for 50-70 seconds non-stop. But there are several reasons to do compounded exercises in one set: It’s easier mentally. You can maintain better focus (after doing an exercise for more than 30 seconds it’s easy to lose focus). It allows you to hit a greater variety of muscle fibers. You can use a bit more weight overall for each exercise (since you have fewer reps of each than you would if you only did one exercise for the same duration). First, Heavy Work Start the chest growth factor workout with a “heavier” exercise that’s still in line with the growth factor way of thinking – longer time under tension – but doesn’t require all the principles (constant tension, constant focus on the pecs). The whole upper body benefits from training heavier on the bench press, and doing so will “turn on” the pecs which will make the subsequent pump work more effective. One method is a multi-contraction drop set. It requires some specific equipment: light resistance bands and Mark Bell’s slingshot. I find this to be the best option but I’ll provide other ones for those who don’t have these tools. Bench Press First do 5 reps with added band resistance. Then remove the bands and immediately do 5 more reps. Then put on the slingshot and pump out as many reps as you can. Do 3 sets. If you don’t have access to a slingshot and bands here are two options you can use: Option 1 5 reps bench press, then as many top-half bench press reps as possible (going down until elbows are just above 90 degrees). Then hold the top position, squeezing the pecs for 15-30 seconds. Option 2 5 reps: Bench press, close-grip 5 reps: Bench, mid-grip 5 reps: Bench, wide-grip Take 10 seconds between each step. Growth Factor Work Complex 1: Press Medley Start with a medley that will blow up your pecs in only one set. This is brutal work even though light weights are used. It’s a long complex, so pay attention! Here’s the whole thing, then I’ll go through the individual elements below: 8-10 reps: Incline dumbbell press, reverse grip Max reps: Incline dumbbell press, regular grip (same weight) Max reps: Push-up, feet elevated Max reps: Flat dumbbell press, reverse grip (same weight) Max reps: Flat dumbbell press, regular grip (same weight) Max reps: Push-up The reverse grip dumbbell press is a great way to hit the upper
Origin: Growth Factor Chest Training

Tip: Trigger Biceps Growth With Spider Curls

When it comes to training the biceps, simply doing more sets and reps won’t cut it. The problem? Most lifters are hitting the SAME parts of the biceps over and over again while completely leaving out – or at least under-stimulating – other parts. You need to hit both the long and short head of the biceps brachii (as well as the brachialis). Here’s an exercise for the often neglected short head: Spider Curl with Slow Negatives and Iso Holds Spider curls – where you lean over an incline bench and let the arms hang straight down – target the short head of the biceps. The big advantage of spider curls over preacher curls is the constant tension, especially at the top portion of the movement. The slower negatives allow more time under tension during the eccentric or lowering phase, where we can handle more load. This allows you to work at a higher intensity, and higher intensity means greater stress which means greater adaptation. Here’s an additional twist: use a fat grip. One of the benefits of thick-bar training is that thicker handles stimulate much more muscle activation in the hands, forearms, upper arms, and even the whole upper body. More muscle activation means much bigger muscle and strength
Origin: Tip: Trigger Biceps Growth With Spider Curls

Turn Rest Days Into Growth Days

The Reason You’re Not Getting Better The way you handle your off days can greatly affect your ability to build muscle and get stronger. For the dedicated lifter, the problem isn’t that you take an occasional rest day. The problem is that you don’t take ENOUGH rest days and you don’t time them wisely in your training week. Off days can be a torture for iron addicts. For many people, a rest day makes them feel like they’re slacking off, so they train six or even seven days per week. Yet when you look at the most successful strength athletes and bodybuilders, four training days a week, sometimes five, seems to be the most common frequency. Those training six or seven days a week tend to progress at a slower pace than those hitting the gym four to five days a week. There are of course exceptions, but unless you’re genetically gifted, you should base your training decisions on the most widely successful approach, not on the exception. It’s a Growth Day, Not An Off Day Change your thinking like this: Think “stimulation days” instead of training days. Think “growth days” instead of rest days. When you take a rest/growth day you build more muscle, replenish glycogen stores more easily, and let the nervous system get back to an optimal working state. This will help you grow faster, but it’ll also improve your performance on the day you get back to the gym. The truth is, during your off days crucial things happen that make it easier to grow and get stronger. Your body has limited resources. And if you invest more resources in a training session, rather than resting, you’ll have fewer available to fuel adaptation and growth. During rest days you devote more of your resources to growth and repair. Your nervous, immune, and hormonal systems also get back to a situation conducive to growth and performance. If you’re well rested you’ll be able to perform at a higher level and do more volume, both of which will make the session more effective. “Growth days” make you grow directly by allowing you to recover. They make you grow indirectly by allowing your to put a greater stimulation on your body during your lifting sessions. A Big Nutrition Mistake Ask people what they do for nutrition during their off days and most will tell you they lower calorie or carb intake. (Heck, I’ve even recommended it in the past.) It’s a common recommendation, but it’s wrong. People think that since they won’t be training and burning as much fuel, they shouldn’t consume the same amount of carbs or else they risk gaining fat. If your goal is STRICTLY fat loss there may be some value to this. But if you’re looking to build as much muscle and strength as possible, you should see your off days as days where you’re trying to do everything you can to maximize growth and performance, not days where you don’t do anything. Think of your time off as an investment. With this in mind, what should you do nutrition-wise? Cut carbs and calories, leaving you with muscles that aren’t fully replenished with muscle glycogen and leaving you unable to take advantage of the anabolic properties of insulin? No! Do the opposite. Accelerate Growth Day Gains Insulin is the most anabolic hormone in the body. It shuts down catabolism (protein breakdown or muscle wasting) and ramps up anabolism – protein synthesis or building muscle. It also activates mTor which triggers muscle growth and increases glucose storage inside the muscles. Muscles being full of glycogen is itself anabolic. As a bonus, a fuller muscle is a stronger muscle. If your goal is maximum muscle growth and strength gains, it’s important to consume plenty of quality carbs and protein during those off/growth days. See each growth day as the only day in the week where the body is allowed to build muscle. If that were the case, what would you do on that day to make sure that you get every possible ounce of muscle growth? Certainly not lower your calorie or carb intake! At the very least, keep calorie and carb intakes the same or increase them a bit. I’d also increase protein intake slightly to take advantage of the more anabolic state. Mag-10® pulsing would be perfect for this. I simply add three Mag-10® servings of “pulses” to my regular protein intake on these days. How Many Growth Days Per Week? Most people should train four days per week. For a normal person, four HARD sessions per week is about all that can be done. Sure, training more often is possible, but it would require the careful and precise use of training days with a much lower stress level. I don’t like these because I always feel like I have to restrain myself and “train with the brakes on.” If you like to go balls-out, four training days a week is the best option to start with. That leaves us with three rest/growth days per week. Occasionally doing five sessions per week is fine, which would leave us with two rest/growth days. But this isn’t the ideal long-term solution. Where Do You Place Growth Days? One rule: Avoid taking two
Origin: Turn Rest Days Into Growth Days