Chest Blitz with IFBB Pro & IFN Athlete Iain Valliere
Chest Blitz with IFBB Pro & IFN Athlete Iain Valliere
iFN- At what age did you start training? Can you recall the moment you knew “This is it. I am going to be a bodybuilder.”
IV- Well, when I was younger I ran track competitively. Track led to football. Football led to weight room. I began training seriously, on a regular basis when I was 15 years old. At this point, it was not for bodybuilding. I was training to grow muscles for sports. After high school I worked at a local supplement shop. My managers/coworkers inspired me to do a local show. I started to get big at age 18-19. My first show was local/regional. I was hooked, instantly. The feeling you get on stage, how far you can push...That’s what got me. From then on it was always, “What is the next show I can do?”
iFN- What did your training look like when you first started getting serious?
IV- Oh boy... (laughs) Slam heavy weights. Move bar point A to B, with as much poundage as possible. For instance, take a normal chest day… Walk in, bench press. Shit ton, some days 10 sets. That’s it... (laughs) At that point, knew nothing about volume. Knew nothing about types of techniques… pause reps, drop sets, etc… Purely instinctual. Move weight, stop when I felt like I was done (laughs).
iFN- Based off our last conversation, sounds like you’re following similar principles now?
IV- You can say that. A bit more controlled now, for sure. I just never really was the “I’m going in there....I got 5 sets of 8 for this… I got 5 sets of 8 for that…” It just doesn’t make sense to me. If I put on a weight and I know I can do 50, I do 50. If I feel good, I put more on and do more and do more until I can’t do it anymore. I think the only time I truly plan what’s going to happen is if I need to bring up a weak bodypart. Example, this off-season I’m trying to bring up my upper chest. So I’ll go in there with the notion that I’m going to do movements like incline dumbbell, incline barbell, flies, etc. but weight, reps, sets… never planned.
iFN- Got it. So, what is your favorite Chest Workout for maximum pump and blood volume expansion?
IV- If I’m training for maximum pump then I’m aiming for maximum squeeze. A typical chest blood volume would look like this…
Incline Smith Machine Press:
(3-4 Warm Up Sets) 4-6 Working Sets 15-30 Reps
Cable Crossover:
4-6 Working Sets 15-30 Reps
Peck Deck:
4-6 Working Sets 15-30 Reps
Incline Dumbbell Flies:
4-6 Working Sets 15-30 Reps
Flat Dumbbell Flies:
4-6 Working Sets 15-30 Reps
Flat Machine Press or Hammer Strength Variant:
4-6 Working Sets 15-30 Reps
*Iain incorporate ISO holds, slow eccentric training (not negative, slow squeeze) and can train a bodypart anywhere from 5 to 10 exercises
iFN- Iain, your physique... it’s insane. Very grainy. Very vascular. Does the high volume play a role in creating that look?
IV- I would definitely say so. Pushing nutrient rich blood into a muscle is key for hypertrophy, vascularity and getting things to pop. Density… comes from lots of slamming heavy weight… using different techniques… etc. It all comes into play. That’s why I like taking iFORCE Nutrition Max Out. It allows my body to perform at maximum levels. Energy, pump, strength, focus, endurance… it’s all there. Whether I hit it with high volume or hit it with heavy weight… I’m taking Max Out.
iFN- Do you periodize your training?
IV- Yes, I do. Right now I rotate every 4-6 weeks, depending on how I feel. Example, rotation #1: High volume, 4-6 sets 15-30 reps, anywhere from 5-10 exercises, doesn’t matter. Couple months… sets down, weights up, lower reps. Nothing overly strict. Again, you’ll never see me in the gym sitting there with a pocketbook taking notes. I go in there, listen to my body, and train hard.