Lagging chest, tips n tricks anyone?

[SwollenMember_18]

So, out of all my body's muscle groups... My chest is so damn stubborn, even with the gear, it gets stronger and stronger, but I cannot for the life of me get er' to puff out into the gladiator style chest plates that i so very much do admire!!

Anyone else with a similar issue found a trick or training style that improved their chest? If so what was it and how did you implement it!?!

I feel like I'll be benching 450 pounds before I get the mass I want!!!

Seems like nice exhausted every training option, but maybe my hero will post something new for me!!

Thanks all

 

[johncarer]

Try changing the exercises you do. Add more dumbbell presses, flies, push-ups with wider hands span while you focus on the chest contraction - variety should stress the muscle, especially the exercises you've never done. Make sure you dedicate as much attention to all parts of your pecs, not just the middle chest with bench press. Do incline, decline, figure variations that contract it the best for you. Don't be afraid to explore and learn new techniques.

 

[SwollenMember_18]

Hahaha you pretty much just listed everything i do, never use same excercises for more than a month, always changing grips, dumbbell barbell cables machines body weight you name it I've hit it hard, pause reps, high reps, low reps, always changing angles, I think it's just genetics to be honest. I bench 315 for 5 reps clean yet it's a muscle that is not as matured as my others... I donno. I think I'm my own worst critic as well so that doesn't help.

Thanks though man

 

[H_T_]

You can either press of flye. The only 2 motions directly affecting the pecs. Pullovers do, somewhat. Arnold used to do sets of dB presses at several different angles. Zulak, Vince Gironda are 2 to look at. Google their chest articles. Some people press with triceps and some press with pecs, find out which one you are.

 

[SwollenMember_18]

It's not that simple though man, you make it sound like you just throw weights around and your good to go as long as you press or fly and use your pecs... There's WAY more to training than that....

For example, lately I have been holding the contraction for 3-5 seconds on cable flyes and as its contracted i will bring the cables down, lift them back up, then release the fly and repeat. This was a suggestion for me from a good buddy who competes and has a badass chest, keeps the fibres firing through the entire movement while contracted because your having to control the full 4 motions of the excercise that would normally be only 2...

This is the type of idea I'm looking for, something original or often overlooked or a certain rep/set scheme..

Thanks for the reply but I'm not new to this sport Haha i know what motions of the body you use to train your chest

 

[johncarer]

You could always drive south for some natty Synthol.

Joke aside, put some pictures on and lets see what we can improve.

 

[bigorse]

Sounds painful but i use to shoot tne in my chest 60-90mins prewo and use igf into my chest post workout. Modest increase in size but nothing spectacular. I always try to hit my chest with higher frequency and as much volume as possible whilst maintaining high frequency, my chest is also my worst bodypart.

When/if you make the slin on week body parts definitely helps though it may be more temporary from just muscle "fullness"

 

[SwollenMember_18]

Sounds painful but i use to shoot tne in my chest 60-90mins prewo and use igf into my chest post workout. Modest increase in size but nothing spectacular. I always try to hit my chest with higher frequency and as much volume as possible whilst maintaining high frequency, my chest is also my worst bodypart.

When/if you make the slin on week body parts definitely helps though it may be more temporary from just muscle "fullness"

Haha!! This is the type on answer I wanted can always count on you for that good shit orse!!

Might have to smash some uh that good good just to get er goin'

 

[SwollenMember_18]

You could always drive south for some natty Synthol.

Joke aside, put some pictures on and lets see what we can improve.

Hahaha!! Mmmmmm oil muscles, my favourite... Hahaha bostin Lloyd over here now. I don't really want to post chest pics though brother, I have really noticeable identifying ink I would prefer not be up on here!

Thanks tho man, I'll just keep switchin it up... It will all come together one of these days!!

 

[Steeldude99]

Do you train chest on its own or with another body part? definately give it its own day it not already.

Also training it first after your rest day/s can be good. The theory is you can push it harder as there is no fatigue from other trained body parts. eg tri's shoulders or back trained the day or days before.

Didn't see forced negatives in your list. You could add these should grow some mass and increase strength. Do them on flat bench with a buddy.

If your wanting mass would stick to the heavier compound movements like incline, decline and flat bench press the wider the grip the better. Making sure the weights go down to the point between the sternum and top of ribcage / bottom of pecs (flat bench). IMO lifting closer to the neck with a closer grip uses more tricep.

Also superset bench press starting heavy going to light with a friend stripping the plates for you is a good exercise as well.

I also do heavy pec flys you can really feel the stretch in the pecs doing these, the more extended you can get your arms the better still maintaining reasonable form though.

 

[SwollenMember_18]

Do you train chest on its own or with another body part? definately give it its own day it not already.

Also training it first after your rest day/s can be good. The theory is you can push it harder as there is no fatigue from other trained body parts. eg tri's shoulders or back trained the day or days before.

Didn't see forced negatives in your list. You could add these should grow some mass and increase strength. Do them on flat bench with a buddy.

If your wanting mass would stick to the heavier compound movements like incline, decline and flat bench press the wider the grip the better. Making sure the weights go down to the point between the sternum and top of ribcage / bottom of pecs (flat bench). IMO lifting closer to the neck with a closer grip uses more tricep.

Also superset bench press starting heavy going to light with a friend stripping the plates for you is a good exercise as well.

