You have to know when to change things up in the gym.

Have you ever noticed how sore you are when you get on a different workout routine? You also noticed results whether it’s new muscle growth, strength gains, or more definition.

That’s because you’re shocking your muscles into growth by making them do something they’re not used to.

The problem is that only lasts for a few weeks. At a certain point, you stop seeing and feeling those same results. This happens because your muscles have adapted to the workout routine.

This is why it’s important to make changes to your workouts from time to time. And in this post, you’re going to get 10 different muscle-building plans and strategies you can start using.

And at the end of the post, I’ll also show you how to use these methods together to create a training routine that will keep your muscles growing.

***Ignite your workouts with my top recommended pre-workout for razor-sharp focus and sustainable muscle energy.

1 – Typical Bodybuilding Routine

The typical bodybuilding routine is dedicating a complete workout to each muscle. This also usually means training each muscle once a week.

The reason this strategy works so well is that it allows you to focus on one muscle so that you can exhaust that muscle. Then you give that muscle a full week to recover, which allows that muscle to grow larger.

Train hard + adequate recovery = muscle growth

Here’s an example of a typical bodybuilding workout routine:

• Monday: Chest
• Tuesday: Back
• Wednesday: Legs
• Thursday: Shoulders
• Friday: Arms
• Saturday: Rest
• Sunday: Rest

You could actually stay on a typical bodybuilding workout routine year-round and just make changes such as adding drop sets, rest-pause sets, changing some of the exercises, or even the exercise order.

You can find more bodybuilding workouts and details in this post: 9 Bodybuilding Workouts for Mass Gains

2 – 10 x 10 Weight Training Method

10 x 10 is exactly what you think. 10 sets of 10 reps.

The goal to increase training volume. The result is increased muscle size. You also become more proficient (and efficient) at those particular exercises, thus becoming stronger.

Since you’ll be doing fewer exercises in your workout it’s best to stick with compound movements. This way you’ll be working more muscles (more ‘bang for your buck’ kind of thing).

Here’s an example of a 10×10 program:

Monday: Chest

• Bench press: 10 x 10
• Dumbbell or machine press: 10 x 10

Tuesday: Back

• Barbell rows: 10 x 10
• Lat pulldowns: 10 x 10

Wednesday: Legs

• Squats: 10 x 10
• Leg extensions: 10 x 10
• Leg curls: 10 x 10

Thursday: Shoulders

• Seated barbell press: 10 x 10
• Lateral raises: 10 x 10

Friday: Arms

• Standing EZ bar curls: 10 x 10
• Cable pressdowns: 10 x 10

Saturday and Sunday: Rest

Of course, there are multiple ways you can use the 10 x 10 method. For example, you could mix different muscles together. And we’re going to cover that concept in some of the methods below.

3 – 5 x 5 Strength Training Method

If your goal is to get stronger and build more muscle size, 5 x 5 is the perfect program. This is one of the most effective strength training methods known.

Like 10 x 10, 5 x 5 is 5 sets of 5 reps. As you probably guess, the key difference here is you’re going to be lifting heavier weights.

The goal with 5 x 5 is to get stronger week after week by adding more weight. This happens through the repetitive sets and getting your muscles used to that heavier weight.

There are basically two workouts in standard 5 x 5 weight training program:

Workout 1:

• Squats: 5 x 5
• Bench press: 5 x 5
• Barbell rows: 5 x 5

Workout 2:

• Squats 5 x 5
• Overhead press: 5 x 5
• Deadlifts: 5 x 5

5 x 5 is typically a 3-day a week program with a rest day between each workout. Since every workout is heavy and you’re putting in more volume, you’ll need that day of rest between workouts.

You can read more about 5 x 5 training in this post: Advanced 5 x 5 Workouts for Muscle and Strength Gains

4 – FST-7 Bodybuilding Method

FST-7 training is based on stretching the muscle fascia. This is done by performing more sets than usual at the end of your workout (seven, to be exact).

The method was created by Hany Rambod, coach and trainer for many Olympia bodybuilding competitors.

The actual workout is similar to the typical bodybuilding workout. Again, you’re just ending with seven sets for your final exercise.

Here’s an example of a chest workout using the FST-7 method:

• Incline bench press: 4 x 6-8
• Dumbbell press: 4 x 10
• Hammer Strength press: 3 x 12
• Cable flyes: 7 x 10-12

You can get a complete FST-7 bodybuilding program in this post: FST-7 Full Workout Routine for Mass Gains

5 – Agonist-Antagonist Training

Agonist-antagonist training is basically training opposing muscles in the same workout. You already do this when you train legs and also if you train arms on the same day.

What makes this workout method unique is training muscles like chest and back together (on another upper body day you might do shoulders and back together).

This is a great change-up from the typical bodybuilding workout if that’s what you’ve been doing. It’s really going to shock your muscles, especially on those upper body days.

Upper Body Day (chest and back):

• Bench press: 4 x 8
• Barbell rows: 4 x 8
• Incline bench press: 4 x 10
• Lat pulldowns: 4 x 10

Lower Body Day:

• Squats: 4 x 8
• Stiff-leg Deadlifts: 4 x 8
• Leg extensions: 4 x 10
• Leg curls: 4 x 10

One quick note on legs: Normally you would train your quads first followed by hamstrings. But with this program you’ll want to alternate quads and hams, as you see in the workout above.

6 – Agonist-Antagonist Superset Training

If you want to do something completely different in the gym that will challenge you in a way you’ve never been challenged, this is a routine you need to try.

It’s essentially the same as what we just went over is #5. The caveat is the supersets you’ll be doing.

Not only will this ignite both strength gains and new muscle growth, but you’ll also get super conditioned on this program.

Here’s an example of training shoulders and back together (broken down by set):

• Seated overhead press: 1 x 8 superset with
• Barbell rows: 1 x 8
• Rest for 2 minutes then repeat 3 more rounds

• Arnold press: 1 x 10 superset with
• Lat pulldowns: 1 x 8
• Rest for 2 minutes then repeat 3 more rounds

I have a premium program that uses this same method in the 2nd phase (weeks 5-8 of 12). You can learn more about the program here: Lean Muscle Building Program.

7 – Push-Pull-Legs Routine

If there’s one bodybuilding and strength training routine you should do once or twice a year, it’s push-pull-legs. This program will give you the most ridiculous gains.

This is general a 3-day a week program (more advanced lifters may double-down and make this a 6-day a week routine).

