TABLE OF

CONTENTS

Anatomy of the Chest 3

Nutrition 6

The Lowdown on Food: Pre -, Intra-, and Post-Workout Nutrition 7

Meal Structure: Macros or Meal Plan 10

My Go-To Grocery List Items 11

Water, Sodium, Seasonings and Approved Condiments 12

Identifying and Correcting Muscle Imbalances 13

What's Your Muscle Imbalance? 15

Frequently Asked Questions 17

Supplementation: Bodybuilding and Essentials 20

Understanding Different Training Techniques 24

Thicc and Joocy Chest Workout #1 28

Thicc and Joocy Chest Workout #2 29

Thicc and Joocy Chest Workout #3 30

Exercise Training Guide 31

 ANATOMY OF THE
CHEST
PECTORALIS MAJOR
The Pectoralis Major is the major muscle of the chest. It is a fan like muscle and
creates that slab of muscle that hangs off the chest wall that really completes the
physique. Its primary functions are flexion, adduction and internal rotation of the
upper arm or humerus. This means that it brings your arm from your side, across
your chest in front of you. Basically, the exact motion of a fly, no surprise there. It
originates at the medial clavicle and at the sternum and it extends to the lateral
edge of the proximal humerus (upper arm).

The pectoral major is often

referred to as the "pecs" or "chest
muscle" due to it being the largest
and most superficial muscle in the
chest area. The pectorals major
plays a main function in all pushing
movements throughout your daily
activating like opening a door, to in
the gym when you do push-ups,
bench press, dips, etc. In addition,
the pectorals play a part in deep
inhalation and pulling the ribcage
to create room for the lungs to
expand as seen through exercises
like the dumbbell pullover.
 ANATOMY OF THE
CHEST
PECTORALIS MINOR
Pectoralis Minor is a supporting muscle to the pectoralis major. It is triangular
and located at the upper outer chest and is beneath the pectoralis major. It
functions to mainly stabilize the scapula (shoulder blade) and pulls the ribs up
with a deep breath in. It originates at ribs three through five and inserts at the
medial side of the coracoid process of the scapula. The pec minor contributes to
the upper chest shelf seen in bodybuilders. This can be targeted and worked
through inclined pressing and inclined flyes.

SERRATUS ANTERIOR
PSerratus Anterior is another supporting muscle. It is saw shaped and functions
to stabilize and protract the scapula. It originates from the outer regions of ribs
one through eight and inserts on the anterior, medial side of the scapula.

DELTOID
Deltoid is the major muscle of the shoulder. It is used in nearly all pressing
movements along with the pecs. It can be broken down into 3 separate
structures: anterior deltoid, lateral deltoid, and posterior deltoid. The deltoid
originates on the distal clavicle, the acromion process, and the spine of the
scapula. It inserts on the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus (upper arm). Its main
function is shoulder abduction, flexion, and extension. As you can see both the
deltoid and pectoralis major function for shoulder flexion. By mastering
command of this muscle you can more effectively train chest and vice versa.
 ANATOMY OF THE
CHEST
TRICEPS BRACHII
Triceps Brachii is the muscle on the posterior side (back) of the upper arm. It’s
commonly said that this takes up 2/3 of the upper arm and the biceps only
covers 1/3 so it is critical towards proper arm
development. The tricep consists of the long
head on the inside, the lateral head on the
outside, and the medial head deep to the
long and lateral heads. The triceps brachi
originate at the infraglenoid tubercle of
the scapula, above the radial groove,
and below the radial groove respectively.
However, all 3 heads insert together
on the olecranon process of the ulna
(the bony part of your elbow). Its
main function is to extend the
shoulder, arm, and shoulder, as well
as adduct the arm. Nearly all pressing
movements incorporate the triceps along
with the pectoralis so it is negligent to address
one without discussing the other.
Nutrition
 THE LOWDOWN ON FOOD: PRE-WORKOUT, INTRA-
WORKOUT AND POST-WORKOUT NUTRITION

International Chest Day (Monday) is every bro’s favorite day. But, those serious
about training can really push the envelope on this day because these are still
relatively large muscles we’re working with and it’s necessary to provide adequate
nutrition for the training session. Without the proper fuel, you will not only not
perform at your best, but you’ll get less muscle and strength as a result. We’re
looking to thrive during chest day, not just survive. Therefore, I recommend that
you increase your total daily calorie intake by 15 percent and provide your body
with the proper nutrients it needs by creating the perfect pre-, intra- and post-
workout nutrition.

PRE-WORKOUT
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. I get it, not all of us are
bodybuilders who can have complete control of our daily schedule, but if you
want to build a serious physique with a massive chest, pre-workout nutrition is
not something you should take for granted. Training puts an extreme amount of
stress on your body, but by consuming an optimal dose of protein and carbs
prior to training, you can create the most anabolic environment to help avoid
muscle catabolism and ensure you continued growth. Therefore, if you’re looking
to maximize growth or increase your strength, I don’t suggest training fasted, first
thing in the morning. Ideally, your chest day pre-workout meal should be eaten
60-90 minutes prior and it should be your second or third meal of the day. To
ensure you’re properly prepared for chest day, aim to consume 30-40 grams of
high-quality protein, minimal fat and 40-50 grams of carbohydrate intake,
consisting of moderate-high glycemic index carbs – including things like white
rice, rice cakes, or even a weekend warrior favorite, cereal – while minimizing
fiber to avoid feeling full.
INTRA-WORKOUT
Intra-workout nutrition seems to be the most neglected component of a
complete diet. By implementing proper intra-workout nutrition, you are not only
benefiting your current workout, but also starting the recovery process for
tomorrow’s as well. During an intense training session, we lose ample amounts of
water from sweat, containing important electrolytes and deplete our muscle
glycogen. Muscle glycogen is the energy source that fuels our workout and when
we run out, we hit that theoretically “wall,” and if we don’t intervene, our
performance will suffer. An intra-workout cocktail of fluid, fast digesting simple
carbohydrates like dextrose and highly branched cyclic dextrins, BCAAs, creatine,
glutamine and electrolytes will help you maintain optimal hydration, sustain
energy levels, alter muscle glycogen metabolism and minimize muscle
breakdown.
POST-WORKOUT