I also do heavy pec flys you can really feel the stretch in the pecs doing these, the more extended you can get your arms the better still maintaining reasonable form though.

Yes! Much more the response inwas looking for! Thanks for going into detail

I train chest twice a week on its own, and i always finish shoulder day with a few drop or super sets for it as well.

I will def add some negatives into the mix, have done a few before but never put much effort into them to be honest so that's something I can try to work harder on for sure.

Funny you talk about the wider grip too, just yesterday I had a great conversation with a trainer at my gym who advised me to use a wider grip and really get the deep extention at the bottom of the rep. Will be starting a bit lighter with that tomorrow, going to really focus on quality over quantity now. I think I get into the "more is better" mindset to often and over work the muscle with too many variations of the same movement. Going to stick to 4 different excercises per chest day (different 4 each day) with 2 warm up sets and 4 working sets. Go as hard as I can with those 4 movements, then rotate between my days. Always finishing with a dropset/superset or negative to really fatigue the muscle and get that blood pumpin in there!

Thanks again man! Going to make these chesticles GROW!

 

[trt newbie]

Did I have the same problem it fucking sucks . I look up shit all the time and ask random guys with perfect chests at the gym looking like a creep haha but I've been doing heavy db press and noticing a little difference. I guess you just have to find what's right for you.

 

[trt newbie]

Dude*

 

[SwollenMember_18]

Did I have the same problem it fucking sucks . I look up shit all the time and ask random guys with perfect chests at the gym looking like a creep haha but I've been doing heavy db press and noticing a little difference. I guess you just have to find what's right for you.

Srs!!! Hahahaha I have the delts of a fucking gorilla and the chest of a 10 years old boy!!! Just some bulllllllish'

But your right it's so individual, my buddy pumps out sets of like 20-30 reps with 15 or 20 pounds on the cables and his chest just BLOWS up... I do that and I swear I loose size overnight lol shit ain't fair.

 

[Steeldude99]

Going to stick to 4 different excercises per chest day (different 4 each day) with 2 warm up sets and 4 working sets. Go as hard as I can with those 4 movements, then rotate between my days. Always finishing with a dropset/superset or negative to really fatigue the muscle and get that blood pumpin in there!

If you're wanting mass and doing cables with only 4 exercises, I would drop the cables or add another exercise. If it were me with 4 exercises and I wanted mass I would be doing incline, decline and flat bench press or dumbell press and flat flys. With 20 working sets lifting 4-7 rep range.

What are your current numbers for flat, incline and decline bench press? Also are your lifts getting heavier or have you plateaued? I would be focusing on adding weight to these core lifts each week as well as keeping a nice deep controlled movement. If you can consistently add weight to the core movements your chest will grow.

 

[H_T_]

Thanks for the reply but I'm not new to this sport Haha i know what motions of the body you use to train your chest

New enough to not have big floppy pecs. Then you know about compound and isolation. And stop bouncing the bar off your chest.

 

[SwollenMember_18]

New enough to not have big floppy pecs. Then you know about compound and isolation. And stop bouncing the bar off your chest.

Hahaha k bud, I'll take the chest I have at 206 pounds and probably oh ya know.... 8% BF? Over big floppy pecs allllllll damn day. Enjoy your flys and presses thanks for stopp'n by, have a gooder.

 

[karateguitar]

When I worked out before my back problems, my chest lagged behind everything! The college I worked at had a great gym, and I started concentrating on each muscle, especially my chest.

I did the machine Flyes, and I started light, and never increased dramatically, but I did challenge the personal records. At the top of the exercise, I held the muscle for 1, 2, maybe even 3 seconds. I'm not kidding, that exercise alone shaped my pecs, as I had none before! After I got the shape, I could increase the weight, this really worked for me!

 

[SwollenMember_18]

When I worked out before my back problems, my chest lagged behind everything! The college I worked at had a great gym, and I started concentrating on each muscle, especially my chest.

I did the machine Flyes, and I started light, and never increased dramatically, but I did challenge the personal records. At the top of the exercise, I held the muscle for 1, 2, maybe even 3 seconds. I'm not kidding, that exercise alone shaped my pecs, as I had none before! After I got the shape, I could increase the weight, this really worked for me!

Nice bro, yes I have started implementing longer more controlled contractions as of late. It's feeling good. Shall see if it improves!! Thanks for the input.

I also was shown by a posing coach that my chest isn't as bad as I let it be, and by changing
My posture and the way I let my shoulders sit I can actually show a more defined plates chest shape so I have been spending nights in the mirror working on posture as well as poses!

We all gonna make it!!!! Hans

 

[karateguitar]

Also, with my biceps mostly (see post on improving lower bicep head), and the flys for my chest, after I started "Watching" the muscle I was working, I improved so fast, cuz I had done the exercises for years.
As I worked the flyes (and probably a couple other things), and barbell curls for the biceps, I lifted the weight from the bottom of the ex. to the top, always with resistance, never let any part of the muscle flatten, so I watched my chest bulge and push up and out, as the entire muscle was worked. Everything improved when I did it that way, you watch the muscle work, and stop when the muscle is at its peak of weight resistance, and there's no slacking of that muscle, you rest after the set, otherwise have it challenged the entire reps.
The biceps were more dramatic as I watched it peak and lowered it, but always with that low head resistance, it was my best muscle by far, and my chest became second until I had to stop because of my disease.