Former strongman Eddie Hall annihilates a chest workout with his son Maximus.
Former strongman Eddie Hall and his son Maximus recently put on an impressive display of strength in the gym. They annihilated a chest-focused workout, pushing each other to their limits.
Eddie Hall had a successful strongman career, becoming the first person to deadlift 500kg (1,102.3 lb) at the 2016 World Deadlift Championships. And he used that momentum to become the World’s Strongest Man in 2017. And if you were tuned in to boxing and bodybuilding in 2021, you may remember his boxing bout with fellow strongman Hafthor Bjornsson.
Eddie Hall has been open about how exercise helped him overcome ADHD. And although he’s retired from strongman, he plans to hit the bodybuilding stage in late 2024. And to help prepare, he joined forces with his son. So let’s look at what they did and see if we can learn anything from the “Hall Family’s” chest workout.
| Full Name: Edward Stephen Hall | ||
| Weight | Height | Date Of Birth |
| 335-345 lbs | 6’3″ | 15/1/1988 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Strongman | 2010 | British |
Hall Family Chest Workout
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Bench Press
The first movement the father and son did was the bench press. They started with a few warm-up sets and did half-reps at a fast tempo and minimum rest. Hall kept his legs in the air to engage more of his core. Hall stated:
“It’s a really efficient way that bodybuilders train because it’s keeping the tension on the muscle all the time. It’s not resting at the top. So it’s actually a really good way to build muscle… For strength, terrible!”
The bench press is a popular exercise used to work the chest muscles, deltoids, and triceps. It is an incredibly effective compound movement that benefits athletes and everyday folk alike. Not only will you strengthen your chest muscles, but performing bench presses can also improve shoulder stability, increase your heart rate quickly during workout sessions, and help to hone core strength while keeping those pushing muscles in check.
Incline Bench Press
Next, the Hall’s engaged more of their upper chest with the incline bench press. But, again, he kept the rest periods short.
“Another thing we’re trying to do is minimize the time between the sets. So by the time Max has done his set, I’m getting the weights on, and I’m going again. So that’s also a part of bodybuilding–getting that lactic build-up in the muscle, and before that pump goes, you’re going back into another set,” Hall voiced.
The incline bench press is one of the most beneficial lifts in any weightlifting routine. It benefits your upper body strength and development, simultaneously working your chest, shoulders, and triceps muscles. Because of the angle of the bench, it forces you to target more of your upper chest muscles.
Incline Chest Press Machine
After the first two movements, fitness influencer Jesse West joined the Brits. With West’s recommendation, the Halls did the first couple of sets close to failure and then did a burnout set on the last set.
To keep the tension on their chest and do a fuller range of motion, West added to go from five percent to 95 percent reps—go from partial reps to just shy of fully extending the press at the top and bottom of the exercise.
The incline chest press machine is an excellent tool to engage your upper body muscles. With this single gym equipment, you can target your chest, triceps, and shoulders. Additionally, because the incline press puts less strain on the shoulder joint than other exercises like a flat or decline bench press, it’s ideal for anyone recovering from injury or just starting their fitness journey. Moreover, it’s performed on a machine, so it’s safer.
The Halls then moved on to an isolation/accessory exercise, bent-over lateral raises.
Bent-Over Lateral Raises
The bent-over lateral raises machine effectively targets the muscles in your back and shoulders. It strengthens and sculpts these areas of your body, producing benefits such as increased pulling and pushing performance and improved posture.
Specifically, this exercise allows you to target the posterior deltoids—a critical muscle that helps with extension and external rotation. Using light weights while performing this exercise is best to protect yourself from injury and enhance muscle growth.
Incline Press-ups
To close out the workout, Eddie Hall suggests the trio try out an old-school exercise he did as a teenager: the incline press-up. According to Hall, it’s a good exercise for creating a body-mind connection for honing in on your chest and triceps.
Incline press-ups are an excellent exercise for anyone looking to improve their upper body strength and definition. These movements target the major muscles of your chest and arms. In addition to increased coordination and mobility, press-ups can significantly reduce pain in the shoulder joints caused by previous injuries without using heavy weights as another loaded exercise requires.
Eddie Hall Chest Workout
| Exercises |
| Bench Press |
| Incline Bench Press |
| Incline Chest Press Machine |
| Bent-Over Lateral Raises |
| Incline Press-ups |
We can learn some key points from Eddie and Max’s workout routine. Firstly, they focused on compound exercises that hit multiple muscle groups at once; this is important because it allows you to get more work done in less time. Secondly, they used light weights for most of their exercises; instead, they did more reps and focused more on form and muscle contraction.
Finally, they employed proper form throughout their workout, and Eddie Hall spotted his son on the bench press; this helps ensure that each rep is done correctly and safely, maximizing the results from each set and minimizing the risk of injury.
You can watch the full chest workout video of Eddie Hall and his son below:
Final Word
Eddie Hall and his son Maximus recently put on an impressive gym show with a chest-focused workout. Not only was it an inspiring display of strength, but we could also pick up some valuable tips from it! By focusing on compound exercises with lighter weights, using proper form throughout all movements, and pushing each other to reach new heights of strength and muscle definition, Eddie and Max have given us a great example of how to train your chest effectively in the gym. By following their example, you can unlock your potential and get your chest to grow too!
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