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The 30-Day Cure for No-Chest-Itis
The chest is one of the hardest muscles to develop for most gym-goers.
In fact, I used to not have a chest at all. I had no development. I was one of
those “My chest doesn’t grow” guys.
I could probably never work my chest again and always keep a fully developed
and large chest.
The funny thing is that my chest actually just showed up in 30 days, right out of
thin air!
I had no chest development at all and then, poof!, I had a developed, wide chest.
I must have done countless sets of many different chest exercises for super
heavy weight, right?
Actually, it was ONE exercise that gave me all the development and I almost
never even went above 95 lbs!
The Wide Grip Barbell Press to the Neck on the Smith Machine.
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The 30-Day Cure for No-Chest-Itis
I started doing the wide grip barbell press to the neck and my chest just
magically appeared.
In fact, I was only doing TWO SETS twice per week for the first month when my
chest came in. That’s how good it is.
I have shown this exercise to countless friends and gym partners and they all
say the same thing: “Wow! I really feel that in the chest. Especially the top of the
chest.”
If you have trouble developing the chest, the Wide Grip Press to the Neck is the
answer.
I first read about the exercise in some obscure Vince Gironda writings.
He was adamant that it was one of the greatest chest exercises of all time so I
thought I would give it a try. After all, I had nothing to lose, right?
I gave it a shot and holy moly! I felt it burn in my chest from the very first set
using about 65 lbs!
I had never felt that in my chest before. Not using barbell bench presses, not
using dumbbells, not using dips, not anything. But ever since that day my
chest has been wide and thick and it is always the most complimented and
commented part of my physique.
Well, the wide grip press to the neck is essentially a barbell bench press using a
wide grip and pressing to the neck rather than to the chest.
I feel the movement is best suited for a smith machine. The smith machine
reduces the work of the stabilizer muscles and lets you focus 100% on chest
development.
Smith Machine
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The 30-Day Cure for No-Chest-Itis
To perform the wide grip press to the neck you will want to drag a flat bench to
the smith machine and place it in the middle, as if you were going to do a bench
press.
The big difference is that you will take a wide grip, as wide as your arms will
allow, and you will press the bar to your neck like a guillotine. It is best to use
the empty bar at first so you can get used to the movement.
To place complete emphasis on the chest, you will raise your feet in the air
and bend at the knees, keeping your back flat on the bench. Use a suicide grip
(thumbless grip) on the bar, press to the neck and back up again.
Perform the movement exactly the same as in the picture above, except you will
want to use the Smith Machine.
Note: If you do not have access to a smith machine but you do have access to a
barbell and a bench you can use a free weight barbell.
12 repetitions in this exercise is the best for growth. You do not want to lift
heavy in this exercise, it is not a strength exercise. Lift as heavy as you can for
8-12 repetitions but never try and go all out and lift ridiculously heavy weight.
Believe me, light weight starts to feel very heavy in this exercise.
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The 30-Day Cure for No-Chest-Itis
The wide grip press to the neck should be performed twice per week, every
week for four weeks.
On your first day using the exercise you can get a feel for the movement. You
don’t need to lift super heavy, you need to just get used to the exercise. Start
with the empty bar and then add 25 lb weight plates, 35 lb weight plates, or 45
lb weight plates depending on your strength level. Aim for repetitions of 8 or
higher. There is no reason to ever go heavy in this exercise.
You will want to keep constant tension on the pecs during the wide grip press.
The way that I keep constant pressure is to not use a full range of motion.
Yes, not a full range of motion. In fact, I only use 3⁄4 repetitions for this exercise.
I always take the weight all the way down to just above my neck. Low enough so
that I get an insane stretch in the pecs, but just high enough not to choke me. I
then push the weight up but I STOP at about 3⁄4 of the way up and then I lower
the weight back down again.
Taking the weight all the way up and locking the elbows takes some of the
tension off of the pecs. When you don’t press all the way up and lock the elbows
you get constant tension on the pecs – leaving you with a very sore, but very
mighty chest.
So what set and rep schedule should you follow for maximum chest development?
Week 1:
Monday: Perform 5 sets, between 8-15 repetitions per set
Note: NEVER take long rest breaks with this exercise. In fact, do not rest longer
than 15-30 seconds. If you take long rest breaks you will not get max benefit
from this exercise.
Remember, constant tension. Constant stress. By the end of your 5 sets you
should really have a nice sweat going on.
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The 30-Day Cure for No-Chest-Itis
Week 2:
Monday: Perform 6 sets, between 8-15 repetitions per set
Again: Do not take more than 15-30 seconds rest between sets.

Week 3:
Monday: Perform 8 sets, between 8-15 repetitions per set
Week 4:
This is where it gets hard.
For week 4 you will want to use the exact same weight for each set. The weight
you use should be your 20 rep maximum in the wide grip neck press. Pick the
weight that you can, or think you can, rep for a maximum of 20 times.
The weight will feel light for the first 3 sets. Deceptively light. Do not listen to it
and add weight. Keep the same weight. It will start to feel heavy by the 4th set.
By the 6th set you should be sweating bullets. By the 8th set it will be downright
hard or impossible to finish all 12 repetitions.
The neck press by itself is enough to get even the wimpiest chest to grow.
If you would like to add additional exercises, there are two that go very well with
the neck press:
1) Dumbbell Bench Press – Perform 3-5 sets, between 8-12 repetition and rest
no longer than 30 seconds.
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The 30-Day Cure for No-Chest-Itis
2) Flies – You can use dumbbells or a chest fly machine. Perform 3-5 sets,
between 8-12 repetitions per set and rest no longer than 30 seconds.
At the end of 30 days you should be able to see new, wide pectorals that feel
like they are carved from stone.