Back growing WAY faster than Chest

[ExtraMile]

How many big bodybuilders attribute their size to pushups?

Maybe for athletics, fitness, circuit Training etc but I wouldn't call pushups a mass builder...

 

[PlatinumFitnessIPTS]

A while back I didn't have access to a bench so all I did was pushups for about 4 months. My chest didn't get significantly bigger but it did get significantly more defined, which made it look way bigger. The program I used consisted of the classical pushup as well as 9 other variations of it. My shoulders and arms also filled out quite nicely while on this program. I definitely think there is a place for the pushup in a well designed bodybuilding program. People need to rediscover it.

PlatinumFitnessIPTS.com Improving Performance Through Science

 

[stevesmi]

A while back I didn't have access to a bench so all I did was pushups for about 4 months. My chest didn't get significantly bigger but it did get significantly more defined, which made it look way bigger. The program I used consisted of the classical pushup as well as 9 other variations of it. My shoulders and arms also filled out quite nicely while on this program. I definitely think there is a place for the pushup in a well designed bodybuilding program. People need to rediscover it.

PlatinumFitnessIPTS.com Improving Performance Through Science

need you to stop advertising your website in every one of your posts, and I need you to edit all your posts that have that website.

or I will ban you.

if you are interested in advertising then you need to contact an administrator and pay a fee.. you do not get to advertise for free on here.

this is your final warning.

 

[the.gladiator1987]

good lookin out steve, I missed this one!

 

[treadlite]

Well for triceps during 5x5 I had bench (of course) but I also did Dips on Fridays. My triceps have actually developed fairly nicely as well, my weakest point isn't the lockout as much as the initial push, I'll get stuck as soon as I'm pushing it off my chest but with a little bump I've got it for the rest of the rep. So it's definately my chest that needs to be strengthened, by arms, I meant mostly my biceps.

I am in the same boat. Back has gone up 30% in the past 3 months, but chest is pretty stagnent. Once I can get the bar off the chest, I have no problem getting to lockout, it is the initial push that is just killing me.

Anyone have any advice on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SPEKTOR-AAA]

advice.... lower the weight and gradually work you way up in a pyramid type fashion. Build that bottom strength. Make sure you form is spot on as well. Add variety of chest exercises.

 

[FlexManning]

i think you keep benching, and focus on your weak point of your bench press as assistance work. If you're having trouble locking out the weight, do board presses.... also, in 5x5 i don't think there is too much tricep work. Maybe adding some direct tricep work would help your bench. Maybe dips would help if your shoulders are healthy enough.

I agree with this, and would caution you not to tilt your workout heavily in favor of pushing/pressing exercises and away from pulling exercises. That's the quickest route to screwing your shoulders up.

There's also a million different tricks people have used to isolate the pecs more, you have techniques like pre-exhaust and you have alterations in form that some people claim keep the stress on the pecs better, I know Jay Cutler doesn't bring the dumbbells all the way together at the top of db bench presses because he feels it shifts stress to the shoulders.

If anything about Arnold's chest was due to training tricks and not genetics and hard work I'd have to say it was the extremely pronounced stretch he used on db flyes. Unfortunately that can be a shoulder killer for most of us. But if you're able to do it, finishing off pecs with flyes with a deep stretch can be very effective at building overall pec mass, not just outer pec mass as some would claim.