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How many sets do you do on chest workouts?

HOw many sets do you do for chest?

  • Under 10

    Votes: 84 34.1%

  • 10-15

    Votes: 96 39.0%

  • 15-20

    Votes: 42 17.1%

  • 20+

    Votes: 23 9.3%
  • Total voters
    246
This calls for another poll

From the poll results we can clearly see that it is mostly : HIGH volume or LOW volume sets, very few people do medium amount of sets,

Now it would be interesting to ask the voters if they consider themselves to have a really good hard big chest.

This way we can shed some light whether a high or low volume seems favourable for the average joe (i am not talking about freaks like Bertil Fox that did 30-35 sets and got good results from that)

Ofcoarse some of the Menzer HIT Jedi's and ARNOLD high volume junkies will step into the arena and claim they got best results from their aproach, but I think we can see a definate pattern as we get enough voters...

Now if I only knew how to make a vote message
 
I do chest once a week.

5 sets of bench
4 sets incline
3 sets of decline
4 sets of flyes
3 sets of overhead rows(?)
3 sets of upper cable crosses
3 sets o lower cable crosses

I usually do medium to heavy weight and occasionally throw in a light set for burn outs.
 
I just do chest once a week (every 5 - 7 days)

3 x 8 flat
3 x 8 incline
3 x 8 decline

3 x 12 cable crossover
3 x 12 cable raises

I should do more with dumbbells, but I've stuck with the bar - going heavy right away.
 
i do pretty much the same that okie does.
I have grown like a madman, on a cutting diet !

wtf?

It's a mad good workout, I love it. Look forward to chest EVERY week. I love working it.
It's the SHIT
 
I know it is a lot. My list includes my warmups as well, so my actual sets are probably about 5 sets less. My strength has gone up considerably and I'm on a cutting cycle as well.
 
Flat Bench Press 4 sets
Incline Bench 3 sets
Decline Bench 3 sets
Cable Flyes 3 sets
Pec Dec 3 sets or to failure
 
I stay between a range of 6 and 12 sets once a week. My workouts vary from week to week and I tend to train on a more instinctive level. Therefore, I have not set regime, but I do monitor the number of sets I do in order to restrict becoming overzealous on a particular bodypart.
 
yeah B.F.T. :mad: fucking yeah!!

ok anyway, I do about 10-12 sets and 4 sets if I'm doing a BFT workout (which by my word is the best way to gain mass ever)
 
I work chest 3 times a week at around 10 sets of 10 reps targetting different parts (upper, lower, etc...)
 
chest is biggest part of my body, but i hardly work it out..genetics i guess..yet i work out my arms like crazy and they have the hardest time growing. I do flat bench 5 sets, then incline 3 sets, then buttefly 3 sets.
 
OKIE said:
I do chest once a week.

5 sets of bench
4 sets incline
3 sets of decline
4 sets of flyes
3 sets of overhead rows(?)
3 sets of upper cable crosses
3 sets o lower cable crosses

I usually do medium to heavy weight and occasionally throw in a light set for burn outs.
Click to expand...

That's pretty crazy yo.. I think you could be overtraining if you are doing super intense sets to failure. (Which you should be doing).

I usually do 8-10 chest sets (not including warmups) of super intesity. I feel that is more then enough for growth and strength.
 
When I read about someone doing 25-30 sets of anything per training session with good results over more than a few weeks, I always wonder if he's wearing a T-shirt with "Thank God for Chemistry" printed on it. If not, he should.

Nobody can do that many sets and gain from it without using some kind of drugs.

Personally, I don't care what people eat. If some people choose to fill their venes with fat, reduce their testicles to shrunken raisins and grow breast size D so be it. But I do believe that you should be open about it and not give anyone the illusion, that the way you are training is something anybody can do.

There's a way to train with drugs and there's a way to train without drugs. Don't get those two mixed up.
 
I do chest twice a week. 8 sets for my first workout, 5 for my second. All heavy. Going for strength. I currently bench 350 at 183lb bodyweight. Going for 400lb bench.
 
