Charles Glass recommends switching up your routine to aid muscle growth.
A stout chest is a hallmark of a well-built body. Not only does it help you throw up more plates on the barbell bench press, but it also adds to a more symmetrical physique. And when building a more muscular chest, there’s no one better to turn to than legendary bodybuilding coach Charles Glass.
The “Godfather of Bodybuilding” has over 35 years of coaching experience and has trained some of the biggest names in the bodybuilding world, including Flex Wheeler and Dexter Jackson. He’s known for his meticulous training approach to transform physiques and bring out their fullest potential. Recently, he trained people at the Gold’s Gym Venice. In this article, we’ll look at four exercises Glass recommends for building a thicker, fuller chest.
Charles Glass’ Chest Workout
Below are the four chest exercises Glass recommends:
| Hammer Strength Decline Press | 4 | 10-14 | |
| Machine Seated Chest Fly | 4 | 10-14 | |
| Dips | 3 | 8-12 | |
| Smith V-Bar Champagne Press | 3 | 12 |
Most of the sets were pushed close to failure, which research supports is effective for stimulating muscle growth (1).
Hammer Strength Decline Press
The first exercise was a compound machine movement to engage the lower pec muscles. The Hammer Strength decline press allows for more stability than traditional flat bench presses, isolating the chest muscles from a different angle.
Glass instructed his clients to lift off the pad, elevate their hips, and position themselves at the edge of the seat. Keeping only the upper back against the bench allows for a full range of motion and optimal force output. Moreover, Glass had his trainees utilize drop sets to extend the muscle stimulus.
Machine Seated Chest Fly
Glass likes the machine-seated fly for developing overall thickness in the chest area. This exercise isolates the chest muscles, and the machine provides a controlled movement that allows for proper form and targets specific chest areas. Additionally, he stresses the importance of switching up your movements.
“Don’t do the same routine all the time. You got to switch it up.”
Glass positioned a pad between the shoulder blades on the fly machine to enhance chest fiber activation. His clients targeted their lower chest by stretching and contracting their pecs with a high-to-low arm movement. Glass emphasized lifting the chest to maintain it as the primary focus.
Dip & Smith V-Bar Champagne Press
Dips are a classic bodyweight exercise that can be done anywhere with minimal equipment. This compound movement targets both the chest and triceps, making it a practical addition to any chest workout routine. Glass says it’s an excellent exercise for lower pec and tricep development and suggests leaning forward for enhanced chest activation. He said to “lift the butt higher than the hands” to engage the chest.
“Keep your form controlled, leaning forward slightly for chest emphasis. Aim for 8-12 reps to build strength and muscle thickness.”
The last exercise Glass recommends for chest development is the Smith V-bar champagne press. This exercise uses a cable attachment to engage the inner pecs. Glass had his clients use partial reps.
Glass’4 Training Techniques
Charles Glass offered his four best muscle-building techniques on social media.The legendary bodybuilder and trainer gives detailed wisdom on how these techniques can completely change your physique.
Two Step Rep
Like a pause rep, the two-step rep allows you to recruit even more muscle fiber to that much more out of each rep. You pause at the bottom of the movement, push halfway through the rep, and then complete it. This makes your muscles work even harder.
Forced Rep
Forced reps are performed with a trainer or training partner’s assistance. While performing the movement, your partner helps push you through when fatigue sets in. This can be done with lighter weight to prevent any injury. The assistance helps a lifter to recruit extra muscle fibers that aid in the overall development of the entire muscle group.
Superset
Performing two exercises back to back with little to no rest doubles the work on the muscles. The more the muscles are put to work, the more muscle fibers are in demand. This allows for accelerated growth with proper recovery.
21’s Method
The 21’s Method requires the lifter to do partial reps for half the set and then lift the weight with a full range of motion for the second half. It’s a pretty brutal method and can be done with 40 percent or less of your max lift.
Charles Glass Training
To see all the techniques put into action, look at this workout below featuring the legend Charles Glass himself.
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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 Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 54(9), 2209–2231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02069-