Here’s how the push-pull-legs routine works:

• Push: Chest, shoulders, and triceps
• Pull: Back and biceps
• Legs: I think this one’s self-explanatory

Here’s an example of a push-pull-legs routine:

Monday: Push Day

• Incline bench press: 3 x 8
• Dumbbell flyes: 3 x10
• Seated shoulder press: 3x 10
• Lateral raises: 3 x 12
• Seated overhead dumbbell extensions: 3 x 10
• Rope pressdowns: 3 x 12

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: Pull Day

• Barbell rows: 3 x 8
• Dumbbell rows: 3 x 10
• Lat pulldowns: 3 x 10
• Seated rows: 3 x 12
• Dumbbell Hammer curls: 3 x 10
• Preacher curls: 3 x 12

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Leg Day

• Squats: 4 x 8
• Leg press: 4 x 12
• Leg extensions: 3 x 12
• Leg curls: 3 x 12
• Stiff-leg deadlifts: 3 x 10
• Seated calve raises: 4 x 15

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Rest (or start the routine over with a push)

This is one of the 6 phases in my premium mass and strength building program. You can read more about that here: Hardcore Muscle Building Program

8 – Cardio Before Weights Method

Oftentimes cardio is done either after weight training or at another time during the day. In fact, many bodybuilders will train with weights and schedule their cardio session for six hours or more later that day.

But one way to make a change to your routine is to do cardio first. This works great if you’re doing moderate cardio for longer durations such as walking on the treadmill or elliptical at a steady pace for 30 minutes or more.

At a glance this may seem counterproductive for building muscle. . However, you’d be surprised at how quickly your body adapts to this. And doing cardio first may give you even more energy for your weight training workout as your body is warmed up and your blood is flowing.

It’s definitely worth trying this for a few weeks if you feel you’re at a sticking point.

9 – Deload Routine

About once every 90 days it’s good to give your body and your muscles a break. Many will simply take a week or two off from the gym.

But if you don’t want to mess up your gym routine the best thing you can do is a deload routine for that week or two.

Deloading is performing the same workout but cutting it in half in regards to volume and intensity. It means you’re just showing up and going through the motions.

Here’s an example of a deload workout for back and biceps:

• Barbell rows: 3 x 8 (60% max weight)
• Lat pulldowns: 2 x 10 (60% max weight)
• Dumbbell curls: 2 x 8 (60% max weight)

The goal here is to just get a quick pump and go home. This type of workout will allow your body to recover and you may find that you’re stronger once you start back on your normal routine.

**All of my premium programs include a deload routine.

10 – Pre-exhaust Workout

Pre-exhaust means pre-fatiguing your muscles. In laymen’s terms, you’ll start your workout with an isolation exercise before doing a compound exercise (the opposite of any normal workout routine).

This method can work wonders for building and shaping your muscles, leading to extreme definition (as long as your diet is right!).

When you pre-exhaust the muscle it forces that muscle to work harder. When that muscle is pre-fatigued it forces you to concentrate more on that individual muscle to move the weight rather than mindlessly moving weight from point A to B.

And that’s the key to building more muscle and getting a more defined physique.

Here’s an example of a pre-exhaust workout for chest:

• Pec-dec flyes: 4 x 10-12
• Incline bench press: 4 x 8
• Dumbbell press: 3 x 10
• Incline dumbbell flyes: 3 x 12

You can read more about pre-exhaust training and get a pre-exhaust workout for each muscle in this post: How to Pre-Exhaust Your Muscles (Routines for Each Muscle)

The Ultimate Bodybuilding and Muscle-Building Strategy for You

Now you may be wondering…

• How often should I change my workouts?
• How can I use these routines together for max gains?
• How do I know when my current routine isn’t workout anymore?

Here’s one strategy that you can use:

• Weeks 1 – 4: Typically Bodybuilding Routine
• Weeks 5 – 8: 5 x 5 Method
• Weeks 9 – 12: FST-7 Method
• Weeks 13 – 14: Deload Workouts

Or even better, you can make subtle changes to your program every 2-3 weeks. In fact, that’s what my Hardcore Muscle Building Program is based on.

The goal is to keep your core mass-building exercises in your program. The changes you make will be to the other exercises along with adding new methods every couple of weeks. This strategy constantly shocks your muscles giving you continuous growth.

Lastly, it’s also a good idea to know when to shift your training goals. For example, you may be building mass now. but 10-12 weeks from now you’ll want to start leaning out.

The two programs I recommend for this (both are 90-day programs) are:

Hardcore Muscle Building Program
Lean Muscle Building Program

Check those out and continue making gains. Training is a ‘huge’ part of your life and part of who you are!

Train with Passion,

Jason

It could be that you didn’t sleep well the night before or didn’t eat enough quality food to give you energy. Or maybe your work has been more stressful than usual.

I have the perfect workout solution for these types of day…

There’s a strategy that will help you get an awesome workout, even if you’re tired. And you won’t be just going through the motions at the gym. You’re going to feel the pump!

In fact, I’m going to give you a workout for every muscle using this strategy.

20-10 Workout – Your ‘Tired’ Workout Strategy

I call this the ‘20-10 Workout.’ And I’ll share how I got this workout at the end of this post (that’s an interesting story and history!).

In short, here’s the workout strategy for when you’re tired:

• Do the same routine of exercises you normally do, but only do two sets for each
• For the 1st set, do 20 reps
• For the 2nd set, do 10 reps (increase the weight here)

That’s it! It’s that simple.

But how does this work?

• That 1st set of 20 reps is going to pump more blood into your muscle, which will give you a natural energy boost.
• The 2nd set will be heavier and since it’s your final set, you’ll have a tendency to go harder and more intense.

Also, you’ll decrease you rest between sets and between exercises so about 20-30 seconds. This is going make your workout go by much quicker.

Now I want to give you examples of this workout strategy for each muscle. I’ll also share some additional methods that will have you walking out of the gym jacked and pumped.

20-10 Back Workout

Back day is your most taxing upper body workout of the week. And as you know, it’s disappointing to be tired on that day because you really want to give your back muscles the full attention they deserve.

However, you will be surprised what this short 20-10 workout can do for your back.

That first set of 20 reps is going to get the blood flowing throughout your lats and will give you that natural boost when it comes to the 2nd and final heavier set of 10 reps.

As you’re going through your back exercises, remember to:

• Continue to focus on making your muscles work harder
• Don’t allow yourself to get sloppy on your form

Also, you may find that you have a little more energy towards the end of your back workout. If that’s the case, don’t be afraid to add another exercise and pump out another round of 20-10.

20-10 Chest Workout

A good rule for chest day when you’re feeling tired is to skip the bench press. Why?

Because we all have that tendency to lift heavier on the bench press. Here’s the problem with that…

• First, you may hurt yourself.
• Secondly, you’re not going to get much out of that workout, especially with only doing two sets.

