Author: Jim Smith.

Here is a quick and effective chest building workout that will produce rapid gains for your upper body musculature.

The first rule is you’ve got to eat! 5-7 small meals a day with good quality protein, fibrous carbs, good fat and lots of water. I have clients that come to me everyday saying they can’t gain weight, they can’t get bigger or they aren’t making progress. Well, after close examination of their diet, they typically aren’t eating enough to support muscle growth! You must eat if you want to build muscle.

Secondly, the weights you are using must be challenging. Your body adapts to the demands imposed upon it. The muscle fibers break down and rebuild bigger and stronger. This means you can’t go into the gym and mess around with weights that aren’t making you give a solid effort with each rep and with each set.

After you understand the two rules above, you can embark on this fast four week plan.

Here is the template:
Week X
Exercise, Reps x Sets, Rest

Note: If there is a set that shows 1A) and 1B) this means that for Set 1, Exercises A and B are done is succession with little to no rest in between.

Note 2: There will be other training days between Day 1 and Day 2 workouts during a training week, i.e. lower body training, active rest/recovery, conditioning or other sessions depending upon your goals.

Note 3: If a set calls for 8 reps, you should choose a weight where on that eighth rep, you can just complete it with good form.

Week 1
Day 1:
1. Barbell Bench Press, 4 x 8, 90 sec
2A) DB Incline Bench, 3 x 12, 0 sec
2B) Cable Seated Rows, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Push-ups, 3 x 20, 0 sec
3B) Face Pulls, 3 x 12, 120 sec

Day 2:
1. Standing Military Barbell Press, 4 x 8, 90 sec
2A) Bent Over DB Rows, 3 x 12, 0 sec
2B) Barbell Shrugs, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Chin-ups, 3 x 8-10, 0 sec
3B) Seated DB Cleans, 3 x 12, 120 sec

Week 2
Day 1:
1. Barbell Bench Press, 4 x 12, 90 sec
2A) DB Incline Bench, 3 x 8, 0 sec
2B) Cable Seated Rows, 3 x 8, 120 sec
3A) Push-ups, 3 x 20, 0 sec
3B) Face Pulls, 3 x 12, 120 sec

Day 2:
1. Standing Military Barbell Press, 4 x 12, 90 sec
2A) Bent Over DB Rows, 3 x 8, 0 sec
2B) Barbell Shrugs, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Chin-ups, 3 x 8-10, 0 sec
3B) Seated DB Cleans, 3 x 8, 120 sec

Week 3
Day 1:
1. Barbell Bench Press, 4 x 8, 90 sec
2A) DB Incline Bench, 3 x 12, 0 sec
2B) Cable Seated Rows, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Push-ups, 3 x 20, 0 sec
3B) Face Pulls, 3 x 12, 120 sec

Day 2:
1. Standing Military Barbell Press, 4 x 8, 90 sec
2A) Bent Over DB Rows, 3 x 12, 0 sec
2B) Barbell Shrugs, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Chin-ups, 3 x 8-10, 0 sec
3B) Seated DB Cleans, 3 x 12, 120 sec

Week 4
Day 1:
1. Barbell Bench Press, 4 x 12, 90 sec
2A) DB Incline Bench, 3 x 8, 0 sec
2B) Cable Seated Rows, 3 x 8, 120 sec
3A) Push-ups, 3 x 20, 0 sec
3B) Face Pulls, 3 x 12, 120 sec

Day 2:
1. Standing Military Barbell Press, 4 x 12, 90 sec
2A) Bent Over DB Rows, 3 x 8, 0 sec
2B) Barbell Shrugs, 3 x 12, 120 sec
3A) Chin-ups, 3 x 8-10, 0 sec
3B) Seated DB Cleans, 3 x 8, 120 sec

After 4 weeks, you should change the exercises and volume of your routine to ensure you are still progressing and making gains.

Good luck and keep training!

About the Author:
Jim Smith is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and an expert trainer who writes for Men’s Fitness and the Elite Q/A Staff. Jim has been involved in strength training as a performance enhancement specialist for over 8 years and has worked with athletes from various sports who compete at various levels. He has published articles about his unique training style and innovative methods for many prominent strength and fitness related sites. He is also the authored of three renowned strength manuals. For more innovative training solutions, visit www.CombatCoreStrength.com.



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