Advice for better chest growth

[lestat85]

My chest has always been a week spot for me and i would really appreciate any advice for achieving better growth.

I'm currently bulking on 500 mg test e/week and the only supplement that i use is protein powder post workout and occasionally before bed if I need to boost my protein for the day. I've been training for almost 6 years, with a few breaks over that time.

My current workout split is:
Day 1 - chest/triceps
Day 2 - back/biceps
Day 3 - Shoulders
Day 4 - Legs

My workouts very a little between workouts, but my typical chest/tricep day is:
-Flat press 3x8
-incline press 3x8
-Flyes 3x10-12
-Dips 3x8
-Cable press down 3x8
-Cable pull down 3x8

[pasha]

whats up bro! i think you could do 4X8 instead of only 3X. also you could add another chest exercise to your routine!

[lestat85]

whats up bro! i think you could do 4X8 instead of only 3X. also you could add another chest exercise to your routine!

Thanks for the advice, I'll add the extra set neat chest day. For the other exercise, would you suggest another press or another fly to hit a different angle?

[MickeyKnox]

i would recommend switching from bb to db each wk. dumbell flys are very important to chest development. 3 sets is fine if your goal is mass and strength provided you warm up properly before your set. you could also include another strength exercise for tris in there. you only have one, dips. add skull crushers with the easy curl bar (free weight)

also i would switch your shoulder day with legs. what do you do day 5,6&7? what are your rest days?

[bodybuilder]

i would recommend switching from bb to db each wk. dumbell flys are very important to chest development. 3 sets is fine if your goal is mass and strength provided you warm up properly before your set. you could also include another strength exercise for tris in there. you only have one, dips. add skull crushers with the easy curl bar (free weight)

also i would switch your shoulder day with legs. what do you do day 5,6&7? what are your rest days?

I agree, its always important to switch things up, not to get married into the same routine. Going from bb to db each wk is a great way to mix things up, might also want to add some kind of decline movement, decline is a great way to add overall mass.

[lestat85]

i would recommend switching from bb to db each wk. dumbell flys are very important to chest development. 3 sets is fine if your goal is mass and strength provided you warm up properly before your set. you could also include another strength exercise for tris in there. you only have one, dips. add skull crushers with the easy curl bar (free weight)

also i would switch your shoulder day with legs. what do you do day 5,6&7? what are your rest days?

I try to switch between bb and db but have been sticking to db more lately, as I don't often have a spotter anymore. I'll have to make a conscious effort to make sure there is more bb work.

Thanks for the suggestion on the skull crushers. I actually really like that exercise, not sure why I've been neglecting it.

I should have listed the split better.
Day 1 - chest/tris
Day 2 - back/bis
Day 3 - cardio only
Day 4 - shoulders
Day 5 - legs
Day 6 - off
Day 7 - off

[lestat85]

I agree, its always important to switch things up, not to get married into the same routine. Going from bb to db each wk is a great way to mix things up, might also want to add some kind of decline movement, decline is a great way to add overall mass.

I try to make at least a small change every workout, even it's just the order.

Thanks for the suggestion about decline. I've been neglecting decline lately.

[MickeyKnox]

another tip...have you ever tried separating your triceps and chest workouts? i actually noticed an increase in strength in both my chest and triceps when i did that the first time. you could pair up your shoulders and triceps. something to consider perhaps..

[kelkel]

Unless your training for a competition or to increase strength in a particular lift then variety is the spice of life here. Attack your chest from different angles and with different rep schemes in every workout. Even from exercise to exercise. Your body responds to the same workouts by giving you the same results. Meaning nothing more. You need to basically trick it into growth. Occasionally you'll get a body part or two that you can do the same routine for long periods of time and maintain constant growth, but it is few and far between. I'd also suggest putting incline presses before flats, IMO. How many people run around with an over developed upper chest? Remember, there are really only two ways to increase intensity: Increase the weight or shorten the rest periods. There are downfalls to both when done to extremes so do so responsibly.

Question: Are you shoulder dominant during your chest work? What I mean is does it seem/feel like shoulders bear the brunt of the exercise and are they a dominant body part for you? If so, consider pre-exhaust style training occasionally to allow your actual chest muscle to fail, not shoulders and tri's like usual during chest work. Your weight will suffer a bit but you can fry the muscle that way.