I'm currently on an abbreviated training routine.I hit chest once every 5-7 days.One exercise;bottom-position bench presses.I warm up with 3 progressively heavier sets of 5.Do 3 max singles using the same poundage for all three sets.Cut the weight back by 50 ibs, then do 3 sets of 5.Training for strength, I find 1 exercise performed with many sets to work well.I'd say my chest development is fair, but I'm not training for development, I'm training for strength.
 
I do chest 2 times a week
Day 1:
Incline Dumbell 4x 12 10 10 8
Cable Crossovers 4x 15 12 10 8

Day 2:
Flat Barbell Bench 5x5
 
Chest every 6 days:

Flat Dumbell Presses - 2 sets to concentric failure (every 4-6 weeks I switch these up with the barbell)
Dumbell Flyes on a Stability Ball - 2 sets to concentric failure
Weighted Dips - 1 set to concentric failure

I'm contemplating either switching the dips with some moderate decline presses or just adding them into my rountine.

...so 5 sets in total every 6 days.
 
Last edited:
12 seems to be a good number for me while on

i do 4 sets of incline db
3 sets of flat bench
3 sets of declines
and 2 sets of flys
and i work chest every 7 days
 
1x a week

3 sets of decline DB press
2 sets of flys
2 sets of dips
 
:devil:
Chest once a week: 1)3-sets incline 10-8-6
2)3-sets flat 10-8-6
3)3-sets decline 10-8-6
4)3-sets wide 10-10-10-lighter weight burn\pumpset
5)3-sets neck presses
6)3-sets cables upper\lower
Weight, strength,and size going up!
 
Work up to a heavy triple on mondays followed by two high rep (20) sets of incline db, 2 or 3 sets of incline bb on wednesdays with 4 sets dips and 2 sets high rep pullovers. Then work up to a heavy set of 5 on fridays with 3 more sets of dips and 2 sets of high rep pullovers. Pullovers and dips they are not direct chest but give me a good pump and make my chest ache the next day. My chest is getting huge!
 
I do chest once a week and only do 10 sets but one of them sets is a worm up set... It was not untill I changed my chest workout that I started to get stronger and my max started to go way up... So all that said it seems to work really well for me
 
12 sets once a week.

3 sets - decline bench
3 sets - incline bench
3 sets - seated chest press
3 sets - flys

all sets to failure.
 
I am growing very well on 20+

4x6 Bench
4x6 Incline
4x6 Decline
4x6 Flat Fly
4x6 Incline Fly
4x6 Decline Fly

This will beat your ass and make you grow.
 
Funny thing I do less than 10 sets but they are all heavy. My buddy swears by the bodybuilding encyclopedia where Arnold says 25 sets when on cycle. If you can do that the good shit but im on cycle and i still only do 12 sets. Im growin like crazy and strength is through the roof. I can just feel like im done, so is there any reason to do more?
 
1st post; so hi to all :D


I work chest once every 6 days:

5 sets Incline BB Press

5 sets Incline DB Press

5 sets Decline BB Press

4 sets Flat DB Press

3 sets Flat Flyes

All sets start with 1 warm up movement.

I would like to do dips instead of Flat DB press, but my left shoulder has problems.
 
Twice a week 16 sets

Flat bench 4x8 reps
Incline 4x8 reps
Dips 4x Failure
Cable incline 4x10 reps
 
3 x flat flies
3 x incline flies
3 x decline flies
3 x flat flies
3 x incline flies
3 x decline flies
3 x cable crossovers/peck deck
 
17 total plus or minus depending how im feeling
5 flat bench 5-10 reps depending on weight
4 weighted dips 10 reps
8 upper lower cables 10-20 reps

ill switch this up soon.
 
sets id the shit, put your muscles through hell and they get bigger to adapt. I never understood how someone could do more and get less. As long as you get recovery time and & appropriate amount of protein every should be fine.
 
ceo said:
god damn! Lotta volume guys responding to this.

