Learn the answers to these four questions and you'll build muscle faster than ever




Workout by: Michael Boyle












Over
the course of my career as a strength coach, I've trained thousands of
athletes, including all-stars from the NBA, NFL, and NHL. So every
month for the past 25 years, I've logged more hours in the gym than
most guys do in their lifetimes. And I've probably heard the question
"Whaddya bench?" at least once a day.




Enough already. And not just for the sake of my sanity. I can tell
you that when it comes to your workout, there are far more important
questions. Questions that, combined with the right answers, will help
you bust through longtime lifting plateaus and slash your risk of
injury. Ready to pack on new muscle, build superstrength, and engineer
a high-performance body? Your education starts now.

















Can You Row Your Body Weight 10 Times?

There's
a saying, If you're not rowing, your muscles aren't growing. And
there's no better way to start doing both than with an exercise called
the inverted row, or body-weight row.

Besides
being a great pure muscle builder, the inverted row is valuable because
it strengthens your rear shoulders and upper back. These oft-neglected
muscles directly oppose the muscles used in the bench press--a benefit
that can help prevent a slumped posture. Think of it this way: If you
bench-press far more than you row, the stronger muscles on the front of
your upper body will overpower the weaker ones on the back, pulling
your shoulders forward.

If
you can't do 10 perfect repetitions of the inverted row, chances are
you have a serious imbalance. The fix? Do two sets of the inverted row
for every one set of bench presses (or other chest exercise) that you
perform. Use this approach until you eliminate your weak spot.
How to do it:
At a Smith machine, grab the bar with an overhand grip and place your
heels on the floor, with your legs straight. Pull your chest to the
bar, pause, and lower yourself until your arms are straight. To count
as a rep, your chest must touch the bar.

















Do You Squat Low Enough?

When
I ask the average gym rat whether he squats until his thighs are
parallel to the floor, 99.9 percent of the time he says, "Yes." Then I
watch him squat. My reaction is almost always the same: Does he
understand what "parallel" means? Is he confusing it with "45 degrees"?





I define a proper parallel squat as lowering your
body until the tops of your thighs, not the bottoms, are at least
parallel to the floor. This small detail typically amounts to at least
a 2-inch difference. And when it comes to building muscle, inches
matter. That's because the greater your range of motion, the more
muscle fibers you'll activate, and the bigger you'll grow. Sure, a
shallow squat is less taxing, but shouldn't that tell you something?





Don't rely on a mirror to keep you honest; it
leaves room for interpretation. Instead, tightly control your depth by
squatting with a 12-inch box or a large medicine ball beneath you. (A
typical bench doesn't work, since it stands 18 inches high.) If you're
not touching the box on every repetition, you're not squatting deep
enough.





How to do it: Stand with your
heels just in front of a 12-inch box or other object. It can even be a
cardboard box, since you won't be placing your weight on it. Initiate
the movement by pushing your hips back. Bend your hips and knees to
lower your body until your butt lightly touches the top of the box
(don't sit on it), then press back up to the starting position.



















Have You Abandoned the Pushup?

I
hope your answer is no. Because I've spent a lot of time coaching
athletes, I far prefer the pushup to the bench press. After all,
athletes don't typically spend a lot of time lying on their backs
pushing up, unless they aren't very good at their sport.





So why train them that way? And besides working
your pecs and triceps, the pushup engages your core, your lats, and
just about every other muscle in your upper body. That makes it one of
the most useful and efficient movements in any guy's exercise arsenal.





Think you're too strong for the pushup? Try the
challenge I give to like-minded athletes: Assume a pushup position, but
place your feet on a bench. Then have a partner place a 25-pound weight
plate on your back, at the level of your shoulder blades. Now try to do
20 pushups with perfect form. Until you can pass this test, there's no
reason to bother with the bench press.





How to do it: Keep your body
rigid, in a straight line from your ankles to your head, and lower it
as a single unit until your nose touches the floor. Then press back up
until your arms are completely straight. Want an even greater
challenge? I have my athletes perform the exercise with their hands on
a BOSU ball (dome down), which adds an element of instability, forcing
the core and shoulder muscles to work even harder.



















How Much Can You Chin?

That's
not a typo. Unlike in the bench press, most guys gauge chinup
performance by how many reps they can complete, not the amount of
weight they can lift. But Australian researchers determined you should
be able to do a chinup with as much weight as you can bench-press. This
validates an observation I've made training athletes: Shoulder injuries
rise significantly once a guy can bench-press 15 percent more than he
can chin.


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RELATED CONTENT


For a customizable chinup plan, check out "Your 10-Chinup Challenge"


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To figure out how you measure up, do as many
chinups as you can with your body weight, then compare that with the
number of reps you can bench-press using the same weight. Let's say you
weigh 180 pounds and can complete five chinups. Your strength balance
is ideal if you can do, at most, five reps of the bench press with 180
pounds. If you can pump out 10 reps with that weight, however, you're
substantially stronger in the bench, and a candidate for shoulder
trouble.




How to do it: Grab a chinup bar with an underhand
grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Hang with your arms straight. Pull
your body up until your chin clears the bar, then slowly lower back
down.






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