Pulkit — Workout Log · Push Day II · 15 June 2026

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Two major breakthroughs today — both permanent habits from here. (1) Attempting failure on all 4 exercises — this is the single most important driver of hypertrophy and it happened consistently across the entire session. (2) No cardio between sets — the workout was clearly more productive as a result. These two changes together define a properly executed push session. Everything else is refinement.

Today's Target Muscles — Push Day (Chest + Triceps)

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Upper Pectoralis Major

Primary — Incline Press

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Mid Pectoralis Major

Primary — Cable Fly

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Triceps Long Head

Primary — Skull Crusher

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Triceps Lateral/Medial

Primary — Pushdown

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Anterior Deltoid

Secondary — Incline Press

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Serratus + Stabilisers

All pushing movements

Session Log · 15 June

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Warm-up

Standard warm-up completed before session. For skull crushers specifically: elbow joint warm-up is essential. Before skull crusher sets, do 15 reps of tricep pushdown at light weight (5–7.5 kg) to lubricate the elbow joint — never go directly into heavy skull crushers cold.

✓ Done

Incline Dumbbell Press

4 sets · 10 kg → 12 kg → 14 kg · Near failure sets 2 & 3 ✓ · Set 4 weight jump too large

Upper Chest · Compound ▾

Primary: Upper Pec (Clavicular) Anterior Deltoid Secondary: Triceps (lockout) Serratus Anterior Core (stabiliser)

Sets logged — Time-based method

Set	Weight	Reps	Time	Status
1	10 kg	14	~60s	At 60s limit — should increase next set. Did not go to failure.
2	12 kg	~10.5	~58s	✓ Near failure · optimal weight. Keep 12 kg next set.
3	12 kg	~10	~56s	✓ Near failure again · consistent · holding 12 kg was correct.
4	14 kg	3.5	<30s	⚠ Failure at 3.5 reps in under 30s — weight jump too large. See note below.

Under 40s

Too Heavy

↓ Reduce weight

40–60s

Optimal ✓

Keep weight

Over 60s

Too Light

↑ Increase weight

Form Analysis — Incline Press (from recording, Set 4)

Bench Angle — Confirm 30–45°

From the image: bench looks approximately 45°. Research consensus: 30° maximises upper pec activation (SetForSet, Athlean-X, Legion Athletics 2024). At 45°, front delt begins to assist significantly. If your gym bench adjusts lower, try 30–35° — you'll feel the work migrate from the front shoulder into the upper chest. If you feel your shoulder more than your chest, lower the angle.

"A" Arc at Top — Converge the Dumbbells

Visible in Image 2 (top position): dumbbells appear to stop short of fully converging above. As you press up, the dumbbells should drift slightly toward each other, almost meeting at the top. This forces peak pec contraction. Keppi Fitness (2026): "bringing dumbbells together at peak contraction maximises intramuscular tension and activates a higher percentage of pec fibers."

Back Contact ✓

Good — mid and upper back are in contact with the bench throughout. Feet planted. No visible lower back arch. This foundation is solid.

Bottom Depth — Ear Level, No Lower

Stop at ear level — dumbbells aligned with or just below your ears. Going deeper adds stress to the rotator cuff without meaningful extra pec stretch. PureGym: "ensure they reach in line with, or just below, ear level." If depth is correct, you'll feel a clear stretch in the upper chest at the bottom, not in the shoulder joint.

Scapular Set — Before Every Set

Before each press: pull shoulder blades "down and back into your back pockets." This prevents the shoulders from rolling forward under load and ensures the pecs initiate the movement. Visible in images: can be reinforced by actively thinking "chest up, shoulder blades squeezed" before unracking.

Eccentric — 2s Down, No Bounce

Control the descent over 2 seconds. The eccentric (lowering) phase provides the majority of the hypertrophy stimulus. Don't drop the weight at the bottom. Reset tension at the bottom before pressing. "Don't let the dumbbells drop or bounce at the bottom — that eccentric control is where a lot of the shoulder-building stimulus comes from." (FitCraft)

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Coach Manmeet — Set 4 weight selection: "Jumping from 12 kg (near failure at ~10 reps) directly to 14 kg was too large a step. You failed at 3.5 reps — that's under 30s, well below the 40s floor. The correct progression is: if sets 2 and 3 are near-failure at 12 kg (~56–58s), stay at 12 kg for set 4 as well and try to reach true failure. The jump to 14 kg makes sense only in the next session when 12 kg starts feeling easier. This is the weight selection intuition I want you to develop — explained in the dedicated section below."

