Superhero ''Armor-Plated'' Chest_ How to Use Push-Ups, Dips and Advanced Calisthenics to Add Inches to Your Pecs & Develop Explosive Upper Body Strength ( PDFDrive )

Table of Contents
Introduction: Who’s Got the Bigger…?
Anatomy of a Killer Chest
Sweat the Small Stuff
The Pectoralis Major: the Big Bad Wolf
The Pectoralis Minor: Small, Discreet but
Essential
To Beat the Beast, Attack All Its Heads
A Question of Shape
Man Boobs: How to Really Lose’em?
Weightlifting, Bodyweight Training: What Method to Place Our Bet On?
Barbells, Machines & Misery
The Self-Made Man: All You Need Is YOUR Body
Common Training Mistakes: Why People Fail at Growing Their Chest?
Bench Press Mania
No Love for the Minor
Lazy, Sloppy or Just Plain Silly
Reps Overkill
Champions Never Sleep
The Training Program to a Massive & Powerful Chest
The Secret to Foolproof Pecs
Triple Threat: 3 Moves to Go from Zero to Hero
Pec Blaster #01: the Road to the Ultimate Push-Up
Progression #1.01: Wall/Incline PU
Progression #1.02: Knee PU
Progression #1.03: Regular PU
Progression #1.04: Spiderman PU
Progression #1.05: Knuckle PU
Progression #1.06: Wide PU
Progression #1.07: Diamond PU
Progression #1.08: Decline PU
Progression #1.09: Deep PU
Progression #1.10: Uneven PU
Progression #1.11: Archer PU
Progression #1.12: Typewriter PU
Progression #1.13: 1-Arm PU

Progression #1.14: 1-Arm Decline PU
Pec Blaster #01b: Advanced Push-Ups to Take Your Upper Body to
Its Limits
Progression #1b.01: PPP – Pseudo-Planche PU
Progression #1b.02: Sphinx PU
Progression #1b.03: Russian PU
Progression #1b.04: Hindu PU
Progression #1b.05: Pike PU
Progression #1b.06: Elevated Pike PU
Progression #1b.07: Handstand PU
Progression #1b.08: Deep Handstand PU
Progression #1b.09: Lalanne PU
Pec Blaster #02: Near a Dozen Different Dips for Strength & Width
Progression #2.01: Negatives
Progression #2.02: Bench Dips
Progression #2.03: Regular Dips
Progression #2.04: Side-to-Side Dips
Progression #2.05: Single Bar Dips
Progression #2.06: L-Dips
Progression #2.07: Korean Dips
Progression #2.08: Russian Dips
Progression #2.09: Russian L-Dips
Pec Blaster #03: Turn Strength into Power with Plyo Push-Ups
Progression #3.01: Staggered PU
Progression #3.02: Clap PU
Progression #3.03: Thigh Clap
Progression #3.04: Drop PU
Progression #3.05: Muay Thai PU
Progression #3.06: Tornado PU
Progression #3.07: Flying PU
Progression #3.08: Asian Carp PU
Progression #3.09: Flying Superman PU
Progression #3.10: Ride-the-Bike PU
Progression #3.11: Aztec PU
Progression #3.12: Kuki PU
Putting It All Together
Conclusion: Your Armor Plated Chest, Only a Few Weeks Away?
Want to Reach Your Full Potential?
Let’s Keep In Touch

About the Author

Copyright © 2016 Markus A. Kassel
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or
used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the
author, except for the use of brief quotations in a review.
Disclaimer: this book is meant for information and educational purposes only.
Consult with your physician before attempting any of the exercises described in
this book or making any drastic changes to your diet. The author will not be held
accountable for any damage caused by the implementation of the advice given
throughout this guide. Though the author found success with this method, results
may vary.
First Edition.
Visit the author’s website: http://RealLifeSuperman.com

Introduction: Who’s Got the Bigger…?
Have you ever wondered what went through King Kong’s head when, standing
atop skyscrapers and dominating the world, he decided to beat his chest? He
could have as easily decided to hammer his belly or kick with his feet... But it
wouldn’t have looked nearly as badass or dramatic now, would it?
There’s something primal about the chest. No other muscle group screams
maleness and testosterone like huge, pumped up pecs! Even we, smaller-time
primates, puff it up to look tougher and more imposing when in presence of
females or rivals.
No doubt, a wide chest is the sign of the alpha, the attribute that will put the final
touch on a physique and instantly up your confidence and charisma.
And when you think about it, it’s an absolute MUST for any wannabe superhero.
If your width was in fact so narrow people would need a magnifying glass to
read the sign on the front of your costume, how “super” would you really look?
Jokes aside, you browsing this book tells me you’ve made up your mind; you
know you need to expand your chest and you’re determined to succeed by any
means necessary. Congrats on your resolve, buddy. I couldn’t encourage you
enough, as growing that part of your anatomy will bring your body to a whole
new level.
While other parts like the abs look good when toned up, unfortunately they’re
invisible most of the time – unless you walk around, Naked Cowboy style.
Bigger pecs, on the other hand, will greatly improve your appearance, whatever
the circumstances... It will fill out your shirt to the seams, give you a thicker,
more masculine look, no matter if you’re kicking it in a sweater or donning your
most stylish tuxedo. On top of it, developing your upper body will also increase
your pushing power to the max and make you one darn strong imposing fella.

But let’s get back down to earth for a sec here, shall we? If we want to make
those dreams of power and self-assurance a reality, we need to take action.
Wishful thinking won’t get us very far. To tell you the truth, it will take even
more than your average training methods. When you look at people in the gym,
there’s no shortage of poor devils training their pecs, pushing weights like
they’re trying to rip their arms off their socket.
If there’s one muscle group people will never “forget” to train, it has to be the
pectorals. The back? It can wait. The legs? Don’t feel like it today! But the pecs?
Even on their deathbed, they’d ask the priest for a pair of dumbbells to get their
sets of flys in!
Sometimes, it gets so ridiculous, you almost got to fill in your name on a waiting
list at the gym to get access to the bench press. Yet, how many truly impressive
chests do you get to see on a regular basis? Tell me. How come, despite their

efforts, most people never manage to secure an elite chest that’s as wide as
it’s thick and full?
That’s because there’s more to building armor-plated pecs than bench pressing
or even doing push-ups for that matter.
A lot of misconceptions surround this mystical body part, and folks – in most
cases – just have no clue. They stick to and persist with a routine that’s not
bringing them anywhere. I feel for them. I truly do. You need to have enough
experience and self-criticism to be able to step back, pause for a second, and
assess the situation – rather than pushing on like a stubborn kiddo who won’t
stop sulking because his parents refused to buy him that neat talking robot at the
supermarket.
That’s what we’re going to do here... No, not get you that silly robot (drop it
already!), but analyze your current program, pinpoint its different faults, and
ensure every rep of every exercise in your plan brings you closer to a muscular
and chiseled upper body.
We’ll debunk those myths which are hurting you and learn the REAL secrets
to growth and power.
I always joke that, had I been a woman, I’d certainly have been well endowed,
judging by the size of my pecs. But it didn’t all fall into my lap like some gift
from the gods. I didn’t wake up one morning with a torn off t-shirt because I had
gone all Hulk during the night and gained 3 dress sizes. Every last inch of
muscle fiber I grew, I had to earn it!
I had to try every dang program under the sun to get any kind of results, and it
took me years to find the perfect mix that will leave no choice to your chest but
to swell up and get stronger.
I’ll show you how I did it and the simple steps you can take today to get on your
way to a set of pecs worthy of an 80’s Ahnuld movie.
Imagine how good you’ll look and feel once you’ll have reached that goal.
Imagine how powerful you’ll have become when you’ll be pumping them 1 arm
push-ups and flying through the air with all kinds of crazy plyometrics.
Your road to a Superhero armor-plated chest begins right now. All you have
left to do is breathe in, turn the page and let me guide you through this maze.
Let’s go!

