Chest exercises for definition only

[Mac173]

I haven't trained chest at all besides a few push up here and there for a couple yrs. My chest overpowers my arms right now and I'm looking more for symmetry anymore rather than just pure size. The problem is that it is starting to look a little on the saggy side. I am bulking currently so some of it is fat. What do you guys think would be the best exercises to increase definition without adding any size? I was thinking pushups or light dumbell presses for 50+ reps. Any suggestions?

 

[slat1]

Its all diet when it comes to definition.
Keep doing what you are doing.
When you clean it up the water will drop.

 

[bluetwistedsteel67]

It's a tough one because if you have a body part that just grows easily any stimulation is going to cause it to overpower the other body parts. I would maybe focus on light weights and focus on incline fly's. I'd stay away from dips and decline for sure as those tend to (IMO) cause a big chest to look like it's set lower. It is tough bro but I wish my chest grew as easily as yours - I have to bust my ass to get mine to grow and look symetrical to the rest of my upper body. Don't even get me started on legs - damn, I hit them till I'm ready to puke and they barely grow.

 

[OMEGA]

Pushups or Dips super setted with Strict Cable flys

 

[Mac173]

It's a tough one because if you have a body part that just grows easily any stimulation is going to cause it to overpower the other body parts. I would maybe focus on light weights and focus on incline fly's. I'd stay away from dips and decline for sure as those tend to (IMO) cause a big chest to look like it's set lower. It is tough bro but I wish my chest grew as easily as yours - I have to bust my ass to get mine to grow and look symetrical to the rest of my upper body. Don't even get me started on legs - damn, I hit them till I'm ready to puke and they barely grow.

I never train chest or back. My shoulders grow like weeds too. I'm in the bulking phase and you know how it is when everything starts to get covered up by water and fat. It plays head games w/ you, but I always just try to look at the big picture. I feel you on the legs, same way here, especially calves.

 

[Acela]

for me, unweighted dips (3-4 sets till failure...usually 20ish reps) supersetted with cable crossovers (rep range is 10-15) works well for me. with the crossovers I focus heavily on isolation and hold my last rep until the burn is too much.

 

[roadwarrior]

I haven't trained chest at all besides a few push up here and there for a couple yrs. My chest overpowers my arms right now and I'm looking more for symmetry anymore rather than just pure size. The problem is that it is starting to look a little on the saggy side. I am bulking currently so some of it is fat. What do you guys think would be the best exercises to increase definition without adding any size? I was thinking pushups or light dumbell presses for 50+ reps. Any suggestions?

I wish my chest would grow without beating the crap out of it on a regular basis. If you are looking to tighten the muscles, then I'd focus on light weights and reps with full ROM. Dumbells are great for that as well as cable work. Cable flys or crossovers super'd with dumbbell bench sort of thing. I like light flat bench with a long pause on the chest at the bottom supersetted with incline and decline done the same way to tighten my chest. I alternate heavy/ low rep with light/ high rep about every 8 weeks.

S

 

[Mac173]

I wish my chest would grow without beating the crap out of it on a regular basis. If you are looking to tighten the muscles, then I'd focus on light weights and reps with full ROM. Dumbells are great for that as well as cable work. Cable flys or crossovers super'd with dumbbell bench sort of thing. I like light flat bench with a long pause on the chest at the bottom supersetted with incline and decline done the same way to tighten my chest. I alternate heavy/ low rep with light/ high rep about every 8 weeks.

S

I actually wish my chest was smaller.
I get pissed at the guys that brag about how they only do legs 3x/yr.
I'm thinking about staying w/ incline exercises to make my chest look higher.

 

[roadwarrior]

I actually wish my chest was smaller.
I get pissed at the guys that brag about how they only do legs 3x/yr.
I'm thinking about staying w/ incline exercises to make my chest look higher.

Incline will work for that. If your pecs are big and heavy then I'd stay away from declines as they will look lower.

