IFBB Pro League Men’s Open bodybuilder Martin Fitzwater will be one of the athletes stepping on stage at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro in Pittsburgh, PA, on the weekend of May 10-11, 2025. He seeks his third pro win and the biggest payday in his bodybuilding career, with a top prize of $100,000.
Fitzwater has been sharing updates and workouts on his prep, including a recent chest workout he says his followers can do independently without a training partner.
Chest Exercises When Training Solo
- Pec Deck Flye
- Incline Smith Machine Bench Press
- Seated Chest Press
- Cable Crossover
- Cable Lateral Raise
- Lying Lateral Raise
Pre-Exhaustion and Rest-Pause
Fitzwater began with pec deck, an isolation movement. He performed multiple warm-up sets before getting into his working sets. The pec deck helps him prepare mentally by helping him concentrate on activating his chest.
It helps me in the long term to keep [focus] on my chest.
—Martin Fitzwater
As a pre-exhaustion, Fitzwater does not need to load compound exercises as heavily. As he performed his top set, Fitzwater reached failure and took three deep breaths while rest-pausing before performing partials to conclude the set.
The three big breaths were enough to calm the central nervous system before a fight or flight situation.
—Martin Fitzwater
Aside from the muscle-building benefits and saving time training, rest-pauses help promote strength. (1)
Using Machines for Safety
Before Fitzwater performed incline presses on the Smith machine, he advocated using machines for bodybuilding-style training. Machines are just as suited for building muscle as free weights and can be safe for people training alone.
It is far safer, especially without having a partner. Utilize this as much as possible.
—Martin Fitzwater
Asking for a Spot
You may not be training with someone on every workout, but other people are likely around at the gym. Fitzwater advised that it is always smart to ask for a spot, regardless of the exercise, if needed.
To see someone else get better, they just want to be a part of it and help you.
—Martin Fitzwater
Cluster Sets
Fitzwater used the seated chest press machine to perform cluster sets, a group of “mini-sets” of low reps performed with minimal rest in between. He likes clusters of five to failure, then triples to failure.
The 2024 Prague Pro champion said this was a safe and effective way to exhaust the pecs. Cluster sets can maintain neuromuscular performance. (2)
That will give us that extra push into failure on our own.
Cables and Benches at the End
Fitzwater finished his workout with three chest and lateral delts cable exercises. The final exercise, lying lateral raises, was performed on an adjustable bench. The bench and cables helped Fitzwater focus on quality contractions without relying on stability.
At the end of a session, I’m fatigued from all the pressing. I can focus here; not worried about where I’m already tired.
There is a qualification for the 2025 Mr. Olympia contest that is also available for the winner of the Pittsburgh Pro. Still, Fitzwater is already qualified for that contest thanks to his 2024 Prague Pro win. If he wins in Pittsburgh, then no Olympia invite will be awarded.
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References
- Enes, A., Alves, R. C., Schoenfeld, B. J., Oneda, G., Perin, S. C., Trindade, T. B., Prestes, J., & Souza-Junior, T. P. (2021). Rest-pause and drop-set training elicit similar strength and hypertrophy adaptations compared with traditional sets in resistance-trained males. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, 46(11), 1417–1424. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2021-0278
- Latella, C., Teo, W. P., Drinkwater, E. J., Kendall, K., & Haff, G. G. (2019). The Acute Neuromuscular Responses to Cluster Set Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 49(12), 1861–1877. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01172-z
Featured Image: @martfitzh2o on Instagram