This is why I have you doing incline press instead. It’s easier to target your chest muscles on this exercise and that’s your goal.

Focus on contracting your chest muscles throughout each and every rep, both the 20 and 10-rep sets. You may even find that your chest is more sore than usual after this workout.

20-10 Leg Workout

Like back day, leg day is another workout that needs more attention than your other muscles.

Because of that, my first recommendation would be to move your leg workout to the next day. Maybe just train arms or another smaller muscle on the day you’re feeling tired (I’m giving you a 20-10 arm workout later as well).

If you insist on training your legs that day, you can certainly benefit from using this 20-10 workout. And you’ll still get a great pump.

The key to making this type of workout (or any shorter workout) effective for your legs is to make every single rep count. This means you need extreme focus, which leads me to one of my favorite pre-workouts: Best Pre-Workout for Mental Focus and Energy.

Here are some more tips to help you on leg day when you’re feeling tired:

• Slow down your reps and take your time
• Similar to slowing down your reps, make sure you’re controlling the weight throughout each rep
• Those first two tactics will force your muscles to work harder, which ultimately leads to more muscle growth
• Don’t worry about going heavy; instead, make the lighter weight feel heavier by implementing these tactics

Again, it’s not ideal to train legs when you’re tired. And you may even want to skip squats that day. But you can still get a good leg workout with the 20-10 strategy.

20-10 Shoulder Workout

When you’re tired at the gym, I don’t recommend doing heavy overhead barbell presses. You could injure yourself and you won’ get as much out of that exercise when you’re not feeling 100%.

This is why I have you not only starting with dumbbell press but specifically Arnold press.

Arnold press is where you start with your palms facing you and gradually turn your wrists outward as you press the dumbbells.

Like all other major muscle groups, you’ll want to focus on forcing your shoulder muscles to work harder. This means contracting your shoulders at the peak of each rep.

On exercises like lateral and bent-over raises, you can hold the weight at the peak of each rep for a second or two. This means you’ll need to go a little lighter, but that’s okay. Remember, the goal is to make your muscles do the work.

Lastly, if you have more energy at the end of your shoulder workout, considering doing an additional exercise like dumbbell shrugs or another type of lateral movement (ex: front raises or reverse pec-dec).

20-10 Arm Workout

If there’s a best day to workout when you’re tired it’s arm day. Why?

Because arms are smaller muscles that don’t require the level of effort as your larger muscles (like legs or back).

This doesn’t mean you should slack off on your arm training. Rather, you may find that this 20-10 workout method gives you a faster pump.

The one thing I recommend is to alternate your arm exercises. As you can see in the workout above, you’re doing an exercise for triceps followed by an exercise for biceps.

You can also take less rest time between sets. Since your arms are smaller muscles, they recover faster between sets. And this will give you an even greater pump, even when you’re tired.

Lastly, you may find it easy to throw in another exercise for triceps and biceps. And since this workout will be much shorter, feel free to end it with another small muscle like calves or abs (or both).

Where Did the 20-10 Workout Come From?

Technically, this strategy goes back to the Arnold Schwarzenegger era of bodybuilding. And it’s been passed down over decades but was never popularized (this is the case with many muscle-building methods and strategies).

I did the 20-10 workout for the first time the morning of writing this article for you. My good friend and longtime bodybuilder Lou shared it with me after seeing that I was looking tired.

He’s had the honor of training at the same gym as Arnold and with several top bodybuilders from that era like Tom Platz and Robby Robinson.

Fortunately, it was arm day. So he took me through the strategy. I was amazed by the pumps and the boost of energy I got from training this way. And I wanted to share this with you so that you can implement this on those days you’re feeling tired because we all have those days!

In closing, it does help to take a pre-workout that helps with your mental focus on these days. You can read about my recommended pre-workout here: Best Pre-Workout for Mental Focus and Energy.

Also, be sure to check out my elite training and nutrition programs here.

Train with Passion,

Jason

Training for pure strength can conflict with training for muscle gains. To boost your bench press, it’s all about explosive force.

But for a huge and ripped chest, it’s all about making the weight feel heavier than it really is by forcing your chest muscles to work harder. And that’s not feasible when you’re lifting max loads.

If you’re like me, you’ve found yourself torn between the two. Do you want to get stronger? Or do you want a bigger and more defined chest?

The good news is you don’t have to choose. I’m going to give you the ultimate chest workout that will help you increase your bench press as well as build and define your chest.

**If you’re serious about taking your gains to the next level, be sure to check out my recommended test booster and use it with this workout I’m giving you below.

Also, be sure to use my discount code that’s at the beginning of that post!

The Workout

Below is the workout at a glance. It’s centered around helping you build and shape your chest muscles while also gaining strength on the bench press.

Here’s the ultimate chest workout:

• Bench Press: 5 x 10, 8, 5, 5, 3
• Incline Bench Press: 4 x 8
• Cable Flyes: 4 x 12
• Machine Press: 5 x 15

That’s the workout. But there’s much more to it…

I’m now going to show you how to make this workout more effective by sharing the details and methods you can use for each exercise.

Heavy Bench Press to Increase Your Bench Press Strength

• 5 sets x 10, 8, 5, 5, 3 reps
• Rest time: 2 minutes between sets

Naturally, you’re starting out with the bench press. And don’t let anyone fool you by saying you can’t build a big chest with bench press. That seems to be a trendy saying but it’s the furthest thing from the truth.

This exercise is building the foundation for you to have a bigger (and more defined) chest. How? Because getting stronger on the bench press is going to make you stronger on all of your other chest exercises, thus building more muscle. It’s that simple.

For this first exercise, you’re doing:

5 sets of 10, 8, 5, 5, 3 reps

These are your working sets and does not include any warm-ups. I suggest doing 1-2 light sets of 10-12 reps to warm-up first.

Here’s how your sets will go:

• Set 1 x 10 Reps: Start with a moderate weight and don’t go all-out on this set. This set is to prime you for the heavy sets to come.
• Set 2 x 8 Reps: You’ll go up about 10-20% in weight on this set for 8 reps. This set should more challenging but don’t push it to failure.
• Set 3 x 5 Reps: Here’s where you move up to some heavier weight that you’ll do for 5 reps, increasing the load by another 20% or more.
• Set 4 x 5 Reps: Now you’ll increase the weight again by 5-10%. It should be challenging to get those 5 reps here.
• Set 5 x 3 Reps: Finally, you’ll increase the weight even more and the goal will be 3 reps.

Make sure you have someone you trust spotting you for those final 3 sets. You need to be able to push yourself hard on these sets without worrying about anything (like the barbell crushing you!).

