Chest lagging...

[Synpax]

I use the Needsize 5x5 workout. It's done well for me for progressing.

I do my chest/triceps on the same day and it looks like this:

Chest work:
Flat bench 5x5
Lying DB Press 2x10
Incline DB Flys 2x10

Tricep Work:
Weigted Dips 5x5
Lying DB Tricep Extensions (skullcrushers) 2x10
Rope pulldown 2x10

I get an awesome pump in my tris but not so much in my chest. I dont think I've ever gotten much of a pump in my chest - it rarely even feels sore. I think it looks pretty decent but maybe not as good as it should.

Feedback?

 

[Guinness5.0]

Feedback?

Pump and soreness don't mean much. How has your weight progression been (weight on the bar, that is)? You may benfit from some added frequency. Typically 2x/week is my default, but there are other options. DC seems to shoot for every 5 days or so, which adds up to quite a few more workouts over the course of a year.

 

[skullcrushin22]

Yeah I would do chest twice a week. The first time just do Incline Bench 5*5 and then on chest day do flat bench, db bench and whatever else you want. Progression is key too. Try to add five lbs every week and make sure your eating.

 

[needsize]

personally I would still stick with once a week, but definitely do more incline work, the routines I have been on the last few years always starts with incline dumbell or barbell presses, never more than a 30-40 degree angle, or you just end up working shoulders.

As for the soreness, some of my bodyparts never get sore, ever, but they grow...try to vary the routines, the ones I am currently following that were designed by laura binetti never has the same exercises or rep schemes two weeks in a row

 

[Synpax]

The weight is progressing just fine - and I guess my pecs are building up - they just don't look as full as I'd like in the upper area.

I currenltly lift on T-H-F with the following area:
Tuesday:
Chest/Tri/Abs

Thursday:
Back/Bi/Abs/Forarms

Friday:
Legs/Delts/Abs/Forarms

However, on the chest, I use to ALTERNATE flat bench with incline bench. I will start doing that again.

I've also planned to switch from 3x per week to three days on, one day off. I should have the flexibility to start that up again.

Thanks for the great advices.

 

[H_T_]

i just stopped doing heavy benching for a bit. i need my muscle to grow some. so i did triple drops on BP's tonight. i got so swollen from them, i felt like my lats were being pulled forward.

 

[Synpax]

What do you mean, tripple drops?

 

[H_T_]

What do you mean, tripple drops?

start with a number that'll let you get 5-6 hard reps. drop the weight, do 5-6 more. drop it one last time and do you last 5-6...3 sets of those, 9 total, will have you pumped. sometimes you need to break things up for a bit. 6 weeks is good enough...

 

[Synpax]

I haven't done 'positive splits' - I'm more likely to keep increasing the weight each session and, if needed, take a 20 second rest-pause Or switch to 3x5 and surpass the plateue until re-attempting it at 5x5.

If the going 3 days on, 1 day off and alternating the inclines don't work, I'll look into it. But like Needsize says, some muscles just don't seem to get sore.

 

[H_T_]

I haven't done 'positive splits' - I'm more likely to keep increasing the weight each session and, if needed, take a 20 second rest-pause Or switch to 3x5 and surpass the plateue until re-attempting it at 5x5.

If the going 3 days on, 1 day off and alternating the inclines don't work, I'll look into it. But like Needsize says, some muscles just don't seem to get sore.

you'll never get sore from regular benching, i never even get pumped from them. it's not a pure chest exercise half the time. your delts and tri's are doing a tremendous amount of work, one more than the other, depending on your grip and pressing technique. and strictly flat benching will never get you that high chest that looks good. doing endless sets of incline db presses at varying angles will. flat benching will leave you with a nice set of floppy tits, eventually.

 

[ZGzaZ]

you'll never get sore from regular benching, i never even get pumped from them. it's not a pure chest exercise half the time. your delts and tri's are doing a tremendous amount of work, one more than the other, depending on your grip and pressing technique. and strictly flat benching will never get you that high chest that looks good. doing endless sets of incline db presses at varying angles will. flat benching will leave you with a nice set of floppy tits, eventually.

LoL.....come on man.... 32k posts and you're putting up non-sense like this?? .....

