Today, we’ll train chest for the second time on this 12-Week Lean Muscle Program, and we’ll also work abs for the second time this week. Your abs may still be sore from Monday’s workout, but that’s okay.
We’re going to start with a superset that hits your pecs in dramatically different ways. You’ll perform a set of incline dumbbell presses that target your upper pecs. Then you’ll transition immediately to decline dumbbell flyes, which work the lower and outer edges of your pecs. Note that the reps count is fairly high—20 for each move—to get your chest warmed up from all angles. Take a look at my video to see my tips on how to perform these moves to better target your pectoral muscles. Finally, notice how I get Kai and Danielle to perform a couple more presses as they’re approaching full exhaustion with the weights they’re using for dumbbell flyes.
Next up is seated machine dumbbell presses. Your gym may have a variety of these machines, but I recommend that you go with the one where you feel your chest work the most. You can also vary the machine from one workout to the next to work your chest in slightly different ways. Note that Danielle and Kai are using a machine that works unilaterally, which means that the arms work independently of one another. This forces each side of your chest to work equally. Check to see if your gym has a unilateral chest press machine.
The next move is bent-over cable flyes. The key with this move is to keep all of the effort in your pectorals while holding your body steady throughout the movement. You can hold a break at your knees, but do not allow momentum to assist you in performing reps. This includes keeping a consistent bend in your elbows throughout every rep.
That’s all for chest today. We’ll be taking the volume up over the coming weeks.
Next up is abs training. We’ll begin by performing a set of lying crunches using 2 different tempos that work the abs in different ways. Perform 20 reps with a slow raise, full contraction, and then a slow stretch back to the starting position. After this you’ll perform 20 “pulse” lying crunches where you stay in constant motion, keeping the action in your midsection. Rest about 90 seconds after this full set of 40 reps
Then you’ll do the same with twisting sit-ups—20 total (10 per side), where you bring your elbow up and toward your opposite knee as you raise that leg. Notice that I’m standing on Kai’s non-working side foot to provide more leverage for a deeper abs contraction. You’ll follow that immediately with the “bicycle” version, which you perform quickly for 20 reps (10 per side). Check out the video to see how these abs moves are performed.
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Cardio |
20 minutes |
Steady-state upon waking |
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Incline dumbbell presses 3 Sets/20 Reps SUPERSET incline dumbbell presses with decline dumbbell flyes resting 1-2 minutes between supersets |
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Decline dumbbell flyes 3 Sets/20 Reps |
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Seated machine chest 3 Sets/15 Reps Rest 1 minute between sets |
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Bent-over cable flyes 3 Sets/15 Reps Rest 1 minute between sets |
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Lying crunches 1 Set/40 Reps Perform 20 reps with control and then 20 reps fast |
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Twisting Crunches 1 Set/40 Reps
Perform 20 reps per side with control, then 20 reps per side fast |
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Sit-Ups 1 Sets/40 Reps
Perform 20 reps with control and then 20 reps fast |
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Bicycle crunches 1 Sets/20 Sets Perform 10 reps per side |
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Cardio |
20 minutes |
Steady-state after training or later in the evening |
GETHIN’S GO-TO:
One of the goals with changing up machines from one workout to another is to increase muscle confusion. My entire philosophy is based on encouraging muscle confusion. Allowing your muscle to adapt to repeated training protocols improves endurance and the number of reps you can perform, but this often comes at the expense of maximizing muscle building. And the goal on this lean muscle program is to build muscle mass to transform your physique, whether you’re a man or a woman. That’s why we change things up so dramatically from week to week.
WHAT SUPP?
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MICROPURE® WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE is my go-to protein at times of day when I want to get protein into my system quickly or don’t have time for a full meal. This product provides a high-quality, fast-digesting source of protein along with the digestive enzyme ProHydrolase®. The high-quality whey-protein isolate gets into your system quickly, enhanced by the inclusion of these digestive enzymes. Every scoop of MICROPURE WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE delivers 25g of protein for only 130 calories. DOSE AND TIMING:You can take in multiple servings of MICROPURE WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE per day when you’re following my 12-Week Lean Muscle Program. I recommend that you get in 1 scoop as soon as you complete your morning cardio. You can also get in a serving about 90 minutes before workouts in addition to PRE-KAGED (taken 45 minutes before workouts). Keep in mind that this protein product is great to take with you for times when you can’t get in a whole food meal, but you need to get in protein quickly. |