So don’t cut yourself short here. Find a good spotter.

The key to this bench press routine is to work your way up to heavier weights. You don’t want to start your workout with those heavy loads.

The benefit is getting your chest used to handling that heavy weight. And you’re pushing yourself so that when you come back to chest day on the following week, those weights should feel lighter and you can go up accordingly. It’s all about strength gains on the bench press!

Incline Bench Press to Add Mass and Shape to Your Chest

• 4 sets x 8 reps
• Rest time: 1 minute between sets

Next, you’re going to work on building your upper chest with incline bench press. You’ll use moderately heavy weight for all 4 sets.

In this case, you may find it’s best to stick with the same weight throughout this exercise. And that same weight is going to gradually feel heavier each set, partly because you’re not resting as long between sets (1 minute).

Your goal here is to shift from the explosive power used on the bench press to focusing more on making your chest muscles work harder. And the incline bench is a great way to focus more on those muscles.

Cable Flyes for a Ripped Chest

• 4 sets x 12 reps
• Rest time: 35-45 seconds between sets

Now it’s time to move into the isolation exercises for your chest. For this workout, I have you doing cable flyes. However, you can choose any type of flyes such as the pec dec machine or dumbbell flyes.

There are some key things to remember with this exercise. And these are going to help you add more muscle definition and shape to your chest:

• Make sure you’re getting a good stretch at the top of the movement by slightly leaning forward and stepping forward so that your arms are stretched out.
• Contract your chest muscles at the peak of each rep and hold it for a second or two.
• On the final set, you’re going to do a drop set (reduce the weight by 20-30% and pump out another set).

You should feel a tremendous pump in your pecs after this exercise. And it all works in conjunction with the heavy lifting you did earlier.

Machine Bench Press to Exhaust Your Chest Muscles for Massive Growth

• 5 sets x 15 reps
• Rest time: 30 seconds between sets

Your final chest exercise is going to be on a machine.
If your gym has a Hammer Strength chest press, I suggest using that. It can be flat, incline, or decline. However, any chest machine will work.

The purpose of ending with this exercise is to exhaust your chest muscles. You’ve already done the heavy work and you’ve also started with the isolation part of the workout. Now it’s time to end it with a bang.

The reason why we’re choosing a machine is that this is going to allow you to focus 100% on your chest muscles. You’re not going to be distracted with balancing and you don’t need a spotter as you do with lifting free weights.

Here’s how this will work:

• Because you’re only resting for 30 seconds between sets, you can stay seated in the machine the entire time.
• As you’re going for 15 reps, you’ll have a tendency to pump out faster reps. Don’t allow yourself to do that. Rather, focus on each individual rep.
• Due to the above, choose a lighter weight for this exercise.
• On the final rep, keep the weight pushed out while flexing your pecs for 3-5 seconds.

**If you’re using a Hammer Strength uni-lateral machine, on the final set use the uni-lateral method. This is where you’ll keep one arm extended while bringing the other arm back towards your chest, then repeat with the opposing arm.

Chest Workout Recovery

Once you finish your final set be sure to spend 3-5 minutes stretching your chest muscles. This doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated.

Just grab the edge of a machine like you see in the image above and stretch each muscle. Hold that position for 10 seconds and do this 2-3 times for each arm.

You can also place one arm behind your head and press that inner part of your arm against a machine or corner of a wall to stretch.

Also, now is a good time to drink your post-workout recovery shake and supplements. Here’s what I do as soon as I get home from the gym:

• 10 oz of almond milk
• 2 scoops of whey protein
• 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries
• 1 banana
• 1/2 serving of peanut butter
• 7 grams of creatine monohydrate
• 10 grams of glutamine

This is a great way to kick-start the recovery process and replenish those nutrients from your workouts. You can also read more about what supplements I take and recommend here.

How Often Should You Train Chest?

Your chest workout frequency should be based on your ability to recover from your workouts. It’s common for bodybuilders to follow the once-a-week training rule. And that obviously works.

If you feel like you want to train chest again sooner make sure you wait at least 3-4 days before training chest again. And if that’s the strategy you want to use, it’s best to not do the same chest workout on your 2nd chest day.

You may also want to split it up to where you have a heavy chest day for strength and a lighter chest day that focuses more on building and shaping those muscles.

You can read more about chest training and different workout options in this post: Training Chest Twice a Week

Here’s an example of training chest twice a week:

Chest Day 1

• Bench press: 5 x 5
• Incline bench press: 3 x 8
• Dumbbell press: 3 x 8

Chest Day 2

• Incline dumbbell press: 4 x 10
• Cable flyes: 4 x 12
• Pec dec flyes: 4 x 15

Of course, this schedule deviates from the ultimate chest workout in this post. But it’s just another option if you’re wanting to train chest more than once a week.

I hope this post helps and that you will try my ultimate chest workout for strength and building a defined chest.

Lastly, be sure to check out my helpful resources for building muscle below:

• My Current Supplements
• My Recommended Test Booster
• The Muscle Program’s Elite Training Programs

Train with Passion,

Jason

Think about it. Most guys train their upper body at least 3-4 times a week. You’ve got chest, back, shoulders, and arms. Now, think about how many days a week you train your lower body? Exactly.

But more important than the frequency of training is the effort put into your lower body workouts. Maybe you can get away with training those muscles once a week but only if you go all-out on leg day.

The problem is most don’t. And it’s not that most don’t want to train hard. They just don’t know how to train their lower body for maximum gains.

In this post, you’re going to get 5 awesome lower body workouts that will help you pack on more muscle mass and get stronger.

You’re also going to get the strategies to make your leg workouts more effective for muscle growth. And by default, your lower body strength will also increase.

Proper Way to Train Legs

Before you we get to the workouts, let’s talk about proper lower body training.

How many times have you seen someone stack the leg press machine with endless 45 lb. plates only to look down and see that they have skinny legs?

It’s clear that what they’re doing isn’t working too well.

Though lifting heavy does play a ‘huge’ role in your lower body growth, that’s only a small part of the equation. There are certain techniques that you need to apply during your leg workouts.

If you’re not putting proper effort into your lower body you’re missing out on some serious gains in both muscle size and strength. Your legs are such a powerful muscle, or at least they should be.

Here are the concepts to gaining quality size in your lower body:

• Don’t just do low reps with heavier weights. Make sure you’re also integrating higher reps.
• Legs, especially quads, respond best to higher volume workouts (for most people).
• Make sure that the muscle is doing the work by controlling the weight as you lift.
• Mentally push yourself when training. More than often, your mind will give out before your legs do. You can go a lot further than you think!
• Don’t get sloppy on your form. This goes for all body parts but especially for legs, and especially for exercises like squats, deadlifts, and leg press (anything where you’re using a substantial amount of weight).

