Pushups my chest works harder and has a better pump than when I do bench or DB bench

[Molaki]

When I bench I hardly feel my chest working its mostly in my delts. I've checked proper form online and had people check my form at the gym and say I'm doing it right. DB bench my chest works a little harder but still pushups absolutely destroy my chest I feel like it hits every part of my pec and I get an amazing pump. What gives.

[stealthmedia]

Since when does pump correlate with how hard a muscle is being worked?

[speedjason]

pump is simply blood flowing into the muscle. for muscle to grow you need micro tears in the actual muscle fibers. then your muscles start to recover to adapt to the new stress (bigger muscle).

[Critter5592]

When I bench I hardly feel my chest working its mostly in my delts. I've checked proper form online and had people check my form at the gym and say I'm doing it right. DB bench my chest works a little harder but still pushups absolutely destroy my chest I feel like it hits every part of my pec and I get an amazing pump. What gives.

Both push ups and bench are going to be more intense on the shoulders, as compared to dumbbell presses and flies any day. Check your press form and get some flies going.

[Molaki]

Since when does pump correlate with how hard a muscle is being worked?

Its not so much the pump but it just feels like my chest is getting thoroughly worked compared to when I do the other exercises.

[stealthmedia]

Its not so much the pump but it just feels like my chest is getting thoroughly worked compared to when I do the other exercises.

Do you do any cable/machine chest exercises?

[Molaki]

Do you do any cable/machine chest exercises?

Yes of course, cable flys

[Spikezz]

you could lower the weight and really focus on the muscles being worked. focus on mind muscle connection aswell

[idomog]

what are you benching? so you're saying you cant go until failure on bench press? its the best chest exercise in existence, its a compound movement and the most important for chest development.
if youre doing cable flies and not bench pressing: you, my friend, are a moron.

[DerekEt]

Pump = / = muscle growth.

Keep doing pushups for the next 10 years, I'll continue benching 300+ pounds regularly, and we will see who has the bigger chest ok? = )

[Molaki]

what are you benching? so you're saying you cant go until failure on bench press? its the best chest exercise in existence, its a compound movement and the most important for chest development.
if youre doing cable flies and not bench pressing: you, my friend, are a moron.

I do vary between DB bench and regular bench. I can go until failure on bench but its my shoulders that fail before chest. Which is weird because my delts are disproportionately larger than my chest.

[Molaki]

Pump = / = muscle growth.

Keep doing pushups for the next 10 years, I'll continue benching 300+ pounds regularly, and we will see who has the bigger chest ok? = )

Don't need to hate my brah. I know guys in the military that only do pushups sometimes with a ruck on their back and have some of the most sick well developed chests I've seen.

[idomog]

Mate, if nothing is stopping you from using a barbell (not having a spotter or something), then never do dumbbell bench.

I'm gonna give you a tip now about the shoulders:
###main tip - When you lower the bar, don't bend your elbows outwards as if they were pointing 180 degrees with the bar, fold them in and tuck them along the side of your body, 45 degrees or less from your bodies position. I believe this is the reason your shoulders are coming into it, the problem with having your elbows pointing out as well is when you get higher weight you risk rotator-cuff injury, as having your elbows out too far is naturally resistant on your shoulders - your body isn't meant to go that way (try it slowly with no weight and a barbell if you dont believe me). But yes, try to tuck those elbows in more and you'll use less shoulders.

Also, arch your back and keep your heels flat on the ground behind your knees. The only part of your body that should be on the bench is your butt, your shoulderblades and your head.

[james067]

carry on u are doing ryt..

[DerekEt]

lol I didn't hate bro, did you not see the smiley? stuff doesn't come out right on the internet

[Brandon0212]

Next time you workout chest try to do 3 sets of decline flys (I like to use 45 lb dumbells)

That chit will really work your lower pecs and help shape them

[Molaki]

lol I didn't hate bro, did you not see the smiley? stuff doesn't come out right on the internet

I know that feel, my gf gets mad at me when I joke over text and she takes that chit literally.

[hamworld05]

Pump = / = muscle growth.

Keep doing pushups for the next 10 years, I'll continue benching 300+ pounds regularly, and we will see who has the bigger chest ok? = )

191 pounds vs 165 pounds, why wouldn't you have a bigger chest?