Good luck!

kel

[lestat85]

another tip...have you ever tried separating your triceps and chest workouts? i actually noticed an increase in strength in both my chest and triceps when i did that the first time. you could pair up your shoulders and triceps. something to consider perhaps..

Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried separating chest and triceps a few times, but never combined them with shoulders. I find my shoulder workout takes up too much time to combine another body part without feeling like something is getting neglected.

[MickeyKnox]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried separating chest and triceps a few times, but never combined them with shoulders. I find my shoulder workout takes up too much time to combine another body part without feeling like something is getting neglected.

most people spend way too much time on shoulders. the delt has three parts. hit each part with a 3 set exercise and your done. just remember to make each set count and geared toward your individual goals...ie/high reps light weight or low reps heavy weight. change exercises each wk.

[lestat85]

Unless your training for a competition or to increase strength in a particular lift then variety is the spice of life here. Attack your chest from different angles and with different rep schemes in every workout. Even from exercise to exercise. Your body responds to the same workouts by giving you the same results. Meaning nothing more. You need to basically trick it into growth. Occasionally you'll get a body part or two that you can do the same routine for long periods of time and maintain constant growth, but it is few and far between. I'd also suggest putting incline presses before flats, IMO. How many people run around with an over developed upper chest? Remember, there are really only two ways to increase intensity: Increase the weight or shorten the rest periods. There are downfalls to both when done to extremes so do so responsibly.

Question: Are you shoulder dominant during your chest work? What I mean is does it seem/feel like shoulders bear the brunt of the exercise and are they a dominant body part for you? If so, consider pre-exhaust style training occasionally to allow your actual chest muscle to fail, not shoulders and tri's like usual during chest work. Your weight will suffer a bit but you can fry the muscle that way.

Good luck!

kel

Thanks for the suggestions.

I've never really varied the rep ranges within the same workout. Usually have been rather set in 6-8 or 12-15 depending if I'm bulking or cutting. I'll definitely start trying this next workout.

My shoulders used to be a very weak part for me, but not so much anymore. I do find that my shoulders or triceps feel more sore/tired than my chest after doing presses. It's actually very frustrating sometimes.

[lestat85]

most people spend way too much time on shoulders. the delt has three parts. hit each part with a 3 set exercise and your done. just remember to make each set count and geared toward your individual goals...ie/high reps light weight or low reps heavy weight. change exercises each wk.

My usual shoulder routine is:
-Press
-side raise
-front raise
-reverse fly or reverse cable crossover
-shrugs

Everything is done as heavy as I can for 3x8. I've been pretty set in the 3x8 rep range lately. I'll definitely start varying this much more.

I find this takes me about 45 mins alone and about an hour on the rare occasion that my workout partner shows up.

[lestat85]

My one cardio day seems a little pointless sometimes. The reason for only one cardio day is that I train in martial arts and feel that I get good cardio workouts there.

Would it be more beneficial to cut the one cardio day and and divide the workouts between 5 days, allowing a dedicated chest day or even a second chest workout to help with growth?

Also I don't think I mentioned this in earlier posts, but my goal is to gain size and strength. Looking for a body builder physique.

[MickeyKnox]

My usual shoulder routine is:
-Press
-side raise
-front raise
-reverse fly or reverse cable crossover
-shrugs

Everything is done as heavy as I can for 3x8. I've been pretty set in the 3x8 rep range lately. I'll definitely start varying this much more.

I find this takes me about 45 mins alone and about an hour on the rare occasion that my workout partner shows up.

incorporate your shrugs with cardio or something else. i do them with calves. it will save you some time if you decide to do tris with shoulders.

[kelkel]

My usual shoulder routine is:
-Press
-side raise
-front raise
-reverse fly or reverse cable crossover
-shrugs

Everything is done as heavy as I can for 3x8. I've been pretty set in the 3x8 rep range lately. I'll definitely start varying this much more.

I find this takes me about 45 mins alone and about an hour on the rare occasion that my workout partner shows up.

You gotta pick up the pace! Once you're through your heavier pressing the rest of your routine should fly by with minimal rest.

[lestat85]

incorporate your shrugs with cardio or something else. i do them with calves. it will save you some time if you decide to do tris with shoulders.

Moving them would probably make a huge difference, time wise. I find that presses and and shrugs take up the most time on shoulder days, as I don't time my rest, but rather go by how recovered I feel.

