BIGGER CHEST

10-PAGES
GUIDE TO BUILDING A BIGGER CHEST
15-MINUTE CHEST ROUTINE
45-MINUTE CHEST ROUTINE
VOLUME 1 | INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED Strength Training

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YOUR TIME IS PRESCIOUS...
SO THIS GUIDE IS EFFICIENT!
Think of each THE FINDING OF FITNESS™guide like a „literary buffet“. You can pick and
choose the chapters you want or you can read it in the order it’s written so you can properly
„digest“ every page. Either way, it’s written so you can select what your body needs or your
curiosity wants.
“Absorb what is useful,
Discard what is useless
Add what is specifically your own.”
― Bruce Lee
1 Disclaimer
2 -3 The Science To a Bigger Chest
4-7 START STRONG | THE 4 RULES TO A BIGGER CHEST
9 - 10 THE 15-MINUTE ROUTINE | THE 45-MINUTE ROUTINE
11 Help & Support

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE...

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 BIGGER 10 PAGE THE SCIENCE TO A BIGGER CHEST...

CHEST
TRANSFORMATION How Do We Build Muscle?

PLAN
There are 3 ways to build muscles.These can be identified as Mechanical Tension, Metabolic Stress and Muscle
Damage. Each comes with their own set of advantages, but worth noting is the muscular humans throughout
history had learnt to use all 3. Either in a single workout or they “cycle” through them over the course of a week/
month.

DISCLAIMER (the important stuff ) MECHANICAL TENSION METABOLIC STRESS MUSCLE DAMAGE

DESCRIPTION MECHANICAL TENSION IS METABOLIC STRESS (“THE MUSCLE DAMAGE IS CREATED

CREATED WHEN THE MUSCLE PUMP”) IS CREATED BY MAIN- BY SLOW NEGATIVES, EXTENDED
GENERATES FORCE TO LIFT TAINING CONSTANT TENSION RANGE OF MOTION AND HIGH
HEAVY THINGS ON THE MUSCLES BY REVERS- TENSION IN THE STRETCHED POSI-

!
ING DIRECTIONS JUST SHORT TION OF THE MUSCLE.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY OF “LOCKOUT”

In order to participate in a Rossedgley.com programme you MUST be medically fit and

(MOST) USED BY POWERLIFTERS BODYBUILDERS CROSSFITTERS
well. We accept no liability for any injury resulting from participating in this guide.
USED “JUST LIFT HEAVY THINGS” “GET A GOOD PUMP” “MIX IT UP & SHOCK THE BODY”
If you suffer from any illness or medical conditions please consult your GP/medical
3 TO 8 SETS 3 TO 4 SETS 2 TO 5 SETS
practitioner before commencing the programme. (DEPENDING ON FREQUENCY)

Training should be enjoyable. You are competing against yourself to ultimately improve REPETITIONS REPETITIONS REPETITIONS
your physique and achieve your aesthetic goals. Please maintain safety whilst training, 3-8 OR 5-12 12-20+ (TO FAILURE) 8-12
emphasis should be on technique/form over weight. HOW TO TRAIN IT
TEMPO TEMPO TEMPO
(TRAINING
2/0/1/0 OR 2/0/1/3 1/0/1/0 OR 2/3/1/0 4/0/1/0
VARIABLES)

REST REST REST

2-3 MINUTES LESS THAN 60 SECONDS 1-2 MINUTES

COPYRIGHT
This programme and all future Rossedgley.com
material is protected by copyright. It is strictly
prohibited to:

• Copy
• Share online
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SPECIAL MENTIONS
Photographer - Chris Bailey, James Appleton
& Harvey Gibson
Designer - Shaun Preece

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 THE SCIENCE TO A BIGGER CHEST... START STRONG | THE 4 RULES TO A BIGGER CHEST
WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOUR HEAVAGE NEEDS AN UPGRADE? UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SIZE AND STRENGTH IS A GOOD PLACE TO START, BUT STUDIES SHOW WHEN YOU
UNDERSTAND SOME BASIC PHYSIOLOGY AND STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PRINCIPLES,
BUILDING BULLET PROOF PECS BECOMES FAR EASIER.
START HERE

# ONE
MECHANICAL TENSION & METABOLIC STRESS

CHEST
BIGGER
Strength is very different to muscular hypertrophy. Strength on its
Mechanical Tension and Metabolic Stress compete in a tug of war. More of one typically means less of the other.
most basic level can be defined as a muscle‘s (or group of muscles‘)
This is because when you add weight to the bar you generate more forces and therefore create more Mechanical
Tension in the muscles. But this also means you can’t do as many repetitions. Therefore Metabolic Stress in the ability to produce force. Therefore strength depends on a number of
muscles is lower. neuromuscular processes, not just the size of the muscle. This is why
Chinese Olympic Lifter Liao Hui can lift 198kg despite only weighing
Lower the weight on the bar and the opposite happens.
69kg. Muscular hypertrophy is something slightly different. This is a
You’re now able to perform more repetitions and produce more Metabolic Stress. But with less weight you can’t long-term, adaptive response to neuromuscular stimulation of a given
generate as much force therefore Mechanical Tension in the muscles is lower.
minimum intensity. Put more simply, it‘s the result of certain training
Which is why so many bodybuilders use a variety of lifts to target both. Or will use the previously mentioned 6 -
15 repetition range, since the weight is: regime designed to increase the size of muscle, with a little less emphasis
on the strength component. Therefore before you even put any weight
- Manageable enough that you can maintain good technique and care for your joints
- Heavy enough to create tension, but also produce a good range of motion with no “cheat” in form
on the bench press, be very clear which one you‘re training for.
- Light enough that you can work close to failure and not “burn out”

