Trying to craft a chest workout. Any insight?

[Senor Awesome]

Alright, so I gave letting my pecs shrink up a try and I'm not too happy with that , lol. I'm ready to craft an actual workout for my chest, not just do exercises for it.

Goals: Flat, balanced, I have the flat, longer pecs, not rounder type (sorry no pix)

I know my upper chest is lacking so I need incline work for that. Some flat bench and push ups for middle and a bit of decline to even the bottoms of 'em.

What ratio of incline/flat should I do to have the upper chest catch up?

Should I do flys once I've got more mass on there? Or just start right away?

I also have problems with symetry. I don't want my right pec way bigger. I've tried DBs, having the bar further on the left side for more weight, etc doesn't work...

Ideas? Thanks!

[schultzenegger]

IMO ..... (i love prefixing my posts with this, it's like a get-out-of-jail free card for all you flamers)

I would focus more on incline pressing movements and incline flyes

Look up "A-trainer Flyes" as well

As for ratios. Start with more weight towards incline movements and see how things progress for you

You can always change later, thats the beauty of being your own boss in the gym

[Senor Awesome]

IMO ..... (i love prefixing my posts with this, it's like a get-out-of-jail free card for all you flamers)

I would focus more on incline pressing movements and incline flyes

Look up "A-trainer Flyes" as well

As for ratios. Start with more weight towards incline movements and see how things progress for you

You can always change later, thats the beauty of being your own boss in the gym

Thanks.

Is more weight important or volume? lets say I start my chest workout with 100 or 50 lb Dbs.. for starters...

Wouldn't more volume help? Since it's a major muscle group? Or should I just hit the heaviest weight and keep upping it as long as it doesn't hurt form?

[Senor Awesome]

bump....

[schultzenegger]

Thanks.

Is more weight important or volume? lets say I start my chest workout with 100 or 50 lb Dbs.. for starters...

Wouldn't more volume help? Since it's a major muscle group? Or should I just hit the heaviest weight and keep upping it as long as it doesn't hurt form?

It all depends on the goals you have set for yourself.

IMO, the most important thing is "progression". This covers weight, volume and any other factors which will contribute to your end goals

Choose a weight and rep range which suits your goals, and then make sure you are progressively lifting more each week

As for your last comment. Yes... ALWAYS !!!

[maresf16]

I've had huge success with a high volume approach. It will only work if you have a lot of time to spend in the gym, and even more sleeping. If you are trying to add mass to your upper pecs, I strongly recommend starting you workouts with incline barbell presses. Most people shoot the barbell version down on the basis of ROM, but bottom line is for most folks bars are WAY better at building up a good base of strength and mass. DB are ok too, I just use them much less. For your inner/upper I'd even suggest cable flies...and no one complains about the extra detail you get either.

For flies, I suggest adding them in now. Depending on how you use flies, they can be for detail or for mass, but if training for mass it basically "pulls" the muscle to the outside more, which is why people always say use them for adding outer pec mass. They definitely work. Also, if you work with flat flies in the very lowest part of the motion, they will add to your lower pecs and give you that nice, defined cut that makes your pecs look truly massive.

My volume workout would look something like this:

warmups of course
3 - 5 sets incline BB press
3 - 5 sets decline BB press
sometimes 3 - 5 sets flat BB press
various DB work - do whatever you need to help your weak spots catch up
2 - 4 sets dips (make sure you lean forward to use your upper pecs - this is also an overlooked mass builder that adds tremendously to your pec-delt tie ins)
IF you have time or are preparing for a contest also do a few sets of cable flies. Be careful though...they only work if you contract the muscle REALLY hard and go as far as you can with your hands (to your opposite side).
If you can, also add in 2 sets of heavy DB pullovers. Some people think you can expand the ribcage this way, some people don't. I think you can, so I include them. If you don't, don't include them.

Keep all reps within your personal total hypertrophy range, except for the last set or two on the BB presses...these you can increase poundage and go for strength if you like.

I know it looks long, and it is (about 1 hour if done at a good pace) but it will leave you feeling extremely sore. Just like I said, make sure you have the time to put in at the gym and the time to sleep a lot at night, and eat a ton too.

If the volume workout is too much or you don't have the time (i.e. you aren't a person with no life, like me), then you can certainly pick one of the HIT routines featured on BB.com's massive article archive. Just remember to do what works for you personally.

Happy lifting...keep pumping, eating, and sleeping and you'll grow.

