need chest help

**magicstick2003** · 09-05-2004, 07:10 AM

I've been through this once or twice now and i can not for the life of me get my chest to grow. Everything else is doing just fine but my chest is really starting to piss me off. Now don;t get me wrong i have noticed a slight change but i wanna make it massive. My workout partner and i do the same workouts and his chest is noticeably bigger then mine and it pisses me off. Im curious if there is anything i can do to help this area along.
currently here is my routine.
dumbbell incline- 3 sets
flat bench (barbell)-3 sets
bench incline-2-3 sets
cable flyes-3 sets
free weight flyes-3 sets (go lighter on this more for the stretch)

Im thinking perhaps i should start hrowing in push up or something every night before bed (lol like you used to do in highschool days.) I'm really at a loss and this is a last resort idea because i don;t know what else to do.

any advice is greatly appreciated
magic

**xenithon** · 09-05-2004, 07:45 AM

I see a common mistake many people make when trying to diagnose the lack of growth: more is more. What I mean is that you may not necessarily have to add to your workout for growth. On the contrary it is very possible you are overtraining thus halting the potential of your pecs. You are doing about 15 sets for your chest. That may be considered way too much, depending on your body. The general guideline seems to be around 9 sets for large muscle groups (such as chest) and deviations are dependant on experimentation or personal preference\experience. What I suggest is to DROP the volume as this may be a major contributor factor. Try the following:

Flat bench (barbell) -3 sets
Dumbbell incline - 3 sets
Weighted dips - 3 sets
Flyes - 2/3 sets

That is around 12 sets. It may not be wise to drop drastically from 15 to 9 sets in one go that is why I included the flyes. Also, make sure you are training with proper form and FULL INTENSITY. You should be gagging for air by the time dips and flyes come. If you do the lower volume and feel underworked, most likely reason is that you aren't pushing yourself to full potential

Hope it helps,
X

**chicamahomico** · 09-05-2004, 12:05 PM

It probably has more to do with how you're benching than how much weight or how many sets you're doing. Trying to put some mass on the chest I would drop everything but multijiont movement which you can go heavy on. Is there someone at your gym who you can ask to watch you bench? You could be a 'shoulder bench presser' and that will defeitely hinder your relative chest development. Assuming you feel your technique is ok, consider changing the exercises a bit.

dumbbell incline- 3 sets <---- do 5 sets
flat bench (barbell)-3 sets <---- do 5 sets
bench incline-2-3 sets <---- drop these
cable flyes-3 sets <---- drop these
free weight flyes-3 sets <---- drop these
dips 3 sets <--- add these to the workout, do 5 sets

**magicstick2003** · 09-06-2004, 08:38 PM

thanks for the advice bros... i did notice some developement in the past and have lately been feeling my shoulder is sore so i might be doing them wrongbut i feel like im doing it the same as when i had the improvement. I think ill try to cut down on the volume like you guys mentioned and see how that goes. like i said everything else is doing good just the chest i feel is lagging and it's frustarating to say the least.
thanks bros

**Jantzen4k** · 09-06-2004, 08:46 PM

dont do incline 2x in one lift bro, either barbell or dumbell

**brian11** · 09-06-2004, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by Jantzen4k

dont do incline 2x in one lift bro, either barbell or dumbell

Why not? I utilize barbell inclines and then dbell inclines later in the workout. Any particular reason you suggest not doing that? Or is it just your personal preference? I am seeing great results with it.

**bluethunder** · 09-07-2004, 06:48 AM

Good advice in previous post but I will throw out another idea. Sounds like you hit a plateau which requires some kind of switch up to shock the pecs. Asssuming you just looking for overall mass this is what I suggest. Tri set minimum to no rest Flat bench,incline,decline using barbell. Do 75% 1RM 4-7 reps. 3 sets. Mix the flat bench with a wide grip neck bench as one of the sets. After the 3 sets rest, perform just a flat bench drop set(descending). Do no other exercises. Then 4-5 days later do cable crossovers & dips for reps this gets the pump. You are working chest twice weekly one heavy the other lighter. Do this for 4-6 wks good luck just my 2cents

**biglouie250** · 09-07-2004, 08:21 AM

try negatives..... works wonders for many (including myself) do a search lots of posts about it

**decadbal** · 09-07-2004, 09:17 AM

heavy, i mean super heavy, sometimes even drop to low reps, only once every so often though, just do incline, bench and flyes... barbells..

**Jack87** · 09-07-2004, 09:56 AM

Here's my rountine and chest is one of my better bodyparts...
Wasn't always that way, actually when i started i had no chest...

Flat Barbell Benches 6 sets (reps after warm-up) 12,8,5,3,3,12
Incline DB Presses 4 sets 8-10 reps
Incline DB Flies or PecDeck 3 sets 10-12 reps
Dumbbell Pullovers (sometimes just for a good strecth) 2 sets 12-15 reps

Every 3rd workout switch to Flat DB Bench Presses and Incline Barbell
Bench presses and good for more of a stretch and contraction... Reps
in the 6-12 range for the Flat DB Bench Presses...