Chest is lacking!!

**david beads** · 08-11-2006, 08:19 PM

6'5 235 lbs 13% bf

My chest is lagging behind the rest of my body parts, especially my inner chest. I was wondering if anyone has found a routine, or excercises that will help me develope my chest. I understand that genetics have alot to do with this body part. I was thinking about tryiing a closer grip when pressing but am afraid that my triceps will take over. I have wide shoulders and chest and am having a hard time filling in my chest, any ideas??

**Kal-El** · 08-11-2006, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by david beads

6'5 235 lbs 13% bf

My chest is lagging behind the rest of my body parts, especially my inner chest. I was wondering if anyone has found a routine, or excercises that will help me develope my chest. I understand that genetics have alot to do with this body part. I was thinking about tryiing a closer grip when pressing but am afraid that my triceps will take over. I have wide shoulders and chest and am having a hard time filling in my chest, any ideas??

Im in the same boat man. How many excersises reps and sets do you do for chest, you may be over-training as someone suggested to me. I am also going to try the 5x5 workout I have read about on here.

**david beads** · 08-11-2006, 10:46 PM

Im doiing 4 excercises of 3 working sets = 12 sets, dont think this is overtraining, I'm thinking about doiing a couple excercises for chest on friday with shoulders and see if this helps at all,

**mark_newcastle** · 08-12-2006, 01:20 AM

whats your current chest workout look like?

**david beads** · 08-12-2006, 12:25 PM

Incline bench, flat bench, fly's, and dips. I usually change from week to week using barbell and dumbells.

RA · 08-12-2006, 12:45 PM

Try hitting chest twice a week.

**svarturer** · 08-12-2006, 03:35 PM

1234

**david beads** · 08-12-2006, 04:02 PM

I did some cable crossovers,incline fly's, and press machine on shoulder day this week. I work my chest hard on Monday and shoulders fall on friday, so I'm gonna do some chest excercises on friday with shoulders and traps.

**david beads** · 08-12-2006, 04:04 PM

and whats the best way to work the inner chest, have a closer grip when pressing?

**svarturer** · 08-12-2006, 09:08 PM

1234

**Jakspro** · 08-12-2006, 09:29 PM

I'm trying a new chest routine that focuses on weighted dips and fly's. Just changing your routine every 2 months has helped with finding what helps me grow the most. But like you my chest is lacking the most.

**Superballer** · 08-13-2006, 06:39 PM

My chest was also lagging behind.

It's still not fantastic, but definately has come up significantly since really slowing down, lowering the weight and focusing on the contraction.

Mind-muscle connection is very important. Lower the weight and focus on form and really feeling the muscle:

This video was helpful for emphasizing that idea:

http://thefitshow.com/week3/milos_chest_med.htm

**Superballer** · 08-13-2006, 06:43 PM

Also, check out this thread of BD's chest routine, you may have missed it:

BD's current Chest routine

BD's has great growth over the last few months, so it's something else worth considering.

**Smak** · 08-13-2006, 07:03 PM

I really got my chest up to par with rest of my body by doing high reps and relatively light weight.

Sets of 15, 15, 12, 12 worked great for me!!!

**david beads** · 08-13-2006, 10:06 PM

On Monday I train chest with tri's and friday shoulders, traps and now chest. My question is on friday what muscle group should I train first, chest or shoulders, I'm thinking chest?

**Undecided09** · 08-13-2006, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by svartur

yeah close grip

I don't really agree with the grip placement determining which part of your chest you are working...All that does is switch the secondary muslce groups that are being put understress, the closer the more tri and less shoulder, the wider just the opposite...The best way to work your chest is through hitting it from a variety of angles, sets, and reps...Doing some good quality reps and really pushing some blood in there, thats been my experience!

M.A.D.

**Undecided09** · 08-14-2006, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by david beads

On Monday I train chest with tri's and friday shoulders, traps and now chest. My question is on friday what muscle group should I train first, chest or shoulders, I'm thinking chest?

I don't think you should do chest twice a week, I think its overtraining and can be catabolic, just my 2 cents...I think your better off giving it its own day and letting loose for an hour, less exercises, higher volume(meaning more sets), and increasing difficulty of each set...