**Also, make sure that you drink a pre-workout drink that helps give you mental focus, like PreFierce pre-workout.

Lower Body Workouts for Mass and Strength Gains

Now it’s time for the lower body workouts! These workouts are meant to be alternated and used together as they each serve a slightly different purpose.

For example, one leg workout may focus more on strength and power while another focuses more on higher reps and volume.
I’ll show you some ways you can do his at the end of this post.

Important Notes:

• These workouts do not include warm-up sets. You can do a few sets of light leg extensions or start with lighter sets of the first exercise to warm up.
• The foundation for your lower body training is based on squats and deadlifts, so you’ll see at least one of those exercises in each workout below.
• Rest about 2 minutes between the major like squats and deadlifts.
• Rest between 45 seconds to 1 minute between all other sets (unless otherwise specified).
• Be sure to read all of the notes below each workout for any special instructions or different techniques you’ll be using.
• Spent at least 5 minutes stretching your leg muscles after each workout.

Workout 1: Leg Builder

*Perform a drop set on the final set.

This is an awesome and extremely effective bodybuilding leg workout. You’re starting out with some proven mass-building exercises for both quads and hamstrings.

Remember in the notes above how I talked about making your muscles do the work? This is crucial with the 2nd exercise, stiff-leg deadlifts. Make sure you’re consciously activating your hamstrings to pull the weight back up

This is where the mind-muscle connection comes in. I have another post on that here: How to Build Your Mind-Muscle Connection for Bigger Gains

Workout 2: High Volume Leg Day

This leg workout is going to increase your level of building muscle, strength, and conditioning. That last part is important for lower body training; conditioning.

Upping your level of conditioning is going to help you push harder and go further in your leg workouts. This type of workout can also help you burn more fat while building muscle.

You’ll start out with just a few sets of squats. After that, it’s 7 sets of everything else. And the caveat here is to only rest 30-45 seconds between those 7 sets.

This comes from the FST-7 concept that many professional bodybuilders use, but of course, this particular leg workout is quite different. If you’d like to read more about FST-7 training, check out my post: FST-7 Full Workout Routine for Mass Gains

Workout 3: Leg Power Hour

This leg workout is all about strength, mass, and power. You’re going to start out almost as if you were doing a powerlifting routine with squats and deadlifts.

But you’re not going to stop there. After the heavy work is done, you’re going to finish with some isolation exercises.

It’s safe to say this workout will also build up your level of conditioning because its tough!

Workout 4: High Rep Leg Day

This will be a brutal leg day, or sure! You’re going to be pumping out a ton of reps.

Obviously, you won’t be going heavy on these exercises. That being said, you’ll see that squats are towards the end.

For squats, take a weight that you can normally do 10 easy reps for, and cut that in half. Your legs are already going to be fatigued at this point.

The magic behind this technique is that it forces your leg muscles to work harder than they ever have on squats.

If you’re interested in more high volume leg workouts, you can read this post: Brutal Leg Workout: High Rep Leg Day

Workout 5: Big and Strong Lower Body

**Do a rest-pause set on the final set (you can read more about this method here).

You’re going to start out with a powerlifting-style strategy for this leg workout. It’s going to be a heavy leg day, for sure.

After that, you’re going to focus more on building the muscle tissue with isolation exercises (after leg press).

And you’ll also be doing the rest-pause method, which will have you wobbling out of the gym.

Leg Workout Program

Now it’s time to put it all together and create a program that you can follow. There are a couple of ways you can do this:

1. Do a different leg workout each week (1-5 above)
2. Train legs twice a week having one heavy day and one higher volume or higher rep day.

Here’s a simple lower body training schedule for the first option:

• Week 1: Workout 1 – Leg Builder
• Week 2: Workout 2 – High Volume Leg Day
• Week 3: Workout 3 – Leg Power Hour
• Week 4: Workout 4 – High Rep Leg Day
• Week 5: Workout 5 – Big and Strong Lower Body

The 2nd option has you training legs twice a week, alternating a more heavy training day with one that has more volume:

• Monday: Workout 3 – Leg Power Hour
• Thursday: Workout 4 – High Rep Leg Day

You could continue repeating this pattern or mix it up the following week with something like this:

• Monday: Workout 5 – Big and Strong Lower Body
• Thursday: Workout 2 – High Volume Leg Day

There are several ways you can do this.

You may be wondering why I’m recommending mixing up the workouts each week. You don’t necessarily have to do that. But changing things up is a good way to prevent your muscles from adapting to the same workout.

It’s also a great way to keep yourself challenged and excited about your workouts. And you’re not completely changing the workout, you’re just making subtle changes.

This is the exact method used in my Hardcore Muscle Building Program.

*Be sure to check that out now!

Train with Passion,

Jason

Now, if you apply a certain method to these muscles you’ll make even more gains and it will be one of the most intense workouts you’ve ever had! Push-pull.

But we’re not done yet. I want you to force your muscles to grow bigger with another technique. 10×10.

In this post, I’m going to give you a series of 10×10 push-pull chest and back workouts that you can use for massive gains. And I’ll show you how to alternate these workouts for best results.

You’re also going to learn the secrets to making this workout more effective. Are you ready for this?

**You may want to mix up your pre-workout drink now! After you finish reading this, you’re going to want to hit the gym.

Oh, and you can use my discount code for my recommended pre-workout here: Jason’s pre-workout deal for insane pumps.
A new page will open so you don’t lose this one!

Explaining the Methods for Serious Muscle Gains

Before we get into the chest and back workouts, I’m going to explain the methods you’ll be using.

There’s also a specific way that you’ll be applying these methods when you get to your workouts (and that’s the part that makes it exciting!).

Push-Pull Method

The push-pull method actually comes from the push-pull-legs workout concept. Here’s the way it normally works:

• Day 1: Push
• Day 2: Pull
• Day 3: Legs

However, this is not the way you’ll be using push-pull. You’re going to be using push-pull on the same day, in the same workout.

Chest is ‘push’ while back is ‘pull.’

Think about chest exercises like bench press, incline press, dumbbell press, etc. All of those exercises are performed with a pushing effort. Even with flyes, you’re still pushing that weight.

All back exercises require you to pull the weight. Think about exercises like lat pulldowns, barbell rows, seated rows, etc. You’re pulling the weight or the bar into your body.

Using push-pull in the same workout creates this massive pump on both the front and back of your upper body. You’ll feel like a 3-D monster when you’re done. And you’ll also get into better condition because you’ll essentially be doing more volume during this workout.

