Volume - Chest

(Note: Always adjust the weight to fit your ability with the given repetition range. Never compromise form or range of motion for additional weight unless specified)

Warm-up: Do a set of pushups (10-30) that does not entirely exhaust your ability, only about half your max-reps. Then jump on the bench and bench the bar with good form (regular grip, pointer fingers just outside shoulder-width apart) without a bounce on your chest. Do this for 15 reps to loosen up the shoulders and chest, then back to the ½ max pushups. Then add weight to the bar so you are at your 20-rep max barbell bench (for me that’s 150lbs).

1. Superset – 5 sets
   1. Flat barbell bench – 8 reps (205lbs, 215, 225, 225, 225)
      1. Note: Do not bounce the weight off your chest, stop the motion just before the bar hits your chest. Squeeze the bar as tightly as possible and explode through your chest on each concentric portion of each rep. Each eccentric portion should be slow and controlled.
   2. Regular Push-ups (20 reps [40% of max push-ups])
      1. Note: These become more difficult as you go. Limit your rest between sets for the ultimate burn.
2. Superset – 4 sets
   1. Standing Cable Fly – 15 reps (27.5lbs, 32.5, 32.5, 37)
      1. Note: Keep your back straight, slight lean forwards with a staggered leg stance. As you come forward squeeze your elbows together and hold in the squeezed position at the top of each repetition.
   2. Incline dumbbell bench 5-5-5’s – 15 reps each arm (60lbs, 65, 65, 65)
      1. Note: With two dumbbells on a bench at 55* incline, hold the right-hand dumbbell up in the air with a straight arm and do five repetitions with the left hand. Then switch and hold the left hand up and do five reps with the right hand. Repeat this three times in a continuous set for ONE full set.
3. Superset – 3 sets
   1. Platform explosive push-ups – Rubber plates [about 4 inches thick] just farther than shoulder width apart - 10 reps
      1. Note: With your feet on the ground and hands just inside the rubber plates also on the ground, do a push-up and explode your hand off the ground landing with your hands on the rubber plates. Then perform a push-up with your hands on the plates and explode off, landing on the ground. This is one rep. if you can’t do this, just explode off of the ground and do stationary explosive push-ups (and double the reps) getting as much ‘air time’ as possible for each rep.
   2. Machine Chest Fly- 15 reps (145lbs, 145, 145)
      1. Note: At the position where your arms are straight out in front of you, hold this by squeezing your elbows together for 5 seconds on each rep. Great burn.
4. Finisher Superset – 2 sets
   1. Medicine Ball Push-ups (palms down towards the ground) – 16 reps
      1. Note: One hand on a medicine ball, other on the floor. Perform 8 reps then roll the ball over to the other hand (while still maintaining push-ups posture) and do 8 more reps.
      2. Dumbbell Pullover – 10 reps (want to go as heavy as possible for ten reps) (100lbs.) 
         1. Note: Lying on a bench holding the top of the dumbbell with both hands straight up in the air. Keeping a slight bend at the elbows, bring the dumbbell back over your head to about 165* (not quite parallel) and then explode back up. This exercise is like a deadlift for your upper body and it is great for the chest.