Why cant i feel it in my chest????????????

**symatech** · 01-13-2003, 08:35 PM

Sup everyone. Ive noticed that on my chest days, i never really feel my chest working until i do decline flys and dips. The bench and incline just seem to work my delts and bi's. Can somebody please help me out here? my chest is laggin and i want to work it more. Im thinking about adding pec dec and cable crossovers to my routine. If i do should I drop either incline or bench?

peace
symatech

**Yung Wun** · 01-13-2003, 08:38 PM

hows your routine now
post it bro

**yellows2k** · 01-13-2003, 08:58 PM

Looks like you are a delt pusher, why don't you use dumbbells? Here's my chest routine:

Flat Bench 3 sets of 4-6 reps
Incline Dumbells 3 sets of 4-6 reps
Weighted Dips 2-3 sets of 4-6 reps

My chest has been progressing nicely. I keep my form strict and don't use my delts to "push" the weight up.

**abstrack** · 01-13-2003, 09:33 PM

so is that 3 working sets??
try doing
flat bench 4 working sets and a couple warm up sets
incline db 3 sets
incline flys 3 sets to failure( you can super set this with your incline presses)
pec dec or decline flys 3 sets to failure
next week
start off doing
incline barbell
flat bench bd
cable flys
dips
keep on switching it up and rotating your routine untill you find out what works for you....
good luck !!

**abstrack** · 01-13-2003, 09:39 PM

also what are you looking to feel??? i hope your not looking for a pain sensation the next day to let you know you have worked your chest.

**chicamahomico** · 01-13-2003, 09:45 PM

Have a friend examine your form. I bet that you are benching elbows in with the bar low on your chest when you do flat and incline benches. Decline forces you to flare out your elbows so that your arms are perpedicular or nearly so. Switch your technique so that you are more of a chest bencher rather that a shoulder/delt/tricep PL style bencher. Chest benchers keep elbows high and wide.

**symatech** · 01-13-2003, 09:45 PM

Originally posted by Yung Wun
hows your routine now
post it bro

Already did! Here ya go.

Thanks for the reply

**symatech** · 01-13-2003, 09:47 PM

Originally posted by abstrack
also what are you looking to feel??? i hope your not looking for a pain sensation the next day to let you know you have worked your chest.

No no! When i get up from bench my delts fell like ive been working them not my chest. I want it vice versa. know what i mean? Im not lookin for that "im only gainin if im always sore feel"

thanks
symatech

**symatech** · 01-13-2003, 09:48 PM

id like to thank everybody who has replied to my thread! I really do appreciate your help

**yellows2k** · 01-13-2003, 10:10 PM

Where do you hold the bar on the bench?

**Farmer** · 01-13-2003, 11:40 PM

Alright bro here is my .02...first off..when you lay on the bench arch your back and "push" your shoulders back and into bench. You'll notice that you won't be able to go as high with the bar or dumbells but thats cool...because if you could watch yourself you would notice that at the very top of the movement your shoulders come forward which puts alot more stress on the delts. Also, don't go too far past a 90 degree angle with your lower arm and back this will also take some stress off the shoulders. And last but not least and what really works for me is start off with some cable flys or some kind of nice isolation movement to pre-exhaust your chest and you will definently feel the rest of the movements in the remainder of your workout. Hope this helps bro..

peace

**Yung Wun** · 01-14-2003, 10:03 AM

sorry i was late brotha but looks like you got the advice you needed from the AR family
just like famer said throw in some pre-exhaust moves
and you should really feel it afterward

**symatech** · 01-14-2003, 10:36 AM

Originally posted by yellows2k
Where do you hold the bar on the bench?

A little bit more than shoulder length.

**durbin22** · 01-14-2003, 11:19 AM

Go wider then that. I put my ring finger on the smooth notch on the bar. Try doing each set to failure or at least 10-12 reps.

**yellows2k** · 01-14-2003, 11:37 AM

For me, I put my hands an inch away from the smooth part towards the middle, I don't know if you can follow what I am saying.....

Theres the middle groovy part, then as you go outwards its smooth then it gets groovy again with the smooth power ring part, in short I put my hands about shoulder width. If I put my middle finger around the power ring I feel my shoulder worked more.

**xplicit** · 01-14-2003, 05:28 PM

Yea i think im having the same problem. The only excieses i feel my chest really getting a burn on are the hammer strenght machine and I did dumbbells for the first time in a long tiem cause i finally got a partner and wow did i feel it after the first set lol. But i do feel like after all this time in the gym im still not doing my chest excises with perfect technique and my chest is also my weakest muscle by far.

How far down should i go on my bar and dumbells on the straight and incline??? should i go down to where im level with my shoulder?
How high should my seat be on the hammer strenght machine the one where you sit down and push out... where should the handles be with my body?
whats the correct way to do pullovers?
WHat about flys? I try not to bend my elbows at all when i do flys so i dotn get my bicep involved but i see big guys in there with there elbows bent a little???
Whats the correct way to do crossovers i see people do it so many differnt ways that i begin to doubt myself on if im doing it correctly. THis problem only seems to be with chest either cause im not happy my chest isnt where it should be or im really not doing everything correctly.

Sorry for all the questions if by any chance anyone has a site on how to do these excises correclty i would appreciate it if they can send me the link. Thanks.

***BIG TEXAN*** · 01-15-2003, 10:27 AM

With bars go down and touch your chest, dumbells I'd say go down until you feel a good stretch.
On the hammer machine, you want the handles level with your nipple line.

Fly's Yes try and keep your arms straight but being bent a bit seems to take pressure off of my shoulders
cable crossovers- keep arms straight as possible, go back until you feel a good stretch and pull forward crossing in front of your chest. There are different ways of doing this depending on what part of the chest you want to hit.

**xplicit** · 01-15-2003, 05:38 PM

Thanks big texan, the question i had with the cross overs is how to hold the handles i see people cross over in the front of their body with the handles and hit them together like a hand claps you know what i mean?

and i see them with there hands out palms down and just cross over the hands. Sorry if im not making sense.

***BIG TEXAN*** · 01-16-2003, 11:07 AM

Hold the handles flat say...like you would if it's the flat bar. and cross your hands over in front switching like....left over right, than right over left.

**xplicit** · 01-16-2003, 01:27 PM

Thanks Big Tex. One last thing dips, How do i target the triceps and chest the correct way. For tricpes i usually have my elbows flare out and my body isslightly angled for chest i have my body straight and keep my elbows in.

***BIG TEXAN*** · 01-16-2003, 02:05 PM

I'm not sure on that it seems to me no mater how I position myself with dips I seem to work tri's and chest the same. But it sounds like you have it about right.

**MR BICEPS** · 01-16-2003, 10:33 PM

Some guys are built to grow off of bench press. Others are not!
I require 15 degree declines and flat flyes to get chest development.
Incline and flat bench press works my anterior delts,tri's, and upper pecswhich are a very small muscle group in comparison to the mid and lower pecs.
SYMATECH you are not alone!