But (again) let’s think beyond the “average” muscle with Muscle Damage.

MUSCLE DAMAGE
Have you ever triumphantly lifted a weight only to drop it thinking your work here is done? Of course you have.
There‘s something satisfying about grinding out a rep and then proudly dropping the weight to signal to the
weights room you‘ve won that particular bar fight. But a study conducted at the University of Florida, USA, has
found that dropping the weight could in fact halve your efforts in the gym.

That‘s because you‘re only performing a concentric muscle contraction. If you imagine a bicep curl this is where
the biceps are contracting but the muscle itself is shortening. By dropping the weight you completely neglect the
eccentric muscle contraction. During a dumbbell curl this is the lowering phase of the exercise where the bicep
is lengthening. To quote the University of Florida, „More important is the dramatic effect of eccentric strength
training on overall muscle strength.“

An idea supported by research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, which stated Eccentric training
can further enhance maximal muscle strength and power. In skeletal muscles, these functional adaptations are
based on increases in muscle mass and number of sarcomeres (muscle fibres)

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CHANGE SPEED & STRENGTH
# TWO
CHEST
BIGGER
BIGGER
If you‘re looking for a stronger chest the research from the College of
Exercise and Sport Sciences at Ithaca College, New York, USA should
be of interest. They set out to determine if adding band resistance to the
bench press would provide different strength and power adaptations to
free weights alone.
Taking 44 train athletes they randomly divided into either a „control group“
or an „experimental group“. Both groups completed an identical training
program, however the „control group“ used conventional free weights
while the „experimental group“ used a combination of free weights and
resistance bands. Following seven weeks of training subjects were
then put through a series of tests to see if there was any improvement
in their one repetition maximum bench press.
The result? The „experimental group“, using resistance bands and traditional weights, showed a greater
improvement in their bench press. This lead them to conclude that training with resistance bands may be
better than using free weights alone for developing strength and power „in resistance-trained individuals“.
They added, „Training with bands may be better than free weights alone for developing upper body
strength. Long-term effects are unclear, but band training makes a meaningful contribution in the short
term to performance adaptations of experienced athletes.“
Your pectoral prescription for strength? Complete five repetitions offive5 sets with a weight and band
resistance that you can comfortably move at speed. Not struggling or grinding out a single lift, but a weight
you can powerfully perform five repetitions with.
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TIME UNDER TENSION
# THREE
CHEST
But what if you‘re not concerned with building superhuman chest
strength? What if you‘re trying to build a chisellled chest? Well, you‘d
perhaps be better consulting research from the Journal of Applied
Physiology that found it isn‘t the weight you lift in the gym, but rather
how you lifted that weight that would determine how much muscle
you build. This is because they discovered slowly lowering the
weight - known as the eccentric part of the movement - produced,
„Greater muscle hypertrophy“ than solely concentrating on lifting
the weight - known as the concentric part of the movement. This is
why you‘ll often see a bodybuilder slowly lifting and lowering each
dumbbell with careful precision. The entire time concentrating on
perfect form and subjecting each muscle to lots of time under tension.
In contrast pure strength athletes like Olympic Lifters hurl iron above their head as quickly as possible.
Then drop it back to earth just as quickly. Your pectoral prescription for size? Complete ten repetitions
of five sets on the bench press. The entire time using a 4-2-1 tempo for each repetition. This means
you lower the weight for four seconds (slowly). Pause at the bottom for two seconds.Then explode the
weight off your chest, lifting it in one second.
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STRENGTH
MIX THINGS UP FOR MASS AND SIZE

CHEST
BIGGER
# FOUR PROGRAMME
CHEST
BIGGER
Too often people head straight for the bench press or ‚pec deck‘ in their
quest to build an impressive chest. But studies show you shouldn‘t
neglect the tried and tested press-up. This is because scientists from
the Department of Health and Exercise Science at the College of New
Jersey, USA wanted to test this idea of blending the traditional bench BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE
press with explosive press ups. To do this they took 17 train male athletes
and put them in two groups. The first group lowed a traditional strength
training protocol for 8 weeks whilst the other combined traditional
strength training and ballistic training. Ballistic training is basically weight
training at speed and this consisted of a conventional bench press
coupled with plyometric push-ups (where the athlete‘s hands leave the
floor during the upward-concentric phase).