The great debate – the anabolic window. By now, I’m sure you’ve all heard that
meal timing and post-workout nutrition are all bro science, but there is still
something to targeting your workout with appropriate nutrients. Nutrition is the
most important aspect of recovery. During an intense workout, you’ve depleted
your muscle glycogen and your body is primed for muscle protein synthesis.
When you consume a meal, you will replenish glycogen stores and begin to
rebuild and repair broken-down muscle tissue. Now I don’t know about you, but
after a gut-wrenching workout, I don’t have much of an appetite. Another option
would be immediately following your workout ingest a protein shake consisting of
50 grams of protein coming from whey isolate. And when you can, consume a
whole food meal. Your post-workout meal should be as big, or maybe even
bigger, than your pre-workout meal. It should contain 40-50g of carbohydrates
from medium-high GI carbs – and 30-40 grams of protein coming from lean
sources, such as chicken breast, to maximize growth and recovery. If you do
schedule cheat meals or re-feed days, chest day is not the ideal day of the week,
unless your chest is lagging.
 MEAL STRUCTURE: MEAL PLAN
OR MACROS
There are many different ways to approach your nutrition and depending
on your goals or lifestyle, it's not always going to be a one size fits all type of
approach. No two human beings are alike so who's to say there's only one
way to approaching your diet. We have different bodies, lifestyles, etc. and
we need to find the plan that we'll enjoy most if we're going to follow it.
Obviously there's more extremes than others, but if you're not looking to be
or are not a competitive athlete, it's okay to look at different approaches.

So, which is better a meal plan or macros? Well that's all going to be about
preference. With a meal plan, there is no thinking. You eat the same thing
for the most part everyday and there's not much room to deviate from the
plan. With macros, there's a little more flexibility, but you have to make sure
you plan everything out in advance, otherwise, you'll find yourself having
too much of one macronutrient and not enough of another to consume
late at night. Macros are a great way to find a balance in your life while
enjoying both fitness and your normal lifestyle. I personally like to
implement both in the offseason, while changing strictly to a meal plan
during prep. I encourage you to use an app like myfitnesspal to track your
macros if that's the route you'd prefer.

To make things a little easier for those tracking macros or even struggling
what to eat, I've provided a list of my go-to grocery items down below for
proteins, carbohydrates and fats. This does not include fruits and
vegetables, but those are obviously encouraged. With either macros or a
meal plan, preparation is always going to be your friend.

As far as cheat meals or re-feeds go, these are going to be very individual to
the person. Typically, I prefer re-feeds as they are much more planned and
controlled. With cheats, you might find yourself binging if you cannot fully
control your cravings. Again, these are dependent on your current state of
progress and may or may not be needed. If you have a coach, they'll let you
know when to implement.
 MY GO-TO
GROCERY LIST ITEMS
PROTEINS CARBOHYDRATES
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Oatmeal
Filet Mignon Jasmine Rice
Flank Steak Basmati Rice
Top Round Steak Cream of Rice
Top Sirloin Cream of Wheat
Turkey Bacon Ezekiel Whole Grain Bread
Bison Rice Cakes
Lean Turkey Breast Quinoa
93-99% Lean Ground Turkey Raisins
93-99% Lean Ground Beef Honey
Halibut Low Carb Wraps
Salmon Whole Wheat Pasta
Cod Brown Rice
Shrimp English Muffins
Tilapia Bagels
Albacore Tuna (Canned or Packets) Sweet Potatoes/Yams
Reduced Fat Cottage Cheese White Potatoes
Eggs 
Egg Whites
Non Fat Greek Yogurt
Whey Protein Powder

FATS
Almond Butter Macadamia Nut Oil
Almonds Olive Oil
Avocado Peanut Butter
Cashews Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Grass Fed Pure Irish Butter Walnuts
 WATER, SODIUM, SEASONINGS
AND APPROVED CONDIMENTS
WATER INTAKE
Drink 1 – 1.5 gallons of water per day. I prefer that you stick with water, but
it’s fine to add in things like sugar free drinks such as Powerade zero,
crystal light, diet soda, black coffee or tea in moderation. I encourage you
to start you day with 16oz of water with a tbsp of apple cider vinegar
before any food to help with your digestion.

SODIUM INTAKE
Sodium gets a bad representation, but I can't stress this enough, if you
don't have an underlying condition like myself, sodium is great for your
performance and helping to replenish electrolytes due to an intense
workout routine. I encourage the use of salt, however, you want to make
sure the use of salt is consistent everyday, otherwise that's when you run
into issues especially with water weight. For example, if you use 4 turns of
salt per meal per day, make sure it stays that way or close to that each day.

SEASONINGS AND SWEETENERS

Seasonings can be used, but make sure they don’t have any calories. Do
not cook with butter or oil unless accounted for in your meal plan or
macros as this will add additional calories. Instead, use non-stick spray.
Zero calorie sweeteners like splenda, stevia and monk fruit are fine to use
as well.

