The following details my primary chest, shoulder and triceps workout from this past Monday evening at Kirkland Gold’s Gym.  The workout was designed by my coach, John Meadows.  I really started to feel my diet with this workout as my energy level and stamina dropped pretty quickly.  Here is the workout…

 

Decline Smith Machine Press

 

Set 1 x 20 reps with 100lbs

Set 2 x 20 reps with 150lbs

Set 3 x 20 reps with 200lbs

Set 4 x 20 reps with 250lbs -> drop to 200lbs x 9 reps -> drop to 150lbs x 6 reps -> drop to 100lbs x 12 partial reps

 

*Use a slight decline on this exercise.  The key is to bring the bar to touch your chest and pause for 1 second before driving the weight up to ¾ lock out.  Do the pause on every single rep.  Continue to go up in weight doing sets of 20 until you hit a weight that you can barely get all 20 reps and then proceed to do a drop set.  On the final drop widen your grip and perform 12 or so partials out of the stretched position.  This will blow your chest up!

 

Flat Dumbbell Press

 

Set 1 x 12 reps with 95lbs

Set 2 x 12 reps with 95lbs

Set 3 x 9 reps with 95lbs

 

*Select a weight in which you can barely get 12 reps and then do 3 sets with it.  I lost reps on my final set.  Get a good stretch at the bottom and press the dumbbells to ¾ lock out.

 

Incline Barbell Press

 

Set 1 x 6 reps with 225lbs

Set 2 x 6 reps with 245lbs

Set 3 x 6 reps with 245lbs

Set 4 x 6 reps with 245lbs

 

*My body was exhausted by this point so I couldn’t go as heavy, however I maintained perfect form.  Bring the bar to within a couple inches of your upper chest and press up stopping short of locking out to maintain continuous tension.

 

Steep Incline Flyes

 

Set 1 x 10 reps with 40lbs

Set 2 x 10 reps with 40lbs

Set 3 x 10 reps with 40lbs

 

*Use a higher incline here than on the previous exercise.  The idea is to engage upper pecs as well as the front delts.  This was a new exercise variation for me and it felt awesome.

 

Here is a video:

 

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9-QmQwCj3o]

 

Cable Rear Delts

 

Set 1 x 20 reps with 20lbs

Set 2 x 20 reps with 25lbs

Set 3 x 20 reps with 25lbs

Set 4 x 20 reps with 25lbs

 

*Remove the handles from the upper cable crossover and grab opposite sides with right and left hands.  The movement is similar to that of a rear delt machine.  Hinge at the shoulder joint and focus the tension on the rear delts.

 

Cable Side Laterals

 

Set 1 x 15 reps with 30lbs

Set 2 x 15 reps with 30lbs

Set 3 x 15 reps with 30lbs

Set 4 x 15 reps with 30lbs

 

*The key here is to use perfect form and muscle the weight up with your lateral delt, pause at the top and flex for a split second before lowering the weight.  These will burn!

 

Triceps Pushdowns

 

I used this attachment: https://www.elitefts.com/spud-inc-short-ab-strap.html.

 

Set 1 x 12 reps with 120lbs

Set 2 x 12 reps with 120lbs

Set 3 x 12 reps with 120lbs

Set 4 x 12 reps with 120lbs

 

*Stand back a bit from the weight stack, lean down and really flex hard on the contraction.  I took 45 second rest breaks between sets - FYI.

 

Close Grip Pushups

 

Set 1 x 14 reps (failure)

Set 2 x 12 reps (failure) -> pause 5 second -> 2 reps -> pause 5 seconds -> 2 reps

 

*Place your hands shoulder width and go to failure on every set.

 

That concluded this chest, shoulder and triceps workout.

 

Train hard!

Mark