Following the eight weeks the athlete‘s maximum strength was measured on the bench press. The
results revealed although both groups improved, the traditional strength training group increased by
7.1 per cent on average compared to 11.6 per cent for the ballistic-strength training group. Scientists
concluded the, „inclusion of ballistic exercises into a heavy resistance training program increased 1RM
bench press and enhanced power.“

For this reason if you want to improve the size and strength of your chest try including some press up
variations into your routine. Science shows your chest will be more powerful when you do. Your pectoral
prescription? Four repetitions of three sets of explosive press ups before hitting the bench press. It will
improve the kinetic energy of the body and get the muscles firing before hitting a big, heavy bench press.

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 START STRONG | THE 15-MINUTE ROUTINE START STRONG | THE 45-MINUTE ROUTINE

15-MINUTE 45-MINUTE
CHEST

CHEST
BIGGER

BIGGER
ROUTINE ROUTINE
EXERCISE REPETITIONS SETS REST TIME
EXERCISE REPETITIONS SETS REST TIME
PLYOMETRIC PUSH-UPS 5 3 2 MINUTES
PLYOMETRIC PUSH-UPS 5 3 2 MINUTES
EMPHASIS ON SPEED. ENGAGE MOTOR NEURAL SYSTEM FOR WORKOUT
EMPHASIS ON SPEED. ENGAGE MOTOR NEURAL SYSTEM FOR WORKOUT

BENCH PRESS 10 4 90 SECONDS

BENCH PRESS 10 4 90 SECONDS

EMPHASIS ON MECHANICAL TENSION

EMPHASIS ON MECHANICAL TENSION

CLOSE GRIP FLOOR PRESS 8 4 90 SECONDS

INCLINE PUSH-UPS 12 3 60 SECONDS
EMPHASIS ON MECHANICAL TENSION
- ADJUST TRAINING VARIABLES DEPENDING ON STRENGTH -
ADD WEIGHT, REDUCE REST, INCREASE REPS OR ELEVATE FEET POSITIONING

ALTERNATE DUMBBELL FLAT 12 (EACH ARM) 3 60 SECONDS

BODYWEIGHT DIPS 12 REPS IN TOTAL 3 60 SECONDS BENCH PRESS
8 CONCENTRIC
4 ECCENTRIC EMPHASIS METABOLIC STRESS

EMPHASIS ON MUSCLE DAMAGE

KEY HERE IS PERFORM 8 “NORMAL” REPS FOLLOWED BY 4 WHERE YOU SOLELY LOWER YOUR WEIGHT AS SLOW AS YOU CAN PLATE PRESS 20 3 60 SECONDS

EMPHASIS METABOLIC STRESS

BIOMECHANICAL DROP SET 5-5-5 4 60 SECONDS

HANDSTAND PUSH-UPS – ELEVATED
PUSH-UPS – STANDARD PUSH-UPS

- GREAT FINISHER WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ENTIRE BODY CONDITIONING -

- COMPLETE 10M FORWARD & 10M REVERSE. OVERHEAD FIRST & THEN “NORMAL” -

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 EXPLORE & EXPERIMENT | THE FINDING OF FITNESS™

JOIN THE TRIBE | FURTHER SUPPORT

I love this routine and time and again find myself using it. But know there are many more on Rossedgley.com so broaden
your mind and the tools in your strength and conditioning arsenal. Also (as we often say) the important thing to understand
is if a personal trainer or magazine prescribes 10 repetitions for three sets for months with no explanation or training theory
as to why... avoid it. To quote one of the greatest strength and conditioning coaches to ever live:

“The summary of training approaches given in the table may be adequate for the average personal trainer or coach dealing
with the average client or lower level athlete, but it needs to be expanded upon to take into account the objectives stated.”
- Dr. Yuri Verkhoshansky: Supertraining

To sum up, use the above workout ― and then think beyond them ― to subject your body to new training stimuli. Whether
that‘s as simple as greater volume with more reps, less rest between sets, more weight applied to each exercise or, like in
the following examples, have it operating over a completely different range of motion. But above all else, think differently.

Why change the training sessions?

• Variety and avoid boredom
• Reduce risk of injury
• Ensure all muscle fibres are incooperated
• Ensure adequate rest
• Reduce chance of reaching plateau
• Maximal and continual progression

HELP & SUPPORT | THE FINDING OF FITNESS™

ONLINE SUPPORT “THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO GET

If you are unsure how to do any of the
exercises mentioned in the following
FITTER, STRONGER AND LEANER.
training programme we always have LIVE YOU SHOULDN’T DISCRIMINATE
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join should you have any questions as VOR ONE. AS SOON AS YOU DO,
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FITNESS™ Community) will be on hand YOU CLOSE YOUR MIND AND
to help in any way they can.
LIMIT YOUR POTENTIAL.”
Finally (and as always) if you are
unsure of anything at all, please don‘t (ROSS EDGLEY, 2001)
hesitate to drop us an email at:

ross@rossedgley.com

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