The legendary coach shares push-day ideas utilizing unconventional methods.
Final up to date on January sixth, 2025
When considering of legendary bodybuilding trainers, Charles Glass typically involves thoughts. Often called the “Godfather of Bodybuilding,” Glass is meticulous along with his coaching fashion, educating two trainees hands-on.
In late December 2024, the previous aggressive bodybuilder to legendary coach unveiled a chest workout that blends traditional actions with trendy development methods.
Charles Glass’ Chest Exercise
Glass inspired pushing sets to failure. A 2024 meta-analysis of 214 research confirmed better muscle hypertrophy when coaching near failure, although it depends on the muscles being trained. (1)
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[Related: What An Evidence-Based Hypertrophy Training Program Looks Like]
Decrease Pec Hack & Rocking Flye
“Elevate off the pad,” Glass cued his college students to bridge their hips and sit on the fringe of the seat. Solely the higher again towards the bench unlocks full vary of movement and power output, resulting in extra positive aspects.
Glass’ trainees carried out drop sets to lengthen their stimulus. Any stimuli can promote development; drop units aren’t essentially extra helpful than straight units pushed near failure however are sometimes extra sustainable and simply recovered from.
Glass positioned a pad between the shoulder blades on the flye machine for better chest fiber growth.
The recruits stretched and flexed their pecs from a excessive to low arm angle, hitting the decrease chest fibers. Glass emphasised lifting the chest to maintain it the primary focus.
Don’t do] the identical factor each time, swap it up.
—Charles Glass
Machine flyes could also be safer than dumbbell flyes for coaching heavier whereas avoiding accidents.
Modified Dips & V-Grip Champagne Press
Although dips favor the decrease chest and triceps, bias the previous by leaning ahead. Flip the handles out with the assisted dip for a wider grip and better pec stretch.
“Elevate the butt increased than the fingers and [engage] the chest,” Glass coached. This angles the physique equally to a bench press. They used the feet-assisted dip machine, aiming for eight to 12 reps to construct energy and muscle thickness.
For a “thick and outlined look,” the squad carried out Smith machine champagne presses sideways on the bench from their upper back. They pressed utilizing a V-bar cable attachment with an in depth grip to fill the center pecs. Glass emphasised controlling the motion and utilizing partial reps.
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Reference
- Robinson, Z. P., Pelland, J. C., Remmert, J. F., Refalo, M. C., Jukic, I., Steele, J., & Zourdos, M. C. (2024). Exploring the Dose-Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Coaching Proximity to Failure, Power Acquire, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Sequence of Meta-Regressions. Sports activities medication (Auckland, N.Z.), 54(9), 2209–2231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02069-2
Featured picture: @thecharlesglass on Instagram