CHEST |
ADVANCED
ROUTINE: NASSER EL SONBATY
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ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR
competitors in the IFBB, Nasser El Sonbaty has
heaved plenty of weight in his 15 years as a pro. Like most of his
peers, he changes his workouts often, but this particular routine is
a great example of how he combines presses and flyes for a more
intense, and thus more productive, session.
>> “A
technique that works well for me is rest/pause,” Nasser explains. “I
may do a set of 6–10 reps on an incline dumbbell press, pause for 10
seconds, do another 4–5 reps, rest again and finish with 1–3 reps.”
>> Nasser
recommends choosing a heavy weight, but not so heavy that you can’t
get at least 6 reps in the set.
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#6 |
EXERCISE |
SETS
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REPS
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Incline
DB Press*
(compound set with)
Flat-Bench DB Flye |
4
4
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6–10
6–10 |
Decline DB Press
(compound set with)
Decline DB Flye |
3
3 |
6–10
6–10 |
Standing
Cable Crossover** |
2–4 |
8–15 |
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‘‘Think
‘squeeze
the pecs’
at
the top
of
presses
and
flyes,”
Nasser
says. |
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FLAT-BENCH
DUMBBELL FLYE
START: With a dumbbell in
each hand and a slight but unchanging bend in your elbows,
lie on a flat bench and allow the weights to travel out and
away from your body in a wide arc.
MOVE:
Feel the stretch, then contract your pecs to forcefully
raise the weights overhead while keeping the angle in your
elbows nearly constant.
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DECLINE
DUMBBELL FLYE
START: When he does the
decline press with dumbbells, Nasser will go right into the
decline flye as the second half of a compound set. With a
weight heavy enough for presses, he doesn’t get a really
deep stretch at the bottom but still strives for a decent
range of motion. Lie back on a decline bench and hold a pair
of dumbbells overhead, keeping your hands in a neutral
(palms facing) position
MOVE:
Maintaining a slight bend in your elbows throughout, power
the weights up in a wide arc, keeping constant tension on
your chest by not locking out at the top nor allowing the
weights to rest against each other. When lowering the
weights, fight gravity to gain the benefit of the negative.
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DECLINE DUMBBELL
PRESS
START: Lie back on a decline bench and hold the weights
directly over your pecs.
MOVE:
Resist the negative as you lower the dumbbells until they just touch
your lower-chest region. In a forceful movement, power the weights
up but don’t lock out. “I think ‘squeeze the pecs’ at the top,”
Nasser adds.
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Source:
One of the
magazines of
MUSCLE &
FITNESS
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