My chest does NOT grow. How do I get it bigger?

[Jdub2030]

I'm 6'3, 190 pounds. I used to be 6'3', 170 pounds; so you can see that I've bulked up alot in the past year.

Last summer I lifted religiously for 4 months straight. May-August. I saw alot of results on my arms, back, legs, etc. but my chest WOULD NOT get any bigger.

Once school started this year I only lifted 3 times a week and wasn't really serious about it; I just lifted to maintain my body weight and keep the muscles I already had.

Now, I've been lifting 5 days a week (M-F) for the past 8-9 weeks. I've seen noticeable results. I've gained over 1.5" on my arms, my traps are getting bigger, my back and legs are also getting bigger. However, i'm having the same problem with my chest, It will not seem to grow.

My question is, what do I need to do in order to get my chest bigger? Could someone give me a specific workout (with reps and sets) that will surely work?

I was doing some research and came across this chest specialization program. Do you guys think it would work?

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1236824

LEt me know, and thanks in advance for any advice and tips.

[juggernaut=-=]

what are you currently doing for your chest? I see a lot of guys start to see results, including myself when they lower the weight and concentrate more on squeezing there chest, its pretty easy when doing bench presses for the shoulders to take over if your using too much weight, I know it may not feel like much but is your chest even getting sore the day after you work it out? If not then its not getting hit hard enough, if it is sore than mayby your just overtraining.

[Boxer666]

try stretching hard in between sets. i only do it once in a wile.. i think stretching and flexing hard when your pumped stretches it which makes room for more growth. does anyone know for sure?

i do these



and something kinda like this with my arm in front of me against something


also try partial reps.. the lower half +rep me plz i wanna be green

use proper form, mind muscle connection

[Dominik]

My question is, what do I need to do in order to get my chest bigger? Could someone give me a specific workout (with reps and sets) that will surely work?

There's no perfect program or magic sets/reps scheme that's going to work for everyone.

I had a similar problem in the first couple of years. Shoulders and back responded immediately but my chest lagged way behind. The main thing that worked for me was learning to focus more on horizontal adduction, the specific movement which targets the pecs. Moving dumbbells in a slight arc rather than firing them straight up and down helped.

What also helped was doing a lot of machine flyes rather than listening to people who believed presses were the final word on chest training. Focusing on getting a good stretch at the bottom and a strong squeeze at the top. I made incline work a priority and found sets of 8-12 reps were the most productive overall. I figured it all out through experimenting, which is what you'll have to continue to do.

Finally, the reality is that genetic weak points are always going to take a lot more work so be patient.

[kr0nic]

Tried DB flys ? Pullovers ? I think adding these 2 exercises to my chest workout are what have finally made my chest start growing.

[FAO]

Lots of good advice already...Just wanted to say maybe to make sure your diet is right. In order to make new muscle, the energy and nutrients have to come from somewhere, so if your not eating enough, could be a problem. Also, just a matter of going up in weight, however you do it, (Smith machine, DB, BB, machines) will eventually shock the muscle and make it bigger...that plus nutrition will lead to bigger pecs...happy lifting

[TJ2000]

Hi.
Welcome to the my chest won't get bigger or stronger club.
Have a seat over there.

[ironman1964bc]

My advice is just the opposite than most. Since you are fairly tall, I am guessing your arms are above average in length. By going all the way to your chest, you are limiting chest development because you are handling weights that your chest can already handle easily but you can't lift more because you are putting yourself at a leverage disadvantage. The midrange of the bench is where the chest is worked the most, so do some floor presses or board presses with some heavier weight.

To prove my point, do a regular pushup, then do one with your hands on cement blocks and try to touch your chest to the floor. That snapping noise will be your shoulders coming out of the sockets with the cement block pushup. It makes it harder to activate the chest when your shoulders are screaming for mercy.

[nykwan]

How narrow/wide is your grip on the bar or how is your form for benchpress? I'm only 5'8", and my middle fingers are on the rings. You probably have longer arms, and should at least be that wide.

Keep that slight natural arch in back, stick chest out and keep shouldersshoulder blades pulled back the whole time, and lower bar to around the nipple area and you should feel it all in the pecs. This form is very, very important to keep. It's the difference between being a pec bencher, and a delt/tri bencher. Lower the bar slowly and just barely touch the chest (don't bounce it) and the press up to just a hair before lockout and lower again. This way you'll have tension on the pecs the whole time instead of giving them a slight 'rest' when the bar gets bounced off chest or at lockout.

[v4lu3s]

so you are a tlal person who had little development to start with, and then lifted heavily for 4 months and then lifted enough to maintain for the past 8 months......and you thought you would see massive chest development? give it a bit more time....consistency and time will do a LOT more than changing up routines and stressing about it.

[T. Bone]

ATrainer flys

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=624814

[unity]

i just want to say that most people dont get a big chest in 1 year of serious training. be patient. you are tall so it may even take a bit longer, but once it does get big, you will be one imposing figure.

[iracekx]

With me my gains have come in the legs and in the chest. I contribute the strong legs to motocross where you have to squeeze the bike with your legs to hold on.

[hulkinout]

In general, the guys who have chest issues seem to rely too much on flat benching.

My bread and butter chest move is a 30-degree incline on the Smith (yes, the Smith). Maybe the strength mavens won't be as impressed, but it made a huge difference in my pec development, and I flat bb benched diligently for years before that with only so-so results. Go figure.

[Jdub2030]

Thanks for the help guys. What do you think about the chest specialization program I posted in the thread starter?

