Packing on some size on the Pecs

The Morning after my chest routine

Since I’m at it, I might as well share it. Last night while working out in the gym, another member came up to me to ask me for tips and pointers on how to build a thicker chest. Best bit is, this guy has at least a 18 – 20 inch arm and I can’t even see my reflection in the mirror if i stand behind him. He’s a mass builder all these while. It’s an honour I guess.

Pectorals is a big muscle group. One which you need a good weight to pump it up

My routine is very simple straight to the point.

#1 There is only 1 width grip on the bar.

I work with just 1 type of grip. there is no narrow-grip which works the triceps more and there is no extra wide-grip which place more pressure on the delts and back. It’s slightly wider than shoulder width. Making sure each time I lower the bar, my forearms are pointing straight up and elbow pointing straight down. Creating a 90° angle.

#2 Keep my chest erected all the time

It’s the basics of basics. Keeping a strict form from starting position till the ending position of each rep. Always arch the lower back, keep the chest higher than the shoulder, keep the delts low. Press the bar up not jerk it up. Lower the bar down not drop it. Keep the neck planted and don’t make pretend that you are a turtle when the weight feels heavier. Try not to extend your head cause this will place a lot of pressure on the spine. Plus it looks weird.

#3 Use the right weight

This is very crucial. it all depends on your goal. But in this case, we are talking about packing on some size so HEAVY it is. I usually stack up a weight which makes me struggle on the 8th rep. Targeted reps 4 – 8. Make sure its A QUALITY REP on each count and not Chipmunks presses. Quality meaning a good stretch on the top without locking in the elbows and a good stretch below without resting the bars on the pecs far too long. The only rest stops in the set is a good 1 1/2 second squeeze at the top or a 1 1/2 second stretch at the bottom.

#4 Focus! Focus! Focus!!!

Couldn’t stress enough. FOCUS! It can help you to avoid injuries. And with proper focus on each targeted muscles, you know if you are working it correctly or not. I don’t know bout u but I can feel every  fiber moving with each stretch and each time i press it up I can feel it compressed. Always FOCUS cause when you do, you know when your form is wrong and adjust it so you won’t be wasting your time..

This was my pecs before I started the all Press routine

Of course, this works for me and don’t mean it’s going to work for everyone. With so much different genetics, lifestyle, diets, and even environments there can be so much possibilities on the results. You have to first know your body well and maintain a discipline lifestyle. I remember how I 1st got the thickness. I came back to my hometown where the gyms are limited. Meaning the equipments too. So happens I was a regular in this Eastwood Valley gym and they only have dumbbells and a smith-machine I can work with for my pecs. The Pec-Deck machine was faulty. So I’ve no choice but to work my pecs on the smith-machine. There is this nice incline bench with 12? 14? 16? holes.. I did 3 sets each on each hole at 8 – 12 reps initially. As time pass I add on the weights and did the same amount of sets but 4 – Max 6  reps or failure. That was the 1st time i got my pecs up thick.

Got it flexed a little just to see how it is

Like I said…

(Disclaimer: It works for me but not too sure if it has the same effect for you. This serve not as a guideline for sure pectoral thickness routine just an example routine)

 

 

 

DEFIANCE

If it’s not for the love of art of crafting the human body… I’ve no other excuse

I’ll start tomorrow…

I’ve no time…

Busy with work…

………………………………………………. list goes on

Sounds familiar? I was once like that too. There is always an excuse and I can be really creative. But there was always time for PSII (My days), always time to hang out with friends at the mamak or coffee shops, there was always time to sit whole day in front of the tv, there was always time for DIABLO II (My days too), there was always time to cook fried rice, herbal chicken stew, Bah Kut Teh and even Sweet and sour chicken. There were just too much time for everything else except a healthier lifestyle. Be it going to the gym or to the park to workout or even make a simple healthy food which takes 2 minutes to prepare.

I try my best to maintain a well conditioned body throughout the year so i can draw on it anytime I need to

Eventually i came to the conclusion if I don’t do it for myself, no one else will. And since I’ve all the time I have for other stuff all it takes is a little time management. and a shift of priority. Trust me it was not easy leaving my beloved comfort zone. As everyone else do to. From eating lots of simple carbs, trans fats, Saturated Fats, fast foods, junk foods, carbonated drinks.. you name it.. to more fibers, complex carbs, proteins, Unsaturated Fats and proper timing of food. From inactive to extreme active lifestyle.

It takes a little getting used to and LOTS of DETERMINATIONS & DISCIPLINE. Trust me I know. Resisting temptations on all those delicious, juicy, starchy, saucy squishy food is no simple task. But I held on to 1 philosophy and 1 philosophy alone. If I let myself to just one there will be many more 1’s to come. I didn’t allow myself to use the term “Later” or “After this” and even “Tomorrow” because I know there will always be another later, another after and another tomorrow. From excuse into habits. So I told myself there is NO EXCUSE ONLY EXECUTION!

Trying to get the quads ripped is no easy task but when you get there you know YOU WORKED HARD FOR IT!

I remember the 1st time I decided to walk back into the gym again. After looking about I found a gym. With much experience I was confident in planning it out. Start off with 2 days week at 30 minutes. Then I’ll increase to 3, 4 and 5 when my muscles are ready for heavy poundings. I went home excited and well prepared. Woke up the next morning and took my best friend’s bicycle out and cycled all the way to gym. Be aware, I’ve not been working out for many, many, many many many years now. I’ve not even reach half of the journey that I was grasping for air and panting hard. I was determined. Even told myself that I’ll rest 1st when I reach the gym and pump after. I pushed and struggled all the way to gym.

