Building an upper chest big enough to sing opera from is a dream for most – myself included. That said, it certainly is much easier said than done.
Building a large chest, in general, will take a lot of determination and a tremendous amount of effort. Luckily for you, I have a 374-pound incline bench, and I have spent months building that to that point.
So let me show you the 9 best upper chest exercises.
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Planet Fitness doesn’t get the best reputation among the weightlifting community.
They have free pizza on the first Monday of the month, and free bagels on the second Tuesday of the month (probably not the best way to go about carb-loading).
There’s a “lunk alarm” if any gym rats grunt too loudly, drop their weights, carry a gallon jug of water, or even wear a tank top (Translation: You have to lay low if you plan to go hard).
And there’s no bench press.
That last point—the lack of a bench press—makes the $10/month Planet Fitness membership virtually useless for anyone serious about bulking up or weightlifting, in general.
Let’s talk about why Planet Fitness doesn’t have a bench press.
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If you’re a water jug-carryin’, tank top-wearin’, weight-slammin’, gruntin’ gym bro, passing as a “normie” at Planet Fitness takes a bit of camouflage and a lifetime of self-control.
(So much for the “Judgment Free Zone,” huh?)
To make matters even worse …
There’s no legit power rack, loadable barbell, bench press set-up, or trap bar insight. But hidden amongst the sea of treadmills and resistance machines is a decently stocked free weight corner.
Now, here’s how to get jacked with free weights at Planet Fitness:
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Ah, yes, the squat. Known by some to be the “King” of the lifts – or at least the Jack if you consider the deadlift as well. But with great power comes a great risk of blowin’ your back out!
That’s why it’s crucial to learn how to do it properly, so tighten up that lifting belt, and let’s learn how to barbell back squat.
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The “Big Three.” You’ve heard of them, you’ve maybe even tried them yourself, and – by now – you probably know they require a lot of strength. But how much does the average guy lift?
Just how much the average man can lift depends wildly on which demographic you look at. For example, men in third-world countries appear to be stronger due to them having more hands-on jobs.
But before we delve too deep, let’s look at the Big Three.
[Read more…] about How Much Can the Average Man Lift? (Squat, Bench, Deadlift)
Any good exercise regimen strategically targets every muscle group in the body to develop strength and build power. When it comes to hitting your back muscles, your routine should include deadlifts, lat pulldowns or pullups, and some variation of a row.
If you don’t know much about the different types of rows, you might be wondering whether it even makes a difference which type you decide to add to your program. It absolutely does!
Below, we’ll overview two of the more common row exercises, Pendlay rows and bent-over rows, and the cases for and against each of them. Check it out!
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Like most guys at the gym, you want to build massive biceps. But there’s nothing more disappointing than hitting your biceps hard for years and not even adding an inch to them.
Well, maybe you were doing the wrong biceps exercise. Let’s figure out whether the barbell curl or the dumbbell curl is better for mass.
[Read more…] about Barbell Curl vs Dumbbell Curl: Which Exercise is Better?
You can get your mid-day “protein fix” with buffalo chicken pizza on Mondays, start your morning with a bagel (& a schmear of cream cheese) on Tuesdays, and snack on Tootsie Rolls whenever.
But hoo boy, don’t you dare try something as silly as a deadlift.
Planet Fitness (AKA: the “anti-gym”) catches quite a bit of heat from the amateur bodybuilding community because of its questionable food offerings and sheer lack of power racks.
And, the anti-deadlift mentality is rightfully a major flaw in every PF club across the country.
So do you cancel that unbeatable $10/month membership to switch to a “real” gym? Or, do you suck it up and settle for the ‘ol Spongebob lower-half?
What about option #3? While you can’t deadlift at Planet Fitness, you can do this.
[Read more…] about You Can’t Deadlift at Planet Fitness (Do This Instead)
Are you tired of being flat-chested? Disgusted with your tiny pecs? So am I, to be honest (*cries in tall guy*).
For that reason, I thought it’d be wise to look at the best exercises to do for huge pecs – but only those that use dumbbells! So, without further adieu, grab your pre, and let’s get it!
[Read more…] about 9 Best Dumbbell Chest Exercises for Huge Pecs + Workout
Did you fail in front of your gym crush? Feel the need to go Super Saiyan to save your namesake? While I may not have the secrets to ascend past the normal state, I do have some simple tips on how to increase your squat!
Some of these are no-brainers, and others might not seem so on the nose…
Unless you haven’t been spending a lot of time in the gym, you should know what a squat is. That said, let’s say – for argument’s sake – you take your number two standing (and not sitting). You weirdo.
