Standard push-ups
Lifting your own weight is not such an easy task. And this is one of the safest ways to strengthen your pectoral muscles, since you will definitely not drop the barbell on yourself. Let me remind you once again that the whole body should be tense, the stomach should be pulled in, hands shoulder-width apart, feet resting on the toes, elbows bent close to the body (and not to the sides). And don’t try to reach your forehead to the floor - it will seem like you’re doing push-ups too low, although in fact the load on the pectoral muscles is reduced!
Exercises to pump up your pectoral muscles
During the first round of the Super Series, take the average weight. It can be changed in the next rounds. You need to repeat 4-5 circles, resting between circles for a maximum of 3 minutes.
You need to do as many repetitions as you have the strength to do. Take quality, not quantity. Each repetition is a separate event. It must be “lived” by you!
Remember that holding your breath while doing exercises does not allow the stabilizer muscles to rest. Therefore, endurance and strength increase.
Each round of exercises puts stress on all muscles gradually, using different pectoral muscles.
It is impossible to do this with one exercise. This is what the super series is useful for. In addition, the super series helps develop strength and endurance.
Judo push-ups
Starting position: standard push-up rack. You push back a little with your hands, lifting your pelvis up. Then you begin a push-up, moving your body forward, elbows bent along the body, pelvis slightly raised, hips not touching the floor. Continue moving down until your chin almost touches the floor. At this point, you sharply push your body up into the “cobra” pose. Then return to the starting position, doing everything in the opposite direction. At the same time, your hips and knees should not touch the floor!
Use supersets
This is not a new idea, but supersets will help the widow reduce the time she spends in the gym, allowing her to do more work in less time, giving her an incredible feeling of fullness in her muscles. There are no strict rules for creating your own supersets, but most often they consist of a combination of two exercises on the antagonist muscles.
Let's look at how this is done using the example of the chest-back ligament.
Supersets were popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger and have repeatedly led him to victories in numerous competitions. The superset recommendations described below will allow you to achieve the kind of upper body volume that the great Arnie would approve of.
If you plan to do this workout today, don't wear a T-shirt that is too tight unless you want to rip it. Get ready, an incredible pump awaits you!
In the classic sense, a superset is when you perform the first exercise, and then immediately (after catching your breath if necessary) move on to the second exercise. Both of these exercises together make up one set of your superset.
Move on to the next superset after completing all sets of the previous one. Rest no more than 90 seconds between sets; if 60 seconds is enough for you, rest less.
Superset 1: Bench press with medium grip / pull-ups
It may seem more logical to you to start with the bench press in combination with the lat pulldown, but the proposed implementation is better for two reasons. Firstly, the incline bench press develops the upper pectoral muscles, and, you see, there is not a single athlete who could complain about an overdeveloped upper chest. Secondly, there is nothing better than pull-ups for developing a wide and powerful back.
If you cannot freely perform pull-ups with a wide grip, still try not to replace this exercise with lat pull-downs. Use your partner's help, let him support your feet. Whatever you do, try to stay within your target rep range.
If you cannot lower the bar low enough due to a weak shoulder sprain or previous injury, then stop a few centimeters from your chest in a position where your shoulder joints feel comfortable. Use restraints if necessary to protect you from injury.
Superset 2: Dumbbell Flat Press/Dumbbell Bent Over Row
I love this combination because both exercises work well together. When we pump the pecs with dumbbells rather than a barbell, we force each arm to work separately and this allows us to engage many stabilizer muscles. As you perform, focus on the negative portion of the movement, slowly lower the dumbbells, and then actively but control the weight back up. Use the peak contraction method at the point of maximum tension.
Don't give in to your ego when you're in the gym. If your barbell weight is 90kg, that doesn't mean you should use two 45kg dumbbells for this exercise, they're not the same thing.
Superset 3: Crossover/Close Grip Lat Pulldown
It is normal if you feel tired at this stage, especially if you are new to this type of back and chest training. Exercising on a cable machine will give you a little respite, but this does not mean you can relax or work half-heartedly.
When performing a crossover exercise, try to stretch and contract the pectoral muscles as much as possible at the extreme points of the amplitude. Doing this exercise will help fill your muscles with blood and nutrients.
When performing a lat pulldown, similarly focus on contracting your back muscles at the bottom of the movement. Lower the implement very slowly in a controlled manner.
4 superset. Push-ups/hyperextension
While these chest and back exercises are great when done with just your body weight, you can make them more difficult by lifting one leg during push-ups or picking up extra weight when doing hyperextensions.
"Superman"
Lie down on a flat surface with your arms extended forward. Raise your arms and legs at the same time to the maximum, stay in this position for a few seconds and return to the starting position. The exercise can be made more difficult by adding light weight to your hands. In this case, your head should not be raised - you should look clearly down, and it is advisable to keep your arms straight in front of you.