APPROVED CONDIMENTS (in moderation)

Reduced Sugar Ketchup Vinegar (Balsamic, Apple Cider, Red Wine, etc.)
Mustard (yellow, honey, Sugar-Free BBQ
spicy brown, etc.) Salsa of any kind
Soy Sauce
Hot Sauce (Frank's Red Hot, Sriracha, Tabasco, etc)
Coconut Amino's
 IDENTIFYING AND CORRECTING
MUSCLE IMBALANCES
Muscle imbalances are caused by poor posture, stress, repetitive movement,
injury, or a combination of these things. The terms “overactive” and “underactive”
muscles come into play when muscles on one side of the joint become
chronically shortened and muscles on the opposing side of the joint become
chronically lengthened. In its simplest terms, muscle imbalances occur when one
muscle is stronger than its opposing muscle. An overactive muscle is assumed to
be short, tight and strong, whereas an underactive muscle tends to be long and
weak. Muscle imbalances may not be a problem at first, however, the real issues
occur over time. Unless you can identify and fix whatever imbalances exist, you
could be cheating yourself from gaining as much muscle mass in your chest as
possible or even worse, you could be headed straight for injury.
 IDENTIFYING AND CORRECTING
MUSCLE IMBALANCES
Let’s face it, unless you’re in a job that demands physical activity such as
construction, you’re pretty much tied to your chair all day at your job. So if you’re
sitting down all day at a computer, there’s a good chance your pecs, deltoids,
neck, and abdominal muscles, just to name a few, will be extremely tight and
hinder proper lengthening and contraction in these muscles leading to limited
ability to progress.

Give your body more credit – it’s a lot smarter than you think. If you get under the
bar to bench, your body is going to recruit the muscles that are the “strongest,”
and be in a position that is most “comfortable” even if it isn’t ideal. That’s why
those who have imbalances tend to have incorrect form, and as a result, continue
to see zero to minimal progress.

You will have to change your entire mindset at the gym. Often, we find ourselves
worrying too much on the weight and not enough on the quality and feel of the
movement. In order to improve your movement patterns and be injury-free, you
might have to take a hit to your ego and drop the weight for a few weeks while
you refine your form and technique. If you don’t and you continue to neglect
proper stretching and therapy, your muscles will tighten up and get progressively
worse, thus compromising your range of motion, strength and ability to build
more muscle.

Muscular imbalances are a critical issue to address as they can lead to pain down
the road. Pain can lead to staying out of the gym, which is as far away from your
goal as possible. By managing and correcting imbalances with unilateral and core
work on top of mobility to stay flexible, your muscles will thank you and
movement can be mostly pain-free. Learn from my mistakes and take these
aspects of your training seriously if you want to benefit your physique seriously in
the long term.
 WHAT'S YOUR
MUSCLE IMBALANCE

The biggest issue with chest training as far as imbalances is actually being able to
maximally contract the pectoralis major. Without being able to maximally
contract, then you aren’t getting the most out of your training and your chest is
probably lagging behind your other body parts. Many people, including me as a
beginner, let other muscles take over the movement and that’s not what we want
if our goal is to build pecs.

Protracted scapulae: If your shoulders are too far forward, then your pecs are not
the primary movers in the exercise. To fix this, pretend like you are squeezing a
pen in between your back. Squeeze your shoulders back as hard as you can. By
beginning every pressing movement like this, you are allowing your pecs to be
the primary mover and primary beneficent from each movement.
 WHAT'S YOUR
MUSCLE IMBALANCE
Pressing outward: If the pressure on a pressing movement is on the pinky side of
your hand, then you are allowing your triceps to take over the movement. Focus
on pressing with the thumb side of your hand, acting as if you are “bending” the
bar or machine handles, and this will contract your pecs much harder.

Favoring one side over the other: Be careful about favoring one side over the
other. This can lead to muscular imbalance and even injury. To fix this, aim to be
symmetric in all movements. That means pressing evenly, locking out your arms
at the same time, and locking down both shoulders (down and back to retract the
scapulae). This will allow both pecs and pressing muscles to be trained efficiently
and evenly.
 FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

WHEN SHOULD I EAT MY MEALS? DOES THE TIMING MATTER?

Eat your meals when you are hungry. Obviously not all at once otherwise
you're going to be pretty hungry the rest of the day lol...Depending on your
schedule and lifestyle, this may vary. I personally like to space my meals 3-4
hours apart, but again this is what works best for me. You might prefer
intermittent fasting. Sometimes my meal timing may vary, but generally I
like to aim to have adequate nutrition around my workout at the very least
to optimize my training and recovery.

SHOULD I IMPLEMENT CHEAT MEALS? WHAT DO THEY DO?

Cheat meals can help you both physically and mentally, but again it all
varies on the individual. Cheat meals can help boost your metabolism,
increase your leptin levels, spike your insulin and replenish glycogen stores.
I'm someone who doesn't really utilize cheat meals very often, but may
throw in a re-feed if needed. Cheat meals are normally to keep you mentally
sane more than anything, which can make a world of a difference. However,
with the competition only being 8 weeks, it's a short enough time where
you might not need one. Again, if I'm coaching you during this competition,
I'll let you know if you need one.

I'M NOT SEEING CHANGES, HOW DO I STAY MOTIVATED?

I can't stress this enough, but again you get what you give. If you're only half
assing your dieting or training, you're not going to get 100% of the results.
However, you must remember that changes do not happen overnight and
you must have patience, everyone's body is different. With time,
consistency and effort, the changes will happen. Stay consistent and give it
everything you've got no matter your given situation.
 FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
IF I AM TRAVELING DURING THE COMPETITION, HOW DO I
APPROACH MY NUTRITION?
As someone who travels for a living due to sponsorship arrangements, it
can be quite tough, however, if you prepare in advance it shouldn't be too
hard. You might have to eat a meal or two cold, but again it's all about how
bad you want something. Always do the best given your situation, so if
you're forced to go out to a restaurant, stick to the basics (meat, rice,
potatoes, vegetables). If possible, get things "dry" or without butter, oils or
dressings. This drastically reduces the calories. I always suggest that you at
least have a meal or two for when on the road and some of the "essentials" I
suggest having on you that are great for on-the-go are protein powder,
microwavable rice, tuna packets, rice cakes, nuts, fruit (banana, apple, etc.)
and peanut butter/almond butter.