Anatomy of a Killer Chest
Usually, I’m not a big fan of sayings because, let’s be honest, there’s always one
to contradict the other. Is it “opposites attract” or “birds of the same feather flock
together”? Huh? No real insights to be gained from those lame attempts at
wisdom.
But if there’s one proverb to which I subscribe 100%, it is that: “knowledge is
power.” Time and again, I’ve found that the more I learned about a topic, the
better equipped I got, and the greater my chances of success when dealing with
its various challenges.
Now, there’s always a risk of going overboard and wanting so much to get
everything right down to the last little detail that you end up getting the dreaded
paralysis by analysis. But if you can start applying what you’ve learned, and
continue to educate yourself and take action at the same time, then you’re
golden.
Which means that, if we want to grow our chest to the best of our ability, we’ll
first need to get intimate with it. Like we did in “Superhero Six-Pack” with the
abs, we’ll start with making the presentations to ensure we get a clear picture of
what we’re dealing with here and how to best approach our workouts.
Sweat the Small Stuff
When people talk about training the pecs, they often refer to the upper, inner and
lower portions of them as if they were comprised of 3 separate groups like the
delts that we can easily isolate.
But in reality, no such distinction exists. While the pecs do have 2 parts to them,
when you look at the chest, there’s only 1 big muscle you see. And that’s the
pectoralis major.
The Pectoralis Major: the Big Bad Wolf
Yup, that’s the one; the bad boy we want to focus most of our efforts on to
become that image of manhood and power we long for.
Aside from preventing our arms from falling off, by keeping them glued to our
trunk (thank god for them!), the pecs major serve to move our humerus around –
together with our shoulder joints. They’re responsible for bringing our arms
towards the midline, like when you’re slapping some fool for talking crap to the
missus. Or when the shoulder needs to rotate internally towards the center, think

arm wrestling contest.
The Pectoralis Minor: Small, Discreet but Essential
Like I said, the pec major is the visible part of the pectorals, a bit like an iceberg.
And in the same manner, the thing runs deeper than just the tip.
Hidden under the mass, you’ll find a small segment called the pectoralis minor
which won’t be of much help in getting you that thick and wide superhero chest.
In fact, its mechanical role will not seem like much either as it’s only good to
pull the scapula in direction of the thorax... but it’s an important piece of the
puzzle nonetheless that we had better not neglect.
We’ll have to train the minor as well to avoid muscular imbalances which could
lead to injury and put the health of our shoulder girdle in jeopardy. OK?
I see you nodding but, if that’s all there is to our chest, what difference does it
make if we do inclines or declines like we’ve always been told to? Can we just
go for any type of flat exercise and expect to develop uniform pecs that will
be equally full and round?
To Beat the Beast, Attack All Its Heads
Anatomically speaking, we’ve seen that we have the pec major on one hand and
the minor on the other. But that’s still not telling the whole truth…
If we want to be completely thorough, we must also note that the former is not
the homogeneous entity we assumed it was; no, there are really 2 distinct areas
to the sucker, even though they both make the pec major.
The difference between them? Their home port.
While they both end up attached to the humerus on the arm side, they have
different starting points… And that’s where you should pause for a second and
take note. Because, you see, the sternocostal head which originates from the
sternum and the ribs will not work exactly the same way as the clavicular head
which – as the name implies – is rooted in the collar bone.
On top of the two functions we’ve already covered (and which were to move the
shoulder either towards the midline or internally), there’s in fact a third and final
motor role to the pec major: allowing the flexion and extension of the shoulder.
And, as you probably guessed, that’s where the two heads come into play.
The clavicular portion will take care of shoulder flexions, as in when your arm

goes up to take the floor and ask a question, while the sternal area will perform
extensions, like when you’re bringing your fist down on the table to make a
point.
So, to return to our first inquiry about inclines and declines: no, not all
movements will target all the parts simultaneously… which can lead to
disproportions (especially since the clavicular head is so small and necessitates
more work to grow and get strong.)
Like the mythological hydra, you will thus need to attack all the heads with fury
to vanquish and come out victorious! Do sweat the small stuff!
A Question of Shape
Now that we’ve detailed the main functions and the various parts of the pecs, a
question that might arise would be: even though the rough shape of the
pectoralis major is that of a fan while the minor’s a triangle, why don’t we all
end up with similar-looking chests?
Why do some people have pecs which touch each other from top to bottom while
others seem to have spaces between them? Why do some chests go extremely
low, almost invading the abdominal area, while others are really short like
they’re afraid to disturb?
Even though we can greatly improve the looks of our pectorals by adding much
size to and widening them, they’re no ball of plasticine we can model any way
we like. We still got to compose with our personal genetics, the same way you’ll
never get an 8-pack – no matter how much you train your core – if the different
“pieces” didn’t come with the kit to begin with.
Maybe your clavicular part is bigger than the average or you have less muscle
fibers attaching to the sternum… Whatever your physical heritage, don’t let your
present state discourage you. You’ll see those discrepancies really are no biggie
in the end because, when you’ll have fully developed your upper body, you’ll
look perfect nonetheless. I can guarantee you that!
If you do have some weaker parts or a pec that’s maybe smaller than the other,
now that you have a better understanding of how your pectoral muscles work,
you’ll be able to tweak your exercises to put more emphasis on one head or
the other.
You see, knowledge truly is power when it allows you to take action for the

better.
Man Boobs: How to Really Lose’em?
Adding some meat to your chest will only get you so far. What if, after months
of training, you’ve doubled its volume, yet it doesn’t look like much because the
muscles are still hidden behind layers of fat?
If you’re carrying so much flab around the nipples that when you tap the tip it
wiggles and jiggles, you still got some work to do.
To really up your confidence and secure that armor-plated look, your pecs need
to be hard and smooth – on top of big and voluminous. In other words, you
ought to get rid of the moobs!
But how to do it?
Some would have you turn to high repetition sets, claiming that you need to feel
the burn in the muscle to get the fat to melt, but that’s just bollocks.
It’s always that same myth we’ve already covered in previous books: the
misconception that we can choose the area we’d like to lose from by hitting it
with long and intense sessions as if to pound it into submission.
Unfortunately, we can’t. You may work your butt off to burn calories but you
can’t target the region the fat will come from.
Companies and crooks show tremendous amounts of creativity, coming up with
all kinds of crazy programs and supplements to get you to cough up the dough
and empty your pockets into theirs.
Don’t waste your time or hard-earned cash. The magic pill that will have your
chest fat vanish into thin air doesn’t exist, and you shouldn’t have to get under
the knife to finally get to part ways with the unwelcome guest either.
“All” you got to do is be a good boy, eat your veggies and do some cardio. The
key to eliminating the moobs is simply to lose weight overall and get down to a
lower (healthier) bodyfat percentage.
But that’s not the purpose of this book.
If you’re still struggling with that part of the equation, grab a copy of “Superhero
Six-Pack” or “Real Life Superman” where I detail the step-by-step to losing the
flab, or even contact me on my email address for advice (which you’ll find at the

end).
Here, we’re all about building size and strength. And it continues with choosing
the right training method that will bring us there.

Weightlifting, Bodyweight Training: What Method to
Place Our Bet On?
Subscribe to any fitness magazine for a year and I can assure you, by the time
you’re done reading every single monthly issue, you’ll be even more lost than
you are today!
In this line of business, it seems like that’s just the way it goes; every new week,
you’ll hear about some revolutionary training method to get your pecs to inflate
and reach the next level. But what’s really preoccupying is that the new
programs advertised often go against everything that’s been said before, as if
each issue reset the clock: “forget what you think you know, THIS is the real
true truth now!”
Yeah, right!
Unfortunately, being the good-hearted, trusting kind we are, we follow them like
sheep, jumping from one method to the other, convinced that they have our best
interests at heart.
But I’m digressing...
My point is that dozens of ways exist to train the pecs: with or without weights,
with high or low reps, using super sets, drop sets, giant or even pyramid sets. In
other words, enough variations to give you a headache!
Even the pros competing on stage can’t seem to find an agreement (judging by
their articles in the said magazines.) So how are we, at our humble level, to
determine the optimal program to implement?
Well, it will depend on the objectives we expect to reach. And the first step we
are to take in that sense is deciding if we’ll go with a gym or train at home.
Barbells, Machines & Misery
When people want to improve their physique, get the chest of a real man and be
done looking like a kid, their first reflex is often to turn to bodybuilding.
Going to the gym is the default mode for millions of people the world around,
but is it necessarily the most effective? Weight training does have its pros,
otherwise how would Ronnie Coleman and Dorian Yates – steroid use
notwithstanding – have grown to become such monsters?

