• 🧠 Why Goals Matter

• 🏋️ Build a Bigger Chest

• 🥣 A Power Turkey Panini

• 💥 Manage CNS Fatigue

👇 Dive in and Set the Standard!

There’s a difference between working hard because you want to and working hard because you’re afraid of what will happen if you don’t.

I didn’t understand that for a long time. A lot of us don’t. We attribute our consistency to discipline or being “built different.”

But sometimes what we’re really doing is trying to earn our own self-worth every day.

And when your habits come from a feeling that you’re not enough, it doesn’t matter how big or strong you get; you’ll never feel like you’ve arrived.

When this insight hit me, I had to ask myself something that honestly shook me:

“Am I choosing my goals because they are important to me, or because I need them to feel okay?”

The answer to that question reveals everything.

When a goal is fear-based, you feel tense, rushed, and heavy. When a goal is chosen freely, you feel grounded, focused, and light. You work just as hard, but the fuel you use burns cleaner.

Our motivations become apparent this time of year. The days get short, the weather turns, work gets hectic, and the holidays throw a monkey wrench into our routines.

This can really mess with you if you forget that it’s okay to back off a bit. When your structure is grounded in choice, not fear, you don’t break when your routine gets disrupted. You adjust and stay in the game.

So here’s the move in the weeks ahead:

Choose a few non-negotiables that keep you feeling like you. Not everything. Just the essentials that support your energy and mental health. For example:

• Train for quality, even if the session is shorter.

• Hit a simple protein target at each meal.

• Take 10 minutes each morning to reset before the day starts.

The goal isn’t to power through the holidays with perfection. The goal is to stay connected to your discipline in a way that feels good and is sustainable.

Because when you choose your structure, instead of being ruled by it, you don’t lose momentum when life gets busy. You stay on track.

Remember: Discipline hits different when it comes from peace, not pressure.

Set the Standard.

Chris

Build a Bigger Chest

This chest workout will help you get bigger and stronger by controlling the eccentric, training the angles that support the lift, and keeping your shoulder mechanics rock-solid.

This 6-week block rotates pressing angles slowly (every 2–3 weeks), wave-loads your main bench pattern, and doubles down on upper back strength to give you a stable, powerful press.

📍 Goal: Increase bench strength + upper chest and triceps development
⏱ Rest: 2–3 min on A-series; 60–90 sec on accessories
🎯 Tempo Key: e.g., 4/0/1/0 = 4-sec eccentric, smooth drive up

🔥 Warm-Up (Always) — 5 minutes

✅ Banded External Rotations — 12/side
✅ Scapular Push-Ups — 10
✅ Face Pulls (light) — 15
✅ 2 × Warm-Up Bench Sets @ 50–70% of working weight, slow pace

🏋️ A-Series: The Bench Driver (Wave Load)

Weeks 1–3: 8 reps → 6 reps → 10 reps
Weeks 4–6: Repeat cycle with slightly heavier loads
Do NOT change the movement every week; keep it stable.

A. Incline Barbell Press (10–15° incline) • 4 × 6–8 @ 4/0/1/0
→ Upper chest strength = better bottom position drive

Or (alternate every 2–3 weeks):

• Flat Barbell Bench (competition grip)

• Slight-Decline Barbell Press

💥 B-Series: Prime the Push

B1. Close-Grip Barbell or DB Bench • 3 × 6–8 @ 3/0/1/0
→ Triceps = lockout power

B2. Low-to-High Cable Fly • 3 × 10–12 @ 2/0/1/1
→ Peak contraction reinforces upper chest engagement

Rest: 90 sec after each superset.

🏗 C-Series: Upper Back = Bench Foundation

C1. Chest-Supported Row (supinated grip) • 4 × 8–10 @ 3/0/1/1
C2. Prone Y-Raise (light) • 3 × 12–15 @ 2/1/1/1

Upper back creates the pressing platform. No strong shelf = no strong bench.

🔒 D-Series: Shoulder Armor + Stability

D1. Single-Arm Cable External Rotation • 3 × 12–15
D2. Dead Hang • 2 × 45–60 sec
→ Rest 60 sec between

Keeps shoulders healthy and maintains a clean bar path.

