Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Chest, lats, delts

The pectoralis is a pretty muscle. I'm not making it up, society at large has always appreciated broad manly chest. Mind you I am of the opinion that most "big guys' big chests" probably have a good amount of scar tissue and aren't as strong as they would have you believe. If your gonna build muscle try not to excede what your frame would naturally wear and it would be the kind of muscle you would use in your everyday life, say if you had to throw a car or a piano.

Most of my chest excercises are done with my own body weight, as are my pull-ups, and what I do for delts. That's this workout;

Chest;
I'll start with one that defies my last statement, I use dumbells. I guess I'll call it a Ball Press. Get one of those big fitness balls in your favorite color and from a seated position pick up 2 dumbells that would add up to about 1/3 of your body weight. When they are secured in your lap scoot your feet down until your body is parallel to the floor, knees at a 90 deg. angle. Do a bench press set of about 8-10 reps. Now don't start pumpin' away until your knees and feet are together. Stay on the ball-which should have rolled up your spine and stopped no higher than your shoulder blades, that's what's supporting your body parallel to the floor if you haven't sorted that out yet. Do at least 4 sets and the next time you do them use an underhand grip. I think 12 is a good number for total sets per body part and I do 2 more excercises for this one.

Parallel Bench Dip Negatives; Grip the dip bars like your going to do a regular dip set. Hoist up on straight arms, then pitch you shoulders forward without piking the hips so that you try to get your body (straight legs optional, but tougher) parallel to the ground, control the negative down, right yourself at the bottom push up like it's a dip. Squeak out about 5 or six per set. Do 4 sets, at least. This position when held is the bread and butter of flying strap act. Going in a big circle he hits this position, parallel. Holding it requires chest and front deltoid strength with a touch of erector muscles in the lower back.
Now how about a push up?

Downward Angle Push Ups;
I do these on the dumbell rack itself. It's about mid-thigh to the knee high on me. With 2 of the littlest dumbells i.e.5lbs measured evenly to the point your foot is going, place them on the floor gripping them underhanded. Yes, palms forward. Get a toe in that dumbell rack and pick your body up straight. It should be at about a 45 deg. angle. Keeping your body straight crank out 20 if you can. Don't be afraid to get your face near the floor. Don't sag in the middle. Imagine your spine as if you were laying on your back and the whole spine was touching the floor, meaning, small of the back. It's what the Eastern European gymnasts call getting "hollow". Your body is one piece. Do at least 4 sets and if you're feeling brave mix in one foot on the rack one in the air behind the other.... not touching... and do them both...if you do them.

I have an uncalculated number of push ups,

but we're doing lats next.

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