I do one very heavy, rest-paused working set, and work chest twice a week.
Click to expand...

not too many people are DC jockeys like us bro :D
 
ceo said:
god damn! Lotta volume guys responding to this.

I do one very heavy, rest-paused working set, and work chest twice a week.
Click to expand...

That's exactly how I roll most of the year. One working set with 2 to 3 r/p reps at the end. Done correctly, you don't need (nor could you even manage) 4 and 5 work sets per exercise.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ceo
RottenWillow said:
That's exactly how I roll most of the year. One working set with 2 to 3 r/p reps at the end. Done correctly, you don't need (nor could you even manage) 4 and 5 work sets per exercise.
Click to expand...

exactly! It's doing less (volume) and getting more (progression and gains). Being an ambitiously lazy guy, it sounds perfect to me.


For those that don't know, an example of ambitiously lazy would be, figuring out the most efficient way to do something to obtain the maximum results. Like doing less and getting more.
 
flat bench 3x6, incline barbell press 3x6, dumbell flat press 3x10 with a very strict squeeze. the dumbell flat press with the squeeze hits the chest hard, i always feel very fatigued after this one.
 
someone around 15 sets per chest session

5-6 sets on flat bench.. then incline or decline bench for 3 sets. then I do either the smith machine or free weights 3 sets. then i do another pushing machine for 3 sets. (i mix up the middle part to throw my body off) then I work my triceps for a few sets while alternating 25 X 4 pushups.

takes about 70 minutes to complete this workout but it has worked wonders, my shirts don't fit anymore. not for noobs though.
 
For me, once a week (or more like every 6 days).... 3-4 sets flat bench, 2-3 sets incline, 3-4 sets pec deck (seat height changed every set), sometimes a couple sets dumbell flys.

I have plenty of room for improvement yet, (not really happy with size or shape of pecs), so I keep changing up the routine every few months.

Charles
 
Today I hit bench for about 7 sets increasing weight each set ten did about 4 sets heavy dumbbell press. Not my usual but it's usually several sets on each exercise. Never more than 3 different exercises.
 
I'm no expert but this is what has worked for me.

Flat barbell bench 4 sets of 6-12 reps

Incline barbell 4 sets of 6-12

Decline barbell 4 sets of 6-12

Flat dumbbell fly 3 sets of 6-12

Hope this helps.
 
dpat53689 said:
I'm no expert but this is what has worked for me.

Flat barbell bench 4 sets of 6-12 reps

Incline barbell 4 sets of 6-12

Decline barbell 4 sets of 6-12

Flat dumbbell fly 3 sets of 6-12

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Don't forget warm ups
Then there is dips and cables too.
 
Always 16 but mix up the routine every few weeks.

Currently:

4 sets of barbell flat bench
4 sets of barbell incline bench
4 sets of dumbbell medium incline bench
4 sets of dumbbell flat bench, palms in (sort of press fly).

Always finish with 4 sets of pushups with feet up on bar on the topmost position of bench.

Key is full range of motion with squeeze at the end never quite locking out. Chest good and sore for days.
 
I do chest once a week, except every third week I'll hit it twice. Just because I have a 3 way split working out 4 times a week.

On the norm, I'll do;

Flat bb bench 3 x 4-8
Db incline bench 3 x 5-10
Dips 3 x 10-12
Db flys 3 x 10-12

If I'm feeling it I might add another set or two

This is excluding my warm up sets they I do before my flat bench press. Every set I hit failure also. This has worked well for me personally. I weigh about 190-195 and I'm decently lean. I can put up 250 for 5 reps

Sent from my SCH-I545 using EliteFitness
 
It depends on what trainning program im following right now im doing 4 exercises for 17 sets low volume,in contest prep or high intensity training ill do 12 sets!
 
