The following details my chest, shoulder and triceps workout from Thursday of last week at Kirkland Gold’s Gym. My schedule was a day off again due to a trip to Portland earlier in the week. Here is the workout...
Incline Dumbbell Presses
I used a slight incline here - FYI.
Set 1 x 8 reps with 50lbs
Set 2 x 8 reps with 65lbs
Set 3 x 8 reps with 80lbs
Set 4 x 8 reps with 95lbs
Set 5 x 8 reps with 110lbs
Set 6 x 8 reps with 120lbs -> Drop to 80lbs x 9 reps (failure)
*The key here is to press short of lockout on these to maintain continuous tension and save your elbow joints. Also, don’t over-stretch at the bottom. Finish with a drop set.
Floor Press
I did this exercise in a cage and used an Olympic bar to create instability and force me to control the weight - FYI.
Four sets of 8 reps with 225lbs
*Bring the bar down slowly, pause briefly with your triceps on the ground before explosively driving the weight up as quickly as possible.
Here is a video from a previous workout:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-qioauljpg]
Cable Chest Press Flyes
I used a Life Fitness cable fly machine where you sit upright and each arm is an independant cable pulley. I did flyes rather than a standard pressing movement.
Four sets x 8 reps with 70lbs
*Do not over stretch here and flex hard in the contracted position for a split second on each rep. I aimed for 8 reps, but failed a few reps shy on the last two sets.
Lying Dumbbell External Rotation
Set 1 x 18 reps (failure) with 17.5lbs
Set 2 x 12 reps (failure) with 20lbs
Set 3 x 9 reps (failure) with 22.5lbs
*The idea here is to lay on your side on a flat utility bench. Start on your left side with the dumbbell in your right hand. Pin your elbow to your side and move the dumbbell up and down while externally rotating your shoulder. You should feel these in your rear delts.
Superset: Cable Rear Delt 5-4-3’s & Machine Shoulder Press
Cable Rear Delts x 5-4-3 reps with 17.5lbs
Immediately followed by…
Machine Shoulder Press x failure with 90lbs each side
*On the cable rear delts start by holding both sides in the contracted position. Maintain the contracted position with one side while doing 5 reps with the other. Finish your 5th rep in the contracted position and hold it there while doing 5 reps with the other side. Alternate in this fashion doing 4 reps and then 3 reps. Move straight to a machine shoulder press and go to failure aiming for 8-12 reps. I did this superset 3 times.
Superset: Close Grip Bench & Overhead Rope Extensions
Close Grip Bench x 7 reps with 135lbs
Immediately followed by…
Overhead Rope Extensions x 14 reps with 100lbs
*The key is to use a slow 3 second eccentric on the close grip bench and pause at the bottom without the bar on your chest. Press up and contracted your triceps as hard as possible. Move to the overhead extensions and aim to keep your hands apart throughout all 14 reps while accentuating the stretch.
That concluded this chest, shoulder and triceps workout.
Train hard!
Mark