By Dr. Filippo Casini
Often when we talk about the gym, a little at all latitudes, the first thing that comes to mind is a rather muscular guy lying on a bench that lifts a barbell very loaded with cast iron with ease, getting up at the end of the series with a chest that almost explodes ...
Especially for people over 180 cm in size and therefore with quite long arms, moving large loads with a correct technique, thus stimulating the pectoralis major muscle at best, is very difficult.
The stroke of the barbell is long, the potential energy that one generates in the negative phase of descent is very difficult to convert into kinetic energy of pushing movement in the ascent, and all this causes the majority of the work to weigh on the triceps and on the anterior deltoids, not stimulating the pectoralis.
You can try to keep a perfect technique, but in most cases, a little because of the desire to increase the weight anyway, a little for the impossibility of having the arms that push isolaterally (that is, each one on its own), there is always an area of the body, depending on our natural predisposition to be stronger on the left or on the right, to bear most of the work; in addition, the barbell makes peak contraction and the approach of the hands to the apex of the movement almost impossible.
The best solution, therefore, turns out to be for many people, including me who exceed one meter eighty-five centimeters, totally change approach. Since I adopted what I will present to you shortly, I have achieved more results in the chest development than in the previous three years of training.
The idea of this 12-week program is to focus essentially on the low chest, to improve the first visual impact, without however neglecting the high chest, in the realistic awareness that the development of really imposing upper pectorals, which set themselves to cover the collarbones, it is very difficult and takes a lot of time, while if the general development is lacking, a lashing of intensity with a slightly different approach can definitely improve the general appearance, and even if there will be a small disparity between above and below, increasing the lower mass will give a better picture of your chest overall.
Before starting any type of workout it is advisable to warm up properly on a cardio machine, to generate slight sweating, and perform some very light sets of the first exercise: in our case you can perform some series of 10 or 12 repetitions of push-ups .
This type of training is not suitable for beginners, but for all those who find themselves, after a few years of training experience, in a stalemate in pectoral development that we could therefore call intermediate athletes.
PROGRAM GUIDELINES: the first month we focus on the low bib, keeping both volume and moderate intensity; 10 training series, with a call to generate blood on Friday, are more than enough to give the first shock to the chest.
The second month, things get more intense, supersets take over, but the total series (supersets included) still remain 10 because we don't want to exaggerate with volumes from non-natural athletes and overtraining the chest: so we don't want to destroy it, but definitely improve it and get him used to new stimuli.
The third month the effort becomes even more intense with the stripping technique. The total series remain 10, and pumping exercises with a high number of repetitions are inserted to increase the blood supply and the consequent entry of nutrients into the muscle.
You can combine the biceps or triceps with this workout as you are best, or dedicate yourself only to the chest and join the calves and abdominals.
FIRST MONTH: Harnesses on Mondays and recall on Friday
PARALLEL with overload
12-10-8-6. Light overload. Descent in 2 seconds, 1 second of detention, explosive ascent, concentrating on using the chest being very bent forward, so as not to involve the triceps, and without blocking the movement at the top
Pushes with dumbbells on bench at 30 degrees - pyramidal series 12-10-8-6-4 -
Crosses with dumbbells on recumbent / flat 4x12
RECALL: cross over to cables, 4x20-18-16-14
Chest press, 4x15 peak contraction
PAUSE 1 minute between all exercises
SECOND MONTH: pectorals only on Mondays, great intensity with super series
1) Parallel without overloading in superseries with crossover to 4x12 cables.
2) Pushed at 30 degrees with the handlebars in superseries with crosses with dumbbells, always on a bench at 30 degrees, 3x12.
3) Crosses on flat, 8 repetitions, then with the same weight push for another 8 repetitions. Repeat total 3 times.
PAUSE 1 'E 20 "
THIRD MONTH: stripping and recall Friday
1) Stretching with dumbbells on a flat surface, 6x15-12-10-8-6-4, in the last series of 4 prepared dumbbells 10 kg lighter with which to do 4 more repetitions and then dumbbells lighter than other 5 kg with to do another 4 repetitions (eg if you use 36 dumbbells to make 4, you will make 4x36, then without a 4x26 break and without a 4x20 break).
2) Crosses on inclined 30 degrees in stripping, descending by 4 kg, performing 8-8-8. Example 8 repetitions with 14, immediately after 8 with 10 and then 8 with 6 kg. Repeat everything 3 times.
3) Cross over to the cables, a series of 50 with peak contractions at each repetition (keeping the weight very low because otherwise it is impossible to execute 50).
Recall Friday.
Parallel 8 series x max reps, without overload.
PAUSE, all three days, 1 'and 20 "between the series and 2 min between the two exercises.