I would like to add one more exercise from myself, which is very similar to this. Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms out to your sides, palms down, slightly bent at the elbows. Then you lift the front part of the body together with the arms, the arms are spread clearly to the sides so that the shoulder blades are brought together. And lower yourself to the starting position. Then you do the same thing, only add leg lifts. If you feel that this exercise is easy for you, add a little weight to your hands. But make sure that the weight is lifted by contracting the back muscles, and not by arms. This is checked very simply - if after the exercise your neck and arms hurt, then you did it incorrectly. Tension and fatigue should be felt in the area of the shoulder blades and along the spine closer to the lower back.
You can diversify it with different counts: first 4 counts up and 4 counts down, then everything in two counts, then 8 lifts in one count, then stay in the top position, do 8 springs, freeze for 8 counts and relax 
How to create a superset program for the pectoral muscles
It is quite difficult for an inexperienced athlete to independently create an effective program for working out the chest muscles, so as an example, you should familiarize yourself with the following exercises:
| Name | Execution Features |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | It is recommended to perform on an incline bench, this provides good amplitude. The main objective of the exercise is to develop the volume and mass of the pectoral muscles. Starting position - lie on your back, on a bench and pick up dumbbells. The weight used will make the exercise difficult to perform. It is important that in the lower position the dumbbells stretch the chest as much as possible; at the end point you need to fix the position for a few seconds. As you exhale, you need to throw the dumbbells powerfully, while straightening your arms. In the upper position, the interval between dumbbells is 15-20 cm. Repeat 8-10 times. |
| Dumbbell flyes | This exercise is aimed at working out the relief of the chest. As soon as the first exercise is completed, you should immediately and without interruption begin the dumbbell fly. When performing this exercise, technique should be a priority. With the same weight and in the same position as in the previous case, in a reclining position, the athlete does a fly-out. The elbows should be fixed in a bent position both when lowering and when lifting. The upper position is the starting position, then the arms are spread along a clear arc-shaped path downwards, while stretching the chest muscles. As you exhale, a powerful lift is made and the arms are squeezed to the top position; an interval of 20-30 cm is maintained between the dumbbells. 12-15 repetitions are required. |
| Pullovers with dumbbells | After the fly, the best option is to start performing classic exercises, for example, dumbbell pullovers. In this case, it is also necessary to strictly adhere to the technique with maximum loads. Its main task is the gradual expansion of the chest. Lying on a bench, both hands need to grasp one half of the dumbbell. Your arms should be slightly bent. While inhaling, lowers it as low as possible behind the head until muscle tension is felt. In one approach you need to perform at least 12-15 repetitions. |
At the initial stage, it is quite difficult to perform the exercises technically, so it is recommended to work with a personal trainer.
Raising arms and legs
Lie on your stomach, face down, with your arms extended in front of you. Begin to slowly raise one arm without raising your face. When your hand reaches its maximum point, continue to hold it and slowly begin to lift the opposite leg. Then lower your arm, and then your leg. Then do the exercise with the second arm and leg.
Workout is gaining more and more popularity among people who are not indifferent to their health. How do you feel about this movement and where is it easier for you to do exercises: at home, on the street or in the gym?
Chest and back workout with supersets
This type of training was used by Arnold Schwarzenegger. He became the first bodybuilder to use supersets. When other bodybuilders from the golden era of bodybuilding used split systems, lagging behind athletes using high-volume training methods, Schwarzenegger succeeded with supersets. One important point must not be missed. Supersets on antagonists are too draining, suitable only for athletes with many years of training experience, and are not intended for beginners. If a beginner decides to follow such a program, then after a few weeks he will become overtrained. Only those athletes who have been bodybuilding for several years should choose this method.
The one-day back and chest training program using supersets involves performing the following exercises:
- Bench press + wide grip pull-ups (3-4 supersets of 8-10 reps per exercise;
- Incline dumbbell press + bent over barbell row (3-4 supersets of 8-10 reps each set);
- Dumbbell flyes + T-bar rows (3-4 x 8-10);
- Dips + close grip pull-ups (3-4 x 8-10);
- Pullover for stretching the pectoral muscles (3-4 sets of 8-10 repetitions).
It is recommended to start working weights only after warm-up supersets. After each exercise within one superset, pause for 5-10 seconds. However, before each subsequent superset, take a one-minute rest break.
This kind of antagonist training is truly exhausting. Regardless of experience, even bodybuilders with many years of experience are strongly discouraged from doing this in every session. The high degree of exhaustion caused by such training can lead to the opposite effect. Excessive “passion” with supersets on the chest and back will not allow progress to be made, but will only provoke the onset of a plateau, which the athlete wants to avoid by training antagonists.
The optimal frequency of training according to such a system involves alternation, that is, after a day of supersets, regular training follows, and then supersets again, and so on. This will allow you to continue to progress and achieve new results.
