[Daewoo]

I have been lifting for 3 year now and the one bodypart that has always gave me problems is my chest my current routine is

warm up w/ pec deck flys 2 sets light weight high volume

flat bench press 4 sets reps 15-6 increasing wieght every set and decreasing reps

incline dumbbell press 3 sets reps 12-8 increasing wieght every set and decreasing reps

dumbbell flys 3 sets reps 15-10 increasing wieght every set and decreasing reps

dips 3 sets to failure

can you give me some ideas what i might be doing wrong or what i can change

another problem contributing in my chest area is the fact that when doing flat bench press i always feel it in my shoulders and triceps and they give out before my chest does

please give me some insight to this dilemma
thanks alot guys

[bombdigity510]

for bench you may be making a mistake of not using the chest and using mostly ur shoulder and ur triceps....so try to isolate the chest a bit more and dont go too heavy so you can practice form (in order to use all chest u have to create an arch in ur back when lying down for bench and pull ur shoulders back on to the bench).....do like 4 sets of ur 10 rep max for only 8 reps for bench.....then go to incline barbell press and do the same thing (10 rep max for 8 reps)....then go to flat DB flyes for 3x10.....i personally dont do dips for chest cuz i think my triceps work better so i just do pec deck flyes for 3x10 then i go to cable flyes to burn the chest with 3 different positions...(standing straight up working the decline 3x10)(then leaning slightly forward for the middle of the chest 3x10) (then bending forward even more for incline 3x10) it works for me, but dunno bout u, but u can try it and tell me wut its like...

[eli80cal]

There are a few other recent threads on this. Check them out.
weak chest
another benching question
pre-exhausting the chest?

[StayBig]

Arch your back, and drop the bar below your nipples and not anywhere above that. This will take most of the stress off of your shoulders. Don't lock out or go higher than 4/5 of the full range of movement on the way help.

Also, what is the problem, obtaining more mass, strength or both?

See if your diet is in check. 1.5 grams of quality protein per lb. of bodyweight, and don't forget to have PLENTY of complex carbohydrates.

[slyizlegend]

Originally Posted by Daewoo

I have been lifting for 3 year now and the one bodypart that has always gave me problems is my chest my current routine is

warm up w/ pec deck flys 2 sets light weight high volume

flat bench press 4 sets reps 15-6 increasing wieght every set and decreasing reps

incline dumbbell press 3 sets reps 12-8 increasing wieght every set and decreasing reps

dumbbell flys 3 sets reps 15-10 increasing wieght every set and decreasing reps

dips 3 sets to failure

can you give me some ideas what i might be doing wrong or what i can change

another problem contributing in my chest area is the fact that when doing flat bench press i always feel it in my shoulders and triceps and they give out before my chest does

please give me some insight to this dilemma
thanks alot guys

Daewoo, maybe I can give you some tips. First of all you are doing way too much for such a little muscle as chest. I suppose that you are a natural bodybuilder like me, and natural bodybuilders burn muscles out very quickly. The result will be dissapointing. Just pick 2 or 3 exercises to begin with. My advice is just 2 for the first 4 weeks to come. And then add an exercise the 5th week.

Something like this: first two weeks -> benchpress 3 sets, incline dumbbell press 2 sets (just go for it, you gotta train with intensity and with heavy weights)

third and fourth week -> incline bench 3/4 sets, flat dumbbell flyes 2 sets

fifth (and sixth) week -> Incline bench* 3 sets, cable crossover 2 sets, flat bench dumbbell press 2 sets (my personal favorate)

* with the incline bench lower the weight to the clavicle and pause for 2 seconds and then squeeze it up. You can't do that with as much weight as you used to train with but the stimulation of the upper pecs will be tremendous.

Just switch with some routines from time to time but don't make the mistake of doing 5 exercises. That is your main mistake.

"another problem contributing in my chest area is the fact that when doing flat bench press i always feel it in my shoulders and triceps and they give out before my chest does"

Don't worry, this is problem #1 with this exercise. Just experiment with the way you hold your elbows out, and maybe you are using too much weight so that your movements are explosive. With explosive movements the pecs are not stimulated as they should be. Remember, you are bodybuilding and shaping muscles and you are not powerlifting(?). Just use a lighter weight, and squeeze it up.

An other option would be to superset benchpress with an isolation exercise like flyes (with heavy flyes of course). Without any rest you go on with benchpress immediately after the flyes. That way you can work the pecs to failure before your triceps give out because they were pre-exhausted. The triceps and shoulders will take over and the pecs will be worked even better.

Good luck with it, just do your thing and keep learning. Just turn the volume down and the intensity up and everything should be fine

[pumpingiron]

Originally Posted by Daewoo

another problem contributing in my chest area is the fact that when doing flat bench press i always feel it in my shoulders and triceps and they give out before my chest does

A big problem for many people are their egos. Don't use too heavy weights. I used to do the same with especially flat bb presses. Then I began to use lighter weights and really feel the chest (sqeeeeeze)
Also I don't do flat bb presses as much. I would recommend this:

4 sets incline bb on the rack
4 sets hammerstrengh chest press or other simular machine
4 sets machine flies

Really try to feel the muscle!