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Science — 30° vs 45° incline: A 2020 EMG study found upper pec activation was highest at 30°. At 45°, anterior deltoid contribution increases, which means the chest has to share the work with the shoulder. For Pulkit's goal of building upper chest definition, trying a lower angle (30°) is worthwhile. Practical test: if you feel your front shoulder fatiguing before your chest at the end of a set, the angle is too steep.

Cable Chest Flies

4 sets · 5→10 kg (12.5 kg attempted then dropped) · Form improving ✓ · Cable anchor still too high

Mid Chest · Isolation ▾

Primary: Pectoralis Major (Sternal) Pectoralis Minor Secondary: Anterior Deltoid Biceps (stabiliser) Serratus Anterior

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Cable anchor still at shoulder/head height. From Images 3 & 4: the cable attachment point is visibly high on the machine. This must be set to just below knee level (lowest pulley or one notch up). At shoulder height, the cable pulls sideways — removing the pre-stretch at the bottom of the range. This is the entire reason cables beat dumbbells for flies: constant tension from a pre-stretched position. At shoulder level, this benefit disappears completely. Fix this before ANY future fly set.

Sets logged

Set	Weight (each)	Reps	Time	Status
1	5 kg	15	~60s	At 60s — too light. Should increase to 7.5 kg immediately next set.
2	7.5 kg	17	~60s	Still 60s at 7.5 kg — again over the threshold. Should have moved to 10 kg.
3	10 kg	14	~60s	Struggling but not failure at 60s — borderline. Try 12.5 kg next set.
4	12.5 → 10 kg	0 + 7.5	~45s	✓ Smart drop to 10 kg. Reached failure at 7.5 reps. Correct instinct.

Pattern: Sets 1–3 all at 60s without failure. The progressive overload rule says increase when you hit 60s. The issue is this: correct weight (10 kg) was only found by set 3, when it should have been set 1. Start at 10 kg next session.

✅

Form is improved vs Jun 13 — Coach Manmeet confirms. The arc motion is better, the chest squeeze at the top is happening, and the drop from 12.5 kg to 10 kg on set 4 was exactly the right call — you noticed the weight was wrong before it became a form breakdown. That is a key skill for an intermediate lifter.

Form Analysis — Cable Fly (from Images 3 & 4)

Cable Anchor — Must Fix

From Image 3: cable is pulling from head height. Move the pulley to the lowest setting. At knee level, when the arm hangs at the side, the cable creates an upward pre-stretch on the pec. This is the unique benefit of cables — if the anchor is at head level, you lose it entirely.

Contraction Position ✓

Image 4 shows hands meeting at chest height with a visible squeeze — this is correct. Hold this contracted position for 2 seconds per rep. The longer you hold the contraction, the more time under tension the pec gets at its shortest position.

Elbow Angle — Fixed Slight Bend

Maintain a soft, fixed bend at the elbow (~15–20°) throughout the entire arc. The elbow angle should NOT change during the movement. If the elbow bends more as you squeeze, the bicep is helping the pec — this reduces chest stimulus. Keep it fixed.

Foot Stance — Stagger for Stability

One foot slightly in front of the other. Core braced, slight forward lean at the torso. A stable stance prevents you from rocking forward to generate momentum. Any momentum = chest is not doing the work.

Eccentric Control — 3s Return

Don't let the cable yank the arms back. Control the return over 3 seconds — same pace as the press. The eccentric phase is where muscle micro-damage (the growth signal) is strongest. Rushing this gives away free gains.

Shoulder Position

Keep shoulders depressed (pulled down, not elevated/shrugged) throughout. If your shoulders rise toward your ears during the fly, the traps are taking over from the chest. Actively think "shoulder blades down" at the start of each rep.

💬

Coach Manmeet: "Form is better — I can see the improvement from the Jun 13 tracker. The arc is cleaner, the squeeze is happening. Two things to change for next session: fix the anchor (knee level, not shoulder level) and start the first set at 10 kg — not 5 kg. Sets 1 and 2 today were basically warmup sets disguised as working sets. Anchored low, starting at 10 kg, you'll hit failure properly from set 1."