🔥 Optional Finisher (If You Want the Pump)

Dumbbell Pullover • 2 × 12–15 @ 3/0/1/0
→ Ribcage expansion + serratus activation = better pressing mechanics

💡 Programming Notes

• Rotate pressing angle every 2–3 weeks, not every session. Micro-variation, not chaos.

• Wave loading (8 → 6 → 10) builds strength → peak → back off.

• Tempo is your coach. Don’t rush the eccentric; it’s where growth is.

• If shoulders feel cranky: swap barbell volume → machine/cable volume temporarily.

🔑 Strength Growth Keys

• 2/3 of pressing from incline + flat

• 1/3 from close-grip + dips/decline

• Train triceps like they’re the missing piece (they usually are).

• Recover like it matters: carbs pre- and intra-workout + sleep + soft-tissue work.

  SEE RESULTS IN 30 DAYS! CLICK HERE FOR ALL-NEW TRAINING SPLITS, NUTRITION TRACKING AND MORE!
  

🔥 The Perfect Turkey Sandwich

Grilled and tasty, a perfect post-training recovery meal.

Why This Works for Lifters

• Turkey → high-protein, low-fat, muscle repair + recovery

• Avocado → clean fats for hormone health + joint support

• Greens + herbs → micronutrients for inflammation control

• Whole-grain bread → slow-digesting carbs for fuel and satiety

• Warm + melty → satisfies cravings without blowing macros

🥪 Ingredients (1–2 sandwiches)

• 6–8 oz roasted or sliced turkey breast (or leftover Thanksgiving-style turkey)

• 2 slices hearty multi-grain or sprouted bread

• ¼ avocado, thinly sliced

• 2–3 slices tomato

• 1 small handful baby spinach or arugula

• 1 slice reduced-fat provolone or mozzarella (optional, but great for melt)

• Dijon + Greek Yogurt Spread:

  • 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

  • ½ tsp lemon juice

  • Pinch black pepper

  • Optional: pinch turmeric for extra anti-inflammatory kick

• Olive oil spray or a small brush of extra-virgin olive oil

🧑‍🍳 Directions

1. Make the spread
   Mix yogurt, Dijon, lemon juice, pepper (and turmeric if using). Set aside.

2. Assemble the sandwich

   • Spread the sauce on both slices of bread.

   • Layer turkey → tomato → avocado → spinach → cheese (if using).

3. Grill / Press

   • Heat a pan or panini press to medium.

   • Lightly brush or spray the outside of the bread with olive oil.

   • Press or weigh the sandwich down with a skillet.

   • Grill 3–4 min per side until warm, golden, and melty.

4. Slice + serve warm.

💪 Macro Guide (approx., sandwich only)

• Protein: 38–45g

• Carbs: 32–48g (depends on bread choice)

• Fats: 10–16g

• Calories: 420–550

→ Lean bulk approved
→ Works during cut with less cheese + avocado

Need supplements? Visit RAW Nutrition and use code CBUM for our best deals.

🔥 Set the Standard.

Q: Hi Chris, I hear people talk about “CNS fatigue,” but I’m not totally sure what that means. How is that different from just being sore? And how do you know when to push through versus when to back off?

Chimmy O., Oswego, New York

A: Hey, Chimmy, Most lifters know what muscle soreness feels like. Tight, achy, maybe a bit stiff.

But your central nervous system is a different deal. Your CNS is basically the wiring that controls strength, coordination, and how “ready” your body is to produce power.

When that system is fatigued, you don’t just feel sore, you feel drained. Your warm-up feels heavy, your focus is off, and your explosiveness isn’t there.

If your muscles are just sore, you can usually train through it with good form once you warm up. But if your CNS is taxed, pushing harder digs you deeper. That usually comes from going heavy too often, training to failure every session, or not sleeping enough.

When I feel that wired-but-tired, foggy, “everything feels heavy” feeling, I back off intensity for a few days.

I’ll still move, but I lower the load, keep reps controlled, and focus on quality. When your CNS recovers, strength usually returns.

Coach’s Note: If the bar feels heavy before the plates go on, that’s your CNS talking. Listen.

Question for Chris? Hit reply or email [email protected] and we’ll consider your question for inclusion in a future issue of The Standard.

Champion Mentality

"Self-discipline starts with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do."

— Napoleon Hill

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