Muscle Mag Workouts

Hot to Use the Better-Than-Bench Techniques

Make the king of upper-body exercises reign supreme with these four workouts Week 1 Bench Press Partial Training: 4 Sets (3 angles) x 6-12 Reps (2 min Rest) Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps (1-2 min Rest) Decline Flye: 3 Sets x 10-12 Reps (1-2 min Rest) Push-Up: 2 Sets to failure (1 min Rest) Week 2 Bench Press with Chains: 4 Sets x 6-10 Reps (2 min Rest) Smith-Machine Decline Press: 4 Sets x 10-12 Reps (1-2 min Rest) Incline Cable Flye: 3 Sets x 12-15 Reps (1-2 min Rest) Pec-Deck Machine: 2 Sets x 15 Reps (1 min Rest) Week 3 Bench Press with Isometrics: 4 Sets (3 angles) x 10 Reps (2 min Rest) Flat-Bench Dumbbell Press: 4 Sets x 12 Reps (1-2 min Rest) Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 Sets x 15 Reps (1-2 min Rest) Dips: 3 Sets to failure (1 min Rest) Week 4 Reverse Bench Press**: 4 Sets x 8-10 Reps (2 min Rest) Decline Cable Flye: 4 Sets x 12-15 Reps (1-2 min Rest) Incline Dumbbell Flye: 4 Sets x 12-15 Reps (1-2 min Rest) Incline Dumbbell Pullover: 2 Sets x 12-15 Reps (1-2 min Rest)

FSB Chest Workouts

In our FSB workouts, we generally like to shoot for a total of 12-20 total sets per muscle each week.

We also usually choose one exercise from each of the four categories (the three above + CAM Machines). When we want to increase the overload and workout volume, well include two exercises that put the PML on the muscle when its in the lengthened position. Here are five sample FSB chest workouts that put all this cool training information into realworld application:
Workout 1

PML in Stretch Dumbbell Press, 4-5 sets x 6-10 reps PML in Mid Wide-Grip Board (or Towel) Bench Press, 4-5 sets x 6-10 reps PML in Short Cable Chest Flyes (standing behind the cables), 2-3 sets x 10-15 reps CAM Machine Freemotion Chest Press, 2-3 sets x 10-15 reps
Workout 2

PML in Short Standing Chest Press (standing behind the cables), 3-4 sets x 8-15 reps PML in Stretch Incline Dumbbell Press, 4-5 sets x 6-12 reps PML in Mid Wide-Grip Push-Ups, 3-4 sets x max reps CAM Machine Pec Flye Machine, 2-3 sets x 10-15 reps
Workout 3

PML in Stretch Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, 3-5 sets x 6-12 reps PML in Mid Wide-Grip Board (or Towel) Bench Press, 3-5 sets x 6-12 reps PML in Short One-Arm Cable Chest Flye (standing behind the cable), 2-3 sets x 10-15 reps CAM Machine Pec Deck, 2-3 sets x 10-15 reps PML in Stretch Parallel Bar Dips (with forward lean), 2 sets x max reps (burnout)
Workout 4

PML in Stretch Barbell Bench Press, 3-4 sets x 6-10 reps PML in Stretch Dumbbell Chest Flyes, 2-3 sets x 8-15 reps PML in Short Cable Chest Flys (standing behind the cables), 3 sets x 8-15 reps PML in Mid Standing Single Arm Cable Press, 2-3 sets x 10-15 reps CAM Machine Techno-Gym Chest Press, 2-3 sets x 10-15 reps
Chest exercises that create a PML on the pecs in thelengthened position:

Bench Press Incline Bench Press Dumbbell Press Incline Dumbbell Press Dumbbell Chest Flyes Parallel Bar Dips (with forward lean) Plate-Loaded Chest Press Machine

Plate-Loaded Incline Chest Press Machine Push-Ups

Chest exercises that create a PML on the pecs in themid-range position:

Wide-Grip Board (or Towel) Bench Press Floor Bench Press Cable Chest Flyes (standing between the cables) One-Arm Cable Chest Flyes (standing between the cable) Standing Chest Press (standing in-front of the cables) Standing Single Arm Cable Press Wide-Grip Push-Ups
Chest exercises that create a PML on the pecs in theshortened position:

Cable Chest Flyes (standing behind the cables) One-Arm Cable Chest Flyes (standing behind the cable) Standing Chest Press (standing behind the cables)
CAM machine:

Pec Flyes Pec-Deck Techno-Gym Chest Press Free Motion Chest Press
Trap-Building Workouts

Tack any one of the following trap workouts onto the end of your lower-body or back training day to increase the size and strength of your traps and build a better yoke. I recommend doing one of these workouts twice per week. After youve stuck with one of them for three weeks (six workouts total), switch to the next sequence to keep your traps growing.
WORKOUT 1

Barbell Clean: 5 x 5 Trap Bar Deadlift: 4 x 6-8 Gittleson Shrug: 3 x 10-12 per side
WORKOUT 2

Barbell Deadlift: 64 Farmers Walk: 4x 25-40 yards

Wide-Grip Barbell Shrug: 3x 10-12 per side

WORKOUT 3

Trap Bar Deadlift 4 x 6-8 Angled Cable Shrug 3 x 10-12 per side Farmers Walk 4 x 25-40yds
Barbell-Focused Split Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Bodypart(s) Trained Back, biceps, abs Thighs, shoulders, calves Chest, triceps Rest Back, biceps, abs Thighs, shoulders, calves Chest, triceps Rest Cycle repeats

The Barbell Workout Back, Biceps, Abs

Month 1 Exercise Back

Bent-Over Barbell Row T-Bar Row Decline Barbell Pullover Pull-up 3 3 3 3 6-8 6-8 6-8 To failure

Month 2 Sets Reps*

Sets

Reps

4 4 4 3

10-15 10-15 10-15 To failure

Biceps
Barbell Curl Smith-Machine Drag Curl 3 3 6-8 6-8 4 4 10-15 10-15

Barbell Preacher Curl Incline-Bench Dumbbell Curl

3 3

6-8 6-8

4 4

10-15 10-15

Abs
Hanging Leg Raise Double Crunch 3 3 To failure To failure 4 4 To failure To failure

*Use one of the intensity-boosting techniques for last two sets of all moves.
The Barbell Workout Thighs, Shoulders, Calves

Month 1 Exercise Thighs

Squat Front Squat Leg Press Hack Squat Romanian Deadlift 3 3 3 3 3 6-8 6-8 6-8 6-8 6-8

Month 2 Reps Sets Reps*

Sets

4 4 4 4 4

10-15 10-15 10-15 10-15 10-15

Shoulders
Overhead Press Upright Row Barbell Front Raise Bent-over Lateral Raise 3 3 3 3 6-8 6-8 6-8 6-8 4 4 4 4 10-15 10-15 10-15 10-15

Calves
Standing Calf Raise Seated Calf Raise 3 3 8-12 8-12 4 4 20-25 20-25

*Use one of the intensity-boosting techniques for last two sets of all moves.
The Barbell Workout Chest, Triceps

Month 1 Exercise Sets Reps

Month 2 Sets Reps*

Chest
Bench Press Incline Bench Press Decline Bench Press Incline Dumbbell Flye 3 3 3 3 6-8 6-8 6-8 6-8 4 4 4 4 10-15 10-15 10-15 10-15

Triceps
Skullcrusher Seated Overhead EZ Extension Reverse-Grip Pressdown Triceps 3 3 3 3 6-8 6-8 6-8 To failure 4 4 4 4 10-15 10-15 10-15 To failure