IS THERE AN ISSUE WITH WORKING OUT FASTED?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with working out fasted, first thing in the
morning. Sometimes that's the best time you can fit your training into your
schedule due to other obligations like your job. Or you just might like
working out without anything in your stomach. Personally, I'm someone
who likes to get 3 meals in before training and a minimum of 2, but that's
just when I feel the best and the strongest in the gym. Your nutrition should
be based on how you perform your best and with the most intensity.

SUPPLEMENTS OR REAL FOOD?

Nothing will be better than all natural, whole foods. However, sometimes
you need something fast digesting or something that's convenient and
that's when things like protein powders work best.
Supplementation
 SUPPLEMENTATION –
BODYBUILDING AND ESSENTIALS
First and foremost, supplements are exactly that...supplements to your
current diet. You should not rely on supplements alone and there is no
magical supplement to get you "shredded" or "massive." Your main focus
should be on your nutrition, training and cardio regimen. If you're not
putting in the work in those areas, supplements won't help your physique.
However, supplements can help your body function at an optimal rate and
I've become more focused on my overall health as I've learned about my
autoimmune disease that effects my kidneys. Here are the list of
supplements I recommend:

Essentials
Vitamin C (1000mg 2x Day)
REVIVE MD K2 + D3
REVIVE MD Omega-3 (3g 2x Day)
REVIVE MD Daily Greens
REVIVE MD Immune Multi
REVIVE MD BERGAMOT
REVIVE MD Digest Aid
REVIVE MD Blood Pressure
REVIVE MD Liver
REVIVE MD Kidney Rx
REVIVE MD Lipid

Sports Nutrition
Whey Protein Isolate
Pre-Workout (Nitro Surge)
Non-Stim Pre (Pump Surge)
Jacked Factory EAA Surge
Jacked Factory Carb Surge
Jacked Factory Hydra Surge
Glutamine
Creatine Monohydrate

Both immune and internal health are vital to your fitness success. Coming
from someone with an auto-immune disease, your immune health is
something that you should always be looking to optimize especially during
periods of high stress. Not all of these supplements are necessary but are
some that I use on a daily basis to help my own personal needs. You can
find a lot of these on Amazon or if you'd like to support myself and my
brands you can find some on Jacked Factory and Revive MD using code:
CBUM.
 SUPPLEMENTATION –
BODYBUILDING AND ESSENTIALS
PRE-WORKOUT
Pre-Workout supplementation mainly comes in the form of fatigue
suppression and nervous system stimulation. By stimulating the nervous
system with a stimulant like caffeine, you might be able to lift more weight or
do more reps than you would otherwise. By suppressing the onset of fatigue
with a supplement like citrulline malate, you might be able to continue
pushing the intensity of your workout through the whole planned day without
giving up sooner. Both of these are the goals of a pre-workout, but they don’t
come without a cost. Overusing pre-workout builds tolerance and doesn’t
allow you to get the same benefit as you once did. My recommendation is to
save the pre-workout for the workout days you find the hardest and a
maximum of 3 times per week. Also, start with a lower dose, maybe half a
scoop. Just because you don’t feel like you’re bouncing off the walls does not
mean you’re not getting benefit from it.

INTRA-WORKOUT
Intra-Workout supplementation goal is to sustain levels of available energy
throughout the workout. An intra-workout supplement might include
dextrose, a fast acting carbohydrate, and BCAAs. Both of these will allow for
that recovery I mentioned above and available energy to be available as you go
through your workout. If your workout is under 60min this might not be
necessary with a pre-workout and post-workout meal planned, but as your
workouts get longer the more necessary an intra-workout supplement is to
maintain energy in the form of fast-acting carbohydrates and available amino
acids for muscle protein synthesis.
 SUPPLEMENTATION –
BODYBUILDING AND ESSENTIALS
POST-WORKOUT
Post-Workout supplementation is to immediately initiate muscle protein
synthesis. After leaving the gym, your muscles are broken down and ready to
recover. They need the right fuel for that to begin and that’s where protein
comes in. Like I mentioned above, a post-workout meal consisting of whole
foods is ideal but some people might not like to eat immediately or they don’t
have the time to sit down to a whole meal. This is the perfect situation for a
post-workout whey isolate shake or mixing with non-fat greek yogurt with
added fruits. This will allow for maximal recovery for your muscles to get the
most benefit out of your workout.
TRAINING
 UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT
TRAINING TECHNIQUES
The most important aspect to training is progressive overload. This method has
been talked about in great deal in many places and has been misunderstood
just as often. The idea is to add stress over time so your muscles have to adapt
and grow to meet the demand that you’re placing on them. The most
straightforward and effective way to do this is to first add sets, then add reps,
then add weight. This is a marathon of sprints. Go hard with each workout but
it is the consistency over extended periods of time that will yield the greatest
benefit. Here are some tips to allow for maximal benefit:

TIME UNDER TENSION

Time Under Tension (TUT) refers to how long a muscle is working, contracting
or under stress during a given rep or set. This depends on a number of things
including, the amount of reps in a set, the tempo of the reps and whether you
lock out at the end of each rep or not – all of which are effective ways to
increase your muscles’ time under tension. You can manipulate the tempo of
the exercise by using a 3-5 second tempo on the concentric (positive) or
eccentric (negative) phase of the lift. For example, if you use a 3 second tempo
on the positive and negative portion of the exercise, that’s 6 total seconds per
rep. If you do 10 total reps in a given set, that’s 60 total seconds.

