(PICS) Lost a lot of natural gains, lacking chest size and strength. Need a routine.

[walter_21]

Whats my BF and what should I do to have my lacking chest get bigger?

STATS: im 5'6 157-159bs natural. Walmart scale says 10.5 BF with 2% +/- give for error. 2.5 years of hardcore training an diet but been lifting since I was 15. Haven't really workout consitent up until i was 18. Since then i have been on and off with no gains, only losses. I haven't gained since i was 18.

Story:I'm quite disappointed with the gains I have lost in last 8 months. I couldn't afford the diet nor have the time and dedication to keep consistent training. I was stuck working full time and going to school. The first thing to go was my chest's and shoulder's size and strength.

I lost 15 pounds fat/muscle being busy like 70 hours a week with that stressful lifestyle.

My bench has gone down from 210 1rmp to now 180lbs...

I need a workout routine that would improve my chest size and strength.
I have a week link in my benching ability.

I would also like a estimate of my bodyfat.

I really need some expert advise, where am I lacking based on what you see. I really want to stay natural but tempted to regain my losses w/aas.

[walter_21]

I need a good routine

[walter_21]

[goodlifting]

age?

[cherrydrpepper]

You don't weigh enough yet but honestly dude you have a good base to build off of.

Figure out what split works for you and your schedule. This is the one that works for me at the moment:

DAY1: Legs
DAY2: Shoulders
DAY3: Back and Biceps
DAY4: Chest and Triceps
DAY5: OFF
then repeat

BF I don't know you look closer to 12 to me but whatever

Chest routine; you have to find what works for you. But you ask so I'll tell you this. There is a guy at my gym that has very developed pecs that you really don't see that often in the gym. You see lots of guys that can bench or whatever, but few that you look at them and go whoa this guy has a big chest. So I asked this guy, what do you do differently from everyone else that is doing this for you. This is what he said:

5 sets flat bench.
Forced negatives with a spotter.

I would not jump into that routine right away if you are just coming back to lifting. I would lift a few months and plateau or come close before even thinking about it. Pec tears and rotator cuff tears are not that uncommon.

[walter_21]

im 21

[BigBuck6]

Focus on dumbbell work to recruit more stabilizers and eat, eat, eat. Looking at the picks your arms seem to be the focus of your workouts and maybe you should switch days between arms and chest. Another method that the pecs seem to respond well to in pre-fatiguing.

Hit tri's and shoulders with very little weight and a ton of reps and then go through your normal chest routine. You WILL have to drop the weight a bit since your stabilizers will not be there to bail you out, I would even suggest a spotter if possible or power rack with safeties.

[the big 1]

Are you adding wieght/reps to the all the mass building exercises each time/week/month you train ?

i would concentrate more on that aspect of it, also, are you getting enough rest to inrease the rate you big lifts are going up ?

if the answer to these questions is no, then that is the reason you are not gaining mass in the key areas like chest and back.

[quarry206]

Are you trying to gain size or strength.. You skip back and forth in your tone about if you are wanting to get bigger or stronger?

muscle size usually has little to do with muscle strength.

Here is the 5x5 thread read it, it is a really good mix style workout that puts on size and strength
http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=239211

other than that explain your goal more. putting on chest size is trying the chest for hypertrophy trying for an actual lift like bench is trying your CNS. two different styles of training.

...............................

At your size and age I would say you would benefit most from us ripping apart your workout. not just giving you something though. most people find that they have been working out wrong or too much in one area.

[snoozin]

4 sets of DB incline 10 10 9 8
4 sets of DB flat 10 10 9 8
3 sets incline flys 12 12 12
2 sets on pecdeck 10 10

[yannick35]

[QUOTE=cherrydrpepper;5209778]You don't weigh enough yet but honestly dude you have a good base to build off of.

Figure out what split works for you and your schedule. This is the one that works for me at the moment:

DAY1: Legs
DAY2: Shoulders
DAY3: Back and Biceps
DAY4: Chest and Triceps
DAY5: OFF
then repeat

That is a great split workout allows you to hit each muscles hard, i will give this a try, thanks

[bigslick7878]

To the OP, it seems you hit the genetic lottery with every bodypart but your chest. Just the way it is. I would happily "deal with" the fact I had tree trunks for arms and legs but not that great chest mass.

I don't see much bodyfat, maybe 12% at the most but probably lower.

Just get back in the gym and you look like you will blow up with no help just hard work. Do not need to do anything special IMO.

[MotoLifter]

hit up some serious leg work. youll be suprised what your upperbody can achive with some serious leg work.


Moto

[goodlifting]

im 22 and the same height as you. our body frame seems to react pretty well to those full body lifts like squats, deads, and bench/pressing. for putting on mass, those work especially well for me. i think it's the fact that having a short, tight frame makes it a bit easier to get some good numbers on the bar. my bench was always quite weak but i have made outstanding progress...it took months of work though just gradually finding ways to target my chest and getting more weight on the bar safely.

it's also pretty tough to keep the calories high. i've always had trouble with that. i think if you are able to keep a good bodybuilding diet with just high calories it will really help you out. pick a split where you're lifting 4 days a week and eating plenty of food and you will definitely start growing.

looking at your body i can tell you just need to eat, man. don't worry about aas till later. you have plenty of room to grow naturally and you have all the time in the world.

your arms are pretty big by the way.

[snoozin]

Any recommendations on what my daily calories should be at?

[shortybrolick]

check this out...

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=113010

Diet is everything bro, you got a good frame to pack alot of mass on to by eating big and consistently..


As far as your benching, how is your grip? Close? Wide? Adjusting your grip can make you hit some new numbers. I used to bench way to close, after widening my grip my bench almost instantly went up.

If your delts, tris seem to overcompensate for your chest, [ive trained with people who have this] perhaps you can try preexhausting your tris/shoulders...

[walter_21]

I started with a closer grip for the first 2 weeks back in the gym. But I have went wider thinking i'm hitting more chest. But i'm weaker on the wider grip. I'll defiantly try pre-exausting my delts and tri's. Should I do 2 sets of db shoulder presses and 2 sets of dips before I start my bench press set?