But when it comes to bringing your pec game to the top, it ends up causing more
problems than it provides solutions. For one, it focuses on one goal and one goal
only: size above all.
So, if mass is all you care about, more power to you, train with weights! But if
you want more than that; if you want not only to look ripped and muscular but
also be agile, explosive and powerful, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Another issue I have with using machines and barbells for growing the chest is
that those exercises don’t offer many progressions. OK, you can vary the load
and the reps but, in the end, declines and inclines are about the only changes you
can bring to your bench press and other similar moves. Except for a few details,
the execution remains identical. And we’ll see in a few moments why that is
such a big issue.
Also, the movements you’ll be performing are not very functional; they do not
transpose very well to other areas of your daily life (like sports and various
activities.) You’ll be building some size and that’s about the only benefit you’ll
gain!
Now, you’re still free to do as you please but, if you want to use weights in your
training, I couldn’t encourage you enough to at least add some bodyweight
movements to the mix.
As explained in the next section, they’ll offer some much needed variety to your
sessions and help break through any plateau you might be experiencing by
hitting your muscles in an entirely different manner. Then, only use weights to
push really heavy and maximize testosterone production, and keep it to 1 or 2
exercises at most.
But if you’re open-minded enough to try something new, why not go all out and
give bodyweight training a try for a few weeks? I promise, it’ll change your life.
The Self-Made Man: All You Need Is YOUR
Body
I was bashing bodybuilding a few lines above, not because I hold some grudge
against it like some frustrated and resentful guy who couldn’t get it to work for
him, but IMHO it doesn’t offer much benefits besides increasing mass.
Is bodyweight training any better?

Call me biased (because I may be) but, after testing both methods extensively, I
must admit that using your own weight as your main training tool just has no
equal.
On top of the usual pros that go along with using gravity as the obstacle to
overcome – pros such as freedom of time, location and cost, not to mention the
challenge it represents and all the fun it provides –, when it comes to training the
pecs, bodyweight exercises are the perfect choice because:
They will boost your explosiveness. Don’t believe me? Wait until you’ve
worked your plyo push-ups to the flying progressions and you’ll see what I
mean!
The movements you’ll learn are highly functional. You’ll not only gain
strength and size; you’ll become more powerful all around;
Your joints will harden and your core will tighten;
You will increase your flexibility which will go a long way towards
preventing injuries;
As you’ll be moving your full body around, these drills will kick your
metabolism into high gear, get you to burn more fat and help you achieve
that mean and lean look.
Pretty cool, right? And that’s not all, folks! The different variants of push-ups
that will make the bulk of our program will bring yet other advantages to the
table.
For one, as your trunk is free and not restrained in the back by some bench, your
shoulder blades should finally get to move properly both at the top and bottom of
the movement. And when you combine that greater range of motion with the
different angles at which you’ll attack the pectorals, you’ll ensure complete
muscle activation; you’ll be recruiting more fibers to do the work and eliminate
any risk of developing imbalances.
The progressions we’ll go through will take care not only of the minor and
major, they’ll hit the major in its entirety by giving their rightful due to both
clavicular and sternocostal heads.
As if that wasn’t enough already, our push-ups will also turn our shoulders to
steel. By allowing our back to go all the way up and protract, they will
strengthen our serratus anterior and rotator cuffs. And the list goes on... but you
got the picture by now: bodyweight training offers all we need to make our chest

a true masterpiece, and more.
Still with me? OK, let’s further refine our program by checking out how NOT to
train. Learn from other people’s mistakes so you don’t have to waste YOUR
time and money finding out how to do it.

Common Training Mistakes: Why People Fail at
Growing Their Chest?
Want me to tell you once again how badly people train? I think it only takes so
many repetitions to drive a point home. Besides, if you chose to read my books,
it tells me your intelligence is already way above average (*insert evil laughter
that lasts for about 10 seconds*), so...
What we can do, though, is analyze the reasons behind those failures. Why, if
most guys are giving it their all, they still can’t seem to pull it off?
Bench Press Mania
The first culprit on the list, which turns more dreams into nightmares than
freakin’ Freddy Krueger, is our dear beloved bench press.
Following the previous chapter, we’ve decided against using weights in this
program if not for convenience sake because they can be problematic... And one
of the main issues I see with them is the overreliance on the bench press.
Don’t ask me how it got so ludicrous but, nowadays, it seems like almost every
male is obsessed with this exercise. Like they got tunnel vision and the bench is
the only object they see when they enter the gym. It’s become the ultimate ego
lift, the one exercise to gauge your valor and measure your pecker.
Because it’s held in such high regards, the ego is seldom checked at the door.
People put too much weight on the barbell... and you see where this is going,
right? Injury is never very far.
I stopped counting the number of people I know who got hurt because all they
cared about was how much they benched. The truth is that, contrary to push-ups,
the bench press is NOT shoulder friendly!
It puts tremendous amounts of pressure on your joints and that’s why,
eventually, almost everyone ends up messing up their rotator cuffs (if it’s not the
wrists that give in first.)
You know, the bench press may solicit the pecs and require their assistance, but
it’s more of a deltoids exercise than anything else.
Relatively speaking, the shoulders are much smaller than the chest. They will
thus (especially the anterior deltoid) tire much quicker when you perform this

exercise, well before your pecs could get a proper workout. With no deep
stimulation, how can you expect to grow a pair the size of melons?
Meanwhile, as you persist and continue to bench, your cuffs will get tighter and
tighter, to the point you lose flexibility and expose your shoulders to an even
higher risk of injury.
The lesson to be learned is to never base your entire strategy around benching.
Better yet, scrap it altogether.
No Love for the Minor
Another common mistake we briefly touched upon, and which is often linked to
the previous, consists of neglecting the clavicular head of the pectoral major.
While this may not directly get you in a hospital per se, although it could by
weakening your upper pecs, this issue will impact your looks more than anything
else. If you want to grow a full, rounded chest that’s pleasing to the eye, you got
to give love to the minor! You need to include specific variations where the
shoulder muscles will be flexed overhead at just the right angle to have it work
and develop.
Easier said than done, right?
Don’t worry, buddy, Markus has already thought it all through for you! No need
to rack your brains to find out the right mix of exercises, with the Lalanne,
decline and Hindu push-ups – among others – you’ll be training as you go, the
clavicular will get more than its fair share of work!
All you got to do is follow my lead and suffer in silence. Alright, soldier?
Lazy, Sloppy or Just Plain Silly
This third item can be the product of plain ignorance but also result from some
people’s “I-don’t-care” attitude. Some folks, no matter how many times we
show them the right way to perform a movement, just can’t be bothered. They
use sloppy form, either because the exercises would be too hard for them and
they’d have to unload the weights (once again, hurting their ego) or because they
think they know better.
In the end, the result is the same: less than stellar results.
I promise, it’s the last time I talk about bench pressing but, when you see guys

bouncing the barbell off their chest and only going half way up, you got a pretty
good example of what NOT to do!
When they train the biceps and start each curl with a huge swing from the hips,
they really think they’re going to work their arms to the full? Especially when
they don’t even care to go all the way down and only pump half-reps?
Not going through the full range of motion of an exercise, whether it’s for the
pecs or any other muscle group, has to be one of the prime causes of failure. Not
only does it prevent you from focusing all your energy on the right muscles, it
doesn’t strengthen the stabilizers and joints as it should… leaving you with big
holes in your development.
Definitely not cool!
Reps Overkill
The more you do, the bigger you’ll get, right?
Wrong.
Cranking out hundreds of reps won’t do any good to your chest except maybe
boost its stamina, but you ain’t getting ready to run a marathon on your hands
now, are you?
To build mass and strength, the best range is to keep between 5 and 12 reps.
Period. Once you go higher, your muscles won’t get enough stimulation to force
growth.
So, if we’ll be using our bodyweight as training tool, how are we to solve that
problem, seeing that we can’t add any more weight if by eating like pigs to get
heavier?
As always, we’ll be putting a system of progressions into place. When you’ve
been working at an exercise for some time and it gets too easy, you’ll switch to a
variation where your body position will place you at a greater mechanical
disadvantage. You’ll thus have a much harder time performing your reps, and
that will allow you to remain in that range conducive to gains.
In other words, short and intense, that’s how we’ll be playing.
Champions Never Sleep
For your chest to thicken and expand, everything has to be on point. If you’re

