Could I be working chest on the wrong day?

[kstone6tb]

As of now, I am working one muscle group a day, with excellent results bar one muscle...my **** chest. I have always been a rather skinny kid, so it seems that my chest is the hardest to get to grow, and the easiest to weaken. However, recently, I have made great progress everywhere else besides the chest, which has completely plateaued for now, and I was wondering if maybe you guys think I'm working chest too close to shoulder day, therefore it still being not fully recooperated. I know this sounds kind of ridiculous, but I do eat a TON, I vary my chest workout every week, and do heavy weight w/low reps. My split looks like this..
Monday-Chest
Tuesday-Biceps
Wednesday-Abs and calves
Thursday-Back
Friday-Triceps
Saturday-Shoulders
Sunday-Legs

As I said before, with every other muscle, I have made very decent progress, but if there's anyone who thinks I could switch some of them around, let me know, thanks bros

[Fuller]

Maybe try to work your chest more than once every 7 days. Listen to your body. If your chest is sore then do not work it that day. But if after three or so days off, and your chest is not sore any more than maybe try and squeeze it in twice a week. Maybe even try and work your tri's and chest together on the same day, as your tri's will get work that day anyway. Any by doing this it will open up another day to work that chest once again. Just a thought...... Fuller

[cbpumped]

maybe your over training? 7 days per week is allot. It depends on what your doing as far as lifts? Does your chest get sore if not then that might be a sign of poor form and lift choices. Do you do the same types of lifts week in and week out?


I suggest you do mass lifts and switch it up every week. For lifts do dumbell bench or bar bench, same with incline. Then choose from declines, fly's dumbell, cable fly's or decent chest machines which are rare but if you have any.

ex. workout wk1

start out with dumbell flat bench do the most you can do with good for and your butt and feet stuck in place. Do reps of 6 to 8. 3 sets. (spotter would help you with a couple extra reps. Come down slow muscle is built on the negative.

After that do incline straight bar the most you can do with good form and not squirming. do same reps as the first exercise and 3 sets.

Now do stretch fly's with dumbells same deal as above and make sure you do a slow stretch and squeeze at the top. 3 sets.

Finish up with cable cross overs either standing up or bent over depending on what position makes you feel the isolation and burn the most. The further down the more your upper chest will get worked but it still will work the chest as a whole. 3 sets here.

That is 12 sets 4 exercises 3 sets each. Rest no more than 90 seconds between sets. Do a set get a drink do a set get a drink. that seems to keep me on track. Once your done with that do your second muscle group if that is part of your routine I would suggest biceps. The next week do the same work out but do bar bench and dumbell incline. Then finish off with the other exercises. after a few weeks of this you'll see which lifts are working for you after your bench and incline and you can switch them up as needed. Pec deck or any other finishing lifts you like. Try this and your chest should be very sore. If it is sore you have micro tares and it is going to rebuild. Take in enough nutrition and get plenty of rest.

[kstone6tb]

Thanks for all the tips guys. Also, to answer some questions I should have before, YES, I am usually very sore up to 3 days after a chest workout, ALMOST every week. I switch DB and barbell flat bench every other week, doing one "week A," then the next "week B", incline with whichever I didn't do that week, flys, cable pullups, and last I burn out with weighted dips. But yeah, I think I'm gonna try to get a little chest workout in on tri's day for a couple weeks, then switch to what Whitey suggested to try something different, as I have been with this routine for a while. The weird thing is, every other muscle has responded great to this routine, except the stubborn pecs.
Thanks again for the responses.

[still growin]

Where is your day off? Recovery is more important than lifting. Lifting atrophys your muscles (uses as energy, therefore decreasing mass) You grow when you rest! Combine tris and bis together, abs every other day, and calves on the other every other days. This will give you two days off. I work on a 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off schedule with no weekend workouts. Get rest in between, and try mabey doing some bench after shoulders like 5 sets or so. This should increase muscle growth. Also, watch your diet! Plenty of protien for muscle, carbs to gain mass, and eat before, and after your workouts, even if a meal is a shake.

[still growin]

Oh, and do whatever muscle lags, in your case chest, after a non-traing day so you are rested and fresh!

[Mu'min]

I used to lift that much because I thought that I would not grow if I did not. WRONG. I did not grow because I lifted that much. My belief contrary to most of the guys in the gym is that number one is diet, then rest and the last part of our triangle of growth is exercise. Remove one side and nothing will happen but no matter how much you push and kill yourself in the gym, if you are not resting or eating properly, nothing will happen. I guarentee that through what I have gone through.

I lift four times a week and see the best results in growth than I ever had before. Used to do 6x, and 5x a week. Intensity in the gym, not frequency in the gym will get results.

[kstone6tb]

Thanks for the responses bros. Furthermore, I have tried pairing up muscles and going for a 4x week routine. This, however landed me less satisfying results than my current split. It seems like everyday after a workout now, I am completely spent, and that muscle gets to rest for the rest of the week for the most part. On the other hand, I tried a 4x split, and it felt like I left the gym only half spent. But, I'm gonna switch it up, thanks again!

[Bevo]

training chest on mon. or tues. and taking the next day off could help...for me, i brought chest to catch up by doing very few sets...ex:

workout 1:
Incline Bench x warmup, warmup, 6-8 reps, 4-6 reps
Flat Dumbbell x 6-8, 4-6
Wide Hammer Strength x 6-8, 4-6
Incline Flyes x 6-8, 4-6

workout 2:
Flat Bench x wu, wu, 6, 4
Incline Dumbbell x 6-8, 4-6
Flat Flyes x 6-8, 4-6
(maybe) C.Crossovers x 8

[hoss827]

Try a split routine...like this

Monday : Chest and Triceps
Tuesday: Biceps and back
Wednesday: Abs
Thursday : Legs
Friday: Shoulders
Saturday & Sunday, rest, or do abs..

[still growin]

Even if you directly train each body part once a week, you are really training it on consecutive days. Chest workouts involve tris and shoulders, back involves biceps and traps etc. So if you do back one day and bis the next, you are training them 2 consecutive days with no rest for growth. I know it feels like when you walk out of the gym completely spent you are really doing good, but realistically are over-traing. If you think you are doing enough each workout, you are probably doing too much. It is a tough concept to grasp and understand, but trust me, it is true!