Tricep Pushdown (Cable)

4 sets · 12.5→15 kg · ✓ Failure on sets 2, 3, 4 · Form improved since Jun 13

Triceps · Isolation ▾

Primary: Lateral Head (Triceps) Medial Head (Triceps) Secondary: Long Head (partial) Anconeus Core (stabiliser)

✅

Pushdown form is improved since Jun 13. Coach Manmeet confirms improvement. Failure on sets 2, 3, and 4 consecutively — this is exactly the protocol. Sets 3 and 4 holding at 15 kg and going to failure shows the correct weight has been found for this exercise.

Sets logged

Set	Weight	Reps	Time	Status
1	12.5 kg	20	~60s	Struggling by end but not failure. 20 reps in 60s = too light. Start at 15 kg next session.
2	15 kg	~10	~45s	✓ Failure — good weight found. 45s is borderline (slightly under 40s floor). Watch next session.
3	15 kg	7.5	~47s	✓ Failure at 47s — in the optimal zone (40–60s). Perfect.
4	15 kg	8	~46s	✓ Failure at 46s — consistent. 15 kg is the correct working weight for this exercise.

Form Analysis — Tricep Pushdown (from Image 5)

Upright Posture ✓ (improved)

Image 5 confirms: posture is more upright than Jun 13. The excessive forward lean that was identified last session has been corrected. The slight lean (~5–10°) visible is acceptable and helps maintain cable tension.

Elbow Pin Position

Elbows should stay pinned to your ribs throughout. In Image 5, the elbow position looks mostly correct but watch for elbow drift on the final 2–3 reps of each set when fatigue sets in. The tricep weakens and the elbows tend to swing forward — this is the form breakdown signal.

Full Lockout at Bottom

At the bottom of each rep, fully lock the elbow and squeeze the tricep for 1 count. This maximises the contraction of the lateral and medial heads. Most people cut the rep short at 70% extension — the last 30% is where the tricep peaks.

Time in Optimal Zone ✓

Sets 3 & 4: 46–47s with failure. Both in the 40–60s optimal window. This is exactly right. The protocol is working for pushdowns — the only change for next session is to start directly at 15 kg (skipping the 12.5 kg warm-up set which lasted 60s).

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Coach Manmeet: "Pushdown is the most improved exercise in the last two sessions. Upright posture, failure on three consecutive sets, time in the optimal zone on sets 3 and 4 — this is what the protocol looks like when it's working. Next session: start at 15 kg (set 1 at 12.5 kg was a wasted set since it lasted 60s without failure). Three sets at 15 kg from the start, trying to go to failure each time. If sets become consistently over 60s, go to 17.5 kg."

Skull Crushers (Dumbbell)

4 sets · 8 kg (dropped) → 6 kg · ✓ Failure sets 2–4 · CRITICAL FORM FIX: elbows flaring

Long Head Triceps · Isolation ▾

Primary: Long Head (Triceps) — largest head Secondary: Lateral Head Medial Head Shoulder Stabilisers

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Critical fix — elbows are flaring outward. From Images 6 & 7: at the bottom of the rep (Image 6), the elbows are clearly spreading wide instead of staying shoulder-width apart and pointing at the ceiling. This is the #1 skull crusher error. When elbows flare: (1) the long head of the triceps loses tension and the chest/shoulder takes over, (2) lateral strain on the elbow joint increases significantly — this is how elbow injuries from skull crushers happen. Elbows must stay pointing at the ceiling throughout. Think: "my elbows are nailed to one spot in the air above me."

Sets logged

Set	Weight	Reps	Time	Status
1	8 kg	4–5	short	Correctly identified as too heavy + form breaking. Good instinct to stop.
2	6 kg	~8	~45s	✓ Near failure at 45s — borderline (just above 40s floor). Good weight.
3	6 kg	~7	~50s	✓ Failure at 50s — in the optimal zone.
4	6 kg	4	~35s	Failure at 35s — under the 40s floor. Fatigue accumulation is normal on 4th set. Acceptable.

⚠ The 8 kg start was too heavy — correctly identified and corrected. 6 kg is the right weight for now, especially while fixing form. Once elbows are locked in on every rep, revisit 7–8 kg.

Form Analysis — Skull Crushers (from Images 6 & 7)

Elbows Flaring — PRIMARY FIX

Clearly visible in Image 6: at the bottom of the rep, elbows are spreading outward beyond shoulder width. This converts skull crushers into a chest exercise and stresses the elbow joint laterally. Fix: "elbows stay shoulder-width apart and point at the same spot on the ceiling for the entire set." (FitCraft 2026) If elbows start flaring, the weight is too heavy — drop to 5 kg and rebuild the pattern.

