‘The Godfather of Bodybuilding’ Charles Glass has perfected exercise techniques thanks to decades of experience training elite athletes. In a recent YouTube video aired on December 9, 2024, he offered high incline bench tips for growing the upper pecs which were used by bodybuilding legends Dexter Jackson and Flex Wheeler.
Known for his attention to detail, Charles Glass emerged as a prominent bodybuilding coach with a hands-on and analytical approach to training. He shaped top-caliber IFBB Pros at the height of their careers, including Flex Wheeler, Dexter Jackson, the late Shawn Rhoden, Dennis James, and Chris Cormier.
Glass has also worked alongside celebrities, helping them reach their ideal physiques for the big screen. Guiding high-profile talents like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and ‘Hollywood’ Hulk Hogan, Glass uses proprietary methods to enhance training outcomes for any individual he chooses to assist. In his latest venture, he broke down how to build Olympia-worthy upper pecs.
Build Olympia-Worthy Upper Pecs With Charles Glass’ Training Tips Used by Dexter Jackson and Flex Wheeler
When trying to build the upper pecs, Glass always starts with the incline bench. He believes the bench angle should be a little higher than 45 degrees for optimal results.
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“I always start out with incline because I’m trying to build more upper pec. I like to do it a lot steeper than most people.
Most people like it below 45 [degrees] because they have more power and they can push more but they are not really working that top part of that pec. In order to work that top part, it has to be a little higher.”
At this angle, he does concede that there will be shoulder involvement but emphasizes that the upper pec will be effectively stimulated.
“Of course, you’ll get some shoulder involvement but the thing of it is, you work that upper pec so much and if you do it right, you work from here all the way across [the chest] to where you have the lower, you’re working down here [lower on the pec line]. That part never gets worked. But if you look at most of my clients, we have a higher incline,” he said.
He explained that his clients Cormier, Wheeler, Rico McClinton, Jackson, and Aaron Baker also used a higher-incline bench setup,
“They all have real thick upper pecs, Cormier, Flex Wheeler, Rico McClinton, Dexter Jackson, Aaron Baker, they all had really good upper pec. And we never did it low. What I mean by low, for me, that’s low [below 45 degrees]. You can handle a lot more weight that way.”
“Top shelf you got to go higher.”
This wasn’t Charles Glass’ first detailed workout demonstration. He recently explained how to tone the chest in just two weeks using his ultimate workout of six exercises. From offering guidance on setup to execution of the movements, Glass provided a comprehensive breakdown, revealing every step that needs to be taken for a powerful chest.
With years of experience coaching top-level athletes in the Men’s Open, Glass is an invaluable resource of knowledge for the bodybuilding community. Give his chest training tips a try the next time you make it to the gym.
RELATED: ‘Godfather of Bodybuilding’ Charles Glass Names Best Protein Source and #1 Exercise to Build Muscle
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