The squat is a simple movement that we do all the time, and we’ll probably keep doing it until the day we die. Picking up the dog, sitting down, or simply getting into your car seat – these are all squats in one way or another. This is why physicians are so adamant that you do some type of squatting in your training program.
The squat can be described as bending both knees and hinging around the hips to lower the hips downwards, thereby lowering the entire body.
In a gym environment, the squat can take on several forms:
Depending on how you set up the squat and how you do it, you could be hitting vastly different muscles. This makes the squat one of the most versatile movements on the planet. That said, there’s a great risk involved as well.
As with most other compound movements, it’s hard to tell which muscles give out first. This means you might be squatting, and your back is always the limiting factor, and you effectively rob gains from your legs. You also run the risk of injury.
Plus, how do you even get better? How do you even progress in a linear fashion, and should that even be the goal?
This is definitely the stretch option, as hiring a coach or personal trainer certainly isn’t for everyone. In fact, it’s a very niche environment, and most people with coaches are usually weightlifting competitors. That said, who better to learn from?
One of my best friends (Taulu Kriel) is – in fact – a powerlifting coach and coaches people daily on how to squat. I shot him a message, “The simplest way to improve your squat?” and he sent back the following:
“It depends, man. With most folk, it is going to be a form problem. We tend to squat the same as we do in daily life, but the two are vastly different. Squatting with weight comes with nuance and precision. You need to brace your core, retract your scapula, drive through the knees, and so much more.
Another thing is that most people just don’t do their damn accessories! You and I both know squatting requires MASSIVE adductor strength, yet no one does the adductor machine. To me that makes no sense, if your goal is to become the best squatter you can you should be doing anything and everything you can to improve.”
For reference, TK squats 700+ lbs. And he’s right. This is why a coach could be useful, seeing as they’d be able to look at your form, setup, programming, and even diet as a whole to optimize your squatting.
When shopping for a coach, make sure that you understand one another. This means you understand their coaching style, and they understand your lifestyle. You’re in agreement on most things, but it’s okay to disagree on some things.
Have you ever noticed some of the stronger people in your gym taking videos of certain sets while they train? They take time from their workout to watch this video. Why do they do this?
Well, they’re analyzing this video. They’re looking at everything they can, such as the:
The setup is the base of the lift, where you plant your feet and heels. This literally sets up the entire lift, and messing up here could certainly lead to injury.
A rule of thumb is feet slightly wider than shoulder width, with toes pointing outwards to around 45 degrees. The knees will follow this direction upon descent.
The walkout refers to the little walk you do, from picking up the bar to where you’re actually going to be squatting. Sometimes, this can teach you something, like, maybe you set the bar incorrectly or that your feet aren’t evenly set. That said, this is a very niche point.
The bracing refers to the deep breath you take prior to actually squatting. Contrary to popular belief, you’re supposed to fill your belly with air and not your chest.
This creates a massive amount of tension around the abdomen and core, which is called bracing. This allows you to lift a lot more and is a lot safer as well.
The descent refers to you lowering your body, and this is where most newbies completely butcher the lift. They drop like a bat out of hell, and then they simply can’t rebound from the massive change in acceleration.
A slow and controlled descent is necessary, especially from a safety point of view. If you struggle to move down slowly, strengthen your adductors.
The lowest point of the lift is known as “in the hole,” and many struggles to come out from here. If you find yourself struggling to come out, it might be time to increase your quad strength – leg extensions, here we come!
The ascent refers to you standing up – obviously. If you find yourself struggling here, you need to dissect the exact moment when the struggle begins and identify the problem.
Taking a video of your lift allows you to pause the video at any time to identify exactly what needs to be fixed. It also allows you to post some sick lifts to IG – which is cool. Very cool.
The squat is known as a compound lift, meaning that multiple muscles will be used during a particular exercise. Some more than others, but you’re still hitting various muscles at once and not just one. Hitting one muscle group is known as an isolation exercise.
An accessory lift is an exercise that specifically carries over its benefits to a particular lift. For instance, building big triceps with tricep pushdowns will help your bench.
So, which accessory movements should you do for squats?
Since the squat will require a lot of adductor power, doing adductor work of any kind will help. These include the adductor machine, Kopenhagen planks, and sumo squats (somewhat).
The quads play a huge role in squatting, so doing leg extensions and split squats will both help. Extensions are great because they’re the only movement for quads that overloads them in the shortened position.