too tired or underfed to train at your best, you won’t be able to reap the fruits of
your labor.
You need both sleep and protein in sufficient numbers to achieve your goal, so
make sure you’ve got those two boxes checked. It’s tempting to stay up late and
postpone your date with Morpheus, as it can be the only time of the day which is
just for you. The only moment where you can get some “me time”, to think
about your projects, plan for the future or simply unwind and relax.
That time can be dear to your heart, believe me I know… but you can’t have
your cake and eat it too. You can’t spend the whole night playing World of
Warcraft or watching your favorite movie trilogy and be ready to kick ass the
next morning. That’s just not going to happen!
If you don’t get your 8 hours of sleep, your progress will slow down and
eventually come to a halt. You need to make concessions.
You’ve probably heard the saying but it’s when your body is resting that it
grows, not when it’s training! Give it sufficient time to repair that muscle
damage you caused and make those muscle fibers bigger and stronger. If you
don’t, it won’t get the job done.
In the same manner, you have to provide enough building material. If the
bricklayer gets up in the morning to go to work but, when he gets there, he got
no bricks to lay, he might as well have stayed in the sack! Both factors are
equally important!
In other words, to guarantee optimal results:
Aim for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night;
Eat enough protein to cover your needs (roughly 1g per pound of
bodyweight). Here, contrary to what you may think, going a bit overboard
may actually have positive effects. Proteins are known to make you feel
replete. But more than bringing satiety, they will boost your metabolism up
and help you burn more fat overall.
If you study these pitfalls and keep their lessons at mind when you’ll be going
through the program, you’ll find yourself ahead of 90% of the population.

The Training Program to a Massive & Powerful Chest
“Enough with the talking, Markus! Give us the program already!”
I hear you, ye of little patience. You’ve borne with me so far, so you’re about to
be rewarded. This is the chapter you’ve been waiting for; the part where we lay
down our plan of attack that will make your upper body explode and people take
notice.
But before we get to the actual exercises you will be implementing, let’s tie up
the few loose ends left.
The Secret to Foolproof Pecs
Obviously, the key to making your pecs inflate like balloons will be to avoid the
different training mistakes we’ve just covered… But, more than that, we need to
take the complete opposite stand and strive for perfection in every set and
repetition we do.
Which means that, when you set out to train, you mean business! No playing
around with the phone or joking with the friends. There will be plenty of time for
that AFTER you’ve busted your butt off. When you work out, your entire focus
should be on the movement you’re performing and nothing else. WWIII could
break out outside your window and bombs drop all around, you shouldn’t even
notice!
Like I said, we’ll only go for exercises which allow a full range of motion. So,
make it a point to always go all the way up and down. When you’re at the
bottom, pause for a split second to really feel the stretch in the muscle. That will
emphasize your width and get the pecs to expand outwards.
In the same manner, at the top, feel the contraction and do your best to recruit
every darn fiber to the last one. Don’t be like those fools who sacrifice form for
reps. You might struggle at the beginning and have to accept going down a few
levels but you’ll progress faster, more safely and – in the end – build a much
better physique if you go by the book and don’t try to bite more than you can
chew.
It’s also important to start with the easier progressions as they will ensure your
joints get enough preparation for the harder variations. You’ll notice that, when
you alter the angle of your limbs in regards to the floor and deviate from the
vertical, it not only gets tougher to hold the position but it puts much more

pressure on your wrists and shoulders as well.
Moves like the 1-arm decline or the pseudo-planche push-up will kill your joints
if you haven’t properly prepared them. Be thorough and, by the time you get to
those variations, your body will be ready for them.
However, as we’ve seen, no matter how good an exercise is, we can’t expect to
realize our full pectoral potential by focusing on just one type of move. Or we’d
be as guilty as charged as those poor souls who bet all their chips on the bench.
Full development requires variety. That’s why our program will be based around
3 distinct exercises (+ 1 bonus.) Through my trial and error, I’ve found that they
provided the best stimulation and that pecs reacted extremely well to them.
We’ll be doing 3 sets of each, which amounts to around a dozen sets. More than
enough to ensure progress but also not so much you’d have to spend hours
performing them.
Alright, but what are those 3 exercises we’ll be dealing with in the coming
weeks?
Triple Threat: 3 Moves to Go from Zero to
Hero
The best training programs are synergistic, much like good cooking recipes.
When you associate garlic with tomato sauce and basil, each ingredient takes on
an entire new depth that transcends its normal expression. The whole becomes
greater than the sum of its parts.
The same can be said about workouts where the exercises complement each
other so well that progress turns out to be inevitable.
That’s what our “triple threat” plan offers; a recipe for growth and power. The
first ingredient in our pot will be the regular push-up, from its easiest variation to
the most complicated.
Those progressions will serve to increase our strength (as we struggle with them
and only manage a few reps) and our size (as we get better and climb up to a
dozen reps.) That first group will make the basis of our formula. But like our
sauce, we need to spice it up to reveal all its flavor.
We’ll do that by adding more push-up variations which, this time, will not only

target the pecs but the core, the shoulders and the triceps as well. This will be
essential for upper body balance.
Then, we’ll incorporate our second magic ingredient: dips.
Once again, we’ll take it slowly by drilling the easier variations before we move
on to the real killers. Those moves will target the lower portion of the pecs,
hitting them under a totally new angle, to neglect no area and further strengthen
the triceps. Together with the push-up progressions, the dips will guarantee
you’ve got everything covered.
Last but not least, once we’ll have built size and strength, it’ll be time to turn it
all into power. The third and final ingredient will be the inclusion of plyometric
moves that will dramatically improve our speed and explosiveness.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves... Let’s stay focused and start at the
beginning.
Pec Blaster #01: the Road to the Ultimate
Push-Up
Even if your sporting background boils down to a few PE classes you had to take
in high school, you’ve got to be familiar with the push-up.
If there was a “Hall of Fame” for body exercises, it would sit at the top without a
doubt. It’s one of the most famous movements, and for good reasons. Like the
squat for the legs, it might very well be the best exercise for the upper body.
Not only is it considered complete and comprehensive, as it works almost every
group muscle, it is available in enough variations to keep you busy and
challenged for the years to come.
Yeah, if you thought push-ups were too easy to build any kind of muscle or
strength, that’s because you’ve probably never really gone beyond their most
simplistic expression.
Once you start tackling the more advanced progressions, like the archer, you’ll
see that they’re no laughing matter!
Like I said, we’ll start at the very beginning. Don’t assume you can do a
variation and just skip it until you’ve PROVEN you can actually do it by
performing the number of required reps and sets. In other words, before you start

the program, test your skills to see where you stand.
Just one more thing: as they don’t all target the chest the same way, you might
find some progressions easier than others, even though they rank higher on the
difficulty scale. We all start with our personal strengths and weaknesses, and that
can explain why we won’t all begin at the same point. But that’s alright; if
you’re thorough and consistent with your training, eventually, your weaker parts
will catch up and you’ll become strong all around.
Progression #1.01: Wall/Incline PU
If the most challenging position you’ve found yourself in these past few years
was bending at the waist to grab the peanut butter jar on the bottom shelf at the
store, you will probably need to start at the very beginning.
The wall or incline push-up will prepare your upper body smoothly by
strengthening your muscles and your joints, and helping shake off that rust.
To perform incline push-ups:
Place your hands against the wall (or any elevated object) with your body
straight and your legs a few feet behind, so that your body draws a triangle
together with the wall and the floor;
Slowly bring your torso all the way down until you make contact;
Push with your hands and contract the pecs to go back to your starting
position.

You must be able to achieve at least 3 sets of 15 reps to move on to the next
progression. As this movement becomes easier, you’ll want to lean against
supports which are closer and closer to the ground, to increase the difficulty.
Progression #1.02: Knee PU
When you’re getting close enough to the horizontal with your inclines, it might
be interesting to drill this last variation before the real deal:
Facing the floor, your weight resting on your hands and kneecaps;
Perform the push-up motion by controlling your fall until your chest hits the
ground;
And use your pecs and triceps to complete the rep.

