| Raising the 'Bar' |
| Series Number One - Chest Training. |
| Part 1 of my series Raising the Bar involves some training tips
from Arnold Coleman. Arnold is a two-time World Powerlifting champion from Columbus, Ohio.
In the past, he has worked with IFBB pros Michael Francois and Gayle Moher. He has also
worked with competitors such as Todd Buchanan (1997 NPC Natural Ohio Overall winner) and
myself.
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| The first key for training a quality chest is isolation. In your exercise, it is important to stress only the muscles involved in the chest movement. This means pressing movements that reduces the involvement of the shoulders (a common problem for lifters when benching). The second key for quality chest training is volume reps. This involves a higher repetition count on your sets than is traditionally believed for mass building. During your training, you want to use anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of your maximum weight for reps that vary from 5 to 15 repetitions. The third key for quality chest training is intensity. Your repetitions should be explosive with minimum rest periods between sets. Often times, the intensity for your workouts are lost due to the long rest periods between sets. Try to keep your rest periods to a minimum. If you have a workout partner, try to do your sets as quickly as possible after your partner has completed his/her set. If you are working alone, try to work with 45 seconds to 1 minute between sets. |
| I train Chest twice a week. If your chest is a slow developing area (such as mine), you may want to try training it twice a week. Here is an example of my chest training for one week. |
Day 1 Flat Barbell Bench 5 sets for 5 reps (70 - 80 percent of maximum) Incline dumbbell presses 3 sets for 10 reps (50 - 70 percent of maximum) |
| Combination #1: Pec Deck and close grip Cybex press 3 sets for 20/15 reps (50 percent of maximum). |
| Combination #2: Triceps rope extensions and Rear Delt rope pulls. 3 sets for 10/10 reps (60 percent of maximum). |
| Incline dumbbell rear lateral raises 3 sets for 12 reps (light weights) |
Combination #3: Triceps dips and push-ups 3 sets for 10/10 reps nonstop. |
Day 2 Incline Barbell Bench 3 sets for 10 reps (50 - 70 percent of max.) |
| Decline dumbbell presses 3 sets for 15 reps (50 percent of max.) |
One-arm triceps overhead extensions 3 sets for 15 reps or Lying French press extensions 3 sets for 12 reps |
Combination #1: Cable pressdowns (forward and reverse grips) 3 sets for 10/10 reps
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| I like to rotate my barbell movements between the Flat, Incline, and Decline Benches. The same is true for the second exercise involving dumbbells. I will also the angles and grips to stress different parts of the chest. My workouts will take approximately 45 minutes to complete (with a workout partner). I train 3 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on and 1 day off. My training schedule looks like this (starting with Sunday): |
| Day 1 - Back |
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| Day 2 - Shoulders, Biceps | |
| Day 3 - Rest | |
| Day 4 - Chest, Triceps | |
| Day 5 - Legs | |
| Day 6 - Rest | |
| Day 7 - Chest, Triceps |
| Training with Arnold has helped me to become a WNBF pro bodybuilder and working with Roger & Sandy has enabled me to compete in my condition possible. Look for my training tips, contest histories, etc. on my website http://www.net-mart.net/dalonk or email me at [email protected]. Other parts on the series Raising the Bar will include back, shoulders, and leg training. Keep training. |
Dalon K. Myricks, WNBF Pro |
Click here for Part II of my series Raising the Bar