Core Mass Building:
Incline Bench for 4 sets and a dropset, 50% of weight off the 4th set weight, for 15 reps
Flat Dumbbells 4 sets 4-8 reps in the working sets
Your Choice Dumbbell fly (incline,Flat,Decline) 3-4 sets 6-10 reps

Burnout:
Your Choice Cable Cross, Pec Deck, etc...3 sets 12-15 solid squeezes!

That would be much more affective than twice a week, Rest/Diet=Growth...

M.A.D.

**david beads** · 08-15-2006, 06:44 PM

I'm gonna try twice a week and cant see it making things worse since every other body part has greatly improved except my chest. I read a post by Nark. and he said he had the best gains traing each body part twice a week and many others say the same. Ill give it a shot for 6-8 weeks and go from there.

**Undecided09** · 08-15-2006, 07:28 PM

Thats fine, run with it!!! But I would definately advise doing two things if you are going to do it that way...

1. Do two different days of exercises for your chest
ex. day 1. Incline Bech, Flat dumbbells, Heavy D-bell Fly's (incline,flat, decline)
day 2. Lying Pullovers, lighter D-Bell Fly's (whatever angle you didn't do on day 1), Pec deck, Cable Cross, etc.

2. Switch up your rep ranges, Day 1 go heavy, go low rep...Day 2 Go lighter, more reps, Good Squeezes!!

That could actually be very beneficial!

~M.A.D.

**stik** · 08-15-2006, 08:42 PM

Thanx for the vid superballer-very informative!

**david beads** · 08-15-2006, 08:45 PM

Thats along the line of what I was thinking undecided thanx for the input bro.

**Undecided09** · 08-15-2006, 08:55 PM

Yeah no problem, just remember, regardless of what you are doing, to grow you need to eat and rest, you could have very little clue as to what your are doing in there, but if you work hard for an hour and have a great diet and get some good rest, you can see some serious gains! The knowlege you gain about working out just helps to maximize the potential of a good diet and rest!!

~M.A.D.

**Wizeguy** · 08-17-2006, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by david beads

I'm gonna try twice a week and cant see it making things worse since every other body part has greatly improved except my chest. I read a post by Nark. and he said he had the best gains traing each body part twice a week and many others say the same. Ill give it a shot for 6-8 weeks and go from there.

I train all body parts twice a week except legs. Legs require more time to recover. Just remember to shorten the work out. High intensity low sets !

**david beads** · 08-18-2006, 12:17 AM

how have your gains been training each bp twice a week?

**Wizeguy** · 08-18-2006, 06:36 AM

Originally Posted by david beads

how have your gains been training each bp twice a week?

I started this in March (x-reps, body part twice per week). I finally gained again! Muscle fullness and gained some decent strength. The key though is to avoid over training,get in and get out! I do , on my working sets for example about Chest:5-6 sets. Bis 4-5 sets. etc. super high intensity.

**Dr. Musclehead** · 08-19-2006, 08:17 PM

Note: You're grip on bench press have very little to do with the effeciency of the exercise. Use a normal grip...not too wide, not too narrow!

**Undecided09** · 08-19-2006, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by Dr. Musclehead

Note: You're grip on bench press have very little to do with the effeciency of the exercise. Use a normal grip...not too wide, not too narrow!

I can't stress this point enough...its a big misconception that your grip placement alters the part of the chest you are working. The grip placement essentially alters which other muscle group you are going to use more to support your chest....Closer the more tri u will use to support and less shoulder, farther apart just the opposite, the chest is being hit in the same manner....Now this is to an extent ofcourse, if ur hand are practically touching then obviously ur tris are bearing most of the burden of the lift, hence Close Grip Bench Press, but no matter the hand placement, the area of the chest being worked doesn't change...

~M.A.D.

**ah2006** · 09-11-2006, 04:34 PM

I had the same problem a few months ago. Several people on here told me to pre-exhaust with some sort of flye movement. I would start off my chest workout with flat dumbbell flyes for 3 sets of 8-12 reps, then, after a great pump, I would go into 4 sets of Incline Barbell, and 4 sets of flat dumbbell. i then finished up with 2 sets of cable flyes to flush more blood in there. that worked out great for me. I gained some size to my chest indefintily.