Remember to always go through the full range of motion and keep your back
straight. This, of course, goes for every progression in this section.
Once you can manage your 3 sets of 15 reps, you should be good to go.
Progression #1.03: Regular PU
Same position as the last but you’ll be supporting your weight on your hands and
feet now.
By increasing the distance between the 2 points of contact on the ground, you’ll
make the move much harder. If the transition between the knee and the regular
PU proves too hard, you can still work the push-ups on their eccentric phase,
meaning you can focus on slowing down your fall, then use your legs to get back
in the position at the top.
And drill that part until you’re strong enough for completing the entire
movement.

3 sets of 15 reps are required to pass.
Progression #1.04: Spiderman PU
We’ll take the difficulty level up another notch with the Spiderman push-up by
adding a new move at the bottom that’ll make you look like, well, Spidey, man!
Starting in a push-up position, lower yourself as if doing a regular PU;
Then, bring one of your knees to the elbow on the same side;
Push back with your arms and return to your initial position with your legs
straight behind you;
Switch sides.

You’ll notice that this simple change will not only make your core work harder,
it will also put an extra load on your chest. This is a cool variation which is not
only fun but very effective.
Aim for 3 sets of 12 reps.
Progression #1.05: Knuckle PU
For people who train in combat sports or martial arts, knuckle push-ups are
essential to toughen up your fists and make them harder than bricks.
But what if you don’t care about building hands of stone? What if you’re a lover,
not a fighter? Is it still still useful? You bet!
Knuckle push-ups, on top of changing the angle of your arms and thus hitting the
pecs differently, will help in strengthening the wrists. And if you remember what
I said, we will really need that for later!
Just don’t let your enthusiasm get the better of you and start pumping them reps
on gravel like you’re going to teach them a lesson. You’ll be the one crying,
with your hands torn to shreds and your skin hanging.

Go gradually. Start on a soft surface like a carpet or a towel, and move to harder
materials only when your knuckles have thickened.

3 sets of 12 reps will usually suffice.
Progression #1.06: Wide PU
So far, every progression we’ve gone through was performed with the hands
shoulder-width apart.
For this variation, we’ll open up a bit more and spread our hands to really
emphasize the stretch in the pecs and work the width.
Don’t be afraid to go wide and use twice the regular distance between your
hands. That will take the load off the triceps and make the move harder on the
chest.

Same reps scheme as above: to graduate to the next progression, you must be
able to perform 3 sets of 12 reps.
Progression #1.07: Diamond PU
We’ve gone wide; now, we’ll close the distance entirely and bring one hand next
to the other so that the thumbs and index fingers are touching (you’ll see they’ll
be drawing the shape of an inverse diamond on the floor, hence the name.)
By shifting the position of your arms to the inside, you’ll not only decrease your
leverage – thus making the move harder to complete –, you’ll also put the
pectorals already under tension. When you’ll be coming up after you’ve touched
the floor with your chest, you’ll feel the muscle contract to the max. A very
valuable exercise to work the thickness of your pecs.

Goal: 3 sets of 12 reps.
Progression #1.08: Decline PU
By now, if you’ve been training diligently, you should start feeling stronger and
seeing your hard work pay off in roundness and bulkiness.
It’s time to turn the tables around and get those feet up in the air! In the same
manner that we started with our hands up to make it easier on ourselves with
incline push-ups, we’ll reverse the move and get the feet high to add tension to
our chest and increase the weight.

Even though you might be tempted to arch the back, pay attention to remain
straight the whole time.
Work your way up to 3 sets of 12 reps.
Progression #1.09: Deep PU
Remember all that talk about respecting the full range of motion? Well, here’s
one progression to truly embrace the concept.
By using books, parallettes or any other such items as support to get our hands a
few inches off the floor, we’ll create a gap at chest level that will allow us to go
deeper than the horizontal.

You know the drill by now: 3 sets of 12 reps to get a pass to the next variation.
Progression #1.10: Uneven PU
Now, almost 10 progressions in, your upper body should have grown by leaps
and bounds. Performing any kind of push-up with both hands, whatever the
position, should have become a real piece of cake.
Enjoy the feeling while you can, because I won’t let you bathe in that selfsatisfaction
for long.
As soon as you have mastered push-up progressions using your two hands, we’ll
begin working towards using only one.
Got to keep the challenge alive to force our chest to expand, right?
The first progression to steer us in the right direction will be the uneven push-up.
To perform that move, you will:
Elevate one hand, about a dozen inches from the floor, by using a pile of

books, a bench, a chair;
And do your reps by focusing on the arm on the other side.

The higher you’ll place that supporting hand, the less you’ll be able to use it to
push yourself back up once you touch the ground.
Don’t forget to train both sides equally. 3 sets of 6 reps on each side.
Progression #1.11: Archer PU
Starting to get the hang of the uneven push-up and want to test yourself a little
more?
The road to the 1-arm push-up continues with the archer, where we’ll increase
the weight supported on one side.
To perform archer push-ups:
Spread your hands apart even more than for wide push-ups (at least twice
your shoulder-width);
Instead of lowering your chest straight down, like you would for the
aforementioned progression, you will bring your torso to one side and come
place your ribcage next to your hand;

Go back up, pushing with that hand (that’ll do most of the work);
Switch sides to work both pecs equally.

To minimize the help you get from the hand in support, try and keep your arm
on that side straight the whole time.
The moves will now get harder to complete; that’s why we’ll lower the required
reps to 10 per set.
Progression #1.12: Typewriter PU
Basically, you’ll still have your arms spread and go down on one hand like the
archer… The difference is that there will be no more resting at the top.
Once you got your ribs against your hand on one side, you’ll simply switch to
the other without going back up and pausing. Yeah, just like a typewriter. Left,
right, left, right, left, right.
This is an intense exercise that will broaden your chest like no other.

Same as before, 3 sets of 10 reps are needed to graduate.
Progression #1.13: 1-Arm PU
This is the move we’ve been working towards for these past few weeks/months:
the 1-arm push-up.
The name says it all. We’ll be doing our push-ups with just our one hand in
contact with the ground. It’s an achievement in itself, so you can be proud of
yourself when you manage your first rep. How many people do you know who
can claim to be able to do the same? It takes a lot of strength to pull off.
With that being said, watch out for your form. As you take a hand off the floor,
you might have a tendency to arch the back or twist the torso to the side to
compensate or keep your balance.
To help you in this regard and be more “grounded”, you can start with your feet
apart. Simply bring them closer as you get better.

If that progression reveals to be too difficult yet, proceed like we did at the
beginning with the regular push-up; work it with inclines until you’re ready for
the real thing.
Goal to reach to be able to call yourself a true badass: 3 sets of 5 reps per hand.
Progression #1.14: 1-Arm Decline PU
You can keep with the regular 1-arm push-ups until you’re strong enough to
perform 10 reps on each side or you can get your feet elevated to spice things up.

Once again, it’s basic physics at work here; as your feet gain altitude and you
place them higher and higher, the more weight will be resting on your hands and
the harder you’ll have to push to complete your reps.
Pec Blaster #01b: Advanced Push-Ups to
Take Your Upper Body to Its Limits
In this part, which is a complement to “pec blaster 01”, I’ve regrouped a few
hard progressions which focus more on other muscles of your upper body like
the triceps, the shoulders and the core.
It is important to add them to your training routine to ensure you leave no holes
in your game and build a solid, bulletproof upper body.
Wait until you’re about to tackle the archer PU to start playing around with
these, as even the easiest progression is still no walk in the park.
Progression #1b.01: PPP – Pseudo-Planche PU
I promised we would target the entire pecs and leave no part feeling unloved.

With the pseudo-planche PU, we will cajole the clavicular part and work it like
no other.
This will add meat to your upper pecs and get them to fill up, giving you that full
and rounded look you’re after.
To perform pseudo-planche push-ups:
Get in a regular PU position;
But before you go down, tip forward so that you’re now resting on the edge
of your toes and your shoulders are no longer above your hands but a good
foot in front of them;
Keeping that angle, lower yourself to the ground, make contact with your
chest and return to your starting position.
The most important point to observe with pseudo-planche push-ups is to keep
the angle stable the whole time. As you push yourself up, don’t bring your
shoulders back in line with your hands.
That 45° angle will be locked until you’ve finished your set. You’ll see that this
horizontal translation will put extreme torque on your shoulders and really kill
that area comprising the anterior delt and the clavicular head.