After 1 or 2 month I would reduce the sets to 3 and add one more exercise like incline db presses.

I've done it this way for months and my chest has improved a great deal. Give it a try.

[slyizlegend]

Ey pumpingiron, how are you doing. I have 1 question for you, because it would be important for daewoo to know. Are you natural or not? If not, then he should NOT train the way you do. That would not work.

12 sets for chest is very much for a natural

[pumpingiron]

I've done one cycle... and I'm not on roids now!

No problem for a natural to train 12-14 sets for chest. I do 20 sets for the entire back.

There is no general guideline slyizlegend and it's important to practice trial and error.

I stick to my recommendation and remember, everybody is different.

[slyizlegend]

Originally Posted by pumpingiron

I've done one cycle... and I'm not on roids now!

No problem for a natural to train 12-14 sets for chest. I do 20 sets for the entire back.

There is no general guideline slyizlegend and it's important to practice trial and error.

I stick to my recommendation and remember, everybody is different.

Ok, was just a question. I wasn't trying to offend you bro. You're right everybody is different but I noticed he complained about his chest while he already was doing a lot of sets (perhaps too many). So I would recommend a lower volume. But maybe your way (with the machines and lighter weight) is OK too I don't know. He should experiment. I wonder if he even reads all this stuff, because some people replied for him and he doesn't answer them back.

[pumpingiron]

I'm not offended...

[Daewoo]

And yes i do read
i have not anwered any ones replys because i ave been very busy these past couple of weeks
but i do thank all of you for your feed back thank you
ill keep you guys up to date on my chest

[Nothin' but a peanut!!]

hey man when i find my chest struggling i hit it with as many shocks as i can and it always seems to work before switching back to a more normal routine
i train chest only once per week so give this a go
week 1
flat bb bench press 3 all out max sets 6 to 8
same for incline bb bench
finish off flat flyes 3 sets 12 to 15 reps try going out as wide as you possibly can to get hte biggest possible stretch in the chest
week2
superset flat bench press with flat flyes
superset incline bench with incline flyes
4 sets each try and get 8 to 10 reps next day is very sore rest breaks short.

week 3
incline db press 4 sets 6 to 8 reps
flat flyes 4 sets 10 reps
decline bb bench 3 sets 8 to 10 reps

week 4
superset incline db press with flat db press
4 sets 8 to 12 reps
superset pec deck with cable crossovers 4 sets 8 to 12 reps

i dont know what equipment you've got on hand, at my gym the most advanced chest machine we have is the pec deck :'( so if you've got any good machines there that'd be great to substitute them

[dr frankenstein]

Originally Posted by slyizlegend

Daewoo, maybe I can give you some tips. First of all you are doing way too much for such a little muscle as chest. I suppose that you are a natural bodybuilder like me, and natural bodybuilders burn muscles out very quickly. The result will be dissapointing. Just pick 2 or 3 exercises to begin with. My advice is just 2 for the first 4 weeks to come. And then add an exercise the 5th week.

Something like this: first two weeks -> benchpress 3 sets, incline dumbbell press 2 sets (just go for it, you gotta train with intensity and with heavy weights)

third and fourth week -> incline bench 3/4 sets, flat dumbbell flyes 2 sets

fifth (and sixth) week -> Incline bench* 3 sets, cable crossover 2 sets, flat bench dumbbell press 2 sets (my personal favorate)

* with the incline bench lower the weight to the clavicle and pause for 2 seconds and then squeeze it up. You can't do that with as much weight as you used to train with but the stimulation of the upper pecs will be tremendous.

Just switch with some routines from time to time but don't make the mistake of doing 5 exercises. That is your main mistake.

"another problem contributing in my chest area is the fact that when doing flat bench press i always feel it in my shoulders and triceps and they give out before my chest does"

Don't worry, this is problem #1 with this exercise. Just experiment with the way you hold your elbows out, and maybe you are using too much weight so that your movements are explosive. With explosive movements the pecs are not stimulated as they should be. Remember, you are bodybuilding and shaping muscles and you are not powerlifting(?). Just use a lighter weight, and squeeze it up.

An other option would be to superset benchpress with an isolation exercise like flyes (with heavy flyes of course). Without any rest you go on with benchpress immediately after the flyes. That way you can work the pecs to failure before your triceps give out because they were pre-exhausted. The triceps and shoulders will take over and the pecs will be worked even better.

Good luck with it, just do your thing and keep learning. Just turn the volume down and the intensity up and everything should be fine

:~smiliego really

you should use less exercises,
just flat and incline for example.
4 to 8 reps. descending reps, ascending weight.
later (1-2 months),+ low crossovers (3 sets, 12 reps). :62: