Explosive Chest Finishers For Ultimate Pressing Power!

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Elite trainer and Cellucor-sponsored athlete Ron "Boss" Everline starts his day as you'd expect any high-caliber, celebrity trainer to—with 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups to get his mind and muscles fired up! He told us all about it in his "Hollywood Transformation Secrets" article. But if you think he's done working chest in the morning, you don't know Boss.

For Everline, working out is every bit as much about challenging yourself and having fun as it is about building muscle.

"I'm all about trying new things," says Everline. "If it motivates people to get up and go to the gym—well, that's what it's about. If people aren't motivated, they don't move."

For his ultimate chest finishers, this master of motivation combines the unique challenge of sliders with the explosive power of traveling push-ups and bands, offering up three powerful combinations to blast your pecs and pump up your pressing power!

Sliders, Climbers, and Travelers

For this first explosive combination, Everline incorporates one of his favorite push-up variations, the slider push-up, with challenging traveling push-ups and single-arm isolation sliders.

"I just love the dynamic way that I'm able to move and extend my chest with the sliders," explains Everline. "Using different variations puts you in a place where you need to up your game, challenging other muscles outside of your pectoral group and challenging your range of motion."

Not the type to neglect any one muscle group, Everline incorporates core-challenging dumbbell climbers to get the most out of this combination.

"To be perfectly honest, I incorporate abs with my chest because sometimes I'm tight on time. Adding more core movements helps maximize time, but still yields great results."

Finisher 1

Push-up on sliders: 3 sets of 20-25 reps
Push-up climber on dumbbells: 3 sets of 20 reps
Sliding single-arm push-up: 3 sets of 10 reps per arm
Explosive traveling push-up: 3 sets of 20-25 reps

The Roller Hits the Road

In addition to towels and sliders, another underappreciated exercise accessory featured in Everline's workout routine is the foam roller.

"People are looking to challenge themselves mentally and also physically," says Everline, "so you create a challenge by adding an object."

In this 20-minute circuit, Everline creates an added challenge by using the roller to work his core, shoulders, and pecs with body saws and roller push-ups. It seems simple, but turning the roller on end to perform leg lifts is a fun twist on an otherwise mundane core move. He also changes things up on this circuit by changing the set and rep scheme to 45 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest for each exercise. If 45 seconds is too challenging, drop to 30 seconds for each interval.

"Coming from a football background, I always felt like one of the things I never wanted to lose was explosion," says Everline. "By using explosive traveling push-ups it kind of keeps me in an athletic zone to feel like I'm really challenging myself to go for new heights."

Finisher 2: 20 minutes AMRAP

Slider pike to push-up: 45 sec., 15 sec. rest
Body-saw on roller: 45 sec., 15 sec. rest
Sliding single-arm push-up on roller: 45 sec., 15 sec. rest
Explosive traveling push-up: 45 sec., 15 sec. rest

Iron and Bands

For his final finisher, Everline takes inspiration from a twist on an old classic by starting the circuit with a barbell floor press.

"I love the floor press," Everline says. "I think it's a different dynamic from traditional barbell exercises. I'm all about trying new things."

For a similar front-loaded approach, check out "5 Insider Techniques for Building the Ultimate Chest."

Adding bands after the heavy floor press gives your pecs a superstar pump—and for a jetsetter like Everline they make a very convenient travel companion.

"Using the bands adds a level of resistance to the push-up, and they're easy to travel with. Just put them in your backpack and get your workout in anywhere to keep yourself challenged."

And Everline is all about challenging himself. When asked what he thinks gives out first, his pecs or his willpower, his explanation is simple: "If you have three sets of 20, I don't care if you stop at eight, you still have to finish the 20—you've got 60 reps no matter what. So it comes down to your willpower being tested along with your ability to perform. It's up to you to make sure that you finish what you start."

Finisher 3

Floor press: 3 sets of 10 reps
Band chest fly: 3 sets of 20-25 reps
Band push-up: 3 sets of 20-25 reps