SUPERSETS
Supersets are pretty straightforward. It’s when you alternate sets of two
different exercises with no rest in between. This can be done with the same
muscle group or opposing muscle groups. For example, you can superset two
chest exercises, two triceps exercises or a chest exercise with a triceps exercise.
Supersets are great when you’re pressed for time, looking for an insane pump,
need to work on your mind muscle connection, and to create more metabolic
stress.
 UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT
TRAINING TECHNIQUES
PRE-EXHAUSTION
Pre-Exhaustion adds a unique element of intensity to your training and is one
of my favorite training techniques for hypertrophy. Just like the name implies,
it’s pre-fatiguing and “waking up” a certain muscle using an isolation exercise
first, before moving onto a meat-and-potatoes compound exercise. When
performing a compound movement first, your smaller muscles might tire first
and the target muscle might not receive ample overload. For example, if you
squat first, your lower back may give out before your quads, however, if you
implement pre-exhaustion and do leg extensions first, before moving onto
squats, it will force your quads to work twice as hard and will ensure muscular
fatigue, not neurological fatigue. You’ll be able to hit those deep muscle fibers
with a much lower weight, thus making the movement safer for your tendons
and joints.

GIANT SETS
Giant Sets are similar to supersets but with 3 or more exercises paired together,
almost like a circuit. This can allow for resting particular muscles while hitting
others or for maximizing training one muscle group. For example, you might
do inclined flyes, inclined dumbbell bench press, and push-ups one after the
other to really fatigue the chest at the end of a workout.

DROP SETS
Drop Sets are an excellent method for increasing volume and therefore,
hypertrophy. Drops sets allow you to extend your current set, training
completely to failure. It involves doing several sets in a row where you reduce
the weight in between each set with no rest. Drop sets are typically done on
the last working set of an exercise and typically done at the end of a workout to
increase blood flow and maximize muscular fatigue.
 UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT
TRAINING TECHNIQUES
PARTIALS REPS
Partial Reps are very controversial with social media these days, but when done
correctly, they do have their place. Partials can be used to strengthen a specific
range of motion, increase muscular overload (TUT), and to extend a set past
failure. Partials are a great way to blast your chest during a set of lighter
presses to focus on your pecs and not your triceps.

PEAK CONTRACTION TRAINING

Peak Contraction Training involves holding the peak contraction in the top
position under maximum load at the finish point of an exercise for 1-2 seconds.
It’s a great technique to increase definition, separation, shape and hardness in
your muscles. Peak contraction training is a great tool for increasing TUT and a
great way to break through a current muscle building plateau.

ISOMETRIC OR STATIC CONTRACTION TRAINING

Isometric or Static Contraction Training is holding a weight in a fixed position
for several seconds in a maximally contracted position. This usually involves
weight, however, I like to incorporate this method of training without weight as
well – typically done by flexing. For example, after a set of inclined bench press,
I’ll move off to the side and flex my pecs for 30 seconds. It’s extremely painful
but really works to bring out the striations.

PAUSE REPS
Pause Reps are when you hold the weight at the bottom (eccentric) portion of
the movement, letting the weight come to a complete rest, but not releasing
tension on your muscles. I recommend holding it for a minimum 2 second
pause before completing the rest of the movement. This will eliminate any
momentum.
 UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT
TRAINING TECHNIQUES
REST-PAUSE TRAINING
Rest-Pause Training involves breaking down one set into several mini-sets,
with 10-15 deep breaths in between each. For example, you’ll start with a
weight that you can perform 8-10 reps (80% of your 1RM), stopping just short of
failure. After completing those 8-10 reps, rest for 10-15 deep breaths and do
another set of as many reps as possible. You’ll take another 10-15 deep breaths
before performing the exercise again until technical failure.

CLUSTER SETS
Cluster sets are sets within sets that have built-in short rest periods of 5-20
seconds to increase the volume and intensity of a set. In theory, cluster sets can
be used for any exercise, but I typically like to use them for bigger lifts and
usually using machines so I can take the balance out of the movement. An
example of a cluster set is to perform 10 reps, rest 10 seconds, perform 10 reps,
rest 10 seconds, perform 10 reps – that's one set.
 THICC AND JOOCY
CHEST WORKOUT OVERVIEW

TRAINING WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 WEEK 6

CARDIO
_____________________________________________________
WORKOUT

TRAINING WEEK 7 WEEK 8 WEEK 9 WEEK 10 WEEK 11 WEEK 12

CARDIO
_____________________________________________________
WORKOUT

30 minutes of Steady State (SS) cardio of your choice

WORKOUT #1 (walking, running, biking, etc.) – 3 sessions

30 minutes steady state cardio of your choice – 2 ssessions

WORKOUT #2 20 minutes of HIIT cardio (10 min LISS, 10 min HIIT) – 2 sessions

30 minutes steady state cardio of your choice – 2 ssessions

WORKOUT #3 30 minutes of HIIT cardio (20 min LISS, 10 min HIIT) – 3 sessions
 THICC AND JOOCY
CHEST WORKOUT
WORKOUT #1
EXERCISE #1: PEC DECK
SET #1 – 15 REPS
SET #2 – 12 REPS
SET #3 – 12 REPS + 1 DROP SET

EXERCISE #2: INCLINE DUMBBELL CHEST PRESS

SET #1 (WARM UP) – 12 REPS
SET #2 (WARM UP) – 12 REPS
SET #3 (WORKING SET) – 10 REPS
SET #4 (WORKING SET) – 10 REPS + 1 DROP SET
SET $5 (BACK OFF SET) – 12-15 REPS

