Delavier Biomechanical Method

The Pectoral Architecture

Engineered by Frédéric Delavier's anatomical blueprint to map and maximize structural chest fiber growth.

0 / 16 Sets Finished
System Standby 00:00
1. Incline Barbell Press
2. Flat Barbell Press
3. Decline DB Press
4. Seated Machine Press
5. Cable Crossover
Incline Barbell Press Clavicular (Upper) Pectoral Head
Est. Max Strength-
Total Work Volume-
Joint & Bone Alignment: Set your incline bench between 30 and 45 degrees. Gripping the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width ensures your elbows track underneath your wrists, routing the load directly through your skeletal structure rather than straining your shoulder joints.
Execution Speed: Take 3 deliberate seconds to lower the bar down to your upper chest right beneath your collarbone. Pause for a split second to eliminate momentum, then press upward with full explosive intent.
Recovery Window: 90 seconds between working sets.
"As Frédéric Delavier teaches in *Strength Training Anatomy*, the upper pectoral muscle fibers run obliquely upward toward the collarbone. Elevating your torso changes the pull vector, shifting the heavy lifting burden from the middle sternum to build that thick, full upper shelf."
Set 1Warm-up: 12 Reps (50%)
Set 2Warm-up: 10 Reps (75%)
Set 3Working Set: 8 Reps
Set 4Working Set: 6 Reps
Set 5Working Set: 6 Reps
Flat-Bench Barbell Press Sternal (Middle) Pectoral Sheet
Est. Max Strength-
Total Work Volume-
Joint & Bone Alignment: Plant your feet firmly to create a stable foundation. Pinch your shoulder blades tightly back and down into the bench pad to lock your shoulder joints in a safe, secure socket.
Execution Speed: Lower the bar in a smooth, controlled arc until it lightly touches the midpoint of your sternum. Press dynamically upward while keeping your chest puffed out to maintain tension on the muscle fibers.
Recovery Window: 75 seconds.
"Delavier emphasizes that flat pressing recruits the entire horizontal span of the sternal head. Keeping your chest high rather than flat ensures the pectorals handle the workload instead of dumping excess stress onto your anterior deltoids."
Set 1Warm-up: 8 Reps (50%)
Set 2Warm-up: 6 Reps (75%)
Set 3Working Set: 10 Reps
Decline Dumbbell Press Abdominal & Lower Pectoral Fibers
Est. Max Strength-
Total Work Volume-
Joint & Bone Alignment: Hook your legs securely into the decline bench pads. Hold the dumbbells directly over your lower chest with a neutral or slightly angled wrist position to protect your joints.
Execution Speed: Lower the dumbbells outward in a wide, sweeping arc to achieve a deep, pain-free stretch across your lower ribs, then drive them back together over your lower chest.
Recovery Window: 75 seconds.
"As anatomical diagrams in *Strength Training Anatomy* show, the lower chest fibers angle downward toward the abdomen. The decline bench angle aligns gravity perfectly with these lower fibers, allowing you to stretch and contract parts of the chest that flat presses miss."
Set 1Warm-up: 8 Reps (50%)
Set 2Warm-up: 6 Reps (75%)
Set 3Working Set: 10 Reps
Seated Machine Press Constant Tension & Mid-Chest Isolation
Est. Max Strength-
Total Work Volume-
Joint & Bone Alignment: Adjust your seat height so the handles sit directly level with your mid-chest line. Keep your wrists rigid and press forward without locking out your elbows completely.
Execution Speed: Control the negative return for 2 seconds, feeling the deep tension in the tissue, followed by a powerful 1-second squeeze at full extension.
Recovery Window: 60 seconds.
"Delavier notes that machine work removes the need for core and stabilizer balance, allowing you to focus completely on isolating the chest fibers and flushing the muscle tissue with blood for hypertrophy."
Set 1Warm-up: 10 Reps (50%)
Set 2Working Set: 10 Reps
Cable Crossover Inner Chest Adduction & Peak Definition
Est. Max Strength-
Total Work Volume-
Joint & Bone Alignment: Set pulleys to the highest position, step forward into a split stance for core stability, and maintain a soft, fixed bend in your elbows throughout the movement.
Execution Speed: Open your arms wide in a controlled motion to stretch the pecs, then sweep your hands downward and inward until they cross in front of your centerline.
Recovery Window: 45 seconds.
"Unlike free weights where resistance drops off at the top of the movement, cables maintain uniform tension. As Delavier illustrates, bringing your arms across the body's midline achieves peak contraction of the sternal fibers, carving out inner chest definition."
Set 1Warm-up: 12 Reps (50%)
Set 2Working Set: 12 Reps