| Back when I was playing college baseball and | | | | week of doing all the unique pull-ups, I was able to |
| going to the gym every day, I thought that I | | | | do only 4-5 for each set, but noticed that my |
| would be able to build my chest and back a lot | | | | muscles were the most sore they have ever |
| more than I actually did. I figured that by going to | | | | been in that area. As each week passed by, I |
| the gym every day, I would at least see some | | | | noticed that I was able to do more and more |
| improvement each week in these muscle groups, | | | | pull-ups until I got to the point where I was |
| but it seemed that I fell into a plateau and could | | | | busting out 15-20 pull-ups for each set! |
| never really get beyond it. That was until I | | | | Remember, the most I could ever do was 8, and |
| discovered P90X, a program that incorporates | | | | I just blew that number out of the water after |
| many push-ups and pull-ups to develop the chest | | | | just a month! I learned, though, that it's very |
| and back. These traditional exercises are what | | | | important to focus on proper form. This includes |
| helped me get a ton of definition in my chest and | | | | pulling up as far as possible and then lowering until |
| back, something I have never experienced! | | | | you can't lower anymore! |
| I have never been a fan of pull-ups, and quite | | | | Proper form is just as important for push-ups as |
| frankly hated doing them in the gym. I would do a | | | | it is pull-ups. I never believed that traditional |
| set of 4 or 5 wide grip pull-ups and then quit for | | | | push-ups would build my chest to where I wanted |
| the rest of the workout. It just wasn't enjoyable | | | | it to be. I guess you can say that I was a skeptic! |
| for me! I relied on lat-pull downs to develop my | | | | That was until I did complete workouts that |
| back, but really that wasn't enough to get good | | | | focused just on push-ups! You want soreness? |
| results. I would occasionally do some lawnmowers, | | | | Try doing 45 minutes of nothing but different |
| but never followed proper form, so it was pretty | | | | push-up exercises! I could barely make it through |
| much pointless as well. I never had the proper | | | | the second half of the workout. As hard as it is |
| instruction either, which doesn't help. Then I began | | | | to swallow my pride, I admit that I could only do |
| the program, and I wanted to make sure I | | | | 2-3 push-ups during the second half. Yeah, it's |
| strictly followed it because I saw how it worked | | | | embarrassing, but oh well! Long story short, doing |
| for others. | | | | just these traditional push-ups built my chest |
| Like I mentioned above, pull-ups are the main | | | | more than ever before. I even have veins |
| exercises to develop the back. During the first | | | | popping out of my chest now! |