Question about chest exercises

[jerseyart]

Let me preface this by stating I hope this isn't in the wrong forum. I'm new here, and not very knowledgeable about bodybuilding in general.

I read on another thread that bench may not be the best exercise to develop mass for the chest. My problem is the following. I have freakishly long arms. I'm a tall guy, but they are long even for someone that's tall.

My max bench press at at ten 8 reps is only 190. I don't even know at this point what my overall max is. I always do flat bench presses first, three sets (I'm going to change my overall routine, which is generally stupid, to HST, as soon as I learn more about it).

By the time I'm done with bench, I have very little left for other exercises. I'll muddle through at much lower weights, but generally by the second exercise I can't even lift the bar. And I know this isn't my chest I'm working, but too much arm. Because of this I have a decent chest (defined, hard) but no where near where I would like it to be.

I have read others state that there might be better exercise for mass. I was wondering if someone could point me in the direction. Also, do any of them work less arm, or is there a way I can change the way I lift so as to work less arm (like shorter lifts).

 

[zxe003]

Are you pressing to lock out? If so, keep in mind that you should be coming down as far as you can to the chest and then pressing up only about 75-80% of the way. This way you keep more constant tension or flexion on your pecs. Once you start to lock out, you shift the emphasis of the lift from you chest to your triceps. This would explain the burnout in your arms. Your tri's become too taxed to do more pressing movements, especially when you're a beginner.

 

[jerseyart]

Thanks for responding ZXE,

Sorry to bother you with such basics.

My grip is roughly even with my shoulders (a little past). On the negatives I go till I just barely touch my chest. On the positves, if I had to put a number to it, it would be 95%. I don't lock my elbows, I stop just short of that position. Should I adjust to push only to about 75% height? That would seem to make sense, and that was what I was hoping I could do and still target the chest.

 

[zxe003]

Yeah give it a try. Sounds like with your arms being so long, that 95% of lockout is still bringing your triceps into play a little too much. Stop a little shorter and see how that feels. You should be able to feel the tension in your pecs through the entire rep...remember that. If you're locked out or locked out too far, your chest isn't really flexed anymore, you would then have to squeeze your pecs together at the top of the rep in order to get more flexion.

 

[jerseyart]

Thanks again Bro.

I'm going to do exactly that starting wednesday. I've also been thinking about starting with inclines instead of flat bench. My chest isn't deformed, but I'm noticing it's starting to get a tear drop shape (bigger on the bottom than the top) and I'm hoping to even it out more. Since I have been having such a difficult time with any second chest exercise (that's the only area its been a problem to do multiple exercises) my thinking is I should work the area that needs the most help first, unless anyone knows a reason to avoid such a routine.

 

[resonator]

Welcome jerseyart,

Benchpress is one of the best exercises you can do for chest. Unfortunately you can't just target chest, but you can hit it really hard with bench. Flies can target the chest but cannot put on mass like benchpress. Many have tried only Flies and have lost mass in their chest, so, while they aren't a mass builder, they are still important. They should be incorporated as a finishing exercise (IMO) for a good stretch for the pecs, after bench.

Also, when bench pressing, a lot of people tend to use their front delts too much, you can make sure not to do this by pulling your shoulders back (towards the bench) and keeping them on the bench. This will emphasize your chest.

You should incorporate some incline presses in your workout too, to work the pec minor.

Good luck!

 

[jerseyart]

Thanks Resonator,

It's been frustrating as hell. I generally do bench,incline bench, and flies (flat bench). But like I wrote earlier I just fail so quickly, I can't even finish two sets of incline before I'm near totally useless. I know ZXE is right about the tri's. I'm going to see if natural supplements help also, as soon as I do more research here. I'm too much of a novice to even consider anything stronger, it would just be a waste.

"a lot of people tend to use their front delts too much, you can make sure not to do this by pulling your shoulders back (towards the bench) and keeping them on the bench."

