Sam Sulek & Larry Wheels Use 5 Chest Training Techniques to Excel in Classic Physique

Warm-Up

Sulek begins with a 15-20 minute warm-up routine, focusing on light cable triceps extensions. He incorporated rotator cuff exercises and cable presses using D-handles. Similarly, Wheels warmed up on the pec deck, performing two sets of 20-50 reps over five minutes. 

Always start with pec deck.

—Larry Wheels

Incline Chest Press & Lying Pec Deck Flye

Sulek began with the incline machine chest presses, performing five to 10 reps. Both athletes pushed to failure on their final set.

Wheels proposed plate-loaded pec deck with sets of seven reps. Sulek followed suit, finishing with partial reps.

Neutral Grip Chest Press & Peck Dec Flye

Wheels tried a neutral grip chest press to relieve stress from his shoulders. Sulek spotted Wheels as he controls the load, pausing briefly at the top. Sulek controlled the eccentric during his turn. 

Machine Chest Press & High Cable Chest Flye

They finished with cable chest flyes for a deep stretch. Wheels reached failure, stopping to comment that his shoulders burned as his chest stopped responding. Sulek maximized the squeeze with every rep, increasing tempo toward the end of the set to failure.

Wheels & Sulek’s Training Techniques

Adequate Warm-Up

Warming up gradually elevates heart rate, boosts blood flow, raises muscle temperature, enhances muscle flexibility, and reduces risk of strains and injuries. (1)

Training to Muscle Failure

Training to failure is widely regarded as an effective method for promoting muscle hypertrophy. Pushing to failure recruits a more muscle fibers, including those with higher activation thresholds, ultimately stimulating greater muscle growth. 

A study published in Frontiers in Physiology highlighted that reaching muscle failure during low-intensity resistance training can maximize muscle hypertrophy in trained individuals. (2)

Partial Reps

Partial reps enable athletes to overload targeted muscle fibers to overcome sticking points. Partial reps can significantly enhance muscle strength. (3)

Full Range of Motion

Wheels trained through his full ROM during chest presses, which can improve joint mobility and flexibility but also enhances muscle activation, promoting greater growth. Research suggests training through full ROM leads to significantly greater increases in muscle size compared to partial range training, particularly in the lower body. (4)

Time Under Tension

Time under tension promotes muscle growth and strength by increasing the duration muscles remain under stress. (5)

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References

1. Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0 
2. Nóbrega, S. R., & Libardi, C. A. (2016). Is Resistance Training to Muscular Failure Necessary?. Frontiers in physiology, 7, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00010 
3. Massey, C. D., Vincent, J., Maneval, M., Moore, M., & Johnson, J. T. (2004). An analysis of full range of motion vs. partial range of motion training in the development of strength in untrained men. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 18(3), 518–521. https://doi.org/10.1519/13263.1 
4. Schoenfeld, B. J., & Grgic, J. (2020). Effects of range of motion on muscle development during resistance training interventions: A systematic review. SAGE open medicine, 8, 2050312120901559. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312120901559
5. Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200

Featured image: @sam_sulek on Instagram