PS: you may want to experiment with your hands placement to find a
comfortable position. Keeping the fingers facing forward may hurt too much if
you’re lacking flexibility. Personally, I like doing that exercise with the fingers
facing sideways.
Progression #1b.02: Sphinx PU
One could argue that a Sphinx PU is nothing more than a push-up and an elbow
plank… but that would be minimizing the effects of that great exercise which, on
top of working the core, is also a triceps killer.
The name of this variation comes from the position you’ll be assuming half-way,
with your forearms on the ground, not unlike the mystical Egyptian figure.
To complete one rep, you will simply:
Place your hands a few inches in front of your shoulders;
Bring your elbows slowly down until you’re resting on your forearms;
Pause for a second and push down with your palms until your arms

straighten out entirely and you find yourself back in your starting position.

Progression #1b.03: Russian PU
One level above the Sphinx, the Russian push-up makes a great dynamic
variation that will add 2 other steps to the mix.
Instead of bringing your elbows up and down right away, you will first perform
a regular push-up.
It’s only when you’ll be at the bottom of the move that you’ll pull back with the
elbows to place the forearms on the floor. And before you press yourself back
up, you’ll return to that regular PU bottom position.
Thus, you’ll accomplish 4 moves in 1: lower your chest with a push-up, tilt
backward to balance on your forearms, tilt forward to return to your hands, and
push yourself back up.

Progression #1b.04: Hindu PU
If there’s one progression that truly deserves the “comprehensive” moniker, it’s
the Hindu PU. This exercise will not only work your chest, deltoids, triceps and
core like the others, it will also involve the back and the legs, and make you
more flexible! Here’s one tough move to give your body a run for its money. But
to make the most of it, you still got to do it properly.
To complete one Hindu push-up, you will:
In a regular PU position, raise your butt up in the air;
Move your head back between your shoulders so that your hands are now
overhead and your body takes on a V-shape when looked from the side;
Bring your head straight down until you’re an inch from touching the floor;
Keeping the distance between your nose and the ground constant, extend
the rest of your body forward so that you end up in a position similar to the
bottom of a regular PU;
Push your shoulders up while keeping your thighs low, much like when
stretching the abs;

Return to your starting position.

Progression #1b.05: Pike PU
Alright, time to target those shoulders now! With the pike and the subsequent
progressions, you will not only develop your clavicular head, you’ll also
gradually build strength in your delts and develop a roundness in them that will
perfectly match your thickening pecs.
The pike push-up is somewhat reminiscent of that first part of the Hindu PU
where you brought your head down towards the floor. The big difference lies in
the fact that, here, you will press yourself back up once you’re at the bottom.
You will not extend your body.

As the move gets easier, you can increase the difficulty by closing the gap
between your feet and your hands.
Progression #1b.06: Elevated Pike PU
Same deal, but with the feet elevated this time (as for a decline.) Seeing that
your body will still be holding that V-shape, by moving your legs up you will
shift your torso forward and put almost your entire weight on your shoulders.
Come down, touch your forehead to the ground and go back up.

This progression, together with the previous one, are part of the preparatory
exercises for the handstand push-up.
Progression #1b.07: Handstand PU
When you’ve built enough shoulder and triceps strength, and can manage a good
dozen pike reps, stop being shy and go for the real thing.
Kick yourself up in a handstand position against the wall. Then, simply do your
thing; go down until your head touches the ground and press yourself back up.

You’ll now be carrying your entire weight on your hands, so it won’t be easy.
But even a few reps here and there will eventually add up and solidify your
gains.
Progression #1b.08: Deep Handstand PU
By now, you should know that one of the best ways to make an exercise harder
is to increase its range of motion. We’ll do exactly that by using parallettes or
any such item which will allow our head to go deeper than the level of our
hands.

Progression #1b.09: Lalanne PU
A true core destroyer, the Jack Lalanne PU is as impressive as it’s hard to
perform. Unless you’ve been using the training method available in my previous
book “Superhero Six-Pack”, I doubt you’ll have enough core strength right off
the bat to achieve a single rep (in fact, it’s still a work in progress for me.)
But don’t despair; every goal that’s worthwhile takes some time and dedication.
Keep practicing the Lalanne PU as it will give your whole body a good boost
and help bring out the sternal part of your pecs.
To do this move:
Lie down on your stomach with your arms completely extended;
Contracting your core to remain as straight as possible, push down with
your hands to raise your body off the ground;
Keep the position in the air for a second or two;
Go back down until you’re going to make contact with the floor, and repeat
the sequence.

Pec Blaster #02: Near a Dozen Different Dips
for Strength & Width
I won’t lie; you could build a good chest using only the push-up progressions
we’ve covered so far… But are we going to settle for just “good”? Heck no! We
want pecs of epic proportions! The kind people write stories about!
OK, I may be exaggerating a bit here but remember that the best training
programs are synergistic. To get the best results, you need ALL the ingredients
in the formula. So, even though it’ll take you a while to see the end of the
progressions in #01, you’ll still need to include dips in your program.
Not only will the following exercises emphasize the lower portion of your pecs,
they will further grow your triceps, increase shoulder flexibility and develop
functional strength in all your upper body.
To some people, dips are the true chest king and an even superior option to pushups.
And I can understand where they’re coming from; after all, there are few

exercises which can isolate your pectorals like the dips. With the downward
motion your arms will be following, the shoulders won’t be as solicited, and it’s
your pecs and triceps which will have to do all the work.
But we’re not here to decide which is best. We don’t have to choose between
dips and push-ups. Let’s just do both and let our results shoot through the roof!
Progression #2.01: Negatives
To start these progressions on the right foot, we will first focus on the eccentric
part of the move:
Holding yourself to parallel bars (chairs or whatever), with your arms
straight and your hands right under your shoulders, you will slowly lower
your body by bending your elbows;
Once your triceps are parallel to the floor, use your feet to jump back up to
your starting position.
Like I said, we will work on controlling the descent here.
You will need 3 sets of 15 reps to move on.
Progression #2.02: Bench Dips
Next, you will be doing dips with your feet resting on either an elevated surface
(harder) or the ground (easier.)
This time, once you’ve lowered your body, you will push down with your hands
and squeeze your pecs to go back up.

Build some strength before attempting regular dips with 3 sets of 15 reps.
Progression #2.03: Regular Dips
Same starting position as for negatives but you’ll do both the down and up
movements.
To avoid touching the ground at the bottom, you will probably have to bend the
knees and keep your feet crossed. Also, experiment with having your chest
slightly leaning forward to ensure good balance and better isolation of the pecs.

Target: 3 sets of 15 reps.
Progression #2.04: Side-to-Side Dips
Remember what we did with our push-ups to increase the load on our arms?
Yep, we spread them “archer style” and focused on one arm at a time!
This is what we’ll do here. With side-to-side dips, we will start in a regular dips
position but, as we lower our body, we will go to one side so as to have that part
support most of our weight. Then, we’ll go back up and switch sides to work
both equally.
You may want to use a slightly wider than shoulder grip this time to really feel
the movement. Obviously, the wider you’ll go, the harder it’ll be.

Once you’re able to complete your 3 sets of 12 reps, you can move to the single
bar.
Progression #2.05: Single Bar Dips
As the name suggests, single bar dips will have both your hands holding onto the
same bar. What this will cause is disrupting your balance and forcing you to
work harder to complete the move.
Indeed, as you lower yourself and your center of gravity has to move back for
your belly to clear the bar, you will have to tense your entire body not to fall
backward. Your chest should be leaning over the bar and your legs kept pointing
slightly forward, a bit like the V-shape we used in pike push-ups (but not as
pronounced.)
At the bottom of the move, touch your sternum to the bar before moving back
up.

If you don’t have a bar to practice, you can perform this exercise on a table or
anywhere you can have your hands one next to the other.
Work your way up to 3 sets of 10 reps.
Progression #2.06: L-Dips
This is where you should start experiencing some serious difficulties. If you
have any weakness in your core, this progression will expose it without beating
around the bush.
However, the L-Dip is more than just a core blaster; by lifting your feet up and
keeping them at an angle, you will decrease your leverage and put more torque
on your shoulders. In other words, you’ll have a harder time pushing yourself
back up from the bottom.
To do an L-Dip, you will simply have to bring your feet up so that your legs are
parallel to the floor (in an L-Sit position) and, with those legs straight, do a dip.

