Am I doing To Many Sets?

[TrailmixXander]

I've been working out for about a year now. i have seen some changes(post a pic soon) I'm 14 years old, and male, while at the gym some experienced lifters come up to me and give me advice. I take it in and adapt but recently, someone came up and says he has been watching me workout for a while and says that it seems i am doing to many sets and exercises per muscle group. i just want to know if the following workout include to many sets for my chest day.

Chest: flat benching 4 sets: 12, 10, 8, 6 (reps)
incline bench: 4 sets : 12, 10, 8, 6
flat Dumbbell press: 4 sets : 12, 10, 8, 6
Decline bench: 4 sets: 12,10,8,6
cable Crossover: 4 sets: 20,17,15,12 (only alternate between 30-40lbs)
Linear chest press: 4 sets: 12 10 8 6
Chest Fly on machine: 4 sets: 12, 10, 8, 6

Thanks guys

[AlwaysBeShepard]

28 sets JUST for chest? Seems ridiculous.
7 different exercises for 1 muscle is totally overkill.
Even just doing flat, incline and decline bench is overkill, but to follow it up with the other stuff is crazy.

Turn "chest day" into a push day, do the same amount of sets but swap some out for shoulders/triceps.
You don't have to take my advice, you've been doing this longer than me, it just seems ridiculous from what I've heard/read/experienced

[LIVERMAN]

Yeah it does seem a bit excessive, You are probably doing them in the same order each week so your body has adapted to the work load. Try and do only about four each week but vary them

you can have bench press and incline dumbbell press every week but vary the rest of the exercises. example of workout below

Bench press x4 ''No real point doing flat bench and flat dumbbell on same day alternate them each week''
Incline Dumbbells x4
Flys x4 - '' make sure you squeeze at the top ''

you can add a different one of the other exercises each week or Do 10-20 press ups straight after the final set of each exercise

By doing so many sets and in the same order you wont be able to increase the weights week in week out. Muscle builds when it is shocked by new stresses.... so keep mixing it up.

[NZninja101]

Possibly a bigger problem is that you're not eating enough. I would ask you how much did you weigh 1 year ago, except that you're 14, and you should be gaining weight even without lifting due to bone, organ and natural muscle growth, (but obviously this isn't much compared to what you'd get from training).


Try to gain a couple of pounds of weight a month, around 150g protein, (which should increase a little as you gain weight). 0.4g of fat per pound of bodyweight, and filling out the rest of the calories you need to gain weight with carbs. You're only 14, so focus on gradual weight gain, (2 pounds a month), and eating plenty of protein and you'll be fine.


As to training, you should be hitting each muscle 2-3 times a week. A couple of exercises will be plenty for your chest: flat bench press and incline.

Yeah it does seem a bit excessive, You are probably doing them in the same order each week so your body has adapted to the work load. Try and do only about four each week but vary them

you can have bench press and incline dumbbell press every week but vary the rest of the exercises. example of workout below

Bench press x4 ''No real point doing flat bench and flat dumbbell on same day alternate them each week''
Incline Dumbbells x4
Flys x4 - '' make sure you squeeze at the top ''

you can add a different one of the other exercises each week or Do 10-20 press ups straight after the final set of each exercise

By doing so many sets and in the same order you wont be able to increase the weights week in week out. Muscle builds when it is shocked by new stresses.... so keep mixing it up.

Muscle confusion is a myth.

[doughnut91]

As to training, you should be hitting each muscle 2-3 times a week.

Seems quite excessive, especially at the age of 14.

[NZninja101]

Seems quite excessive, especially at the age of 14.

Not really, no. An upper/lower or a full body routine can have him hitting each muscle 2-3 times a week and lifting 3-4 times a week.

[AlanApe]

Not really, no. An upper/lower or a full body routine can have him hitting each muscle 2-3 times a week and lifting 3-4 times a week.

But he is not lifting 2-3 times a week. He said chest DAY. So yes, I agree. Way too much volume for a single day.

[77sem77]

definitely too many sets

[ironwill2008]

I've been working out for about a year now. i have seen some changes(post a pic soon) I'm 14 years old, and male, while at the gym some experienced lifters come up to me and give me advice. I take it in and adapt but recently, someone came up and says he has been watching me workout for a while and says that it seems i am doing to many sets and exercises per muscle group. i just want to know if the following workout include to many sets for my chest day.

Chest: flat benching 4 sets: 12, 10, 8, 6 (reps)
incline bench: 4 sets : 12, 10, 8, 6
flat Dumbbell press: 4 sets : 12, 10, 8, 6
Decline bench: 4 sets: 12,10,8,6
cable Crossover: 4 sets: 20,17,15,12 (only alternate between 30-40lbs)
Linear chest press: 4 sets: 12 10 8 6
Chest Fly on machine: 4 sets: 12, 10, 8, 6

Thanks guys

At your level, it's likely you're just wearing yourself out with volume when you'd do much better to be working with more frequency instead.

[Concat]

Yeah, I don't think you need a chest day at all. Pick a split that allows you to hit each muscle group twice a week. As Ironwill said, frequency > volume.

[bitistathebeast]

For your age way to much. Sence your 14 it's time for you to really build a Foundation for yourself. Find a routine that involves all compound exercises mainly with barbells!!! Eat good and sit back and watch yourself grow..

[schneppy07]

That is way to much volume for chest, I'll do half that for chest and throw another body part in on the same day. So my volume is anywhere from 22-30 sets total. 12 for chest then 12 for back example.

[TrailmixXander]

i workout 5-6 times a day depending on outside activities. i isolate each day to one muscle group: monday chest, tuesday back, wednesday legs, thursday arms, friday shoulders/traps, saturday restday, sunday holyday and ab day

[mutantmanlet]

At your level, it's likely you're just wearing yourself out with volume when you'd do much better to be working with more frequency instead.

^^what he said....personally i dont like this way of thinking 'chest day' arm day leg day etc....i dont see a point in getting to the gym to only do chest-1 muscle group (unless you are a pro lifting huge amounts of weights...)
but since you want to have your 'chest day' you can do this
1.Chest: flat benching 4 sets: 12, 10, 8, 6 (reps)
2.incline bench: 4 sets : 12, 10, 8, 6
3.flat Dumbbell press: 4 sets : 12, 10, 8, 6
4.lightweight cable crossovers with little rest(nothing serious just 2-3 sets to get the blood flowing-optional)
So there you have it 3 compound moves more than enough to build strength and some lightweight chit at the end for some pumping action....(this builds 'fake muscle'-sarcoplasmic hypertropy or whatever it was called-lol)
Remember i dont care what you do if you are not getting stronger then its all a waste of time...
Dont think for a moment that because you are working your ass off doing twice volume you grow faster..
So basically training is just a STIMULUS...for muscle growth you need protein and calories and getting stronger on your basic moves.

[mutantmanlet]

also whatever you do BELIEVE IN IT AND DONT CHANGE EXERCISES ALL THE TIME!!!
i cant stress this enough ....you must litterally MASTER THE EXERCISES YOU CHOOSE and increase the weight every time you lift(or trying too).There is ABSOLUTELY NO POINT IN CHANGING EXERCISES ,other than wasting your time acclimating to new moves for no reason...

[Jfern689]

I say take out 8-10 sets

[NZninja101]

But he is not lifting 2-3 times a week. He said chest DAY. So yes, I agree. Way too much volume for a single day.

I never said he was. But he should be.