20+ Pre-Wedding Chest & Back Workouts You MUST TRY!
In no particular order, here are my favorite workouts for my chest and back (including the armpit fat). On CHEST + BACK Day, pick 5 from the list below and let it burn!
Shoot for 60 mins (minimum 45) of pumping!
START W/ CARDIO
30 Mins - Your Choice Before or After
Cardio before will warm up your muscles, but if you’re feeling tired save the cardio for last and prioritize the workouts.
POSITION
Make sure your shoulders are back, chest out, chin up & abs tight!
Never let your knees go over your toes when lunging and squatting...knees should always be @ a 90 degree angle.
WEIGHT
Start with moderate to heavy weight - end with heavy | The more you lift, the less reps you will be able to do - this is fine!
When you add weight, you build muscle | Light or no weight burns out and tones (lean muscle).
WORKOUT
Complete 45-60 mins of any combination of the following workouts!
END
15 mins Core
HAVE FUN!
CHEST + BACK DAY WORKOUTS
Push Ups
Everyone knows these - get to it!
3 Sets of 20
Seated Cable Row
On your cable row machine attach a close grip handle. Drive your elbows back and squeeze your back. Complete 4 sets of 12 reps. The 5th set is a squeeze set. Drop the weight, hold each rep for a 2-second count...10 reps.
Wide Grip Pulldowns x Underhand Stretchers
Complete 12 wide grip lat pull downs immediately followed by 12 underhand stretchers.
4 sets of 12 reps each.
Kayak Rows
Attach a straight bar to a cable set at the highest attachment. With an overhand grip, press the bar down to one side and squeeze, then down to the other side and squeeze. You should feel a tightness/contraction in your lower lat for these.
4 sets of 12 reps - 6 each side.
Floor Lat Pull x Straight Arm Push Down
Attach a straight bar to the cable at the highest setting. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, sit on the floor and complete 12 pull downs. Keep your core tight. Stand and immediately complete 12 overhand push downs.
4 sets of 12 reps.
Hex Press x Push Ups
On an incline bench, place the dumbbells just under your chest/at your upper abdomen. Press them up and keep them touching the entire time. Complete 12 reps, then immediately do push-ups on the back of the incline bench until failure.
4 sets of 12 reps each.
Cable Cross Pull x Cable Holds
Set the cables to the highest setting and don’t attach any handles (I'll attach handles to protect my hands). Grab left cable in right hand and right cable in left hand. Get down on your knees and bring your elbows down. Get a good stretch at the top. Complete 10 reps then stand, uncross them and complete 10 cable holds - pause at the bottom of each rep for 3 seconds.
4 sets of 10-12 reps each
Shoulder-width Lat Pulldown
On your lat pulldown machine, grab the bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Drive your elbows down and squeeze your back. 4 sets of 10-12 reps. A 5th set will be a squeeze set. Drop the weight and hold for 2 seconds at the bottom of each rep, 10 reps or until failure.
Back Extensions
Adjust the machine so that your·feet are firmly hooked under the footpads. Position your lower body across the large pad provided for this purpose. Slowly bend at the waist until the upper body is at 90 degrees to the lower body. Extend to the starting position and stretch upward just slightly so that the back is in hyperextension. This is a gentle reverse arching of the back - do not push it too far.
4 sets of 10
Single Arm Smith Row x Inverted Pull Up
Focusing on driving your elbows straight back with upper body parallel to the floor, complete 10 overhand rows with your right arm then 10 rows with your left arm on the smith machine. Immediately after, complete 10 inverted smith pull-ups.
4 sets of each.
Single Arm Push Downs
Attach a single handle to your cable set at the highest setting. With a palms down grip, press the handle down and squeeze your lat.
4 sets of 12 reps on each arm.
Underhand Barbell Rows
You can use a barbell or the smith machine for these. Bend over at about a 90-degree angle, drive your elbows back and squeeze your back.
4 sets of 12 reps.
Dumbbell Pullovers
Lie flat on your back on a bench with a single dumbbell in your hands. Allow the dumbbell to come down even with your head/parallel to the floor, then press it back up.
4 sets of 12 reps.
Single Arm Cable Row x Close Grip Underhand Row
Attach a single handle to your seated cable row. Press your elbow back and squeeze your lat. Complete 12 reps on each side then hold the handle with both hands and complete 12 more rows. 4 sets of each.
Together Rows x Hyperextensions
Bring two dumbbells over to the hyperextension machine. Get in position, grab your dumbbells and complete 10 wide rows, drop the weight and complete 10 hyperextensions.
4 sets of each.