EXERCISE #3: DECLINE HAMMER STRENGTH MACHINE

SET #1 – 12 REPS
SET #2 – 12 REPS
SET #3 – 10 REPS + 1 REST-PAUSE SET + 2 DROP SETS

EXERCISE #4: INCLINE DUMBBELL FLY SUPERSET W/ HEX PRESS

SET #1 – 15 REPS
SET #2 – 12 REPS
SET #3 – 10 REPS + 1 REST-PAUSE SET + 2 DROP SETS

EXERCISE #5: DIPS SUPERSET W/ HIGH PULLEY CABLE FLYES

SET #1 – DIPS (FAILURE) : CABLE FLYES – 15 REPS

SET #2 – DIPS (FAILURE) : CABLE FLYES – 12 REPS
SET #3 – DIPS (FAILURE) : CABLE FLYES – 12 REPS + 2 DROP SETS
 THICC AND JOOCY
CHEST WORKOUT
WORKOUT #2
EXERCISE #1: HIGH PULLEY CABLE FLY SUPERST W/ LOW PULLY CABLE FLY
SET #1 – 15 REPS
SET #2 – 12 REPS
SET #3 – 12 REPS

EXERCISE #2: INCLINE SMITH MACHINE BENCH PRESS

SET #1 (WARM UP) – 12 REPS
SET #2 (WARM UP) – 12 REPS
SET #3 (WORKING SET) – 10 REPS
SET #4 (WORKING SET) – 10 REPS + 1 REST-PAUSE + 2 DROP SETS

EXERCISE #3: INCLINE HAMMER STRENGTH MACHINE

SET #1 – 12 REPS
SET #2 – 12 REPS
SET #3 – 6 REPS, 10 SEC REST, 6 REPS, 10 SEC REST, 6 REPS (CLUSTER SET)

EXERCISE #4: DUMBBELL PULLOVER SUPERSET W/ INCLINE PUSH UPS

SET #1 – PULLOVERS – 15 REPS : INCLINE PUSH UPS – FAILURE

SET #2 – PULLOVERS – 12 REPS : INCLINE PUSH UPS – FAILURE
SET #3 – PULLOVERS – 10 REPS : INCLINE PUSH UPS – FAILURE

EXERCISE #5: PEC DECK

SET #1 – 15 REPS
SET #2 – 15 REPS
SET #3 – 10 REPS + 1 60-90 SEC HOLD IN THE STRETCH POSITION
 THICC AND JOOCY
CHEST WORKOUT
WORKOUT #3
EXERCISE #1: BARBELL FLOOR PRESS (USE A SPOTTER)
SET #1 – 12 REPS
SET #2 – 12 REPS
SET #3 – 6-8 REPS + 1 REST-PAUSE SET

EXERCISE #2: INCLINE BENCH PRESS

SET #1 (WARM UP) – 12 REPS
SET #2 (WARM UP) – 12 REPS
SET #3 (WORKING SET) – 10 REPS
SET #4 (WORKING SET) – 10 REPS + 2 DROP SET
SET $5 (BACK OFF SET) – 12 REPS

EXERCISE #3: LANDMINE CHEST PRESS

SET #1 – 12 REPS
SET #2 – 12 REPS
SET #3 – 10 REPS + 1 DROP SET

EXERCISE #4: INCLINE CABLE FLYES

SET #1 – 15 REPS
SET #2 – 12 REPS
SET #3 – 10 REPS + 1 DROP SETS + 30-60 SEC HOLD IN STRETCHED POSITION

EXERCISE #5: FLAT CHEST PRESS MACHINE W/ PUSH UPS

SET #1 – 12 REPS
SET #2 – 12 REPS
SET #3 – 8 REPS, REST 10 SEC, 8 REPS, REST 10 SEC, 8 REPS
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
BENCH PRESS
The barbell bench press is ever bros mainstay lift. Why? Because it allows you
to generate the most power out of any chest exercise and it’s great for
progressive overload purposes. The bench press is a full body, compound
exercise that works your chest, shoulders and triceps and is a great mass
builder if done correctly. With the barbell bench press, it allows you to generate
the most power out of any chest exercise. Plus you don’t have to exert energy
when trying to control and kick up heavy dumbbells.

When setting up, make sure you lie on the bench with your eyes directly under
the bar. With your feet firmly planted on the ground , your chest up and your
abs flexed, grip the bar with a medium grip (I suggest thumb over grip for
safety, but often I use suicide) and unrack the bar by straightening your arms.
You don’t want an excessive arch in your back because over time, you will have
shoulder issues that are causes by other muscular imbalances for doing so.
Once into position, lower the bar to your mid-chest, hold it for a 2 count at the
bottom and press the bar back up, but don’t fully lockout to shift to tension
onto the joints. We want to keep the tension on the chest the entire time.
When performing the exercise, you want to take a deep breath at the top,
lower the bar and then breath out on the way up.

