Pec-Pounder: 8 Week Chest Workout to Shatter Your Plateau

 

Pec-Pounder: 8-Week Chest Workout to Shatter Your Plateau

Tired of hitting bench press every Monday and not seeing the results you want? Alternate these workouts into your routine to grow your chest into the colossal chest you’ve been chasing after.

WORKOUT SUMMARY

• Main Goal
  Build Muscle
• Workout Type
  Single Muscle Group
• Training Level
  Intermediate
• Program Duration8 weeks
• Days Per Week
  1
• Time Per Workout45-60 minutes
• Equipment Required
  Barbell, Cables, Dumbbells, Machines
• Target GenderMale
• Recommended Supps
  IsoFlex
  AminoCore
  Impact Igniter
  Creatine
• WorkoutDownload Workout

  Workout Description

  Summer is here and it’s time to start showing off all your hard work at the pool, beach, and anywhere else it is acceptable to go shirtless!

  While there are many upper body muscles that are showcased when naked from the waist up, few garner the attention of a thick and chiseled chest. This is why in almost every gym around the globe Monday is "International Chest Day."

  However, not everyone is successful at building a chest like Arnold. Even though they spend hours at a time grinding out reps of bench press, flys, dips, and crossovers they’re still stuck asking, “Shouldn’t I see more results by now?” You would think so, yes – but adding new muscle is oftentimes a bit more complex.

  Recommended: Need help building muscle? Take our Free Muscle Building Course

  Without going into great detail about the science behind hypertrophy, let's suffice to say that it is not a one-dimensional process. You have to attack muscle growth from every available angle if you want to see continuous and significant progress.

  The human body is immensely resilient and able to rapidly adapt to the stress we place upon it, which means that if you train in the same manner week after week, your muscles will eventually stop responding. 

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So, what does one do? Keep the body guessing by never letting it get used to just one type of workout! Swap out the chest portion of your routine with one of these workouts each week, and you’ll be on your way to that herculean chest in no time.

The Hybrid PRRS™ Method

This training protocol utilizes various intensity techniques that will shock the muscles and ignite the CNS, both combining to facilitate new muscle growth.

Exercise	Tempo	Sets	Reps
Flat DB Press	6/1/X	3	4-6
Superset:
A1. Incline DB Fly	2/1/1	3	10-12
A2. Weighted Dips	2/1/1	3	7-9
Incline Smith Press	2/0/1	3	16-20, 13-15, 10-12

Rest for one minute between supersets.

The High/Low Rep Method

This training protocol alternates rep ranges between muscle endurance and hypertrophy.

xercise	Tempo	Sets	Reps
Leverage Chest Press	2/0/1	3	16-20
BB Incline Press	4/1/X	3	6-8
Low Cable Crossover	2/1/1	3	16-20
Weighted Dips	4/0/X	3	6-8

The SPEC™ (Stretch/Peak Contraction/Eccentric/Concentric Emphasis) Method

This training protocol utilizes four distinct rep tempos (one for each movement), each emphasizing a different section of the range of motion. This forces the muscle to withstand a unique form of tension with each exercise, allowing one to tap into several growth pathways.

Exercise	Tempo	Sets	Reps
Incline DB Fly	2/4/1	3	7-9
Cable Crossover	2/4/1	3	7-9
Bench Press	4/1/1	3	7-9
Hammer Machine Incline Press	2/4/1	3	7-9

The SHOCK Method

This training protocol attacks your chest from multiple angles by alternating the mechanics of each exercise.

Exercise	Tempo	Sets	Reps
Superset:
A1. Bench Press	3/0/X	2	7-9
A2. Flat DB Fly	2/2/1	2	7-9
Hammer Machine Incline Press	3/1/1	2	7-9, 4-6*
Superset:
B1. Incline DB Fly	3/1/1	2	7-9
B2. Decline DB Press	2/1/X	2	7-9
Weighted Dips	3/1/2	2	7-9, 4-6*

est for one minute between supersets.

Note: Tempo refers to the speed at which one completes the various contractions within each repetition. It is expressed in seconds, with X meaning as explosively as possible. The first number is seconds for the eccentric (negative) contraction; the second number is seconds at the midpoint (this refers to seconds holding the peak contraction or “squeezing” the targeted muscle); the third number is seconds for the concentric (positive) contraction.

Related: Rep Tempo for Max Gain

How to Add the Pec-Pounder to Your Routine 

Incorporating these workouts into your workout routine would look something like this. Let’s say you’re doing our 8 Week Muscle Mass Inflation workout. For each week on your Chest/Tri day you will instead perform one of the following workouts. The breakdown would look something like this:

Week 1: Hybrid PRRS™ Method
Week 2: High/Low Rep Method
Week 3: SPEC™ Rep Method
Week 4: SHOCK Method
Week 5: Hybrid PRRS™ Method
Week 6: High/Low Rep Method
Week 7: SPEC™ Rep Method
Week 8: SHOCK Method

Tips for Max Chest Stimulation

Proper cues for targeting your chest:

1. Lay down on the bench and set your feet firmly on the floor.
2. Arch your lower back slightly.
3. Raise your rib cage up high.
4. Squeeze your scapulae together.
5. Pull your shoulders downward and push them into the bench.