Lower Behind the Head — Not to Forehead

Image 6 shows the dumbbells stopping at forehead/temple level. For maximum long head activation: lower the dumbbells behind the head — they should pass the ears and go slightly below the top of the bench. PureGym: "for optimal execution, lower the load behind your head to reach full stretch of the triceps." This deeper stretch is where the long head gets its greatest training stimulus.

Upper Arms Must NOT Move

The defining cue: upper arms stay perpendicular to the floor, pointing straight at the ceiling. They do not swing forward or backward during the rep. Only the forearms move — at the elbow joint only. In Image 7 (top position), the upper arms look vertical — good. Maintain this throughout the entire rep, not just at the top.

Wrist Position — Neutral

Wrists should be neutral (not bent backward or forward). The dumbbells should be held with palms facing each other (hammer grip/neutral). This position is easier on the wrist joints and shifts tension to the tricep rather than the forearm flexors.

Eccentric Control — 2–3s Down

Lower over 2–3 seconds. This is the phase where the long head gets its deepest stretch. Rushing the descent wastes the most valuable part of the movement. Slow, controlled descent → long head stretch → explosive press back up. REP Fitness: "there may be a point during your set where you feel like you're going to fail. If so, drop the dumbbells to the floor from the bottom position."

Set 1 Abort Decision ✓

Stopping set 1 at 4–5 reps because "it was getting hard and form was not right" was exactly the correct call. This is the skill being built: recognising when the weight is wrong before a full breakdown — not prolonging poor-form reps just to hit a number. Well done for acting on this signal early.

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Coach Manmeet — on aborting set 1: "This is exactly what I wanted to explain — and you did it instinctively. At 8 kg, the form broke before 5 reps, and you stopped. That is the correct response. The instinct to stop when something feels wrong is a safety reflex that protects you from injury. For next session: start at 6 kg. 4 sets. On each set, consciously check: elbows pointing up? Check. Upper arms not moving? Check. Dumbbells going behind the head? Check. If any of these three fail, stop the set. Form integrity beats rep count on skull crushers every time."

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Why the long head matters for Pulkit's goals: The triceps long head is the largest of the three tricep heads (~67% of total tricep muscle mass). It's the one that creates the "horseshoe" shape when viewed from behind and adds the most arm size. Research by Kholinne et al. (2018, Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica) confirmed that the lying tricep extension (skull crusher) produced significantly higher long head activation compared to pushdowns and kickbacks. Skull crushers + pushdowns together = all three heads trained, which pushdowns alone cannot achieve. This is why adding skull crushers was the right call.

Coach's Training Note · Requested for Incline Press Set 4

When to Abort a Set vs When to Push Through — The Weight Intuition You Need

Pulkit jumped from 12 kg (near failure at ~10 reps) directly to 14 kg (failed at 3.5 reps, under 30s). Coach noted this happens when the instinct to "test a new weight" overrides the protocol signal. Here's how to make the right call every time, before you pick up the weight.

✓ Signals to INCREASE weight next set

• Set exceeded 60 seconds (even if you went to failure)
• Reps were above 15+ comfortably
• You "could have done several more reps" easily
• Time-under-tension was clearly over 60s
→ Increase weight by the smallest available increment (usually 1–2 kg on dumbbells)

⚠ Signals to STAY at same weight

• Near failure between 40–60 seconds (this is optimal)
• Last 2–3 reps were genuinely hard
• Form held throughout
• You wouldn't have managed 3+ more reps
→ Same weight, try to hit failure on the last set

↓ Signals to REDUCE weight

• Failed before 40 seconds (like today's Set 4 at 14 kg)
• Couldn't complete 5 full reps
• Form broke before time was up
• Set 1 of skull crushers: form wrong at rep 4
→ Drop by the smallest increment available

🧠 The intuition principle

An intermediate lifter's intuition is built from accumulated data points. After 2–3 sessions of the same exercise, you'll know within the first 3 reps whether the weight is too heavy. Trust this signal. It's not weakness — it's information. Stopping at 3 reps when you know it's too heavy is correct. Grinding 3 form-broken reps just to reach a number is not.

