The following details my primary chest, shoulder and triceps workout from Monday night at Kirkland Gold’s Gym. With daily calories dipping below 1,900 in the final crunch to the Europa Phoenix I’m grateful to have Mag-10 and Plazma to get me through these long workouts. The workout was largely designed by my coach, John Meadows, and I trained with Christina. Here is the workout…
Decline Dumbbell Press
Set 1 x 15 reps with 50lbs (warm-up)
Set 2 x 15 reps with 65lbs (warm-up)
Set 3 x 15 reps with 85lbs
Set 4 x 15 reps with 85lbs
Set 5 x 15 reps with 85lbs
*Lower the dumbbells slowly and drive to ¾ lock out before coming right back down to ensure continuous tension.
Machine Press
John called for barbell flat bench, but that exercise is what I tore my pec on several years ago. I opted for a machine press in which I could push 100% without fear of a tendon detaching.
Set 1 x 8 reps with 145lbs (feeder set)
Set 2 x 8 reps with 185lbs (feeder set)
Set 3 x 10 reps with 235lbs
Set 4 x 10 reps with 250lbs
Set 5 x 10 reps with 265lbs
Set 6 x 6 reps (failure) with 280lbs -> drop to 235lbs x 5 reps (failure) -> drop to 190lbs x 5 reps (failure)
*Press to ¾ lockout doing sets of 10 reps and pyramiding up in weight. On your final set you should be at a heavy weight in which you fail before 10 reps, but that’s okay. Go to failure and then do two more drops going to failure on each drop.
HBT Incline Barbell Press
I read an article about the Hanging Band Technique and thought I would give it a try on this exercise. It wasn’t part of John’s program – FYI. I used this band to hang the 10lb plates: https://www.elitefts.com/shop/bars-weights/bands/pro-short-monster-mini-resistance-band.html.
Set 1 x 6 reps with 135lbs + HBT w/10’s (feeder set)
Set 2 x 6 reps with 225lbs + HBT w/10’s
Set 3 x 6 reps with 225lbs + HBT w/10’s
Set 4 x 6 reps with 225lbs + HBT w/10’s
Set 5 x 6 reps with 225lbs + HBT w/10’s
*Use the standard form bringing the bar to your chin/upper pec area, but stopping short of actually touching your chest with the bar and then press up short of locking out. Typically the 10lbs would hang from the furthest outside ends of the barbell, but I placed them inside the collar for two reasons. 1) Christina was training and it made it easier to simply swap out weight for her set, and 2) It made the exercise slightly more stable since this was my first time using the technique.
Here is a video:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ej3vn2CRwI]
High Incline Dumbbell Press
Set 1 x 5 reps with 50lbs
Set 2 x 5 reps with 50lbs
Set 3 x 5 reps with 50lbs
Set 4 x 5 reps with 50lbs
*These are somewhat similar to last week in that you need to set up an incline utility bench to a rather steep incline. However, this week you keep your hands in the neutral position and do more of a press than a fly. Also, lower with a 5 second eccentric and pause at the bottom and really stretch your chest before pressing up and flexing your upper pecs and front delts.
Rear Delt Machine
Set 1 x 35 reps with 100lbs
Set 2 x 35 reps with 100lbs
Set 3 x 35 reps with 100lbs
Set 4 x 35 reps with 100lbs
*The key here is to only rest for 60 seconds between sets. Fire!
Dumbbell Standing Side Laterals
Set 1 x 8 reps with 35lbs
Set 2 x 8 reps with 35lbs
Set 3 x 8 reps with 35lbs
Set 4 x 8 reps with 35lbs
Set 5 x 8 reps with 35lbs
Set 6 x 8 reps with 35lbs
*Six sets of eight reps with only 30 second rest breaks and perfect form.
Single Arm Pushdowns
I used this attachment and did one arm at a time: https://www.elitefts.com/spud-inc-short-ab-strap.html.
Set 1 x 10 reps + 8 partials with 60lbs
Set 2 x 10 reps + 8 partials with 60lbs
Set 3 x 10 reps + 8 partials with 60lbs
Set 4 x 10 reps + 8 partials with 60lbs
*Perform the pushdown with one arm at a time and finish with partials out of the stretched position.
Seated Overhead EZ Bar Extensions
Set 1 x 8 reps with 70lbs
Set 2 x 8 reps with 70lbs
Set 3 x 8 reps with 70lbs
*The key here is a good stretch at the bottom and then only press up to ¾ lock out and come right back down. I like to pause for a split second at the bottom of each rep and really feel the stretch which continuing to flex the triceps.
That concluded this chest, shoulder and triceps workout.
Train hard!
Mark