Vital Stats

Name: Craig Capurso
Occupation: Wall St oil trader, Cellucor Athlete, IFBB Pro physique competitor

Want to try one of the most brutal, effective chest workouts on the planet? Then you’re in the right place. This chest workout is a part of my Super 30 training program. I built it to help busy people get great results in the gym without sacrificing a lot of time. It’s fast, furious, full of heavy iron and short rest periods, and it will smoke your chest.

Super 30 consists of six exercises all done with different repetition schemes. Each of these rep schemes totals 30 reps. If that doesn’t already sound intense enough, your rest periods are also limited to 30 seconds between sets.

The lifting portion of this workout will only take you about 30 minutes. I get it, 30 minutes doesn’t seem like enough time to get results, but I promise: It’s plenty. We’re going heavy and we’re going hard. The limited rest you’ll get between sets and exercises means you’ll be moving for the entire 30 minutes. After that, you’ve got 30 minutes of cardio. Then you’re done.

That’s how Super 30 works: Put an hour of hard work in the gym, maximize your time and intensity while you’re there, and then get on with your day. Sure, you’ll like the extra free time you have, but you’ll like the results even better.

Don’t think it’ll work? Hit this chest workout. I guarantee you’ll come out a believer. It’s chest day, baby. Let’s grow!

Craig Capurso
Watch The Video – 14:53

A lot of people think they move fast in the gym. This workout will teach you that you’re not moving fast enough. When you rest for 30 seconds in between pushing heavy loads, you’re going to find it’s a completely different workout than you’ve been doing. The next 30 minutes are going to be intense. If you’re not sweating, you’re doing it wrong!

Capurso Cue

I put the decline bench into this workout because it targets the lower chest, but I also reversed the grip to engage the upper chest. So, this lift is a full-blown mass builder. I like doing this exercise in the Smith machine because it eliminates the need for a spotter. We’re going heavy! Using a machine is a much safer, smarter idea when you train alone.

Reverse-Grip Decline Bench Press

If you know me, you know that I like starting with the heavy portion of the workout. I want to push heavy weight first when I have all the energy. So get heavy! Take a few warm-up sets to work up to a heavy working weight. We’re only doing three reps at a time, so get aggressive.

Don’t forget to limit your rest to 30 seconds. It’s an essential part of this program. Keep a timer handy or a clock in your field of vision. Live and die by the clock.

Capurso Cue

Before you hit this 5×6 lift, do a small weight check to find your 5-rep max. Once you get there, focus on squeezing each rep and using your mind-muscle connection to move each pec individually, one side at a time.

Single-Arm Alternating Dumbbell Press

Push it. You only have 5 reps, so give it all you got. All the energy you expend during your rest—like picking up and dropping the weight—has been accounted for. I’m not letting you completely rest—that’s just part of the program. We’re doing our best to maximize intensity to get through these varying rep ranges.

Capurso cue

You might start fading a little bit here, so make sure you take an intra-workout supplement like branched chain amino acids to give your muscles some fuel and keep your endurance strong.

Seated Horizontal Hammer Press

If you can’t get the required reps on this exercise, it’s time to drop the weight. I don’t want you rest-pausing—that’s not part of the program—and you’re not allowed to quit early.

Capurso Cue

This workout is a great way for you to gauge your body and its reaction to training with heavy volume. I recommend sitting at a machine. You can use the cables if you want, but as you get further into this exercise, you may need the assistance.

Seated Machine Flye

As the weight gets heavy, your shoulders will come into play. That’s OK. Stay on track. Rest for 30 seconds and get back on. You’re pumped up, your muscles are engaged, and your mind is focused. There’s no time to talk.

Capurso Cue

You don’t see this exercise very often. It’s something that old-school bodybuilders used to do. It’s really an isometric squeeze. I’m going to push two 10-pound plates together really hard. If I could push through the plates, I would. Push the plates into each other and then press out. Focus on feeling those inner-chest fibers working.

Svend Press

Don’t be fooled by the light weight. I could actually do this without any weight and just squeeze my hands together. It’s a good pump. Get ready for this one; it sneaks up on you.

Capurso Cue

We do this exercise unilaterally so we can benefit from the ascending reps. You get a little bit of a break every time you alternate arms. These small breaks and the ascending style mean you get to lift a little bit heavier, too, which is what the whole Super 30 program is about.

Single-Arm Top Cable Flye

There are no rest periods during this set. This is an all-out blitz until you hit 30 total reps for each arm by performing 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 reps with each arm.

Capurso Cue

Your heart rate should already be elevated because your rest time has been so short throughout the workout, but we’re not going to give it a break.

Tabata jump rope

The Tabata protocol is great because it’s high-intensity, fast, and efficient. It’s a 4-minute cardio workout, so give this everything you’ve got. You’ll jump rope for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat until you hit 4 minutes total. You’re going to be sweating your ass off by the end.

Capurso Cue

Now it’s time to hit some steady-state cardio, but I want you to keep the intensity relatively high. The next 20 minutes will help you burn extra calories so you can lean down quickly. Go fast enough so you maintain your high heart rate, but not so fast that you quit after five minutes.

Stairmill

Recommended For You

Stacked Caps: Craig Capurso’s Heavy-Volume Shoulder Workout

Suffering from ski-slope shoulders? Build a pair of mountainous deltoids with this heavy, high-volume shoulder session from Craig Capurso!

Steel Wheels: Craig Capurso’s Heavy-Volume Leg Workout

Legs lagging? Wheels out of air? Kick your lower body development into overdrive with Craig Capurso’s heavy volume workout!

Craig Capurso Back Workout: Loaded To The Max

Big backs are wonders of the fit world, but they aren’t built in one workout. Load your latissimus for the long haul, and start building with this heavy duty workout.