There are two ways that you’ll use the push-pull method for chest and back:

1. Alternating chest and back exercises
2. Supersetting chest and back

In other words, you will not be doing all chest followed by all back or vice versa. Each muscle will get adequate attention.

**If you’d like to learn more about the original push-pull-legs training method, be sure to read my post: Push-Pull-Legs Workout: 6-Day Routine for Mass and Strength

10×10 Method

10×10 is 10 sets of 10 reps.

This method forces you to pump more blood into your muscles, adds more volume to your workouts, and can even stretch the muscle fascia, similar to the FST-7 training method.

As you would expect, you’re not going to be lifting as much weight as you would if you were doing the normal bodybuilding-style of training. But don’t let that mess with your head.

There are different ways to use 10×10. In the workouts you’re doing below, I’m going to have you sticking with the same weight throughout your 10×10 exercises.

Here’s how it will work.

• Let’s say you can bench press 185 for 10 reps, but it’s a struggle to do that.
• Chances are you wouldn’t get 10 reps on the 2nd set.
• In this case, you would drop down to about 155 and use that weight for all 10 sets.
• Believe me, that 155 is going to feel a lot heavier as you get towards the end of your sets.

You can also adjust the weight along the way.

For example, if the weight is feeling too light by the 4th or 5th set, you can increase it by about 10%. But if you’re not getting the full 10 reps at any point, you’ll want to drop down a little.

If you have to decrease the weight, don’t get discouraged, and don’t let your ego get in the way. This isn’t a ‘how much can ya lift’ contest. It’s about forcing your muscles to grow.

10×10 Push-Pull Chest and Back Workouts

I’m going to give you three chest and back workouts. I’ll also show you how to rotate these workouts for best results.

You’ll be using the methods we talked about in all of the workouts below: Push-pull with 10×10.

But each chest and back workout will be slightly different, serving its own unique purpose, which will ultimately lead to more muscle growth for you. So there is indeed a strategy here.

Here are some important training notes before you get started:

• When supersetting, don’t worry about racing over to the next exercise. Take your time, but don’t rest any more than 15-20 seconds.
• Also when supersetting, do your best to have both exercises set up and ready to go. You may also want to train at a time when the gym isn’t crowded, like early mornings (I have a post on early morning workouts here).
• For non-superset exercises, rest about 35-45 seconds between sets.
• You’ll typically start with 10×10 but you may want to do a warm-up set before getting started – that warm-up set does not count as a working set (you may also feel that you don’t need to warm-up since you’re not lifting as heavy – use your best judgment).
• Spend about 5-10 minutes stretching your chest and back muscles after your workout.
• Make sure you get adequate pre and post-workout nutrition. You’ll need energy for your workout and you’ll want to start the recovery process right after.

Workout 1: Chest and Back Mass and Strength Builder

You’re starting here with 10×10 for two compound mass-building exercises. But you won’t be supersetting these.

After that, you’ll superset the next two exercises, pec dec flyes and lat pulldowns. And those 10 sets are split between the two.

Workout 2: Chest and Back Ripped Mass

This workout has you starting out with by pre-exhausting your chest and back muscles. This means doing isolation exercises before compound lifts.

This method will force your muscles to work even harder when you get to your main chest and back exercises.

On that note, you’re going to switch to the machine version of your compound exercises for chest and back. This is going to allow you to put more focus into each muscle and targeting that muscle at a deeper level.

If your gym has Hammer Strength plated-loaded machines, use those. If not, you can use any machine, even the Smith Machine or any other plate-loaded machine.

Workout 3: Chest and Back Extreme Conditioning

In this workout, you’re supersetting chest and back throughout your workout. So you’ll do a set of reverse-grip rows followed by a set of bench press.

This may sound tough, and it is. But you’ll be amazed at how conditioned you’ll get from supersetting these two compound movements. You may also be surprised at how strong you are on both exercises.

You’ll finish by supersetting seated rows and incline dumbbell flyes. This won’t be quite as taxing but you should aim to get a good pump and force your muscles to work harder on these exercises.

Chest and Back Push-Pull Program

Alright, now you have three chest and back workouts to do. And you may be trying to decide which one to do.

Here’s what you can try:

• Week 1: Mass and Strength Builder
• Week 2: Ripped Mass
• Week 3: Extreme Conditioning
• Week 4: Repeat

Do this for a total of six weeks and assess your results. You can also use this concept by grouping other body parts. Here are some examples:

• Quads (push) with hamstrings (pull)
• Triceps (push) with biceps (pull)
• Shoulders (push) with back (pull)

Or may also decide to start one of my complete 90-day programs:

• Hardcore Muscle Building Program
• Lean Muscle Building Program

And those are much more than just workout plans. Just click the one that best suits your current goals to learn more.

I hope this post helps you continue your muscle-building journey!

Train with Passion,

Jason

But one thing is for sure if you don’t have a plan and if you’re not consistent, then you will have a tough time making strength gains.

In this post, I’m going to give you a complete strategy to help you get stronger at deadlifts. This is especially great for those who are new or don’t feel comfortable doing this exercise.

Keep in mind that this post is geared towards sumo deadlifts but this method can work for conventional deadlifts as well (or any compound exercise that you want to get better at).

Below is my entire ‘Deadlift Day’ routine at a glance.

• Leg Extensions: 5 x 15
• Sumo Deadlifts: 4 x 10, 5, 2, 1
• Conventional Deadlifts: 1 x 15
• Standing Calve Raises: 5 x 15

As you can see, the workout is focused on deadlifts. However, you should consider integrating other exercises into your routine as well. I’ll explain why later. And I’ll explain why I chose the sumo-style deadlift.

**This is the exact workout I did on this particular just before writing this blog post and making the video that you’ll see below. I will sometimes do other exercises on my deadlift day, such as arms or more leg exercises.

Sumo Deadlift Workout Video

Here’s the video version of this post. You can get a better idea of the sumo deadlift form here.

Keep in mind that everyone is a bit different. My method is one that is comfortable to me, meaning that my muscles are doing the work and I do not feel pain in the wrong places.

You learn more details about this in the video after the workout, so be sure to listen to that as you’ll get some more great tips.

I also encourage you to focus on being your best rather than comparing yourself to others in the gym. It’s you against you!

Starting Out With Leg Extensions

There are two reasons why I do leg extensions before sumo deadlifts. I also apply this same strategy before doing conventional deadlifts and squats.

1. Warm-up
2. Pre-exhaust your quads

First, leg extensions will help get the blood flowing. Keep in mind you’re not going super heavy here. At least, not at first.