Finally I got there. I locked my bicycle to the pipes in front of the stairs leading to the gym. I turn and looked up. I was telling myself I think I’ve had enough workout for one day. I sat in the mamak store to fill up on my lost glycogen with Roti Channai and a glass of teh tarik kurang manis. sat for 2 hours before I cycled back slowly.

The next morning, I went out early, took a bus to gym and did my workout as planned with tight thighs and hamstrings. lol. I made sure I know my limits and stick to my program so i won’t overworked the muscles and be too painful for the next. After 2 weeks, I increased the intensity and from then onwards I was fully motivated and determined. Always looking forward to the next workout. Sometimes too much till if there was a last minute job which came up, I’d BARK!!!

Being a student and freelancer in the event, entertainment industry means I’ve most of my time being occupied by studies, work and travel. I was paying for my own expenses so I’ve to work for different event companies one event after another and from one production to the next. As a freelancer I was working 28 days mth. or full. I was missing classes but I had in my work. Survival in the big city was a bitch but it was awesome. I was busy. So where do I even find time to workout? Well, I would wake up 3 hours earlier than call time. Pump 1 1/2 – 2 hours before heading to the shoots. When I travel, I’m every1’s alarm clock cause I would be the 1st customer in the hotel’s gym and still made it back to wake every1 up before the event starts. I would jog 1 hour every night before sleep regardless of the time I reach home. My record, I was jogging at 3am. Scare the shit out of the security of my condo. lol. Sleep at 4:30am to wake up at 5:30am to prep to either gym or shoots or work.

It was easy when i was in KL up till the point i came back and there was family that i’ve to fully adjust my timing to have family time and personal time. Which I dedicate all my personal time to gym and workout. I would be too tired for anything else after. So practically It was Work, Workout & family. Yet time was insufficient. I sacrificed sleep and rest. When I 1st came back and was working in a gym near my house. I would wake up 5am every morning to prep my food and boil water for mom. Il hit the gym for 2 hours at 6am and drive home to help mom take out the laundry to hang before driving downtown to fetch mom. Il go to work after and finish off at 10pm. When I reach home I’ll prepare tomorrow’s meal and probably sleep around 12 – 1 am. This goes on everyday. Change of job didn’t changed much.

I went into production house in Miri. And work was very unorganized. Lots of last minute jobs so I designed a Hardcore intensity short workout to workout just as hard bt in lesser time. Meaning completely cutting out the rest time in between other than changing machines or equipments. Most of these are done in supersets or giantsets. Once there was a huge function which took us 2 weeks to rig up the place. We start work at 7am and finish off at 1 – 2 am daily. During those period I woke up at 4:30am to get a 30 mins HIIT before work. Leave at 5pm for dinner which I spent 1/2 hr in the gym with non-stop circuit (believe me, I was traumatizing everyone else in the gym.. lol) and munching my way back to the site in the car. 30 minutes abs circuit before sleep. And this goes on for 2 weeks.

Tired? I was and I still am but it ain’t going to creep into my life and turn into an excuse to be later a bad habit. I am determined & motivated. I’ve more stories but tat will only lengthen this log. So I’m sure from the 3 examples you feel my intensity.

A lot of people like to comment on my calves… so here’s how it looks like and you tell me if it’s developed..

Well, I guess most of you would think that’s nothing. Wait till you find out that my dad is fully opposing my gym lifestyle. He hates me going to the gym and despise every word of gym coming out of my mouth. As he calls it a waste of time and I’m just fooling around with the big boys toys. Well, I do understand that coming from someone from his era, bodybuilding was not highly look upon and that it was hard enough to find food back then and I was dieting and choosing the right food to eat. Avoiding especially RICE. lol. But I never really started out loving rice. i was always a bread person. I just never told anyone cause dad would think I was idolizing the west cultures and not our own Asian tradition. There is nothing wrong with our culture. Just that i just don’t like rice.

Dad would always start the conversation telling me bodybuilding is stupid and only for kuli. He would say got human don’t want to be want to become a cow and do hardwork for others with brute strength. muscles cannot eat… list goes on. He would criticize my healthy lifestyle whenever he got the chance. He would show me a sour face or a displeased one when i take my car keys to go to the gym. Don’t get me wrong. I would love to be a filial son but it work both ways. I won’t stop to be filial but my dedication towards my believe is strong. I will never give up on healthy lifestyle.

mom on the other hand is a funny story. She would relate everything to my dieting and workout. Eg. I had flu and she would say my supplements are killing me. I was sleepy and she would say cause you are eating rubbish… etc. But I got around to explain to her why and my body is just not too used to the junk and fast food no more because I’ve been living a healthier diet. She always complaints that I’m not eating enough.

So 1 day i asked her

Me

mom, how many meals you eat a day?

Mom replied

3

I saidMom, I’m eating 8 – 12 meals a day

mom was like

but you are still too skinny and you are eating rubbish

I replied

I eat oatmeal, Low GI bread, no processed sugar or salt, fruits, vege and less fatty meats without junk food and fast food mom

mom

those are snacks not food.

me

……….. smiling and hugging mom

It’s not a matter of time, work, people or even places. The real factor is ourselves. Whether or not we want to step up and grab it, its our choice. No one can force us to do if we don’t intend to and no one can stop us from doing if we want to. If you don’t value it how do you expect it to value you. I’ll keep fighting my war and I hope you will too.

STAY HEALTHY, EAT HEALTHY, PUMP WISELY, STAY MOTIVATED