CHEST & BACK, Part 2 - Beginner

CHEST AND BACK, Part 2: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced

Do the four beginner exercises for 4 weeks.
  • WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 10–12 repetitions of each
  • WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10

Bilateral Cable Rear Lateral Raise


  1. Attach two stirrup handles to the low cables of a cable-crossover station.
  2. Grab the left handle with your right hand and the right handle with your left, and stand in the middle of the station. Keep your back flat, and bend at the waist and knees until your upper body is parallel to the floor. Your arms should be crossed in front of you and slightly bent.
  3. Raise your arms until they're parallel to the floor, without changing the angle of your elbows.
  4. Pause, then slowly return your arms to the starting position

Single-Arm Row (Elbow Out)


  1. Grab a dumbbell in your left hand and place your right hand and right knee on a flat bench. Keep your back flat and your upper body parallel to the floor. Let your left arm hang straight down from your shoulder, and turn your palm so that it's facing your left leg.
  2. Raise your left upper arm out to the side until it's just past parallel to the floor. Your upper arm should be perpendicular to your body at the top of the move. Your lower arm should be pointing toward the floor.
  3. Pause, then slowly lower the weight to the starting position.

Wide-Grip Barbell Chest Press (Feet Elevated)

  1. Lie on your back on a flat bench with your hips bent 90 degrees and feet up in the air. (Keeping your feet elevated forces you to balance on the bench, which calls more muscle fibers into play.)
  2. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, your hands a bit farther apart than for a standard bench press, and lift it off the uprights. Hold it over your chin at arm's length.
  3. Slowly lower the bar until it nearly touches the middle of your chest.
  4. Pause, then push the bar back up until your arms are straight and the bar is over your chin again.

Decline Fly


  1. Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on a decline bench. Hold the dumbbells directly over your lower chest, with your elbows slightly bent and thumbs turned toward each other.
  2. Slowly lower the dumbbells and bring them slightly back toward your shoulders until your upper arms are parallel with the floor and in line with your ears.
  3. Pause, then lift the dumbbells back to the starting position.