Regardless of style, there’s one detail that all suits, from the baggy business ones to slim-fitting tuxedos, invariably share: two lapels tapering to form a V shape. That’s because a good suit is supposed to create the illusion of a muscular body, accentuating the shoulders and narrowing the waist. The idea, of course, is to project power.
We’ve got news for you: The same principle applies when you’re not wearing a suit. And this summer you’re likely to find yourself wearing a T-shirt far more often than a three-piece, so now’s the time to start cutting the impressive figure you deserve. To carve the perfect torso, read on.
How it works
This program devotes one day to your shoulders and lats and another to your chest and arms. In the first workout, you’re making your upper body wider, and in the next you’re making it denser from front to back. You may recognize some moves from CrossFit workouts (snatch-grip high pull), some from the bodybuilding world (dumbbell flye), and others you’ve seen in pictures with a “no” symbol over them, indicating danger (behind-the-neck press)—it just means we’ve pulled from all the training wisdom available, both new- and old-school, to get the best results possible. (And don’t worry about behind-the-neck pressing—as long as your form is on point, you’ll be fine. If you’re not sure about your form, just do a traditional barbell shoulder press or dumbbell shoulder press.)
Directions
Perform each workout (Days I and II) once per week, spacing the workouts out by at least two full days. (You can complete your lower-body training independently of these workouts.) Perform the exercises as straight sets, completing all the sets for one move before going on to the next.
