Bruce Page of Toronto, Canada is an example of the fact that a small-boned individual can acquire an impressive physique through body-building. He is an active member of Bavington's gym in Toronto.
Dear Bob,
I was one of the many unfortunate fellows to be born with light bones and consequently as a kid I was quite thin. After a very serious illness when only eight years of age, I was left in a sickly thin state and with no knowledge of what to do about it.
At the age of 13 I began to do a little boxing and until almost 18 that was my main sport. It started me on the muscular road and kept me feeling good and healthy.
A friend of mine at that time then introduced me to weights a I began my body building career. When I began to train I weighed about 125 and today I weight about 160 pounds.
I have done a straight-arm pullover with 145 pounds while weighing 140 pounds. Can chin with one hand and have supine pressed 210 pounds.
CHEST SIZE
Big Pecs Are Only Half the Story
by Bruce Page (1989)
For many years now, bodybuilders have been cheating themselves out of considerable chest growth. The reason for this is the lack of thought given to the entire chest area.
The pectoral muscles are given almost all of the attention, with little or no thought given to the expansion of the thorax itself. The ribcage of today's bodybuilder remains essentially unchanged in size as pectoral muscles are built up. These slabs of muscle dictate chest size, but there is actually much more to complete chest development.
Years ago when bodybuilding was just becoming popular, the trainee would perform various breathing exercises to force the rib cage to expand fully. Even with very little emphasis on pectoral development, they eventually obtained great chest size and shape. If today's bodybuilders included this form of chest exercise along with their existing chest routine, they would be pleasantly surprised at the results they could obtain.
Squats have always been the main movement for increasing the size of the quadriceps, but squats can do much more than build large thighs. This key exercise can be instrumental in enhancing weight gain and, believe it or not, even increase the chest size when performed in the breathing style. [and there are many ways to perform squats in the breathing style]. This has been shown to be true through the years as a number of weight men enlarged their all-around chizette size just by performing this one movement alone. Some made even greater gains when they included bench presses or heavy bent-arm pullovers immediately following each set of squats.
The breathing squat takes considerable effort and determination to execute and complete sufficient reps to ensure results. It is performed like this:
First, take a weight that you consider heavy. I might mention here that some may have to start with a more moderate poundage until they become accustomed to this movement, and then they can add weight as they gain confidence.
Note: One method of breaking into it is to do 2 sets of 15 reps, using at first a weight that doesn't overwhelm the required breathing and your ability to do it appropriately. For reps 1 to 5 take 2 huge breaths; reps 6 to 10 take 3 breaths; reps 10 to 15 take four breaths, totaling 45 breaths. If you're not used to heavy breathing squats and dive straight into the deep end the cycle will not last long before you stale out on it. There's all manner of ways to approach the breathing squat, this article shares [Thank You, John] one of them. It's a fine way to become accustomed to the deal, thing, method at first or when returning to the breathing squat. Also, the possibility of working up first to a heavy 5 or 3, then lessening the weight and doing the breathing squats in order to "perceive" the 20-rep weight as "lighter" is also something worth experimenting with. "I save ALL my energy for the 20-rep set!" Fine and dandy. Don't experiment with this, but please keep your maw sealed shut while others do. In my experience cats enjoy being skinned in many ways. At least I think that's "joy" they're expressing those last few seconds.
Take the weight on the shoulders in the regular position, take three greater-than-huge breaths and then perform a full squat. When you return to the start position, again take three more-than-enormous breaths before performing the next squat rep. Then, once again, when you come up out of the squat, take another three deep breaths and so on. This should continue for 20 reps.
This type of breathing will blow out the rib cage, forcing expansion of the ribs and the intercostal muscles between them. The entire thorax area will be greatly expanded. At this point you enter into phase two of the chest expansion movement: The Rader Chest Pull.
In 1952, I was looking for an exercise that I could apply to increase my overall chest size. Being a small-framed person with a more or less narrow rib cage, I needed something other than bench presses, flyes, etc. At this time Peary Rader published an article he called "The Rader Chest Pull."
Note: Paul Kelso's article on chest expansion is worth a look:
I read about his experiences with this movement and felt that I might derive some significant benefit from its use.
Peary Rader
I followed the instructions given in the article and was pleasantly surprised when, in a short time, I had made a considerable increase in my all-around chest size. At that time, I did not use it in conjunction with breathing squats, but I'm certain that had I done so, I would have made even greater gains.
The Rader Chest Pull is designed to lift and stretch the rib cage, especially the cartilage and muscles in the area of the sternum. But it must be noted at this point that in order to gain good results from this movement, you must work at it as with any worthwhile exercise. Halfhearted attempts will end in failure to produce the desired result.
In order to perform the exercise, you will require either a pipe or a pole that extends from floor to ceiling or any type of cross bar, such as that which is a part of one of the machines in the gym [power rack works wonderfully]. It must be solid enough for you to pull on without its moving.
To perform the exercise, stand facing the object you have chosen to use and grasp it with both hands at about the height of your forehead. Stand back until your arms are straight or just ever so slightly bent, and you are standing straight with your feet neither forward or back of your body.
Now pull down and toward you, and at the same time, breathe in as deeply as you can. You must pull as strongly as possible; that's why the object you are pulling against must be immovable.
Hold the expanded position for just a couple of seconds, then relax and continue on in this manner.
Excellent results have been obtained from a 20-rep set each time the exercise is performed. You may find that this number of reps is a bit much in the beginning, so it might be wise to start lower and work the reps up as you gradually increase [see above, or come up with your own break-in layout].
You will know if the exercise is working if you experience a slight stretching as you breathe in and pull down strongly.
If you have difficulty in finding an appropriate piece of equipment to perform this exercise on, you can use a slightly wider than shoulder width grip. The difference here is that the lats will become involved to a certain extent and will detract somewhat from the chest training.
This combination of exercises will help increase the overall size of the chest [and do other schtuff as well . . . boost metabolism, build lung capacity, etc.].
The best routine would include 20 breathing squats as heavy as you can handle. While still breathing hard from the squats, immediately begin a set of chest pulls.
First Two Weeks:
Squats - 20
Chest Pull - 1 set, maximum 20.
If you feel you can do two sets, then give it a try, but that should be the limit. If you feel that you can do more then you are simply not using enough weight in the squat nor are you breathing deeply enough, and you're probably not working hard enough on the chest pull. As you proceed with the routine, workout after workout, you will be able to increase the number of sets performed plus the weight used in the squats.
As with any other exercise or movement or combination of exercises, you can only expect to get out of them what you put in; so, the results you obtain are up to you. The exercises work; that has been proven time and time again.
There is more to chest development than big pecs, so why not try this combination . . . you'll be glad you did.
Enjoy Your Lifting!
