Relentless Pursuit

By IFBB Pro Josh Wade

Presented by Allmax Nutrition

Workout to Build Pro-Caliber Chest

“Try this routine, which is one of my favorite chest workouts that I do most frequently!”

Q: I’ve really been trying to build my chest, but I have a hard time connecting with my chest during workouts. Are there any pointers you can give?

A: Yes, as a personal trainer, form on chest exercises is probably the one thing I correct more than anything else.

First thing is most people don’t create enough arch in the back and this is even harder for people that work at a desk because they don’t have the best curvature of the spine due to leaning forward or rounding shoulders, so the tissue in the pecs and delts becomes so tight that they are internally rotated. Make sure you stretch your pecs daily, so your shoulders sit back in the proper position and are not rolled forward. When setting yourself up on all chest exercises, make sure you roll your head back as hard as you comfortably can, so your back is arched, shoulders are rolled back under you and your chest is the highest point and not your anterior delts. Then when you press, make sure you extend the arms to contract the pecs but don’t reach, which will pull the back of the shoulder off of the pad; then it’s very important to control the negative portion of the exercise while still trying to squeeze the chest – remember the better mind/muscle connection you have, the more stimulation will happen!

Another way I like to start my chest workouts is to start on a machine press; that way you don’t have to worry about stabilizing and can focus just on the contraction and resistance because if you have a pump it’s easier to feel the muscle working. Another important factor is minimizing rest periods at this point to make sure you do get a good pump to start the workout! Try this routine, which is one of my favorite chest workouts that I do most frequently!

Seated Chest Press

2x15 warm-up (30-second rest)

4x12-10 (last set 2 drops)

(45-60 second rest on working sets)

Incline Bench

4x12-8 (60-90 second rest)

Here you can push more weight safely, as the muscle is already warmed up and pre-exhausted.

Incline Dumbbell Press

4x12-10 superset with

Incline Dumbbell Flyes (pronated grip), 4x12-10

Do your press then immediately reduce the weight by about 50 percent and go right into pronated flyes, which for me really stretches the pecs and puts a nasty burn and pump in the muscle.

Machine Flyes

4x12 (squeeze contraction for one second on every rep)

Once the muscle is pumped here, you can squeeze the life out of it till it’s done!

I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but flexing your chest can also significantly help with the mind/muscle connection. The best way to do this is to extend your arms out in front of you with your chest up and back slightly arched, and squeeze your palms together. Try to relax your arms and really focus on just your chest flexing until you get an almost crampy feeling, then mimic that feeling while working your chest, especially on any flye motion.

Finally, I don’t ever do a workout without my Impact Igniter Pre-workout by Allmax Nutrition. It’s full of vasodilators to help pump the muscle but also has cognitive ingredients in it, which will enhance your mind/muscle connection.

I hope this helps and you build a pro-caliber chest!

Training to Ease Post-Contest Pain

Q: I recently finished my first competition and now I’ve been getting lots of pains while training. Do you take time off after a competition?

A: I love training; what excites me is seeing what I can do, how hard I can push myself, and it makes me better physically than I was the day before!

That being said, there is a way I started training immediately after a competition that differs from what I’ve done in the past that I think people around 40 years old or above should consider. After a competition you’re depleted, joint and tendons are dry and usually energy is down; then as soon as you up calories, strength and energy jump up crazy fast and this is where you must be careful! It’s fun to get strong again and your lifts keep increasing every week and you keep pushing yourself, then suddenly everything starts hurting! For me it’s usually around four weeks post competition when the muscles start outgrowing the tendons and boom, tendinitis starts flaring up all over and it’s no longer fun to train due to the pain, but prep is coming so I can’t take a break now.

What I’ve started doing now, post show, is minimizing my rest periods to 45-60 seconds between sets on most exercises and watching the clock. Two things happened for me: minimizing rest makes the weight a whole lot heavier; therefore I don’t need to push crazy weight to reach temporary muscle failure, which gives me a crazy pump but doesn’t put the same strain on the tendons and joints. Also, it keeps me focused and motivated as I’m watching the second hand on the clock instead of taking long rest periods and letting my mind wander to work or outside gym obligations.

When I started training this way post-competition, my body felt better post-show than it ever did in the past, plus I stayed leaner as training this way stimulates your central nervous system better – then as I continued to up my calories, my body soaked up the nutrients and just got fuller while keeping the same shape.

Strengthening the Immune System

With the COVID-19 situation, I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries as to which supplements can strengthen the immune system and help prevent infection. These are the supplements that I take every day year-round for immune system function and antioxidants, but they are even more beneficial at times of stress or sickness.

Allmax Immune-Boosting stack

Glutamine: 10g 3x day, upon rising, post-workout and before bed.

R+ALA: 2 caps (300mg) with first and last meal.

CytoGreens: 1 scoop upon rising. 

Vitastack: 1 multipack with first meal.

Omega 3: 2g with first and last meal.

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Website: www.teamwadefitness.com

Instagram:

@ifbbprojoshwade

@teamallmax

@allmaxtraining

For more information, visit allmaxnutrition.com

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