Glutes, glutes, glutes! The booty is oh-so-important when squatting, and most guys never do glute work. Spending time doing RDLs and barbell hip raises will certainly help you increase your squat.
Building thick erectors will ensure you can handle a boatload of weight on your back. It’ll also guarantee you’re better at bracing, so spend time doing stiff leg deadlifts and hip extensions.
A really strong core will allow you to brace a lot harder, leading to more weight moved and more safety. An unconventional way to improve your core is to do weighted planks. Been doing these myself for some while, and they’re spectacular.
A big, strong, and thick upper back will almost completely solve any rounding problems you currently have. Rounding is an awful thing to experience, and without a skilled spotter, it can lead to a horrible injury. Doing chest-supported rows is vital.
Because the squat is such a massive movement, you basically have to strengthen the entire body. In fact, there’s very little of the body that doesn’t influence your squatting potential. So don’t be afraid to push some weight on these accessory lifts, either.
Practice progressive overload as you do with every other lift you’re doing, and you’ll see your squat shoot up to 225 (and beyond) in no time.
Here’s how a normal session for a squatting athlete would look, including the heavy lifts and accessories:
* Note: This is a very generalized workout plan for a strength athlete, but you can see the use of accessory lifts. They build the squat to what it is. The squat is the foundation, whereas the accessory lifts are the walls, flooring, etc. One should support the other.
Another way to make sure you progress is to actually follow a program. The easiest way is to use tip #1 and have one designed for you. However, there are HUNDREDS of squatting programs online for you to make use of.
To name a few…
The Squat Every Day: 4-Week Muscle-Building Trainer is a program that does exactly that. It’ll have you squatting every single day of the week in hopes of building the muscle (and mental power) to squat more. Of course, daily squatting is far too often for most people. Personally not a fan (read my review), but there are some who could excel with this.
The Meg Squats’ Uplifted Strength Workout is a typical strength program that I actually do like. Something that beginners and intermediate lifters will all benefit from, and it won’t leave you completely destroyed.
The 5/3/1 program was designed by powerlifter Jim Wendler, who was also a massively successful athlete and coach. It’s not necessarily just a squatting program – you’ll be focusing on the big three as a whole. This program is also solely focused on strength, not size.
If you’re looking for something more hypertrophy-focused, then something like Tom Platz’s leg workout could be the way to go. You can incorporate this into your weekly program, and it shouldn’t be too hard to change the volume to suit your needs.
While all of these are great workouts (some more than others), you’ll also have access to thousands of different ones! Choosing the right one is imperative, and here’s how you do it:
This basically means: do you like the way the training is set up? For instance, I’d really hate volume training. I find it boring. Thus, a volume-based workout wouldn’t get me excited, and I would end up only giving 75%.
Are you able to train the number of times they need you to, and, even more important, are you capable of recovering? If you work a 14-hour shift on your feet and then have to follow a 10 x 10 program… That’s gonna be tough.
A beginner shouldn’t be following a program created for a pro and vice versa. Ask questions and analyze before making a decision.
These are things that will influence every single moment of the plan, so you need to be damn sure you’re making the right choice about which plan to follow.
By this, I don’t mean skip leg day altogether. That said, if you feel yourself slacking on the back squat, maybe it’s time to substitute the movement for a front squat.
At certain points, we all reach plateaus, and there are several things you can do to break through them:
By and large, the simplest tip to increase your squat is… to squat more. The more you do something, the better you get at it. It might seem counterintuitive, but moving a lighter weight better will eventually lead to you applying that better movement to a heavier weight.
Thus, just go squat more often. On top of that, there are various things you can try:
Some of these might not seem like the sexiest answers, and to be fair, I’d also be slightly underwhelmed. That said, it just takes hard work. It’ll take hundreds of squats and several sessions across months of training to improve.
That’s the beauty of these types of lifts. You don’t get good at them overnight. It requires persistence, determination, and probably a lifting belt. At the end of the day, you can flex the fact that you squat more than someone else.
Pun intended. I intend my puns like a man.
It really depends on your starting point. The more advanced you are, the harder it’ll be. That said, you could probably increase your squat by 3-5% within a month.
3 months is a long time, and if done correctly, you stand to increase your squat by 7-10%. But it’ll be harder for more advanced lifters.
In 6 months, you could probably increase your squat by 15%, depending on your training, diet, training age, and fatigue management (it’ll be different for all people).
A year is a large amount of time, and it isn’t uncommon for lifters to increase their squat by 15 – 20% in that time period. But that’ll depend on several factors, such as gender, training age, and recovery capabilities.