The rule for Pulkit's program: When near-failure at sets 2 AND 3 at the same weight — do NOT jump to the next dumbbell increment on set 4. Instead, stay at the same weight and target true failure. The next session is when you attempt the jump. Example from today: Near failure 12 kg sets 2 & 3 → set 4 should also be 12 kg to failure → next session starts at 12 kg set 1, and attempts 14 kg on set 4 if sets 1–3 go over 60s.

Time-Based Method — Active ✓

40–60 Second Rule

Being applied consistently. The gap is in acting on the signal — increasing weight when over 60s and not jumping to the next dumbbell when near-failure in the optimal zone.

Under 40s

Too heavy. Like skull crusher set 1 (8 kg) and incline press set 4 (14 kg). Reduce.

40 – 60s

Optimal. Keep weight same or to failure. Pushdown sets 3 & 4: ✓

Over 60s

Increase next set. Cable fly sets 1 & 2, pushdown set 1.

Areas of Improvement

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Big WinNo cardio between sets — first time. Every session before this had cross-trainer or walking between sets. Today: passive rest. Result: better quality sets, especially visible in the pushdown consistency across sets 2, 3, 4.

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WinFailure attempts on all 4 exercises. This is the most significant training shift in the 7-day programme. Every exercise had at least one true failure set today.

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WinSkull crushers added — correctly introduced. Aborting set 1 at 8 kg when form broke was the right call. This is exactly the instinct a good intermediate lifter develops.

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WinPushdown: failure on 3 consecutive sets at 15 kg. Correct weight found and held. Best pushdown performance to date.

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WinCable fly set 4 drop from 12.5→10 kg. Recognised too-heavy before a full form breakdown. This is the weight intuition skill being built in real time.

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Fix NowSkull crusher elbows flaring. Visible in Image 6. Before next set: elbows shoulder-width, pointing at ceiling, fixed for the entire rep. Drop to 5 kg if needed to build the correct motor pattern first.

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Fix NowSkull crusher depth — behind the head, not to forehead. Dumbbells should pass the ears and go below the top of the bench. This is where the long head stretch occurs.

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Fix Next SessionCable fly anchor still at shoulder level. Must move to knee level before the first fly set. Set the machine before anything else.

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ProtocolIncline press set 4 — don't jump weight when near-failure. Stay at 12 kg for set 4, use next session for 14 kg progression. Weight intuition box above explains the rule.

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Starting WeightsBoth cable fly and pushdown set 1 were wasted warmup sets. Next session: cable fly starts at 10 kg (not 5 kg), pushdown starts at 15 kg (not 12.5 kg).

Next Push Day — Exact Game Plan

1Set cable fly anchor to knee level before anything else. Confirm: arm hanging at side, cable pulls upward at an angle. This single change transforms the exercise.

2Incline press: start at 10 kg set 1, move to 12 kg sets 2–4. If sets 2–4 at 12 kg are near-failure in 40–60s → stay. If all three are consistently over 60s → then try 14 kg on the last set only.

3Cable fly: start at 10 kg. 4 sets. If set 1 at 10 kg lasts over 60s without failure, go to 12.5 kg for set 2. Do not stay at 5 or 7.5 kg.

4Pushdown: start at 15 kg directly. Skip 12.5 kg entirely — it's become a warm-up weight, not a working set.

5Skull crushers: 6 kg, 4 sets. Before set 1, do a 15-rep pushdown at 7.5 kg as elbow warm-up. During every rep: elbows fixed at ceiling, dumbbells going behind the head, upper arms not moving. Stop immediately if elbows flare.

6No cardio between sets. Passive rest: 60s for flies, 90s for incline press, 60–90s for pushdown/skull crusher. The session quality improvement today was directly caused by this change.

Push Day Progress (Jun 13 → Jun 15)

Failure Sets

Cardio Mid-Sets

0 ✓

Exercises Done

Total Sets

Jun 13: 3 exercises, 12 sets, 1 failure set. Jun 15: 4 exercises, 16 sets, 7+ failure sets. Trajectory is strongly positive.

Nutrition · 15 June (Push Day)

Today: 2,380 kcal · 126g protein · 98% score under the new range system. Protein within the 120–150g range ✓. Chicken tikka lunch (49g protein) carried the day's protein load. Fitness bar pre-workout ✓ for the 3rd consecutive day. Post-workout protein from Triple Berries shake (30g). Muscle protein synthesis peaks 30–120 min post-session — today's timing was good.

Pre: Fitness bar ✓ Post: Triple Berries 30g P ✓

Week 2.1 · Push Day II · 15th June