I'm going to make a point of it, thanks for the tip. It's great having a place to ask questions where everyone knows so much more, and has the benefit of practical experience as well. I've always sucked at biology, and have only had the patience and aptitiude to study female biology with any conviction.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

Welcome jerseyart,

Benchpress is one of the best exercises you can do for chest. Unfortunately you can't just target chest, but you can hit it really hard with bench. Flies can target the chest but cannot put on mass like benchpress. Many have tried only Flies and have lost mass in their chest, so, while they aren't a mass builder, they are still important. They should be incorporated as a finishing exercise (IMO) for a good stretch for the pecs, after bench.

Also, when bench pressing, a lot of people tend to use their front delts too much, you can make sure not to do this by pulling your shoulders back (towards the bench) and keeping them on the bench. This will emphasize your chest.

You should incorporate some incline presses in your workout too, to work the pec minor.

Good luck!

why would you lose mass in your chest from doing only flyes???

 

[bignate73]

alot of misinformation.

1st: pulling your shoulder blades back doesnt shift emphasis on your chest. it stabilizes your shoulder girdle and keeps you from over reaching or protracting your shoulder girdle, so you can lock out with your triceps.

2nd: dont limit yourself by doing 3/4 reps, build up some work capacity in your tri's so you dont have them as your weak point. basically find what you arent good at and make it so you are good at it. thats why its called training. to make yourself better. cosmetic goals are great, but if you train with a purpose (strength, endurance etc) the results will come. if you know your arms are weak, then they will probably visually be so. keep that in mind with all bodyparts. if you make the bodypart you want strong, it will by default be larger.

 

[resonator]

why would you lose mass in your chest from doing only flyes???

Wnt2bbeast,
I recall a couple of posts from this board where someone did just flies as maintenance and ended up losing mass. I'll see if I can find the posts.

pulling your shoulder blades back doesnt shift emphasis on your chest. it stabilizes your shoulder girdle and keeps you from over reaching or protracting your shoulder girdle, so you can lock out with your triceps.

BigNate,
I bench with my shoulders back on the bench, and I feel the emphasis more in my chest. If you are used to benching with your delts, you will notice a difference when you try this, or at least I did. That's not misinformation at all.

 

[resonator]

here's a thread with some good info
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=305099&highlight=lost+mass+chest

 

[zxe003]

2nd: dont limit yourself by doing 3/4 reps, build up some work capacity in your tri's so you dont have them as your weak point. basically find what you arent good at and make it so you are good at it. thats why its called training. to make yourself better. cosmetic goals are great, but if you train with a purpose (strength, endurance etc) the results will come. if you know your arms are weak, then they will probably visually be so. keep that in mind with all bodyparts. if you make the bodypart you want strong, it will by default be larger.

I agree that he should continue to balance out all muscle groups, but remember he has a whole other day for triceps work. The whole point of specifying a certain workout to a certain muscle group is to most effectively hit that target muscle group...correct?! Not to reciprocate criticism to your post, but he's been benching through a full range of motion to lockout already. The problem as I see it, is that he is relying too much on his triceps to complete his bench. I'm simply offering an alternative to more effectively recruit the pecs and give his tri's a rest. He will get enough work out of them with his shoulder presses and triceps workouts. His main concern right now is to bring up his chest, and I feel this would be a step in the right direction.

 

[jerseyart]

Various,

BigNate wrote "build up some work capacity in your tri's so you dont have them as your weak point. basically find what you arent good at and make it so you are good at it. thats why its called training"

Thank you for responding. I know you guys have better things to do than answer relative newbie questions. I know what you wrote is sound advice, and I will apply it to every other aspect of my workout routine. My original post was incomplete. At this point my chest routine is becoming a real issue. I have always muddled through doing things as I outlined above. When I was smaller physically it wasn't much of an issue, but now (especially with my determination to work my body this year) it just may. I really need my chest to "catch up" to the rest of me. My tri's aren't small, if anything they're getting disproportionately too big, I think because they are used in so many different exercises, Especially my upper chest, and general mass, isn't anywhere near where it should be in my opinion. The weight has almost become irrelevant, because my arms are so burned out by the fifth overall set I can't even lift the bar any longer. That makes everything else I want to do limited. I'm honestly starting to wonder if I have a problem of some kind. Because guys with similar builds can lift far more at bench, and it isn't as if I'm not working hard to increase.

Resonator: Thanks for the link man.

ZXE: Thanks again for all your advice