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Workouts

Pump With Perna: Massive Chest Workout With Zac Perna

by Austin Letorney Updated by Austin Letorney on Jan 5, 2022

Zac Perna
This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure policy).
Zac Perna
Photo via @zacperna Instagram

This massive chest workout with fitness influencer and coach Zac Perna will give you a great pump.

Zac Perna is a fitness model and online coach seeking to improve the lives of his followers and those who seek it. With a large following on social media, Zac uses his platform to promote his shredded physique while also inspiring others.

When it comes to working hard, looking to the pros and those who have gone before us is a great way to boost all our gains. They’ve done it before and are living proof of what can happen when you grind in the gym. With influencers who know what they are talking about, it is possible to get the best advice so you see massive gains as well.

Zac Perna knows exactly what he’s talking about and when it comes to this workout, he is certainly one to follow for the best gains.

Full Name: Zac Perna 

Weight Height Date Of Birth
156 lbs. 5’7” 07/05/1995
Profession Years Active Nationality
Fitness Model 10 Australian

Having a big chest is a great way to show strength and confidence to feel empowered and keep you standing tall. With this workout from Zac Perna, you will do just that.

Zac Perna
Photo via @zacperna Instagram

About Zac Perna

Zac Perna is an Instagram influencer, fitness fanatic, and coach who knows the struggle of insecurity and low confidence all too well. He describes himself as a chubby kid and the insecurities he faced as a result seriously affected his own self worth. At a young age, he decided to take charge and do something about it.

Starting out, he began running and his diet was nothing but protein and leafy greens. While that leaned him out, he then became the skinny kid, but was lacking what he was really driving toward, which was muscle. While losing the weight was hard, the battle for building muscle would prove to be a more difficult challenge, but after nearly 10 years of grueling training and sheer discipline, Perna has transformed himself into a fitness icon and seeks to help those do the exact same.

His mission has become one of helping others transform their lives and his program is affordable and one worth taking. #MassiveFam will provide you the tools to kickstart your weight loss and muscle building goals with a journey you can be proud of. Through instilling more confidence in people, Perna has proven to himself and others that changing your image is in your hands, but with the right guidance and tools, the knowledge is attainable, as are your goals.

With over 560,000 followers on Instagram and just short of 700,000 subscribers on YouTube, Perna has created a fitness brand for all to enjoy. As a personable and very likeable guy, Perna understands the struggles that come with weight loss and transforming your body and is living proof that hard work and dedication can lead to a sculpted body you will enjoy.

Zac Perna Training Routine

Perna’s perfect chest building video is a great guide for getting you on track to get that chest pump you desire. With solid warm-up and activation exercises, you will be ready for a chest workout that only consists of four exercises. While that may be fewer than most, Perna makes sure it will give you everything you need to feel strong and look great.

Warm-Up

Exercises Sets Reps
Rotator Cuff External Rotations 2-3 10-12
Shoulder Press 2-3 10-12
Push-Ups 2-3 10-12

Workout

Exercises Sets Reps
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press Building Sets: 1-2

Working Sets: 2

Back-Off: 1

Building Sets: 10

Working Sets: 6-8

Back-Off: 10

Incline Machine Press Building Sets: 1-2

Working Sets: 2

Drop Set

Building Sets: 10

Working Sets: 8-10

Cable Fly (Low To High) Working Sets: 2

 

Working Sets: 12

 

Dumbbell Fly Working Sets: 2-3

 

Working Sets: 10-12

 

Zac Perna
Photo via @zacperna Instagram

Warm Up: This consists of 2-3 exercises and will serve as a way to get the blood flowing and your muscles primed for a great pump. With 10-12 reps at 2-3 sets, it will surely fire up the muscles needed for this workout.

  • Rotator Cuff External Rotations
  • Shoulder Press
  • Pushups

Activation: The activation exercise is cable contractions so set the handles slightly lower than shoulder-width apart. The point of the activation exercise is to get a full stretch with a nice, slow squeeze to really wake the chest up and activate the muscles. As a result, the first exercise will be ten times better than going in cold.

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press

The flat dumbbell bench press provides for a great stretch as well as chest pump by really squeezing with the dumbbells. Using dumbbells as opposed to a bar is a better feel and allows for less cheating by bouncing the bar off of your chest. Alternating is smart, but the dumbbells do provide for a great pump.