If you can manage 3 sets of 10 reps, you can start working on the next
progression.
Progression #2.07: Korean Dips
In a lot of ways, Korean dips can be considered single bar dips in reverse. Once
again, you’ll be grabbing the same bar with both hands but, this time, you’ll be
holding it behind your back.
Keeping your balance and clearing the bar as you go down will still probably be
a challenge, and you’ll most certainly have to practice the movement a few times
to get a proper feel.
Personally, I find that the key to good Korean dips is to keep the legs straight
and contracted the whole time. Let them go behind you naturally as you lower
your body into the dip.
For the grip, the under grip is the harder variation, so start training with your
palms facing backwards and change the position of your hands when it gets
easier.

How many sets and reps? 3x10
Progression #2.08: Russian Dips
Russian dips follow the same protocol as Russian push-ups (otherwise, the name
wouldn’t make much sense now, would it?)
You will thus transition to your forearms and back to your regular position once
you’re at the bottom of your dip.
As you bring your elbows down to the bar, you will feel your body going
backwards. Use your legs as counterweight and contract the abs to keep your
body in line.
And watch out for those elbows! Be smooth and control the movement. Don’t
smash your forearms into the bars like you’re trying some martial arts breaking
technique.

This will be hard but reaching 3 sets of 8 reps is a good goal to set for yourself.
Progression #2.09: Russian L-Dips
Last exercise to complete our list, the Russian L-Dip combines the challenge of
keeping an L-Sit throughout the repetition with transitioning from your hands to
your forearms. Double the constraints, four times the difficulty!
Remember to keep your legs straight and control the movement.

Once you master that progression, you can start working towards achieving the
1-arm dip... but that’s an entire story altogether. With this sweet selection we’ve
detailed, you should already have more than enough to keep you busy for a
while.
Pec Blaster #03: Turn Strength into Power
with Plyo Push-Ups
This is where the transformation will occur. As if we had found the
philosopher’s stone and all the lead we had accumulated training the first two
groups was about to be changed to gold.
Yes, this is where strength will turn to real POWER and you’ll learn to perform
crazy looking moves that’ll have you appear superhuman!
But like I said, before you can reap those rewards, you need to pay your dues.
You can’t expect to launch yourself into the air if you can barely do 1 push-up.
Which means that plyo push-ups will come later, only when you’ll have built a

solid enough base.
Where dips and regular push-ups helped you gain size and strength, plyo pushups
will be all about speed, agility and body control. Which makes them the
perfect final ingredient to realize our “full package” recipe.
If you’re a martial artist or practice any kind of sports where you need to be
explosive, you’ll find that these exercises will improve your performance and
make you much more competitive.
Contrary to regular push-up progressions where the movement is smooth and
consistent (the time on the ascent = the time on the descent), for plyo push-ups
you’ll want to think of your muscles as elastic bands. You’ll want to load them
to the max by controlling the descent, then going with a bang when you’ll
release the power upwards.
Load, load, load... Release!
This principle will hold true for every progression below. But before we can
tackle the more advanced ones (where we’ll be traveling through the air like real
life superheroes), we’ll have to start at the bottom and go gradually.
First, we’ll want to focus on getting the hands off the floor. Rushing things
would only get us injured in the end.
Progression #3.01: Staggered PU
Inclines have led to knee and regular push-ups. You’re now strong enough to
complete your 15 regular push-ups without too much hassle.
Great! We’re clear to add plyos to our program... and the best way to get started
is with staggered push-ups.
I know, they might not look very flashy but we ought to start somewhere, don’t
we? Even One-Punch Man had to start with that lousy Crab thing before he
could slay monsters and giants with his mighty fist!
To perform a staggered PU, you will:
Assume a normal push-up position, with one hand in front of the other
(about a foot apart);
Lower yourself slowly (“charging the elastic band”);
And push down hard with your hands so that they come off the floor at the

top for a split second;
While they’re in the air, switch hands to have the one which was in front
now land behind the other.
This back and forth motion will make it look as if you were walking on the spot
with your hands.

Practice until you can manage 3 sets of 15 reps.
PS: if you don’t feel ready for staggered yet, you can add an extra step where
you will simply drill getting your hands off the floor for a brief second.
Progression #3.02: Clap PU
This is where the fun begins as we’re starting to get some height.
With clap push-ups, you’ll have to push with enough oomph to get enough air
time to clap your hands and get them back in position before you slammed into
the floor.
When you land, absorb the shock with your arms and pecs, “reloading” the
muscle fibers for the next rep.

Give yourself a pat in the back when you can manage 3x12 reps. Better yet, add
an extra clap to your reps!
Progression #3.03: Thigh Clap
As your hands will need to cover a longer distance here to reach from the floor
to your legs (VS clapping in front of you), you’ll need to be airborne for an even
longer period.
Push the ground as hard as you can;
Clap your hands to your thighs;
Return to your starting position, hands to the floor.

You’ll see this progression is quite demanding. Therefore, I’ll let you off the
hook if you can give me 3 sets of 10. Am I not the nicest guy, huh?
Progression #3.04: Drop PU
For this exercise, you will need two piles of books that you’ll use as support for
your hands.
Place those books with a somewhat larger than shoulder-width, as you will need
some space in-between where to start the movement.
Thus, your hands on the floor, you will explode up, slightly move your hands to
the sides to land on the books, explode another time up, land back in your
starting position on the ground. Voilà!

You need 3 sets of 10 reps.
Progression #3.05: Muay Thai PU
OK, I’ll admit it; the Muay Thai PU is just a fancy name for back clap push-ups.
If you expected something more exotic, don’t hate me, I didn’t come up with the
name.
Anyway, as you can probably imagine if you’ve been working your plyos for
any length of time, managing to push yourself high enough to be able to bring
your hands behind you, clap them, and return them in front of you in one swift
uninterrupted movement ain’t going to be a breeze.

Hats off to you if you can do 10 reps for 3 sets.
Progression #3.06: Tornado PU
Want to look cool and wow people at the same time? This is the move for you!
It’s not much of a strength builder but it’ll take your speed, body control and
stamina to the next level. And did I mention it looks badass?
The tornado PU, also known as a 360, will have you push yourself off the floor
and spin around a whole turn.
The key to this exercise is to lead the take off with your elbow so as to build
enough momentum to turn on yourself.
In other words, push hard to leave the floor, shove your elbow back as if hitting
some imaginary opponent in the gut, spin around and land back on your hands.
To increase your rotational speed and ensure you can do the whole 360, bring
your arms to your chest right after you’ve launched the elbow.
Also, keep your legs as straight as possible to make the move smooth and

beautiful.
Do 6 reps on one side before switching to the other. As always, aim for 3 sets.
Progression #3.07: Flying PU
By now, you should feel comfortable getting those hands up in the air. Let’s
keep the pressure on and your body guessing by introducing our last step in the
process: the legs.
Nothing fancy here; just drill getting both hands and feet off the floor.
For this progression and all the others that follow, there’s a trick to getting
enough height. You see, you can’t expect to go very far up if you keep your
body straight like a post. It would be like trying to jump without bending the
knees. Not gonna happen!
To generate enough impetus, you will need to push your chest and shoulders up
first (leaving your back and legs lag behind), then – with your knees slightly
bent– spring with your feet and throw that butt up.

We’re starting off with this easy variation to really build the habit and motion
into your limbs.
Achieving the required 12 reps for 3 sets shouldn’t take you too long.
Progression #3.08: Asian Carp PU
Ever seen those flying fish on the Discovery channel, jumping out of the water
and standing there proudly, like suspended in the air, before disappearing back
into the blue of the ocean?
Let’s take a page out of their book and do the same.
Starting in your regular PU position, you will need to produce enough power to
take off and bring your hands to your thighs (which is what will give us that
“fish look”.) Watch out for the landing, alright? Don’t want the fish to go dead.

Stay with it until you can crank out 3 sets of 10 reps.
Progression #3.09: Flying Superman PU
Enough with the fish and the other flying crap; we started on this quest to look
like superheroes and nothing less, right?
Get your taste of what it feels like to be Superman for a second as you bust his
signature move and straighten your arms out.
What else is there to say? Practice your flying Superman and develop physical
skills that will rival his!

