This
is an incredibly
simple and VERY
powerful technique.
You load your
muscles with tremendous
volume while using
sub-maximal weights
and staying well
away from failure.
It's extremely
powerful for building
muscle mass due
to the extreme
time-under-tension
it gives you.
Now
for the twist...the
EVIL twist...
You're
going to use a
HYBRID
Training exercise
for Time-Volume
Training for chest.
And
that exercise
is Cable-Dumbell
Bench Press.
Now,
to give you a
little background
on what a Hybrid
exercise is, you're
basically combining
two forms of resistance
in one movement
to overcome strength
curve or biomechanical
limitations of
the exercise.
The bench press
is a classic example
of how this can
be INCREDIBLY
effective for
putting tension
on the muscles.
You're
going to be combining
a dumbell bench
press with a cable
flye...and doing
them TOGETHER
in one movement.
To
do this, you'll
need a set of
dumbells and a
cable cross-over
machine (or a
couple of bands
that you can attach
to solid objects
to either side
of you). I also
recommend ankle
harnesses so you
can attach yourself
to the cables
without having
to hold the handles
(the other option
is to loop the
cables around
the dumbell handle
and clip it back
onto itself -
that works pretty
well, too).
A
word of advice...with
this Hybrid exercise,
use a lighter
weight than you
think you'll need.
I'm using 50 lb
dumbells and about
20 lbs on the
cables. The tension
comes on FAST
and if you're
using too much
weight, you'll
burn it too soon.
I'm
using a Swiss
ball here, but
you can use a
bench as well.
I find the ball
to be easier for
getting into and
out of position
when doing a lot
of volume.
Put
your hand through
the right harness
(or grab the cable
handle).
Then
the other.
Sit
on the bench/ball
and grab the dumbells.
Now
pick them up and
rest them on your
thighs.
Lay
back on the ball
and get the dumbells
into the bottom
of the press position.
Now
press up.
Now
that you see the
movement, you
can see the POWER
behind this concept
and appreciate
it.
When
you're at the
bottom of the
press, the dumbells
give you their
maximum tension
on the pecs...the
cable flyes, not
so much.
As
you press up to
the top and bring
the dumbells together,
you lose tension
from the dumbells
but the cables
give you DIRECT
inwards resistance
for the pecs as
you bring the
arms across your
body.
This
means ZERO break
in tension as
you peform the
exercise...
And
that, my friend,
is absolutely
DEADLY when you
do it with a Time-Volume
Training protocol.
And
here's what's
going to make
it even WORSE
(or better, as
I like to think
of it ;)...
In
between sets,
instead of setting
the weights down,
just rest them
on your thighs.
It will take too
much time to set
them down and
pick them up again.
And yes, the cables
are exerting low-grade
tension the WHOLE
time you're supposed
to be resting...
When
you start getting
into the 20 and
30 seconds rest,
you can start
setting the dumbells
down on the floor,
if you like, but
I recomend still
leaving the cables
attached to you.
If you need to
take tension off
desperately, you
wedge your hands
inside your legs
so your adductors
take up the tension
instead of the
pecs.
Bottom
line, at the end
of the 15 minute
block, your chest
is going to be
SCREAMING. You'll
have placed your
pecs under tension
for far longer
than you're able
to with conventional
training and believe
me...this is going
to wake up muscle
fibers you didn't
even know you
had.
Rapid
chest development...done.