I don't know if I could call mine chest training, more like bench training as I train PL

Twice a week
Heavy
Sets, reps
Flat bench: 3x5, 6x3, 1x2, 50% 1RM max reps = 11 sets
Incline DB press 6x4 = 6 sets
Heavy dips with 90lbs 4x6 = 4 sets

So a total of 21 sets, high intensity, low volume

Dynamic hypertrophy day

10x3 @60% 1RM speed bench

3x12

total 13 sets
 
I have a different approach than most for determining the number of sets I use for any body part. I go by the pump I am feeling. If you pay attention to your pump, you will notice that when you start feeling one, it will make the trained body part feel tight and hard. At some point after a certain number of sets your worked body part pump will go from feeling tight and hard to feeling kind of jellyish. I stop working the body part when my pump feels jellyish. I note this in my training log, then stop working that body part.

Different techniques change the onset of this jellyish feeling. Usually with chest it takes a lot of sets compared to other body parts, but I can get there faster if I use forced reps or negatives.

I train most body parts once sometimes twice a week. I tend to randomize the days I work out during the week to avoid adaptation. I go by feel. If I feel tired or lack motivation, I usually take the day off and work those body parts in the split another day.
 
If you're on you can do 20+ sets easy ad reap the benefits. I stick to 15-20 sets personally. I just read an article about a study that was done stating that neither high volume, nor high intensity is any better than the next as far as building muscle is concerned; the results were fairly similar. However, from my own personal experience, I started doing a bit more high volume this past week to switch it up with my rest time being 45-1:30 sec between sets with a about 5-10 lbs less weight than what I normally do to failure, but trying to get more of a pump to the muscle, which is what the point of high volume is. Where as before I was taking the scientifically proven best rest time between sets is like 3:00-3:30 sec, but going to failure on every sets I do. With this high volume shit I have noticed my chest looking a bit more full than it did when I was doing a lower volume high intensity, but I may have put on a 1lb or 2 since then and burned more body fat in the process.

I think the only real reason to switch it up is by the rule of progressive overload, which makes sense, but Jay Cutler seems to think otherwise. How full of shit he was when he said it, I don't know but he states he really didn't change anything up in his workout that he was doing because he was always making gains doing what he did every workout. Which is not to say I'm sure he changed certain parts of his workout routine but he and many of the old school bodybuilders seem to swear by the high volume stuff. To each their own. I'm going to make a 4 week+ attempt at the high volume with lower rest periods to see if I can see a difference. My chest does look a lot more full, however I felt like my arms didn't see much of a difference.

However, if I was on I would make an attempt at 20+ sets all day!
 
I'd guess that right now, while on, I'm doing 6-8 work sets twice a week. My 3 main exercises are flat bench from a dead stop in the power rack, flat db press, and decline db press. Warmups often include some light db flyes.

I believe in balancing out chest with pulling exercises, always erring on more pulling exercises. So if I do 8 work sets of bench, I'm going to do 10+ sets of chins. I'm coming back from some injuries but when I get into the swing of things I'll be doing chins and Pendlay rows on the same day as chest.

I've never been big on cable crossovers. For me it seems like a lot of wear and tear on the shoulders for little gain. I understand the super advanced guys doing it but it's not really for me.

I think some of you younger guys (I'm 38) need to learn to get more out of less sets with chest. Chest exercises are IMO the number one destroyer of shoulders over the long term. You're simply not going to be able to do 30 sets a week for chest for the next 40 years. Most of you won't anyway. Plus many of you bust out 4+ exercises at every chest workout instead of switching up exercises here and there.
 
I kill it on chest day I like to do like 3 to 4 warm up sets and 8 or so working sets with Dumbbells then the cable cross overs I love my chest day I am open to hear what you all so maybe I can tweak my routine


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I always change it up my goal for chest is get a good mind muscle connection and a good flex with full pump so any movement that isolates the chest I adjust the reps and sets so my body never knows what I am gonna do next but I love 4 sets of 25-35 on stuff I do


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
For me 5 sets of bench heavy. 5 sets of curls 5 sets of butterflies 5 sets of row pulls then 5 sets of cable flies end that with 5 sets of 50 on crunches.
 
10-12 sets of flat barbell bench.

I start with 135x15 and 225x10 for warm up sets then hit 285 for 8-10 sets. I get around 5 reps in the beginning but by the last set 3 reps are a challenge.
 
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