This exercise is in fact so great you could maybe keep on aligning the
repetitions, adding more and more of them with time. But if you can go over 10
reps for 3 sets, I would find a new challenge to keep you growing. NEVER rest
on your laurels.
Progression #3.10: Ride-the-Bike PU
You may not have to wear a helmet to perform this variation but the ride-thebike
PU (where you will take a position reminiscent of a guy on a race bike) will
surely make your heart beat faster as if you were truly dashing through the city
streets on your faithful metal steed.
When you leave the floor with your push-up, you will tuck your knees and bring
your hands to them before returning to your initial position.

This is a preparatory step to the next progression. Make sure you nailed it and
can manage 10 reps x 3 before attempting the Aztec.
Progression #3.11: Aztec PU
The Aztec is not only one of the hardest progressions in this book; it’s one of the
most demanding bodyweight movements you could find!
Where some exercises like levers require strength, or flexibility for back bridges,
here you will need it all: speed, power, agility and motor control!
In a nutshell, you will have to come and touch your hands to your shins/feet
while in the air. I know, crazy!

8 reps per set should suffice.
Progression #3.12: Kuki PU
No doubt about it, the Kuki is the best of the best when it comes to plyo pushups.
It’s a flying PU where you’ll need to bring your hands all the way behind
you to clap them in your back.
I must confess, I don’t quite have it yet… but, hey, I’m like you buddy, I’ve got
to work too if I want to own these exercises! Nothing comes easy to anyone!
Hopefully, it shouldn’t be too long before I add it to my list of accomplishments.

In the end, no matter at which progression you find yourself, the key will always
be hard work. Keep practicing and never give up, and success is inevitable!
NOTE: after a while, if you want to mix things up a little bit, you can translate
some of these plyo principles to your dips. Adding jumps and claps will always
do wonders to develop your power. Just something to keep at the back of your
mind.
Putting It All Together
You read it all and feel like taking on the challenge? Perfect! Here’s a recap of
how you’ll need to proceed to secure that dream chest.
First things first, before we even embark on our first session, you’ll need to
choose a day to test your skills to know EXACTLY where you stand. Don’t
take a wild guess or tell yourself this or that progression seems too easy to even
bother with. You need to actually PROVE you can skip a variation by doing the
required number of reps and sets. This is non-negotiable! OK?
Once you know which progressions you ought to drill (because you’ll have

failed at them), we’ll begin our first workout with a slight warm-up. It’s an
important step that too many people neglect… until they get hurt and earn
themselves weeks of forced rest.
Get the habit early on so that, eventually, you’ll do it without even thinking.
When you’ll be working those advanced progressions where your wrists will be
put under a lot of pressure, you’ll be glad you did.
First step in the warm-up process: prepare your body by running for a few
minutes, doing some jumping rope or any other light activity that will have your
heartbeat go up.
Then, loosen up your joints and muscles by swinging your arms both ways,
doing wrist and hips rotations, turning your head around in circles.
And finally, do a few sets of an easy enough PU variation. Let’s say you’re
working on your wide push-ups for now, you could do some knee push-ups to
get your upper body ready, for example.
Now, onto the program per se. For the first few weeks, we’ll be focusing on 2
exercises only: our dips and the push-ups from the very first category (leading
up to the 1-arm decline.)
We won’t yet tackle plyos or any advanced push-ups from the 01b group as we
need to lay the foundation first. We need to become stronger, toughen up our
joints and build some mass before we take on the big moves. Got to learn to
catch small fish before you jump in with the sharks, right?
You’ll thus be doing 3 sets of maximum reps for both dips and regular push-up
progressions. Don’t forget to note down your numbers for the day. Keeping a log
is extremely important to achieving success as this gives you a clear view of
your progress over time. Numbers don’t lie.
When you’ll have become strong enough for tackling the archer PU, this is
where you’ll start including 1 exercise from the 01b category (that you’ll be
switching around from session to session) and going through the plyo
progressions.
You’ll want to leave enough rest to your muscles to recover and grow. That’s
why we’ll keep our sessions to 2-3 times a week maximum. Speaking of
growth, also make sure you got your nutrition and sleep under control. Like
we’ve seen, building muscle requires protein, but you also need your 8 hours of

sleep a night to be fresh enough to give it your all.
When all is said and done, we don’t need to make it harder than it really is. Once
you know what to do (that is follow the progressions laid out in this book), it’s
only a matter of putting in the work and not giving up.

Conclusion: Your Armor Plated Chest, Only a Few
Weeks Away?
Think about it: you could be only a few weeks/months away from getting that
thick and manly chest you’ve been craving for so long.
No more man boobs to have you feel insecure. No more flat chest to make it
look like you’re dressing two sizes above yours.
Don’t you find that prospect just exhilarating? To know that a new life is at
your fingertips, that you’re in total control and the only obstacle still in your
way is your mere motivation?
You WILL build a powerful set of pecs that will be the envy of all IF you stick
to this program. I’ve shown you everything you needed to know to go from zero
to superhero!
But at some point, I’ve got to step back to let you man up and show you can
walk the talk. You’re the only person who can dictate what your future will hold.
Not me. Not anyone else. You’re the true master of your destiny!
So, you’ve got to make a choice now. You’ve got all the keys in your hand to
unlock the door to that ideal image of you. Will you make that vision a reality or
will you stall and find excuses? It’s all up to you, buddy!

Want to Reach Your Full Potential?
If you feel like getting serious and investing in yourself, check out the “Real
Life Superman” series; my progressive method to become the very best version
of yourself you can be:
Volume I: the Strength & Conditioning Edition – Build Muscle, Increase
Your Stamina and Become a True War Machine; Volume II: the Fighting
Edition – Learn How to Become Tougher, Deadlier and More Fearless; Volume
III: the Invincible Mind Edition – Free Your Mind from Its Shackles and
Unleash Your Full Potential; Volume IV: the Action & Adventure Edition –
Seize Every Opportunity and Make an Adventure of Your Life.

Let’s Keep In Touch
Now that this book comes to an end, I’d like to extend a hand to you. I feel like
we’re somehow connected now. I hope that the content of this guide resonated
with you and your past experiences, that you could identify with my journey, my
ambitions and setbacks. If that’s the case, no matter where you are in life today,
we’re kindred spirits with yet a lot to share!
That’s why I’d like to keep in touch; so we can continue to progress together.
We’ve both embarked on a road that knows no end, a road to perfection that can
sometimes get very lonely when no one else around you can relate. We can offer
each other that support. We can help each other become better!
Whether you have a question to ask, a comment or suggestion you’d like to
make, or if you simply want to tell me about your goals and the progress you’ve
already made, you can reach me:
Via my site: http://reallifesuperman.com
Or my email address: markus@reallifesuperman.com
It’ll be my pleasure to help!
Speaking of help, if you have 2 minutes to spare, I’d like to ask for yours. I need
your feedback to find out if I’m on the right track. If you could do me a favor
and drop a word or two about this book on Amazon, it would mean the world to
me!
I thank you in advance and I’ll see you soon, my friend.

About the Author
A black belt in Karate, ring-tested kickboxer who also holds a university degree
in Psychology, I have to admit I know a thing or two about kicking butt and
imposing my will on my foes. However, the real adversary I’ve always been
looking to vanquish – whether in CrossFit competitions, in a race or a fight – has
never been anyone else but me.

I believe in the Latin phrase mens sana in corpore sano and try to honor that
spirit every chance I get by looking for new, more efficient ways to improve
myself and reach the next level. Through my trials and errors, I’ve accumulated
a vast wealth of knowledge. Not only on the quickest means to attain one’s
physical peak but also on what it takes to toughen up mentally and develop a
sharp, indestructible mind.
In this series of books, I intend to share with you everything I’ve learned in close
to 20 years of studying and perfecting my training. It is the next natural step for
me: to put into words all that baggage made of sensations, hard-earned habits
and unspoken truths; to extract its very essence without holding anything back.
And by so doing, not only will I get better, you will as well!
Some of the facts I’ll lay out will surprise you, others may come as a shock, but
rest assured that they represent the fastest shortcut to success. So, if you’re
ready for the change of a lifetime, let’s get started and discover the Superhero
who had been hiding inside you all along!
Sincerely,