Secondly, pre-exhausting your quads will help you better focus on using your muscles to do more of the work. It also gives you that pump, which provides that mental edge you need for heavy sumo deadlifts.

I do five sets of 15 reps, and progressively move up in weight a little each set. Here’s how that looks:

• Set 1: 100 lbs
• Set 2: 130 lbs
• Set 3: 150 lbs
• Set 4: 170 lbs
• Set 5: 190 lbs

**Don’t pay too much attention to the weight I listed. As you know, every machine is different. In short, the first few sets should be light while that final set is more challenging to get 15 reps with.

Some powerlifters and strength trainers may speak against doing leg extensions before sumo deadlifts. That’s okay. If it doesn’t work for you, then try something else. I’m only sharing with you what works for me.

Also, this post is more from the perspective of a bodybuilder who wants to get stronger. If you’re solely into powerlifting, the strategy you use may be different.

If pure strength is your ultimate goal, then you may want to check out the powerlifting program called Critical Bench by Mike Westedal.

You can read more about that here: Critical Bench 2.0 Strength Training Program

Sumo Deadlift Form

Sumo deadlifts (and all deadlifts) are one of the most powerful exercises you can do for both strength and mass. They also help you build a solid foundation for building more muscle in the future

That said, your sumo deadlift form is crucial. So I’m going to break this down in detail below.

Your Stance

The most important part of the sumo deadlift is your stance. And this is going to be slightly different for everyone. Remember, we all have different body structures and builds. ‘One size’ doesn’t necessarily fit all.

So I’m going to breakdown the basics and how to find the sumo deadlift stance that works best for you and your body type.

• Start by placing your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart
• Point your feet outward
• Make sure your chins are close to the bar but not quite touching the bar
• Squat down and grab the bar but don’t pull the weight yet
• Your hands will typically be a little closer than shoulder-width
• Stay down there for a few seconds and assess your hand position, your stance, stability, and overall position
• Release your hands from the bar and return to the standing position
• Adjust your foot position accordingly before going back down

You should go through these steps a few times until you find a position that feels natural to you. Your stance and hand position may be slightly wider or not quite as wide.

The Lift (Sumo Style)

Once you have a stance that feels natural to you, it’s time to get into the lift. Here are some important notes:

• Get into your starting position and stance
• Bending your knees, squat down and grab the bar tightly in the position that feels most natural
• Keep a slight arch in your lower back (do not round your back, ever!)
• Poke your rear outward
• Pull that weight!
• As you’re pulling the weight up, push your quads outward; in other words, don’t let your knees come inward
• Press with your heels, not with the balls of your feet
• Keep your shoulders pulled back during the lift
• Don’t hyperextend your back too much when you get to the standing position; rather poke your chest out as you’re clinching shoulder blades

MUSCLE BUILDING TIP: If you want more muscle activation, control the weight by lowering it slowly as you go back down to the starting position. This doesn’t have to be a true ‘negative’ rep but make sure you are controlling the weight rather than letting the weight pull you back down.

You can learn more about negative training and other methods to make your muscles work harder in this post: 15 Ways to Build More Muscle Mass

Sumo Deadlift Routine

It’s time to get into your sumo deadlift workout routine. There are five working sets and I’ll go through each one in detail below.

**Rest 2-3 minutes between sets 1-3 and take a 5-minute rest between the final 2 sets.

***Get a good pre-workout meal in you about an hour or so before doing this workout, and also consider taking a strong pre-workout like PreFierce Pre-Workout.

Set 1: Light-Moderate Weight

Your 1st set will be 8-10 reps with a lighter weight that you could do 15 or more reps with.

Due to the nature of this exercise, I don’t consider any set to be a true warm-up set. Think about it. A ‘light’ set of deadlifts takes more effort than working sets of other exercises.

That said, start out with a weight that’s light enough to where you could crank out 15 or more reps with. For some, that may be 95 lbs (and bar and two quarters). For others, it may be 135 lbs (the bar and two plates). And some are comfortable starting with 225 or more.

But here’s the thing. You’re not going to go all-out on this first set. You’re only going to do about 8-10 reps with that weight.

This lighter set will help you nail down your form. And it gets you prepped for the heavier sets to come without getting fatigued.

Set 2: Moderate-Heavy Weight

Your 2nd will be 5-6 reps with a moderate-heavy weight that you could get at least 10 reps with.

You’re moving up to a decent load on this set of sumo deadlifts. Like the first set, you’re not going all-out. You’re saving it for that 4th set, which we’ll get too shortly.

This set really activates all of the muscles that are involved in the sumo deadlift. And it’s the next step of preparation for what’s to come without completely exhausting your body.

Set 3: Heavy Weight, Touch and Go

Your 3rd set will be 2-3 reps with a pretty weight. You can also do these few reps with the touch-and-go method.

Now you’re ready to pull some serious weight off the floor. At this point, you’ll want to lift what you think your max 2-3 rep max is.

You’ll also take a longer rest period after this set, up to five minutes. Take some time to take a few sips of water and regain your energy and focus.

**Touch-and-go is where you do not stop when you get back down to the starting position. You don’t necessarily want to bounce the weight off the floor, but it’s a fluid movement.

Set 4: Max Weight

Your final heavy set will be that 1-rep max.

You know what time it is. It’s time for you to pull your max weight.

Make sure you are 100% focused during every millisecond of this set. Don’t let anything distract you. You’ve got this!

Set 5: Light-Moderate Weight Touch and Go

You’ll end your deadlift routine with a high-rep set of 15 reps with a lighter weight. This will also be done with the conventional deadlift style. These are also touch-and-go.

So, you thought it was over after that 4th heavy set, right? Nope, you have one more set of deads to go.

This set is to build your endurance and explosive power. You can go back down to the weight you started with for this set.

Your form will more than likely not be perfect on these as you’ll be cranking these reps out. But don’t use completely poor form. And remember the crucial parts of the light, like not rounding your back.

I like to end my sumo deadlift routine with conventional deadlifts so that I don’t completely neglect the conventional style. You can end with a high-rep set of sumo deadlifts if you wish. Especially if you’re doing conventional deadlifts on another day.

Calves After Deadlifts

Since all types of deadlifts involve your calves, it’s a good idea to finish this type of workout by targeting your calves directly. And I have a special method that will make your calves grow into cows!

• You’re going to choose two exercises, and it really doesn’t matter which two.
• You’ll do a standard 5×15 for the first exercise.
• The following exercise will be one giant rest-pause set.

Here’s how it looks:

*Choose a weight that you can do 20 or more reps with. Do as many reps as you can do, rest for 10-15 seconds, and go again. Repeat this until you reach 75 total reps.

