how many sets for chest

[jgg1221]

chest is probably my favorite muscle to work next to arms...
but im just wondering what the opinion is on doing a lot of different exercizes with a lot of sets...
for example, if i could get away with it id like to do...


flat bench
incline dumb bell bench
decline dumbbell bench
incline dumb bell flies
decline dumbbell flies
wide gripped bench press

3 sets each.... which would add upto 18 sets

i do this because i essentially want to cover every angle possible to work my chest as hard as it can worked...

but im wondering if its really possible to do all that without going catabolic

i am considering keeping some of the main exercizes at 3 sets (flat, incline & decline pressing) while taking the fly & wide gripped sets down to 2 sets each... or maybe even just one.. just to avoid going catabolic


im real curious as to various opinions on this and am open ears to all suggestions... theyre much apprechiated!!

thanks

[BigJames]

I personally do between 16 and 20 sets for chest every 7 days. I think volume is very much different from one person to another...as long as you maintain a pump throughout the workout, all should be well. Others may disagree, but this works for me. Personnally, I like the following:

Incline Bench - 4 sets
Flat Bench - 4 sets
Flat Flyes - 4 sets
Weighted Dips supersetted with Cable Crossovers - 4 Sets

Every third workout I substitute all dumbbell excersizes and include incline flyes instead of flat flyes. Keeping in mind that variety is crucial to growth, you have to switch some stuff up now and then. On that note, I would probably suggest leaving some of the excersizes you mention out and do them every third workout as a substitute for something else. If you hit four excersizes properly, it should be all you need to bomb your pecs. I would save the wide grip benches as an alternate for flat bench. I would also switch up the order you do flat and incline presses from time to time. This is just one guys thoughts...anyone else?

[JdFlex]

There are so many different training variations I wouldn't know where to begin with this. 18 sets for chest? Sounds a bit much to me. But I do DC training and only do 1 rest paused set for chest. But before I did DC, I was doing maybe 7-9 sets for chest. I was always a fan of blowing out the muscles in short, intense sessions, then go home and grow. But that's just me.

[BigJames]

Don't mean to hijack, but what is DC training? Not familiar with the term...

[JdFlex]

Its the $hit. Do a search on it you'll find plenty of info.

[BigJames]

thanks

[JdFlex]

Here it is bro, I found it for ya. Sorry jgg, didn't mean to hijack.

Dogcrapp Training manual

[Benches505]

No more than 10 sets for chest if I am going to failure on each set.

Lighter days get 16 sets

[JdFlex]

No more than 10 sets for chest if I am going to failure on each set.

Lighter days get 16 sets

True that. No more than 10 sets going to failure. If you can't break down the muscle doing that, you're not doing something correctly.

[Ejuicer]

12 heavy sets max for my chest training, usually consisting of just flat bench, incline bench and incline flyes.