I'm starting to think that I should completely change my workout split and shock my body. What is your opinion on this?

[MickeyKnox]

if you are considering a change i recommend you try this one..

Day one: Delts, triceps, abs
Day two: Back, traps, rear delts
Day three: REST
Day four: Chest, biceps, abs
Day five: Quads, hams, calves
Day six: REST

it's a modified Dorian Yates routine. i really like it but it depends on your freedoms of work and family.

[lestat85]

You gotta pick up the pace! Once you're through your heavier pressing the rest of your routine should fly by with minimal rest.

I find that this is pretty much exactly what happens, but I start loosing time again with the shrugs, as I go as heavy as I can and end up feeling I need longer recovery between sets.

I think I will be moving my shrugs to another day. I'm actually thinking I need to rework my entire split to really shock my body and force some better growth. Especially being on cycle, I want to maximize my results and I've been on the same split for a couple months now. I always seem to fall into this same split and am thinking it might be best to get away from it for a while.

[lestat85]

if you are considering a change i recommend you try this one..

Day one: Delts, triceps, abs
Day two: Back, traps, rear delts
Day three: REST
Day four: Chest, biceps, abs
Day five: Quads, hams, calves
Day six: REST

it's a modified Dorian Yates routine. i really like it but it depends on your freedoms of work and family.

My workouts are in the morning, before work. I find this to give me the most time with my family.

My martial arts class begins with a lot of crunches from different angles (not sure how many as I never count, but it's definitely a few hundred). Should I exclude abs from this routine, so I don't over train them?

[MickeyKnox]

what days are your MA classes? takes a lot to over-train a muscle. i know guys that include abs every time they workout and they look great.

[lestat85]

what days are your MA classes? takes a lot to over-train a muscle. i know guys that include abs every time they workout and they look great.

Classes are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Over training is a topic I've always had trouble completely understanding, because everything I read seems to contradict everything else. I feel like I've got strong abs (wish they'd show better lol), but with the core being so important to everything, I find myself torn between training my abs daily to keep then progressing and limiting how often they're trained to avoid overtraining them.

[lestat85]

if you are considering a change i recommend you try this one..

Day one: Delts, triceps, abs
Day two: Back, traps, rear delts
Day three: REST
Day four: Chest, biceps, abs
Day five: Quads, hams, calves
Day six: REST

it's a modified Dorian Yates routine. i really like it but it depends on your freedoms of work and family.

Question about day 1 and 2. I'm assuming that delts on day 1 does not include rear delts? Probably obvious, but figured I'd ask to be sure.

This is a very different split than what I've usually done and am thinking this will be a good change to encourage more growth.

[baseline_9]

I would just keep your routine as it is and increase the intensity.....

Take sets past failure.... Forced reps, negatives, rest pause sets...


There is a lot to be said for taking intensity to the next level.... If your routine is stagnant and your just doing basic training to failure then smashing the intensity big time will give u a boost..... U will just have to periodized the intensity

[lestat85]

I would just keep your routine as it is and increase the intensity.....

Take sets past failure.... Forced reps, negatives, rest pause sets...

There is a lot to be said for taking intensity to the next level.... If your routine is stagnant and your just doing basic training to failure then smashing the intensity big time will give u a boost..... U will just have to periodized the intensity

I don't do negatives or forced reps often as I rarely have a spotter. Do you have any advice on how to accomplish a similar effect solo?

[baseline_9]

I don't do negatives or forced reps often as I rarely have a spotter. Do you have any advice on how to accomplish a similar effect solo?

Rest pause, drop sets, cheat reps, or just ask for a quick spot here and there...

[lestat85]

Rest pause, drop sets, cheat reps, or just ask for a quick spot here and there...

Thanks for the advice. I have been using drop sets a lot, but will look into adding rest pause.

I'm thinking I still might re arrange the split to give myself a mental break from the same old routine. Not 100% set on this yet though.

[djmikecollins]

Focusing on the upper chest and Incline movements are a key to larger more squared chest.

I changed my workouts to really focus on the incline and the improvement in my overall look as been awesome.

[lestat85]

Focusing on the upper chest and Incline movements are a key to larger more squared chest.

I changed my workouts to really focus on the incline and the improvement in my overall look as been awesome.

Thanks for the tip. I always do at least incline press. Maybe I'll make sure to add an incline fly with every chest day.