 

[H_T_]

LoL.....come on man.... 32k posts and you're putting up non-sense like this?? .....

well, i don't know how old you are, or how much exposure you've had with older lifters. but the fact is that pecs don't shrink like lats, shoulders, legs do. pecs sag. check out Arnie, if you don't believe me.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

I dont see Arnold as a good comparison to the average joe's titties, but gravity does have its effect. Arnold is more deflation than too much bench IMO. I could see incline presses building a perkier pec over flat presses for sure, simple mechanics of the lift would work the upper section of the pec and shoulder more.

 

[mekannik]

I got these from a Poliquin article...

Triple drops performed on a mutli angle bench. Choose three angles - starting with the steepest do 5-6 reps, put down db's, drop bench angle down to second position, 5-6 reps, put down db's, drop bench to third angle, 5-6 reps. Little rest as possible between bench angle changes.

Last 'angle' can be flat.
Either use the same weight (db's) thru all angles or increase as the bench angle goes to horizontal.
Do not go too steep on the first step - keep the focus on your chest, not your anterior delts.

start with a number that'll let you get 5-6 hard reps. drop the weight, do 5-6 more. drop it one last time and do you last 5-6...3 sets of those, 9 total, will have you pumped. sometimes you need to break things up for a bit. 6 weeks is good enough...

 

[markshark]

I use the Needsize 5x5 workout. It's done well for me for progressing.

I do my chest/triceps on the same day and it looks like this:

Chest work:
Flat bench 5x5
Lying DB Press 2x10
Incline DB Flys 2x10

Tricep Work:
Weigted Dips 5x5
Lying DB Tricep Extensions (skullcrushers) 2x10
Rope pulldown 2x10

I get an awesome pump in my tris but not so much in my chest. I dont think I've ever gotten much of a pump in my chest - it rarely even feels sore. I think it looks pretty decent but maybe not as good as it should.

Feedback?

do you have someone there to push you past failure with chest? 5X5 (im on 4 X6 actually) but the 5X5 from what i know is a really good program. is your strength increasing? is your form right?

 

[markshark]

you'll never get sore from regular benching, i never even get pumped from them. it's not a pure chest exercise half the time. your delts and tri's are doing a tremendous amount of work, one more than the other, depending on your grip and pressing technique. and strictly flat benching will never get you that high chest that looks good. doing endless sets of incline db presses at varying angles will. flat benching will leave you with a nice set of floppy tits, eventually.

definitely agree. i dont know that its left me with floppy tits but i never get sore from benching alone. ill feel a pump in my chest from it but also a ton in my triceps and lats. incline movements, especially flyes and db presses leave my chest really sore the next day.

 

[Synpax]

do you have someone there to push you past failure with chest? 5X5 (im on 4 X6 actually) but the 5X5 from what i know is a really good program. is your strength increasing? is your form right?

Form is perfect. Strength IS increasing. I will just alternate in some inclines and maybe switch my flat DB press work to incline DB work, too.

 

[Sets]

I too, would stick to incline work. I also think part of where you're having a problem is in the mechanics of your lift... When doing your incline work change the angle of the movement. When working with the dumbbells or on the incline press for that matter, you'll want to position yourself so that you target the upper part of the pec... Don't let the pec drop in the middle of the movement and get a full stretch out of each and every rep... You more than likely will also have to cut back in the weight your working with in order to produce a meaningful rep. Many people lift beyond what they should and their technique and the mechanics of the movement go right out the window when they do this... In closing, It's not about how much you lift - its about how you lift - its about understanding muscle awareness...

 

[Acela]

I use the Needsize 5x5 workout. It's done well for me for progressing.

I do my chest/triceps on the same day and it looks like this:

Chest work:
Flat bench 5x5
Lying DB Press 2x10
Incline DB Flys 2x10

Tricep Work:
Weigted Dips 5x5
Lying DB Tricep Extensions (skullcrushers) 2x10
Rope pulldown 2x10

I get an awesome pump in my tris but not so much in my chest. I dont think I've ever gotten much of a pump in my chest - it rarely even feels sore. I think it looks pretty decent but maybe not as good as it should.

Feedback?

Some things that I have incorporated that have yielded good results:
1. adjusting your grip wider
2. on the Smith machine, do partial bench presses (don't lock your arms out at the end...this forces your chest to bear the burden of the weight entirely)
3. weighted dips, again no arm lock-out

hopefully this helps

 

[UFC22]

75% of the time I have muscle soreness the next day after Flat BB Presses. The 5x5 method is working very well.