You have to find your exact position because we all made up different, but
typically to avoid shoulder pain, don’t press with your elbows flaring out at 90
degrees. You’ll want to find a position that’s about 75 degrees to bench pain
free and you don’t necessarily have to go all the way down to the chest either.
Once your break 90 degrees with your elbows, some of the movement is
transferred over to the shoulders.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
BENCH PRESS (CONTINUED)
When deciding whether to use flat, incline and decline barbell bench press, try
to assess your own weakness on your chest. For example, the lower pec major
is most active during the decline bench press, while the upper pec major is
most active in the incline bench press. So if you find your upper chest lacking,
you’ll want to use a slight incline on the bench, typically 45 degress, and if your
lower, outer chest is lacking, you might want to use a slight decline. If you’re
worried more about how much you can press, the flat bench press is a great
option as typically it’s where your chest is mechanically the strongest. That’s
not to say that all three bench angles can’t be useful tools in pursing a huge
chest, they are, they just need to be programmed properly to get the greatest
results.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
BENCH PRESS (DUMBBELLS)
Just like the barbell bench press, the dumbbell bench press is a bread a butter
movement. With dumbbells it’s a little different than barbell. Your body is
forced to recite more stabilizer muscles because your body must work
independently on each side to move and contract the chest. Dumbbells allow
for a much larger ranger motion because your allowing your shoulders to travel
in a much more natural position, thus keeping your shoulder heavier over the
long run. It can be heavy when kicking up the dumbbells and getting into
position, so a spotter might be good for these if you aren’t comfortable with
the movement. I recommend doing dumbbell presses earlier in a routine
because of the added muscular stress of having to stabilize the dumbbells,
otherwise, you could be setting yourself for injury later on in the workout.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE

BENCH PRESS (SMITH MACHINE)

The smith machine gets a bad wrap, but I personally love implementing it if I
really want to isolate the chest completely. Without having to stabilize my arms
and shoulders, I can directly place the stress of the movement on the chest.
Not only is it easy to setup, but you can also implement workout intensifiers
like rest-pause sets, drop sets and dead stop reps to further extend a set safely,
which will lead to more time under tension and thus more muscle growth. So
next time you start bashing on the smith machine, give it a try and let me
know what you think.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
HAMMER STRENGTH CHEST PRESS
When performing the hammer strength chest press, you typically have to
options, an Incline and Decline. If you want to hit more of your upper chest,
perform the incline and if you want to hit more of your lower chest, perform
the decline.

When deciding to perform the incline hammer strength you'll want to keep
your chest up, grab the handles firmly and slide down the back pad as you get
into position. By doing so you have a little bit of momentum to get the weight
into the starting position rather than putting your shoulders in a compromised
position from the start. Once you’re sitting down on the bench slightly move
your butt forward off the back pad and push the handles out in front of you
until your arms are almost fully extended. From here you’ll, let the weight back
down until about 90 degrees, hold for a one count and then press the weight
back up. This complete one repetition. The decline is similar, but for the decline
you might need someone to pull the machine out for your to get into position
or use the “slide” method to get yourself into the machine to save your
shoulders. It’s important that when performing the decline you don’t come
past 90 degrees with your elbows as your shoulders will be screaming. Maybe
not the first time, but eventually. You’ll have to play around with the decline as
sometimes you may feel a better contraction in the lower chest with your butt
up against the pad or if you move your butt out to where you’re on the edge of
the seat. Either one is fine, just play around with it.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
FLAT CHEST PRESS MACHINE
The chest press machine is an upright version of the standard barbell bench
press, similar to the hammer strength machine. It’s a great movement that
works well at the end of a workout because you can add intensifiers like drop
sets, supersets, rest-pause sets and cluster sets. You’ll want to adjust the seat so
that the handles are approximately chest/nipple height. Position your body so
that your chest is up, your abs flexed and your your shoulder blades pinned
down. Grab the handles with a overhand grip and plant your feet firmly on the
ground. From the bottom position, exhale and press the handles out until 95%
lockout and then inhale and slowly lower the weight back to the starting
position. To minimize the stress on the shoulders, keep your elbows slightly
closer to your body and if you have a foot level, utilize it to get into and out of
position on the machine.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
CHEST FLYES
Dumbbell chest flyes are a great exercise that directly hit the sternal fibers and
give you more of that“separated” look. With your head and shoulders
supported by the bench and your feet flat on the floor, lift the dumbbells up
directly above your chest with your palms facing each other. Lower the weights
in an arcing motion out to the sides (where its comfortable), contract your
chest, and use your pectoral muscles to reverse the movement back to the
start. Keep a slight bend in the elbow and down’t arch your back. Keep your
chest up, abs tight and your butt forward. You can perform these either on a
flat, incline or decline bench depending on the area you want to target or even
using the cable machine where you put the bench in the middle. Typically I use
them exclusively for upper chest so I use an incline, but if you wanted to hit
more of the lower pec, the decline dumbbell fly is great too. Plus, you shoulder
isn’t in a compromised position this way. To really finish off a workout, I like do
dumbbell fly stretches where I’ll sit in the movement for 60-90 seconds,
holding the bottom stretch position, but keeping the tension on the chest.
These are a real burner and really show you what you’re made of.

The standing cable fly is a great movement for really feeling the contraction
and if you could use higher weights without stability being an issue, it would
be an all around mass movement. To focus on the upper chest, place the pulley
system at a higher point. Grip both handles and bring the weight into position.
With your feet firmly planted on the grab and your elbows slightly bended,
bring the handles out in front of you and contract the chest. Make sure to really
contract the chest hard before bringing the arms back to the starting position.
To hit your pectorals mine or lower chest, put the pulley system at the bottom
and perform the movement as such. To further plant your feet on the ground,
you can place a plate on the floor and you can press your back foot against it.
To further make this exercise harder in the high pulley position, do as many
reps as you can and then move straight into a press with the cables going to
failure. You’ll really feel a great burn and pump in the chest.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
LANDMINE CHEST PRESS
The landmine chest press is a great upper chest movement and can be
performed either standing or on your knees, I personally prefer to perform
them on my knees for the best chest contraction. To perform the movement
place a barbell in the corner of a wall and put plates on the one side. You may
either have to place the barbell on a box or have someone lift it up for you to
get into position if it’s too heavy for yourself. When grabbing the bar I you can
either interlock your fingers together or keep an open palm, but make sure to
be tightly press your hands together to feel the full contraction of the chest.
Keeping your chest up and your abs and glutes flexed, press the barbell out in
front of you until your arms are fully extended, squeeze the chest for a second
and then slowly lower the weight back down towards your chest. That’s one
rep and then continue to repeat the movement.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
FLOOR PRESS
The floor press is very similar to the bench press, but it’s a much more
restricted motion. You can either perform this using a barbell, dumbbell or
even something like a free motion row/trap machine off the floor if you have
access to one, however, find which one works best for you.