Doing building sets are great to get to the working weight and do as many warm-ups as it takes to get to your 8 rep max. This will provide for continued warmup and also start to get those muscles working big time.

Total: 1-2 building sets of 10 reps. 2 working sets of 6-8 reps and 1 set of 10 backing off the weight.

Incline Machine Press

The incline machine press is great for getting a good squeeze and stretch without the feeling of overdoing it. Experiment with both wide and close grips to see what feels right. For Perna, he keeps his grip about shoulder-width apart. If you don’t have access to a machine, any incline exercises like the incline barbell press, incline dumbbell press, or Smith machine will work just as well.

Perna feels it best to alternate between dumbbell exercises and machine exercises because it lightens the load on his joints. Alleviating stress is a sure way to stay physically healthy and working hard in the gym.

How to: With your feet against the back pad and feet firmly on the ground, grab the handles with your desired grip. Push out and really feel a squeeze before bringing the weight back towards you.

Total: 1-2 building sets of 10 reps. 2 working sets of 8-10 reps and a drop set on the last set.

Cable Fly With Sets of Low To High Flys

If you want to use a staggered stance for the cable fly, this will help with stability. Perna prefers his feet together but it is all a personal preference. Your shoulder blades should be pinned back and this will give a great squeeze for your chest. Be careful not to round the shoulders and put stress on the front delts, but if they come forward slightly, it isn’t a big deal. Your hands don’t need to come together, but just close enough to get peak contraction.

Total: 2 sets of 12 normal reps, but you can add partial reps if you would like as well.

How to: Stand with your desired stance and grab the handles. Push the cables forward allowing for a solid squeeze and bring the weight back towards you. Pause for a moment and when you begin the next rep, don’t rely on momentum to propel you forward.

Low to high flys offers a great chance for a mechanical drop set. Instead of changing weights like a traditional drop set, a mechanical drop set changes the movements while keeping the same weight. The low fly will feel a squeeze in the upper chest, and if you get some front delt action, that is fine.

For the middle and low flys, you will be on your knees. The middle fly is similar to a traditional chest fly, the only difference being that you are kneeling instead of standing. For the low flys, pull your hands down to your low belly to get a different squeeze for you chest.

Total: 2 sets total. 10 reps low fly, 10 reps middle fly, and 10 reps high fly.

Dumbbell Fly

Perna added in the dumbbell fly mainly as a stretch. If you find yourself at the end of the workout totally gassed, that is okay. It means you hit it hard and got a great pump. But if you feel like you can do a little more, this exercise provides a great stretch while getting some extra work done as well. You really only need to bring the weights to around three-quarters of the way up and don’t need to touch your hands.

Total: 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps.

Zac Perna
Photo via @zacperna Instagram

Notes From Perna

This chest workout is a serious pump and having a great fitness athlete like Perna to show you the ropes and guide you through makes this a strong contender for your chest day. Everything is a preference and just because Perna does one thing, doesn’t mean you have to do the same. Use his advice as a guide to make yourself stronger, but keep an open mind and try new things. It is important to always try and beat yourself. Take notes of where you failed, or where you succeeded, and use those numbers as goals for the next time you hit it hard.

There are no rules for working out and bettering your overall strength. Training hard will get you to where you need to be. A great note from Perna in regards to muscle imbalances is if one side of your chest is bigger than the other, try dumbbells instead of the bar and really work to isolate both sides individually to promote better stability and protection. Training the chest as a whole is key and you will feel great after doing so. Perna hits chest once a week while he focuses on other parts of his body, like his legs, but feel free to hit it once or twice a week depending on your routine and desire.

Perna understands that working out hard and working out smart can be difficult, but giving it your absolute best effort is more than enough to see growth. With a stable diet and solid workout plan, your gains will flow and you will be confident in the work you put in. With added advice from Perna, this fitness influencer and coach is a great resource to learn from. Check out Zac Perna’s premium membership program here to learn about how you can take the next steps towards your fitness goals.

Wrap Up

Zac Perna is a fitness model and online coach who knows exactly what to do to see huge gains. With this chest workout, you will see popping pecs and a massive physique that others will most certainly envy. Give this workout a try and see what this can do for all of your gains today.


Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

*Images courtesy of Zac Perna Instagram

About Austin Letorney

Austin Letorney is a writer, actor, and fitness enthusiast. As a former rower, he has shifted his focus to sharing his knowledge of the fitness world and strength sports with others.

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