This is NOT a "I just wanna do chest" thread - pics

[AK87]

The FACT is my chest just isn't keeping up with the rest of my body. My arms and shoulders have always been a few steps ahead of the rest... My first thought was that my triceps and shoulders did all the work when I did my chest... but that can't be totally true because my chest pumps up to twice it's normal size when I am training it... and the next day it just shrinks back to what it was.

What am I doing wrong? How can I get it to catch up? I'm sick of having big arms and tiny chest.

I put some back pics so you can see even my back is ahead of my chest.

[skitd103]

We need more info. What's your chest routine like? What's your diet like? How many times do you train chest a week?

Your chest pumps don't necessarily mean you're working your chest the best. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (your chest pump) is different from myofibrillar hypertrophy.

[chrischoi1235]

Bench, but bench really high up. Not at your nipples... closer to your neck. Should help out a little. Are you taking anything?

[Hut*Hut]

The FACT is my chest just isn't keeping up with the rest of my body. My arms and shoulders have always been a few steps ahead of the rest... My first thought was that my triceps and shoulders did all the work when I did my chest... but that can't be totally true because my chest pumps up to twice it's normal size when I am training it... and the next day it just shrinks back to what it was.

What am I doing wrong? How can I get it to catch up? I'm sick of having big arms and tiny chest.

I put some back pics so you can see even my back is ahead of my chest.

Get stronger at benching and dipping. Sorry, but there just aren't any secrets beyond that. For useful advice on how you might do that folk'd need to know your training program and your lifting stats for ALL the major lifts.

[AK87]

We need more info. What's your chest routine like? What's your diet like? How many times do you train chest a week?

Your chest pumps don't necessarily mean you're working your chest the best. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (your chest pump) is different from myofibrillar hypertrophy.

Well, the thing is, my chest routine won't be very representative because I changed it not too long ago to try and get stronger on bench press (I have physical exams coming up, I need to get stronger on bench)... Also, I've been switching it up a lot to try and find something I like... with little success. Do you have any ideas what I could use as a routine? It NEEDS to concentrate on making me stronger on bench press (not for 1 rep, but for 10 to 12) and I like to have: Flat bench, then a superset (can be DB press and flyes), then another superset (decline or incline bench with... whatever). I train at home... so no pulleys or pec deck.

Nutrition can't be the problem because I'm getting good gains on everything else except chest.

I train chest approximately 1.5 times a week (like 3 times every 2 weeks).

[BananaHammocks]

Bench, but bench really high up. Not at your nipples... closer to your neck. Should help out a little. Are you taking anything?

Good way to wreck your shoulders.

[Hut*Hut]

Bench, but bench really high up. Not at your nipples... closer to your neck. Should help out a little. Are you taking anything?

Beyond increasing his risk of shoulder injury there's really nothing that tips useful for.

[AK87]

Get stronger at benching and dipping. Sorry, but there just aren't any secrets beyond that. For useful advice on how you might do that folk'd need to know your training program and your lifting stats for ALL the major lifts.

I suck at benching... and I'd LOVE if one of you could point me to a routine that concentrates on making me better at benching (but for 10 or 12 reps, no less... I'm training for physicals).

And I'm pretty strong at dips already (I think)... I can dip 20X with body weight only.

[bassettjason]

I suck at benching... and I'd LOVE if one of you could point me to a routine that concentrates on making me better at benching (but for 10 or 12 reps, no less... I'm training for physicals).

And I'm pretty strong at dips already (I think)... I can dip 20X with body weight only.

Bench, and weight your dips.

[Joelift]

Well, man. Personally, I'd increase my frequency of bench - 3x a week with 10-12 working sets per week total. I like to mix incline and regular, normally using dbs for incline. If you want to focus on increasing strength in the 10-12 rep range, then train in that range.

Here is a good video to watch on form. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh3t6T-nqP0

[AK87]

Well, man. Personally, I'd increase my frequency of bench - 3x a week with 10-12 working sets per week total. I like to mix incline and regular, normally using dbs for incline. If you want to focus on increasing strength in the 10-12 rep range, then train in that range.

Here is a good video to watch on form. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh3t6T-nqP0

So that's four sets of only one exercise... 3 times a week?

[bigtallox]

Bench, but bench really high up. Not at your nipples... closer to your neck. Should help out a little.

Don't do that.

[Hut*Hut]

I suck at benching... and I'd LOVE if one of you could point me to a routine that concentrates on making me better at benching (but for 10 or 12 reps, no less... I'm training for physicals).

And I'm pretty strong at dips already (I think)... I can dip 20X with body weight only.

Not sure why training for physicals precludes you from training below ten reps? You really think if you went from 180x5 to 210x5 or 200x1 to 240x1 or 160x8 to 190x8 or 100x20 to 130x20 for that matter your 12 rep max wouldn't go up too?

If 12 reps isn't working for you right now you'd do well to change your approach.

[AK87]

Not sure why training for physicals precludes you from training below ten reps? You really think if you went from 180x5 to 210x5 or 200x1 to 240x1 or 160x8 to 190x8 or 100x20 to 130x20 for that matter your 12 rep max wouldn't go up too?

If 12 reps isn't working for you right now you'd do well to change your approach.

Actually I just switched to 12 reps. Previously I was training 4 x 8.