Quick Tips For Improving Your Chest Day Productivity

The chest is probably the largest showpiece muscle group in the sport of bodybuilding- perhaps even more than the arms, especially when it comes to winning shows. Here are a few tips for kicking your chest training into gear and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of your weekly workouts.

Stop Singing The Monday Blues

Ever tried finding an available flat bench in your gym on a Monday at 6 pm? It’s not an easy task. Chest training is often the start of most bodybuilder’s training weeks. Ever since the beginning of time when man first learned he could tie two rocks to a branch and count his repetitions, Monday has been bench day. You should re-work your schedule so your Monday is either a rest day or Leg day. You’ll later discover you have the entire chest are to yourself on Thursday afternoon.

Pin Pressing

If you’ve ever seen Ronnie Coleman’s training DVDs, you may have noticed that he uses the weight pin for self-deep massaging purposes during his chest workout. His pectorals are obviously very thick and pumped, yet he still rubs and pokes them continuously during his routine. He’s working to break up pressure in the area, and it’s a technique you may want to consider as well.

Start with a Burn

Begin the day with one set of high-repetition cable crossovers. Place 30 pounds on the stack, and just complete 30 to 40 repetitions. This will stimulate the slow-twitch muscle fibers which typically sit dormant, before you even start your heavy pressing movements. Then you can return to your 6 to 10 repetition madness, content in the fact that you’re firing on all cylinders.

Stick with Free Weights

Look at the people in your gym in the free weight area. Now look at the group of individuals in the machine and cable areas. Notice something? The people completing the free weight movements are, on average, bigger and stronger than those folks clinging to the machines. You develop stabilizer muscles when you use free weights, but more importantly – you work harder. Compound movements are a real man’s game, and they will stimulate growth like machines cannot.

Vary Your Rest Times

For most people, a longer rest time means greater strength when you return to begin your next set. The problem with this is that after several minutes, the blood which has built up in your pectoral area will begin to dissipate, taking your very valuable pump with it. If you spend less than 60 seconds recovering, however, your ATP levels are going to be too low, and you’ll again be short-circuiting your own efforts. Experiment with rest periods ranging from 90 to 150 seconds for best results.

Pay Attention

We all know that the kid watching what everyone else is doing in the gym isn’t going to make his own gains because he’s more focused on others. However, observing the form, rep and set range, and other peccadilloes of other in the gym can lead you to picking up a few new tricks, or correcting any shortcomings in the training you currently practice. See what the biggest and strongest guys do, and emulate it!

Source: http://pmxfit.primalmuscle.com