Spring Bulk Day 136 - Chest

Summary

In this workout vlog, the speaker shares his experience with a chest day workout, detailing his exercises, gym preferences, and fitness philosophy. He starts with heavy incline Smith presses, emphasizing the importance of lifting heavy early in the workout. The speaker discusses alternatives for equipment, his use of the pec deck and cable flies, and the importance of a mind-muscle connection. He touches on forearm training, workout adaptability, and the value of learning from fitness content online. The session ends with reflections on personal progress and fitness motivation.

Takeaways

• 💪 The speaker is discussing a chest workout, mentioning different gyms and their opening hours, which affect their gym choices.
• 🏋️‍♂️ They emphasize starting workouts with heavy compound movements like incline bench press to maximize effort when muscles are fresh.
• 🗣 The speaker prefers doing heavy incline Smith presses at Planet Fitness as it's the best option available for a serious chest workout, despite preferring other gyms.
• ⚖️ They explain their philosophy of training by starting with heavy weights and lowering weight as fatigue sets in, rather than increasing the weight later in the workout.
• 👨‍🏫 They highlight the importance of muscle tension in workouts, focusing on the upper pecs during exercises like pec deck and cable flies for better mind-muscle connection.
• 🎯 The speaker encourages completing a workout with fewer isolation exercises like cable flies and pec deck after heavy compound lifts for maximum muscle activation.
• ⏱ They emphasize workout efficiency, suggesting 8-12 sets of hard, focused work per body part to optimize muscle growth and avoid overtraining.
• 😅 The speaker mentions getting a chest and slight arm pump during the workout, feeling satisfied with the results despite simpler exercises.
• 🤝 They stress that workouts should be fun and adaptable, allowing for changes based on how they feel in the gym, to maintain long-term motivation.
• 📚 The speaker advises beginners to educate themselves by watching workout videos and learning about exercises, noting how it leads to long-term improvement and gains.

Q & A

What challenges does the speaker face with the gyms in his area?

The speaker finds that the gyms around him have inconvenient weekend hours, with some closing early on weekends. For example, the YMCA closes at 6 PM on weekends, which he finds limiting. Metro Gym is open later, but due to time constraints, he had to settle for Planet Fitness, which lacks some of the equipment he prefers.

Why does the speaker prefer to start with heavy exercises like the incline Smith machine?

The speaker believes in starting his workout with a movement that allows him to lift the heaviest weight while fresh. This approach aligns with his philosophy of maximizing tension and load at the beginning of the workout for better strength and muscle growth.

What are the advantages of starting with a heavy exercise versus a lighter one, according to the speaker?

Starting with a heavy exercise allows the speaker to lift the most weight while fresh, which maximizes strength gains. If he were to start with lighter sets, such as chest flies, he would be fatigued by the time he reached heavier movements like the incline Smith machine, leading to reduced performance and less weight moved.

What does the speaker's typical chest day routine consist of?

His typical chest day includes heavy sets on the incline Smith machine, followed by isolation movements like the pec deck and cable flies. He aims for a mix of heavy compound lifts and targeted isolation exercises to fully stimulate the chest.

How does the speaker adjust his training based on available equipment?

When certain machines or equipment are unavailable, like when the cables are taken, the speaker adapts by using alternatives, such as moving to the pec deck. He emphasizes the importance of flexibility in training and going by feel based on what’s available.

What is the speaker's approach to ensuring a full chest pump?

The speaker continues a set even after he can no longer fully complete reps, focusing on partial reps to keep tension on the muscle and achieve a full pump. He aims for maximum fatigue and muscle engagement rather than stopping the set once he can't perform full repetitions.

Why does the speaker feel silly doing certain poses like the 'most muscular' in front of a mirror?

The speaker feels that some bodybuilding poses, such as the 'most muscular,' feel cheesy and make him feel like a 'lunkhead.' Despite this, he still enjoys seeing the results of his hard work, like the pump in his chest and arms after a workout.

What specific advice does the speaker give about forearm training?

The speaker recommends training forearms directly by incorporating exercises like forearm curls at the end of an arm workout. He suggests doing forearm curls both with palms up and palms down to target different parts of the forearm.

How does the speaker feel about assisted reps during a workout?

The speaker enjoys getting assisted reps from a spotter as it allows him to push beyond his normal limits and achieve greater fatigue. However, he finds it can be complicated when working with multiple spotters at the same time.

What is the speaker's overall philosophy on gym routines and workout structure?

The speaker believes in keeping his workout flexible and not planning exercises in advance. He focuses on going by feel, selecting exercises based on how his body feels that day, and adjusting if needed to avoid injury or discomfort. He emphasizes hard work over strict adherence to a preset plan.