[TJ2000]

Your right bro, the smith is a nice piece of equipment, I agree!
Many argue its like your pressing only 135lbs when you actually have 185 on the bar but thats their loss! You CAN gain pec size and strength using the smith, but do free weights too. You don't have to rely on flat bench, but at least do some dumbbell work and incline presses cause those two are a MUST.
Not that I have a big chest but its the truth, most guys I see just do flat bench 3 times a week and don't even warm up or advance. They load the bar with 225lbs and rep it with poor form and the spotters doing 95% of the work!
The smith is also good for beginners! Just remember moderation. If you ONLY use the smith for presses you won't get very strong. I did the smith for a month while at 24 fitness cause I was embarrased to press with the "big" boys, so I stuck myself in that corner with all the smith machines and did only 150 on that for a month! Guess what happened?
When I got a power rack and weights at home I couldn't even do 135!
Moral of story: use free weight AND machines

[groundrocker]

I used to have the same problem. I've been training for several yr now and only lacking part was my chest. I've tried alot of things to get them going even working them out twice a week with different workouts on both days. Had a little success but not much. I'm now on my 5th week of my HST cycle, and have gained about an inch on my chest. That's impressive for me cuz an inch is alot for just doing incline db press and weighted gironda dips. My chest is now getting that nice rounded look especially on the lower pecs. Trying throwing in some dips. I believe that what has helped me recently.

[mwalrath90]

Do pushups to about 80% of failure with varied grips, don't focus solely on flat bench you have to do cable cross/flyes, incline bench, sometimes decline helps because you can move more weight on it, dips can also help if you focus on squeezing your pecs. If I were you I would incorporate the pushups into your workout schedule but make sure you dont overtrain your chest.

[rippedr0ck]

Flat dumbbell press - 3 sets - 8 reps.
Incline Dumbbell Press - 3 sets - 8 reps
Dips (weighted if you can)
Dumbell Flyes
cable cross overs for definition.

oh and eat like crazy.

that workout you posted seems a bit like overkill.. too much overtraining the chest.

[killerbee_zor]

Since i am only doing isolation exercises for chest(beside dips) my chest seems to finally grow!

[iracekx]

I guess that is the reason I am having good luck with my chest. I do not rely just on the flat bench. I do dumbbell inclines and other things also.

[Beteroffalone]

Flat dumbbell press - 3 sets - 8 reps.
Incline Dumbbell Press - 3 sets - 8 reps
Dips (weighted if you can)
Dumbell Flyes
cable cross overs for definition.

That's almost the exact routine I came up with about a year ago. In stead of just doing 3 sets of DB incline I do 2 sets at the lowest incline setting, then elevate the incline to the next setting and do 2 sets, then elevate it a 3rd time and do 2 sets. That's just personal pref, but it's a great routine.

[Flair4TheGold]

In general, the guys who have chest issues seem to rely too much on flat benching.

My bread and butter chest move is a 30-degree incline on the Smith (yes, the Smith). Maybe the strength mavens won't be as impressed, but it made a huge difference in my pec development, and I flat bb benched diligently for years before that with only so-so results. Go figure.

There's nothing wrong with using the Smith Machine. It's all about form. These guys who get on the flat benches who might bench a lot of weight might not even be using the right form. So it's all for show rather than trying to better themselves.

[rippedr0ck]

That's almost the exact routine I came up with about a year ago. In stead of just doing 3 sets of DB incline I do 2 sets at the lowest incline setting, then elevate the incline to the next setting and do 2 sets, then elevate it a 3rd time and do 2 sets. That's just personal pref, but it's a great routine.

has the different angles helped?

[Beteroffalone]

has the different angles helped?

Personally I find it to be an effective routine, I haven't really tried it with just the one angle so I can't compare it. My upper chest has needed the work and I've just felt more comfortable hitting it from as many angles as possible which this does. I've been steadily moving up in my presses since going to this all DB routine with the different angles.

[Lotto20]

In general, the guys who have chest issues seem to rely too much on flat benching.

My bread and butter chest move is a 30-degree incline on the Smith (yes, the Smith). Maybe the strength mavens won't be as impressed, but it made a huge difference in my pec development, and I flat bb benched diligently for years before that with only so-so results. Go figure.

i just started doing my incline on the smith because im sick of asking ppl to spot me and i find i get a consistent stretch everytime. Works awesome......flat dumbell press i dont do much on the flat bench and dips really controlled and slow....then some pec dec flys or cable flys and my chest is toast.....

[TJ2000]

I wish I had a smith at home, but I don't just free weights (not complaining though, free weights are def awesome)

I have to say though that dumbbells seem to work better for me, not exactly for just mass but mainly for strength. I went from using just the 45s on incline db press to using 60/65s rather fast (about 2 months, not great but for me its good since I usually stall for like 4 months sometimes)
I know its not a lot but I work out at home now and can only use 60s and I do have 70s but only use them for flat db presses since I can't incline that much with em yet.

in short, DUMBBELLS, try em out!
do 4 sets of incline db presses, 4 sets flat db press/or decline press AND some extra work like flies, pull overs whatever you like.


PS: I am going soon to academy to pick me up some 75s and 80s soon, I reckon another month or two I'll be ready for them (I hope)

[Drabnak]

My chest grew from 42 to 45.5 in only eight months following the same routine.

BB Flat Bench 3x5-8
BB Incline Bench 3x5-8
DB Fly or Cable Crossover 3x8-15

Try it.

[scrawny2studly]

There's nothing wrong with using the Smith Machine. It's all about form. These guys who get on the flat benches who might bench a lot of weight might not even be using the right form. So it's all for show rather than trying to better themselves.

X222

[Gindy321]

Hi.
Welcome to the my chest won't get bigger or stronger club.
Have a seat over there.

Just LOL'D reading that