[John Prophet]

I doubt u actually need declines...most of us get plenty of lower pec from whatever exercises we do. We almost all need upper pek

there is a limit to how many exercises one can do also..depending on the individual etc


for upper pek and overall pek, maybe this


incline barbell press 3x6-8
incline cable fly 3x10
flat db press 3x6-8

[Senor Awesome]

Thanks dudes. Thanks alot.

I don't have access to a cables machines. Just free weights, BB and DB and bodyweight work.
Would flies make up for those?

I'm going to look for a place to do dips. Maybe the near by school has some bars or something. If not, I'll figure something out. I like those; they aren't that hard. lol. easier than bench for sure.

Thanks!

[Mourning Tide]

Thanks dudes. Thanks alot.

I don't have access to a cables machines. Just free weights, BB and DB and bodyweight work.
Would flies make up for those?

I'm going to look for a place to do dips. Maybe the near by school has some bars or something. If not, I'll figure something out. I like those; they aren't that hard. lol. easier than bench for sure.

Thanks!

Do bench dips, just have a chair or box or something parallel to the bench and dip away.

[LaxPro]

right now i'm doing high volume 1x a week for chest and it seems to be working real well. what i like about chest training is that there are a lot of great power moves to really bulk up your chest.

right now my routine is

5 sets of flat db
4 sets of incline db
3 sets hammer strength wide chest
2 sets flat db flys

obviously you wanna manage the intensity and loads you use to get through 14 sets of chest cuz it's a pretty taxing workout.

[MontanaPT]

I've had huge success with a high volume approach. It will only work if you have a lot of time to spend in the gym, and even more sleeping. If you are trying to add mass to your upper pecs, I strongly recommend starting you workouts with incline barbell presses. Most people shoot the barbell version down on the basis of ROM, but bottom line is for most folks bars are WAY better at building up a good base of strength and mass. DB are ok too, I just use them much less. For your inner/upper I'd even suggest cable flies...and no one complains about the extra detail you get either.

For flies, I suggest adding them in now. Depending on how you use flies, they can be for detail or for mass, but if training for mass it basically "pulls" the muscle to the outside more, which is why people always say use them for adding outer pec mass. They definitely work. Also, if you work with flat flies in the very lowest part of the motion, they will add to your lower pecs and give you that nice, defined cut that makes your pecs look truly massive.

My volume workout would look something like this:

warmups of course
3 - 5 sets incline BB press
3 - 5 sets decline BB press
sometimes 3 - 5 sets flat BB press
various DB work - do whatever you need to help your weak spots catch up
2 - 4 sets dips (make sure you lean forward to use your upper pecs - this is also an overlooked mass builder that adds tremendously to your pec-delt tie ins)
IF you have time or are preparing for a contest also do a few sets of cable flies. Be careful though...they only work if you contract the muscle REALLY hard and go as far as you can with your hands (to your opposite side).
If you can, also add in 2 sets of heavy DB pullovers. Some people think you can expand the ribcage this way, some people don't. I think you can, so I include them. If you don't, don't include them.

Keep all reps within your personal total hypertrophy range, except for the last set or two on the BB presses...these you can increase poundage and go for strength if you like.

I know it looks long, and it is (about 1 hour if done at a good pace) but it will leave you feeling extremely sore. Just like I said, make sure you have the time to put in at the gym and the time to sleep a lot at night, and eat a ton too.

If the volume workout is too much or you don't have the time (i.e. you aren't a person with no life, like me), then you can certainly pick one of the HIT routines featured on BB.com's massive article archive. Just remember to do what works for you personally.

Happy lifting...keep pumping, eating, and sleeping and you'll grow.

Pretty good post. Dips work your lower pec though. As far as chest do what works for you. Flat bb bench is great even though people turn it into a ego trip. Flies do work even if you don't stretch yourself like stretch armstrong for more of an isolation exercise. Lastly whatever feels best and makes you feel like your working hard do it. I stay away from incline flies and incline because of a bad shoulder and my upper pec seems fine. Push ups are always good so if no access to a gym pushup burnouts will get you a hell of a burn. good luck

[BIG_prom]

i would train pecs equally, not one more that the other. a simple exercise for intermediate, or all lifters for that matter is to do 4 sets of incline, decline and flat bench for 8-12 reps with the most weight for the amount of reps. then add in 3 or 4 sets of dumbell flyes. do the presses once per week with dumbells and once a weak with the bar. or do heavy one day and light the other, that is if you train it twice per week like myself. but do what feels right.

[Memoryflaw85]

Found this link in another forum, great video to explain what exercises will hit the exact part of your chest you like.

http://thefitshow.com/week3/milos_chest_med.htm