When performing either of these options, you’ll want to position yourself under
the weight. If you’re using a barbell, you’ll want to do it in a rack and have a
spotter help you lift off the bar and re-rack the weight. If you put the bar too far
behind you, it’ll be hard to unrack and if you setup too close to the rack, you’ll
constantly be battling the rack when pressing up. I prefer to use a shoulder-
width grip or slightly narrower one to improve my stability. While some
perform the floor press with their knees bent, I prefer to do them fully
extended with my heels driving into the ground. This forces me to brace my
core and put the entire movement on the chest. Once you’re in position, lift the
bar off the rack with a lift off from someone, get into position, tuck your elbows
at 45 degrees and lower the bar to your chest. Pause at the bottom of the
movement with your triceps ever so slightly touching the ground, but keeping
tension on the chest for a two count and then press back up. Then repeat. This
is a great movement to help you with your lockout on the bench press and one
that really hits the upper chest quite well. Hey if it works for the Olympia
winner Brandon Curry, it should work for all of us!

PLATE PRESSOUT
The plate pressout is a great finishing movement or one to superset with
another bigger type chest movement to really fill the chest with blood and
bring it to failure. You’ll typically only be able to use 10lb or 25lb plates for this,
but what you’ll do is press your hands firm on the outside of the plate while
standing and contract your chest. You’ll now bring it to chest level, keep your
chest up and press the plate out in front of you. At the contracted position,
squeeze as hard as you can, hold for a 2 count and then bring it back into the
chest. That’s one rep.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
PEC DECK
The pec deck is a great beginning movement or finisher to really force some
blood into your chest, but of course you must get the full stretch and squeeze
as hard as you can in the contracted position. If I place these in at the end of
my chest workout, I like to perform roughly 10-12 reps and then get into the
bottom, stretched position of the movement. From there I’ll hold the stretched
position for roughly 30-60 seconds. As you progress through the countdown,
breath out and slowly lower the weight a little further to really see the full
benefits of the movement. Make sure your keep your elbows under you with a
slight bend though and not flared out to not compromise your shoulder
position.

When performing the pec dec make sure that you properly position the
handles at about nipple height. You don’t want to put the handles too far back
so it’s hard to reach back and you don’t want to put them too far forward so
you’re hitting the top of the weight stack at the bottom of the movement
either. I like to grand one side first, push it towards the middle and then grab
the second one. From there I’ll sit into upright in the seat, compose myself
with a slight bend in my elbows, I’ll slowly lower the weight while bringing my
head ever so slightly forward to increase the stretch. Once I get to the bottom
of the motion, I’ll pause for a second and then contract the chest to bring it
back to the starting point while returning my head to the starting position to
get a higher peak contraction. These are great for targeting the upper, middle
pec, but if you’d like to hit the lower pec a little more, sit forward in the seat
with your legs straight out.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
DUMBBELL PULLOVER
Dumbbell pullovers can be a great chest or lat movement, but in this instance,
we’re going to be talking about it for your chest. I personally like using these
more as a “ribcage expander” and a breathing exercise to help better my
vacuum at the same tie. When performing this movement, lie perpendicularly
across a bench and have someone hand you the dumbbell on your chest. Grab
the dumbbell withs your thumbs crossed and push the dumbbell up. Have
your feet positioned out in front of you and your chest “puffed” out. From there
you’ll do something that’s a little different than you’re typically dumbbell
pullover. You’ll force your hands together to contract your chest, breath out all
the air in your diaphragm and lower the weight behind your head. In the
stretched position, pull your belly button up into your spine and hold the
stretched position for 10 seconds. Once you’ve completed the 10 seconds,
breath in and return the dumbbell back to the starting position. This will be
hard in the beginning, but over time, you will get better at this.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
CHEST DIPS
Dips are a compound, bodyweight exercise that are a great chest and tricep
builder. In this case we’re using the exercise for chest, so there’s a few different
cues that you’ll want to use. Grab a set of parallel bars, jump up and straighten
your arms. To make this a chest exercise, flat you elbows slightly, and put your
feet either in front of you or behind you, but lift up your butt slightly forming a
“C” motion with your body. From this position, lower your body by bending
your arms while leaning forward. Dip down until your shoulders are below your
elbows, hold it for a second and then press back up. Don’t full lockout at the
top otherwise this moves it more onto the joints and triceps. To make this
exercise more difficult add a weight belt over time when you get better at it.
 EXERCISE TRAINING
GUIDE
PUSH UPS
Push ups are a forgotten about exercise, but can really add some quite
impressive muscle to your physique. When getting into position for a push-up
more often than not someone makes it more of a full upper body movement.
That’s not what we want to do here, we want to emphasis the chest. So while
laying on the ground I like to put my hands at slightly wider than shoulder
width and start by pushing up and contracting from one side of my body. Once
one side of my body is in position and fully contracted, I push up and contract
with the other side of my body leaving my chest in a prime position to take
over the movement rather than my shoulders or triceps. From there keep your
chest up, shoulder blades back (almost like you’re tucking them into your back
pocket) and then flex your abs. Slowly lower yourself to the ground and just
before your hit the ground push yourself back up. Again don’t lockout
completely at the top because we want to focus on the chest. I like to end my
chest workout a lot of the times with a burnout set of pushups, performing 100
pushups as quickly as possible. I like to time myself on these and see if I can
improve upon them each week.