Kai Greene – favorite chest exercises:
In the off season, Kai weighs about 300 pounds (about 135kg) of very good muscle mass. Right before the competition Kai weighs about 275 (about 125kg) superbly sculpted muscles, full of striations and separations. When you look at him closely, you simply wonder how it is possible for a man to have so many muscles on him and for them to be so pronounced.
Kai is one of the best bodybuilders in the world today. Along with Phil Heat, Kai serves as a role model and motivation for any competitors.
Everyone knows that Kai has a phenomenally developed back, especially latissimus, then monstrous legs, an incredible peak of biceps, but his trump card is also his chest muscles. His upper chest segment separates from his collarbones as if carved out, and the sides of his chest also look incredibly chiseled.
So, how does he do it? Let’s find out.
Monday is certainly not a bench press day, as it is for many. If you want to truly understand his personality and approach to training, forget the stereotypes and what most people think, like and do. No two training sessions at Kai are exactly the same. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to tell what Kai is training that day, and when it comes to chest training, sometimes you can’t even figure out what he wants to achieve since the exercises are constantly changing, as well as the number of work sets, repetitions, intensity and volume of training and the like.
WARM UP
If there is already no regularity in his work portion of training, then the warm-up could be labeled as a shade more predictable. He usually starts on the stepper machine to work his massive thighs and glutes up and down and get the body pumping. He talks little, preparing his will for the work ahead.
Kai usually uses some of the following exercises during the warm-up: Dumbbell pullover, incline row, pull-ups, stretches, etc. Whatever exercise is chosen, it is performed with a low load, with a high number of repetitions. Therefore, the emphasis is placed on the blood supply to the muscle tissue. Each repetition works through a full range of motion. If he is preparing to train his chest, he will pay special attention to his shoulders and elbows during the warm-up.
TRAINING
Kai is also known for the fact that he often includes some more exotic exercises in his training that few professionals perform, such as Zotman curls, Zerher’s deadlift and the like. However, there are those movements that Kai does almost constantly when it comes to any muscle group.
Exercise 1: Bench Press / 4-5 sets, 4-12 repetitions
Kai constantly emphasizes that he has never been and never will be a weightlifter, but that he is a Bodybuilder. Therefore, he is not interested in the total load with which he trains, the only thing that interests him is concentration in his head and strong contractions in reality. As for the bench press, it can be noted that his grip is a little wider than usual. He does this because he thinks that if he narrows his grip, he’ll get the triceps involved more in the movement, so he’ll trick himself into thinking he’s done a good set just because he managed to squeeze in a few extra reps thanks to the triceps work. He wants to train chest in chest training! Regardless of his usual workload, Kai is also considered one of the strongest competitors in the bodybuilding world.
Exercise 2: Incline press / 3-5 sets, 3-12 reps
Again, whether this is his first or last set, whether he’s doing 3 reps or 12 reps, his form on every rep is flawless. On the negative part of the movement, Kai lowers the bar until his arms are parallel to the ground and the bar just touches his chest. Also, Kai often throws in descending sets on the incline press, or flat, with a rest period between each set long enough to just take the weights off and reset to do the next set in the superset.
Although the weight is reduced, each additional rep is harder on Kai’s tired chest, but he continues to perform each subsequent rep in great form knowing that with each rep he is stimulating his muscles to grow.
Exercise 3: Dumbbell pull-up / 3-5 sets, 8-15 repetitions
Stretches are often performed on an inclined or flat bench for the Bench. Sometimes he inserts stretching after push-ups, and sometimes between push-up exercises, and sometimes he uses the stretching movement as a pre-stimulation of the muscles, and then starts performing large push-up movements. In the stretching exercise, the range of repetitions is a little more pronounced and depends on the moment in the training. Regardless, each rep is performed in deep, almost identical movements throughout the set.
Exercise 4: Crossover Cable Pull / 3-5 sets, 12-20 reps
Kai knows that with this exercise he can finish the pectoralis well with a full stretch as he pulls the grip extensions away from him and a very strong contraction as he pulls them towards him. He often varies the movement and position of his hands during this exercise, so you can see him pulling the extensions towards his stomach, chest and even his head.
Here’s an example of a chest workout by Kai Greene:
Bench press / 4-5 series, 4-12 repetitions
Incline press / 3-5 sets, 3-12 repetitions
Stretching with dumbbells / 3-5 series, 8-15 repetitions
Cable pulls on the crossover machine / 3-5 sets, 12-20 reps