You can read more about rest-pause training here: How To Perform Rest-Pause Sets: Increase Intensity for New Muscle Gains

Comparing Sumo Deadlift Numbers

Lastly, I want to end with some encouraging thoughts for you. When it comes to exercises like sumo deadlifts, it’s easy to get discouraged when you see others in the gym deadlifting so much more than you.

Worrying about how much others can lift can potentially lead to two things:

1. Injury, as you may try to pull a weight that you clearly have not worked up to yet.
2. Sometimes this can make people give up and stop going to the gym.

You don’t want either of those to happen. So don’t let that bother you. Remember, we all start somewhere. And we all have different levels of strength.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with some friendly competition. Just don’t let it get you down if someone is further along than you.

The best thing that you can do is simply focus on being your best every time you step in the gym (and out of the gym as well!). And we should all be encouraging one another in the gym.

There are so many unhealthy things that you and everyone in there could be doing. But instead, you’re all in there training hard and creating a better version of yourselves. So let that continue to fuel you and keep pushing!

I truly hope that this sumo deadlift routine helps you get stronger. And I also hope that you got even more out of this post.

Also, be sure to check out my programs, meal plans, and other merch in my online muscle shop.

Train with Passion,

Jason

But one of the problems is that it can be difficult to get that perfectly shaped chest. And just having a big bench press isn’t going to get you there.

If you really want a defined chest you have to learn to isolate those muscles during your workouts. This means you have to target those specific muscles, which requires techniques that go beyond just lifting a weight from point A to B.

In this post, you’ll learn three powerful methods to isolate your chest muscles. I’ll also give you a complete chest workout and other strategies you can use to get that huge, ripped chest that you aspire to have.

Oh, you may want to get your pre-workout drink ready because after you read this you’re going to want to hit the gym for a chest workout!

1 – Force Your Pecs to Work Harder

Almost every bodybuilder and weightlifter gets hung up on this one thing when it comes to chest training. Bench press.

Among guys, it seems to be the ultimate measurement of strength (although the true measurement of overall strength is exercises like squats and deadlifts!). It’s a perception and misconception, yet many of us get caught up in the ‘How much can ya bench?‘ syndrome.

The problem with that mentality is that you’re using your entire body with explosive power to lift the weight. This is great for strength gains but it’s not very effective for building your chest muscles.

For building and defining your chest, you need to shift your focus to forcing your pecs to do more work and work harder. This means taking a lighter weight and making it feel heavier by the way you perform the exercise.

Here are some ways you can force your chest muscles to work harder:

• On the eccentric part of the rep (as the weight is coming back towards your chest), control the weight by applying more tension to your chest muscles. This means taking your time to lower the weight back to the starting position.
• Consciously use your chest muscles to push the weight back out.
• Contract your chest muscles at the peak of each rep and do a brief pause as those muscles are contracted.
• Be focused on your chest muscles throughout each rep, visualizing your chest growing.

If your goal is to increase your bench press, then be sure to read my post about the Critical Bench 2.0 Program here.

2 – Flex Your Chest Muscles Between Sets

Another way to really shape your chest muscles is to flex your pecs between sets. It’s so simple and easy to do but often forgotten.

The reason this works so well is for the same reason that lifting weights builds muscle. You’re applying tension (and more time under tension). But not only that, you’re directly targeting those muscles when you flex them.

Here’s how to apply this:

• Immediately after your set, stand straight up and place your hands or fists close together down by your stomach area (your elbows will be bent at less than a 90-degree angle).
• Shift your shoulders back so that your chest is poking out, kind of like a rooster letting everyone know what time it is, which the time is ‘gains o’clock!’
• Flex your pecs and hold that pose for about 3-5 seconds.
• Repeat after each set.

Again, this is one of the simplest ways to add more shape to your chest muscles. Try this and you should notice a difference after a few weeks.

3 – End Your Chest Workouts with Multiple Sets

Another practical method to build and shape your chest is doing more sets than normal at the end of your workout. And specifically with an isolation exercise for chest.

There are several training concepts that use this strategy. One of the most common is the FST-7 program. In short, this method has you ending your workout with seven sets.

Some use the 10 x 10 method for this as well. I’ve even done five sets at the end of my workouts and have gotten noticeable results.

Regardless of what strategy you follow, the idea is to expand your muscles by exhausting them. And by doing this at the end of the workout gives your assurance that you’ll be using your chest muscles even more since they’re already fatigued from the prior exercises.

Some days seven sets may work perfectly for this. Or you may find that 5-6 sets work great. Or you may want to try the 10 x 10 strategy at the end of your workout.

I mentioned the FST-7 method, which is an excellent way to build size and definition. You can read more about these types of workouts in this post: FST-7 Full Workout Routine for Mass Gains

3 Chest Workouts for Mass and Definition

Now it’s time to put these strategies into action. Below are three complete chest workouts that you can try on your next chest day, which hopefully is today!

Here are some notes about the workouts:

• You’ll notice that each workout ends with using the 3rd method (doing multiple sets). For those exercises, rest 30-40 seconds between sets.
• For all other exercises, you can rest 45 seconds to a minute between sets.
• Make sure that you feel your pecs working hard and that you feel that pump. If this is not the case, try reducing the weight a little.
• Don’t forget to flex your pecs for 3-5 seconds between each set (your rest time will start after your flex session).

Chest Workout 1 – FST-7

*Drop set on final set

Chest Workout 2 – Ending with 5 Sets

*Drop set on final set

Chest Workout 3 – 10 x 10

Inspiration for a Ripped and Huge Chest

One of the most inspirational chests in bodybuilding was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s chest. He was known for that big fan-shaped chest when he hit a side pose.

I’ll never forget to first time I saw him when I was a kid, and it was either in one of the old Flex magazines or one of his movies like Conan the Barbarian. But I immediately wanted to start training to have a chest like that.

I must also mention Lou Ferrigno. I remember reading one of the classic bodybuilding magazines where the author said that Lou’s chest enters the room five minutes before he does! Lol! I wish I still had that magazine!

So I want to encourage you to find your inspiration for building your chest. Perhaps it’s Arnold as well. Or some other bodybuilder like Kai Greene, Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, or Ronnie Coleman. Or it could be an actor or a fitness body.

Keep a photo on your phone of someone that has the type of chest you aspire to have. Look at it daily, and especially before every chest workout to get that inspiration and remind yourself of your goal.

And visualize yourself having the chest that you want. Huge, ripped, muscular, and fan-shaped. Visualize it and you will achieve as long as you push yourself and you’re consistent.

Next, be sure to check out my training programs and more on my shop.

Train with Passion,

Jason