Having full and muscular pecs is an extremely important aspect of bodybuilding not only for professionals but also for every individual that wishes to have an aesthetically pleasing Physique. Godfather of bodybuilding Charles Glass shared an amazing technique to build the upper chest in a recent video posted on his YouTube channel.
Charles Glass is a retired bodybuilder and one of the most respected bodybuilding coaches in the industry. In his recent video, Glass advised incorporating a guillotine press to build the upper chest.
Guillotine press is a chest exercise similar to bench press that targets the chest muscles. Done with a regular barbell or Smith machine, guillotine press is typically done on a flat bench. Instead of taking the barbell down to chest like in the standard bench press, the individual performing the guillotine press has to press the bar to the clavicle. This increases the tension in the pec muscles and results in more gains.
Charles Glass’s tips to perform guillotine press for maximum gains
In the video, Charles Glass advised his associates to keep a pad under their upper back while laying down flat on the bench to perform the guillotine press. According to Glass, this elevated posture opens up the chest and negates the involvement of any other muscles during the exercise. This, in turn, forces the chest muscles to do the work and brings massive gains.
“With the pad, the chest is now already open. So when you do the guillotine, it doesn’t work any other part,” Charles Glass said.
Glass demonstrated the greater expansion and contraction of chest muscles during guillotine press by instructing his associate to perform the workout without t-shirt.
About Guillotine Press
It is advised to perform guillotine press with slow eccentric movement. Also, the person has to press the bar as far down as he can without causing pain in the shoulders. Ideally, the beginners should start it weights that are roughly 30% of their bench press max.
The guillotine press is a great chest exercise that specifically targets the upper chest. However, it does not necessarily help improve bench press performance or strength.
A common mistake associated with the guillotine press is going heavy with a shorter range of motion. However, the amount of weight is not the most effective factor in this workout. The key to get maximum benefit from guillotine press is to perform with a full range of motion. A slow eccentric phase and holding the bar at the bottom before lifting back up are other important aspects.
Courtesy of Charles Glass YouTube channel, you can watch the full video here:
