sick and tired of my HORRIBLE shaped chest (pictures included)

**DCB83** · 07-10-2008, 06:09 PM

Im gonna answer your first question about your chest...
I think you need to be focusing more on your shoulder to chest tie in.
You gotta do lots of incline DB presses and incline DB flys.Stay off the bb presses, dumbells are much better for that. Maybe your form is sh!tty. Keep your elbows way back and feel that stretch on your upper pec on presses. With the flys, same story, gets those elbows back there, feel that stretch.You could even hold it down there for a second.start off with your palms facing eaching other and open them up gradually as you go down on flys. I would start off with the lowest incline level, do presses and flys. Then bring it up to the next bench incline and do the same. If you have a round bench at your gym, do flys and presses on that to. These will help widen your chest and fill up the area between your chest and shoulders.
try it and post some pics.

**tripmachine** · 07-10-2008, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by DCB83

Im gonna answer your first question about your chest...
I think you need to be focusing more on your shoulder to chest tie in.
You gotta do lots of incline DB presses and incline DB flys.Stay off the bb presses, dumbells are much better for that. Maybe your form is sh!tty. Keep your elbows way back and feel that stretch on your upper pec on presses. With the flys, same story, gets those elbows back there, feel that stretch.You could even hold it down there for a second.start off with your palms facing eaching other and open them up gradually as you go down on flys. I would start off with the lowest incline level, do presses and flys. Then bring it up to the next bench incline and do the same. If you have a round bench at your gym, do flys and presses on that to. These will help widen your chest and fill up the area between your chest and shoulders.
try it and post some pics.

awesome! Thanks a lot for the advice.... I will give that a try and start doing dumbbells for a while instead of the barbell presses..... Not sure how long it will take to build it up so it looks better but I should be able to tell I would imagine in a month or so.... and just keep going from there. Thanks for the help!

**tripmachine** · 07-11-2008, 03:21 PM

does anybody think a good 4 pack would be obtainable by the end of august for me if I am determined and motivated enough and follow the right steps??

I just started tren e a few days ago at 400mg / week and test prop and test e about 500mg's / week.... I'm going to order some clen /t3 from lion next week. I have been focusing on diet a lot lately and will focus even more. Also I was thinking about doing cardio in the a.m. for 45 minutes 3-4 times a week then lifting in the p.m. Any input on this would be great.... I've never had a 4 pack or 6 pack and really want to make it there... Thanks guys!

**AdamGH** · 07-11-2008, 11:04 PM

Throw some dips in to. Do them wide grip, least 10-15, all the way down all the way up till right before elbow lock out. If you can do like 3 sets of 10 np, start adding weight.

**kickinit** · 07-12-2008, 10:12 PM

Hate to sound like a dick, but man your doing something wrong. Im curious of how you do your chest, ever get sore after a workout, what type of weight you throwing up?

**Win369** · 07-13-2008, 01:44 AM

get more shape by diet! do extra for incline bench and cableflys....

**tripmachine** · 07-14-2008, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by kickinit

Hate to sound like a dick, but man your doing something wrong. Im curious of how you do your chest, ever get sore after a workout, what type of weight you throwing up?

No you aren't sounding like a dick to me.... Any help or words of advice I appreciate... obviously I think my chest sucks and is weird that's why I posted for help. Basically when I do chest this is an example of how i've been working it out....

incline barbell - warmup with 95lbs 3 sets total going from set 1- 135 x 12 reps set 2- 155 x 10 reps, set 3- 165 or 175 x 6-8 reps... depending on how i am feeling i guess...

incline dumbbell flys - 3 sets 12 10 10 usually.... maybe start off with the 30lbs dumbbells and get up to the 40's or so for the final set... now a days I'm really trying to squeeze my chest a lot while working it out since it feels much better when i do that.

flat cable flys..... 3 sets 15, 12, 10.... not sure of the weight off hand right now..

dips - I used to do 3 sets of 15-20 with no weight... now i'm doing 3 sets 15, 12, 10 with weight.... 25lb dumbbell.... 30lb dumbbell depending... gotta keep building it up and increasing weight.

sometimes i'll do decline barbell.....

dumbbell pull overs - 3 sets 14, 12, 10 start with 65, then 70 then 75....

anyway i change it each time and don't do things in the same order.... also will add in a few different things here and there and not do a few other things certain times as well.... my chest makes me look like extra sh!t instead of just sh!t.... anyway that's why i came here looking for help. :]

thanks!

**BUYLONGTERM** · 07-14-2008, 02:09 PM

I think there is a Big difference with your before and after pics! Getting a great body doesn't happen overnight. Keep up the hard work!

BLT

**tripmachine** · 07-14-2008, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by BUYLONGTERM

I think there is a Big difference with your before and after pics! Getting a great body doesn't happen overnight. Keep up the hard work!

BLT

Hey BLT..... thanks a lot for the kind words and positive reinforcement... that makes me happy to see others notice improvements of mine... I don't really get any compliments in real life (in person i mean) much so it's really cool when someone says something nice. Thanks again! :]

**03636** · 07-17-2008, 12:32 AM

I think you ought to be damn proud of yourself for coming as far as you have. For that I say congrats! Your before and after pics are worlds apart. As far as solid chest advice, I say this... I've always had a lagging chest, so I've done a fair amount of experimenting with different exercises. I am having great success with my most routine. Basically I'm going with high volume sets as heavy as possible. Keep in mind my split includes tri's with chest. Here's my routine:

Incline press 3 x 10 light weight starting at 135lbs (one plate per side) Between sets I'm stretching and squeezing my chest muscles. This is to help move the blood into the chest increasing my pump. Poundage up to about 225lbs(two plates)

Incline Press 2 x 8-10, 225lbs. Two more rounds for as many as possible in this range with good form. You should be feeling a good pump by this point.

Incline bench Dumbbell Flyes 4 x 10 at 35lbs. I do these to open up my chest fibers between heavy sets. I feel like the more I stimulate the entire area between sets, the deeper I can go into the body part. So I incorporate flyes in the middle of my routine. For me this creates a more filling and even pump.

Flat bench 3 x 10 135lbs. This exercise is a must no matter who you are, we all agree on this. Don't cheat or bounce the weight. Strict form is key during this movement. Like with Incline presses, I go another two rounds upping the poundage incrementally to 225lbs as I go.

Flat bench Flyes 4 x 10 at 35 lbs. This may seem excessive but stick with me...It's gonna be worth it. At this point your chest should feel full and pumped. For many this is already a full chest workout. With 18 sets behind you, You're almost home.

Dips 2-3 sets of 12 to failure.

I know this will be met with some criticism, that's cool. This routine has shocked my chest back to life and produced some noticeable gains for me. I have always had to work a little harder than most in this area so I hope it works for you. One more thing I can say is that this worked for me after a lot of changes along the way. So always keep looking for another way to make it work for you. When you find something that works you will know it! Again congrats on the progress your making.

**AdamGH** · 07-17-2008, 12:58 AM

whatever you decide, stick with it for at least 4-6 weeks. Then change to something different. dont change routines around from week to week...

**sam_sneed** · 07-17-2008, 02:42 AM

Originally Posted by tripmachine

No you aren't sounding like a dick to me.... Any help or words of advice I appreciate... obviously I think my chest sucks and is weird that's why I posted for help. Basically when I do chest this is an example of how i've been working it out....

incline barbell - warmup with 95lbs 3 sets total going from set 1- 135 x 12 reps set 2- 155 x 10 reps, set 3- 165 or 175 x 6-8 reps... depending on how i am feeling i guess...

incline dumbbell flys - 3 sets 12 10 10 usually.... maybe start off with the 30lbs dumbbells and get up to the 40's or so for the final set... now a days I'm really trying to squeeze my chest a lot while working it out since it feels much better when i do that.

flat cable flys..... 3 sets 15, 12, 10.... not sure of the weight off hand right now..

dips - I used to do 3 sets of 15-20 with no weight... now i'm doing 3 sets 15, 12, 10 with weight.... 25lb dumbbell.... 30lb dumbbell depending... gotta keep building it up and increasing weight.

sometimes i'll do decline barbell.....

dumbbell pull overs - 3 sets 14, 12, 10 start with 65, then 70 then 75....

anyway i change it each time and don't do things in the same order.... also will add in a few different things here and there and not do a few other things certain times as well.... my chest makes me look like extra sh!t instead of just sh!t.... anyway that's why i came here looking for help. :]

thanks!

Read through your thread and i have to say don't be so hard on yourself man you've made great progress so far from those 1st pics.

I'm curious to why you do two exercises on incline IMO this should be changed. Here's my advised chest routine
*Dumbell Flat Bench Press
*Incline dumbell press
*Cable crossovers (but from the lower pulley this places slightly more stress on upper chest)
*Flat bench fly
*Dips OR pullovers (Depending on where triceps/back training falls in your routine)
15-18 sets which is what you seem to be doing sounds about rite. Using dumbell's will help you achieve a deeper stretch. Post your diet up i definitely think thats your sticking point not your routine so much.

**bmit** · 07-19-2008, 12:08 AM

Drop bf and your chest will look better, that will give your chest a more cut look and it will look more separated and noticeable. I way prefer dbs over bb. Really feel it in your chest and try to keep your shoulders and tris out of it as much as possible. Chest and calves are my lagging body parts, but the rest comes in very very nicely. Just has a lot to do with genetics too

**wilson9d** · 07-19-2008, 09:55 PM

lift heavy to add more muscle, add intense cardio like wind sprints and road biking. that combo will cut fat quickly. cut back on carbs, protien shakes.

**joe2009** · 07-22-2008, 05:47 PM

u really made some changes in the past 6months from those pics, well what are your goals, to tone up the muscle u already got or add size but without the fat?

**tripmachine** · 09-04-2008, 05:59 PM

Well it looks like my chest still sucks! lol I have been changing it up since I posted this by doing dumbbell presses instead of barbell and also doing dumbbell flys as well as dumbbell pull overs. I do dips without weight usually because they come AFTER my chest and tris are a bit beat up.... I've noticed I have leaned up a tad more and some other things have changed but it seems my chest still just isn't even there. ANYONE have any idea why this might be the case? genetics? not working out right? (even though i'm almost positive I am... form is good weight isn't TOO much) Any more thoughts would be greatly appreciated ....... Maybe I just need to keep going with the dumbbells for another 1-2 months and see what happens.... thanks everyone!

**AdamGH** · 09-04-2008, 06:05 PM

patience big man, rome wasnt built in a day

Took me over 2 years to pack on 15-20 lbs. Either way, it took a lot of time. Just keep at it and dont worry about it so much. take pics every 3 months or so and compare at the 1 year mark.

**Panzerfaust** · 09-04-2008, 06:42 PM

I am seeing improvement, I would honestly keep the weight where you are able to get a full stretch and focus on the contraction. More than likely you put too much weight up and use more muscles to lift in then your chest.

I just read your routine, too much weight for your chest development IMO. No way you are putting up 225 on incline and doing it properly, if so the chest would show it.

I also think you are doing to much on chest day and this is also a problem.

Honestly, who gives a **** about the weight...you want to look like you lift 500lbs, not actually do it.

Drop the weight down, focus on getting the full stretch and contraction. Don't lock the weights out, when you do this you relax and we don't want that, we wanna keep the muscle engadged at all times, so stop short of locking out.

I think Jay Cutler has one of the prettiest lifting styles, he focuses completely on the stretch and contraction and not the weight, he isn't as strong as Ronnie or Johnny Jackson but he sure looks like he is.

If I were you I would switch it up and do this

3 Sets - Incline Barbell (one or two good warmup sets getting the full stretch and ROM)

3 Sets - Decline Barbell (don't shy way from this and have someone help you with your form)

3 Sets - Flat Barbell

Incline Flys using the cables...grab a bench and once again keep the weight manageable to where you can get that full stretch and ROM.

Sometimes less is more....honestly give it a try and post pics...I guarantee we will see results. My chest has been my worst body part forever, I sucked it up and haver someone push me and help me keep my form. My chest is popping out and filling in now.

Jay on Flat

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2h...-presses_sport

Jay on incline:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2h...-benches_sport

Jay on decline

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2h...-benches_sport

Jay on Pec Deck

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hzn8_pec-decks_sport

No matter what he doesn't lock out and keeps tension on his pecs at all times. I always liked watching him lift, one of the best IMO.

**DSM4Life** · 09-04-2008, 06:44 PM

Inclines inclines inclines.

**BBall6** · 09-05-2008, 07:43 AM

Nice progress. I know your chest still may not look like what you want, but it sure has come a long way from your 1st pics. Just keep training and working on improving that as well as your diet and you will get where you want to be eventually.

**tripmachine** · 09-05-2008, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by muriloninja

I am seeing improvement, I would honestly keep the weight where you are able to get a full stretch and focus on the contraction. More than likely you put too much weight up and use more muscles to lift in then your chest.

I just read your routine, too much weight for your chest development IMO. No way you are putting up 225 on incline and doing it properly, if so the chest would show it.

I also think you are doing to much on chest day and this is also a problem.

Honestly, who gives a **** about the weight...you want to look like you lift 500lbs, not actually do it.

Drop the weight down, focus on getting the full stretch and contraction. Don't lock the weights out, when you do this you relax and we don't want that, we wanna keep the muscle engadged at all times, so stop short of locking out.

I think Jay Cutler has one of the prettiest lifting styles, he focuses completely on the stretch and contraction and not the weight, he isn't as strong as Ronnie or Johnny Jackson but he sure looks like he is.

If I were you I would switch it up and do this

3 Sets - Incline Barbell (one or two good warmup sets getting the full stretch and ROM)

3 Sets - Decline Barbell (don't shy way from this and have someone help you with your form)

3 Sets - Flat Barbell

Incline Flys using the cables...grab a bench and once again keep the weight manageable to where you can get that full stretch and ROM.

Sometimes less is more....honestly give it a try and post pics...I guarantee we will see results. My chest has been my worst body part forever, I sucked it up and haver someone push me and help me keep my form. My chest is popping out and filling in now.

Jay on Flat

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2h...-presses_sport

Jay on incline:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2h...-benches_sport

Jay on decline

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2h...-benches_sport

Jay on Pec Deck

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hzn8_pec-decks_sport

No matter what he doesn't lock out and keeps tension on his pecs at all times. I always liked watching him lift, one of the best IMO.

awesome!! thanks a lot for taking the time to put that together for me, I really do appreciate that. I do think I have been over training on chest day..... I will try what you say for a while and see how that goes. Thanks again.

Thanks to the rest of you as well for helping out and replying!

**Panzerfaust** · 09-05-2008, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by tripmachine

awesome!! thanks a lot for taking the time to put that together for me, I really do appreciate that. I do think I have been over training on chest day..... I will try what you say for a while and see how that goes. Thanks again.

Thanks to the rest of you as well for helping out and replying!

No problem, I am anxious to see your results. Just really remember to focus on getting a good stretch and using your chest to push the weight up.

If you do it preoperly, 135lbs on Incline will feel much heavier when you bring it down and do a short pause and then contract up.

Check out this clip of Milos Sarcev....I can't tell you how much this has helped me in my approach to training chest.

http://thefitshow.tv/index.php?optio...son1&Itemid=69

**manwitplans** · 09-06-2008, 04:05 AM

Good work getting rid of much bodyfat, now go for the the ripped look

**tripmachine** · 10-16-2008, 12:52 PM

Here are a couple more pics I have taken just the other night.... still haven't even added cardio in to my routine yet which sucks because i know it'll make a huge difference.... I just really want to do a.m. cardio but it's really hard to do it before work.... and from what i hear i shouldn't do cardio before or after a workout.... before will take away from my lifting and after i should be having my PWO shake instead of doing cardio so I'm kind of stumped on what i should do.... And I don't really want to take my PWO shake to the gym since I make a really kick a$$ one at home in my vita mix.... any ideas??? Thanks everyone!

I now weigh 198lbs at 6'2" tall... any guesses on the bf% now?

**tripmachine** · 10-16-2008, 12:53 PM

dohh.... sorry for the pics being all grainy.... I don't know why my cam isn't working on the 12mp setting... stuck on 2mp (gotta look into that)

**fit4ever180** · 10-16-2008, 09:39 PM

Like everyone else said bro, that bf% has to keep coming down, but it looks like you're doing a great job on that! Props!

Like you, my chest was disproportionate with the bottom being too large... I brought my upper chest up by hitting the incline exercises (dumbell bench and flyes) in my workout first because imo, you're going to be strongest when you're fresh and can put the most into the lift.

I also had an unfortunate accident at work and broke 2 ribs which ended my benching for 2 months. I was able to keep my chest from succumbing to atropy too bad by doing dips. After 2 months I was able to start incline benching, but it wasn't until about 3.5 months that I could do flat or decline, so I had 1.5 month period where I only hit incline and that really brought my chest up.

I'm not saying just hit your upper chest by any means, but it is an option (I personally would hit the incline stuff firs though).

**KZRSOIZE** · 10-17-2008, 01:36 AM

Good work so far dude, i skimmed through this thread so i may be repeating others responses. Your chest appears to be reacting to your training, but you need to be patient. Your chest workouts as all body workouts should be intense, get a workout buddy who has the same drive and intensity and experience to start training with. I work out with some guys who are experienced and while working out with them, i have fixed their form in certain workouts which they never realized and actually improved stregth thus the size. I am far from perfect and sometimes wish i had a training partner to fix my bad old habits. These factors are all important.

But more specifically do incline db presses db flyes do em right and feel the burn. Use the smith machines, use cables and play with the degree of cables holding at squeeze for a sec or 2. some guys say dont overtrain, well ill tell you what your the only one who knows if your overtraining, if it burns and feels like it going to pop, then i would say im pretty sure you trained your chest accordingly. Go heavy but not heavy where it effects your form, get a spotter. But dont forget about exercises like squats and dead lifts which assist with overall muscle mass. good luck your looking great...

**helium3** · 10-18-2008, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by tripmachine

Here are a couple more pics I have taken just the other night.... still haven't even added cardio in to my routine yet which sucks because i know it'll make a huge difference.... I just really want to do a.m. cardio but it's really hard to do it before work.... and from what i hear i shouldn't do cardio before or after a workout.... before will take away from my lifting and after i should be having my PWO shake instead of doing cardio so I'm kind of stumped on what i should do.... And I don't really want to take my PWO shake to the gym since I make a really kick a$$ one at home in my vita mix.... any ideas??? Thanks everyone!

I now weigh 198lbs at 6'2" tall... any guesses on the bf% now?

things are definitley improving dude.bf id say around 13-14%.

just goin back to your workout. imo the best ever exercise for chest is dips/decline,it works the whole chest(including upper). my chest really took off once i added weighted dips. they will widen and thicken your whole chest.

in the end most muscular developement comes down to genetics.

i think the suggestions morilaninja gave you are the way to go, just keep at it.