Genetics are something else... some are blessed and some work their tail off for every gain. I'm somewhere in the middle.

 

[Mac173]

Incline will work for that. If your pecs are big and heavy then I'd stay away from declines as they will look lower.

Genetics are something else... some are blessed and some work their tail off for every gain. I'm somewhere in the middle.

True, even when I was really young and skinny as a board I still had decent chest developement.
I think incline would definetely be the best choice, I want to get that more elevated look.

 

[todoveritas]

Hi Mac! Just curious...With your naturally large chest develpment, are you naturally strong there as well? I would give anything to have your problem. No matter what pec exercises I do, my delts and triceps overpower my chest development.

 

[Mac173]

Hi Mac! Just curious...With your naturally large chest develpment, are you naturally strong there as well? I would give anything to have your problem. No matter what pec exercises I do, my delts and triceps overpower my chest development.

It's been so long since I've even tried to max out on chest at all, so I couldn't even tell you.
I did rep out 40 reps on incline w/ 135 just fooling around the other day and that was after my tricep workout.
It's funny that what you have you don't want, all I want is some normal sized calves.
Another thing w/ a large chest and a thick back is that it takes alot away from your arms. Mine are coming up on 18", but I don't think they look nearly that big, especially from the side.

 

[JimBoy]

Same problem w/ calves. My quads blow up and cut like crazy but my calves don't at all which makes them look even smaller. Good luck there!!

As far as chest defenition I recently changed my chest workout dropping decline and flys for dips and cable flys (kept flat and incline) and my chest is cutting up nice.

 

[mattrich]

i have a similar problem, big chest and it looks kinda low. another problem i have is my tri's grow more than my bi's. i train bi's twice a week and tri's only once a week and not really heavy and they still over power the bi's!
and same as you my shoulders(mainly traps) grow like weeds when i bulk.

 

[Nelson Montana]

Chest sag (unless it's fat) is from more skin than muscle. How old are you? You need to put MORE muscle into your pecs to fill them out. People say to avoid working the lower pecs but that's what fills them out and lessens sag. Avoid flat benches which produce a "bunchy" look.

 

[Mac173]

Chest sag (unless it's fat) is from more skin than muscle. How old are you? You need to put MORE muscle into your pecs to fill them out. People say to avoid working the lower pecs but that's what fills them out and lessens sag. Avoid flat benches which produce a "bunchy" look.

I'm 25.
So you're saying just stick w/ decline or incline also.
I was also thinking higher rep range due to the fact that I'm mainly looking for some definition rather than size.

 

[Mac173]

i have a similar problem, big chest and it looks kinda low. another problem i have is my tri's grow more than my bi's. i train bi's twice a week and tri's only once a week and not really heavy and they still over power the bi's!
and same as you my shoulders(mainly traps) grow like weeds when i bulk.

I pretty much have all those problems also.
Tri's do overpower bi's, but not by much and traps are quite developed even though I never train them either.

 

[Powerbuilder333]

I can't imagine not training a bodypart at all. My traps grow high easily so I don't shrug, but they get plenty indirect work from all the heavy basics I do.
You might try incline flys done between low double pulley's for high reps.

 

[Mac173]

I can't imagine not training a bodypart at all. My traps grow high easily so I don't shrug, but they get plenty indirect work from all the heavy basics I do.
You might try incline flys done between low double pulley's for high reps.

I focus on my weak points. No need to train a bodypart if it already overpowers another.
Incline flys, another good exercise.

 

[Nelson Montana]

What's also good for your purposes is isometric work -- tensing, flexing, contracting, making the muscles as "hard" as possible. This keeps them tight without adding bulk or stress to the shoulders. It's an old school method but it has its place.

 

[jmead]

post up some pics mac, i too cant imagine not working a bodypart..

it seems you dont train 2-3 main muscle groups.. whats your training breakdown look like?