Will this workout routine grow my chest?

[Harveyl12]

Okay so I have been doing this routine now for just over a month now. I am growing and getting bigger, putting on 1 pound a week or just over.

One thing I’m worried about is my chest isn’t growing much or very quickly. My left peck is a lot smaller than my right, they have grown a bit but since doing this workout I have not seen huge growth like I have in other muscles areas of my body.

My workout routine is the below. I guess my question is.... is this enough and will this grown my chest? If so then how long before I see ressults?

So below is my routine. The reps that I try and hit over the amount of sets.

For Bench Press I am sometimes using a 5th set to reach the 32 reps. When I can do it within 4 sets, I stack more weight on.

I’ve gone from benching 35Kg to 50Kg and will be moving up to 55Kg soon. So I see ressults there but no physical ressults as in the look really.

I’ve been working out for around 4-5 months now. On this new plan for 1 month or just over.

The Upper/Lower Split

Upper 1/Lower 1/Off/Upper 2/Lower 2/Off/Off and repeat...

Upper Day 1
Bench Press - 4 sets - 32 reps
Barbell Row - 4 sets - 32 reps
Military Press - 3 sets - 25 reps
Wide-grip Pulldowns or Pullups - 3 sets - 30 reps
Incline DB Press - 3 sets - 30 reps
One-arm Cable or DB Rows - 3 sets - 30 reps
Straight-arm Pulldowns/Facepulls - 3 supersets - 30 reps each


Lower Day 1
Back Squat - 4 sets - 32 reps
Deadlift - 2 sets - 12 reps
or
Romanian DL - 3 sets - 30 reps
Leg Press - 3 sets - 30 reps
Lying Leg Curls - 3 sets - 30 reps
Single-leg Leg Press - 3 sets - 35 reps
Calves Machine - 3 sets each - 40 reps each
Abs

Upper Day 2
Bench Press - 4 sets - 32 reps
Barbell Row - 4 sets - 32 reps
Military Press - 3 sets - 25 reps
Wide-grip Pulldowns or Pullups - 3 sets - 30 reps
Lateral Raises/Barbell Shrugs - 3 supersets - 30 reps each
Barbell Curl/Skullcrushers - 3 supersets - 30 reps each
Overhead Cable Extensions/Cable Hammer Curls - 3 supersets - 35 reps each
Cable Cross-Overs - 3 sets - 30 reps

Lower Day 2
Back Squat - 4 sets - 32 reps
Romanian DL - 3 sets - 30 reps
Leg Press - 3 sets - 30 reps
Leg Extensions/Leg Curls - 3 supersets - 35 reps each
Calves Machine - 3 sets each - 40 reps each
Abs

Let me know if you need more details.

I’ve gone from 138.8Lb to 153.8Lb just over 3 months.

Thanks

[maddog352002]

I’ve gone from benching 35Kg to 50Kg and will be moving up to 55Kg soon. So I see ressults there but no physical ressults as in the look really.

You are gaining about 1/2 fat and 1/2 muscle (best case situation) gaining 15lbs in 3 months. I'd slow that down or you will out eat your progress. The reason you don't see chest definition is that your lift is still too light to build a big chest and your body fat is too high to see the progress you have made. Keep going on this program and you will get there. It takes time and some heavy weights to build a defined chest. Also any size difference between sides is just fat depositing differently due to genetics. Building your chest and keeping fat down will even that out.

[thegrizzlybears]

If you're simply looking for some mass to help define it, simplify your workout to emphasize blood flow to your chest. Hit chest twice a week and put 3-4 days between your workout days when you work chest. On those workout days though, hit your chest with everything you can for a solid hour. I'm talking bench, flys, you name it. Force as much blood as possible into your chest as you can and it will grow. All you need is to fill it with blood where you can barely move them before your hour is up and then go eat enough to feed the growth. Goodluck!

**Edit: also, it helps to exhaust your triceps first so you're not relying on them to pick up the weight on your pec work. Maybe hit your tris with some pulldowns to failure before you hit chest.

[Harveyl12]

Thanks for your replies, I will keep doing what I’m doing at the moment as I’m trying to grow all my body. Just weighed myself today and gained 0.8Lb since last week. So I’ve found the right calories I need and can slow this down a bit more.

I will do some extra tricep work before pressing as I do find that sometime my triceps exhausts first.

As for the weight I’m using. This is light I know as I only started bench pressing just over a month ago. I keep trying to increase each week though to get this to a heavier lift.

So are we saying that with the chest workouts I include this will eventually grow my chest? And if so how long until I see ressults. I’m not planning on cutting until I have gained an extra 10Lb as I was a skinny person around 4 months ago.

[Harveyl12]

You are gaining about 1/2 fat and 1/2 muscle (best case situation) gaining 15lbs in 3 months. I'd slow that down or you will out eat your progress. The reason you don't see chest definition is that your lift is still too light to build a big chest and your body fat is too high to see the progress you have made. Keep going on this program and you will get there. It takes time and some heavy weights to build a defined chest. Also any size difference between sides is just fat depositing differently due to genetics. Building your chest and keeping fat down will even that out.

And adding onto this, I should see more ressults when I start cutting then? When I get to my weight target? And when cutting should I just stay in the same routine? Or do you use a different routine for cutting?

[DutchTeamUltra]

And adding onto this, I should see more ressults when I start cutting then? When I get to my weight target? And when cutting should I just stay in the same routine? Or do you use a different routine for cutting?

When cutting, keep doing what got you the muscle there.
If you train in a high rep range, fine, keep doing that. If you train in a low rep range, fine, keep doing that.
The thing is -> People tend to lower intensity when they go on a cut to "define the muscle with high reps".

That's b*ll****. Just use the same thing that worked before BUT keep in mind;
If you have trouble with recovery during a cut, you can drop volume (sets) but keep the intensity high as ever!

[Harveyl12]

Okay, I will keep that in mind. Hopefully I start seeing bigger ressults over the next 6 months when I can start lifting heavier.

Is there anything I can do do I feel bench press nore in my chest? Apart from exhausting my triceps

[maddog352002]

8

Okay, I will keep that in mind. Hopefully I start seeing bigger ressults over the next 6 months when I can start lifting heavier.

Is there anything I can do do I feel bench press nore in my chest? Apart from exhausting my triceps

I'm sorry to tell you that exhausting your triceps will not make you feel it more in your chest. It'll just make you lift less weight and have worse results in your chest. If you want to feel it in your chest more need to get a medium grip and make sure the bar is coming off of your nipple area when you press up. Look at some bench press form videos and they'll teach you how to use proper technique which will hit your chest better. Also it wouldn't hurt to sub in some dips instead of a direct tricep exercise once a week.

[Harveyl12]

Okay, I will keep doing what I’m doing, concentrate on my form which I have been in the last weeks and just try and feel my chest activating more. I also do some light sets at the start to warm up and I can feel my chest in them.

I think when all my other muscles get stronger I will find it easier I guess to feel my chest.

So keep doing what I’m doing and my chest will grow as i also increase my pressing weight?

And even if I can’t feel it directly in my chest I guess it will still be working my chest if I have proper form?

[maddog352002]

And even if I can’t feel it directly in my chest I guess it will still be working my chest if I have proper form?

Correct

[Hardgainzer]

You're still a beginner so I would simply focus on building a bigger bench press. You said 4 sets 32 reps? I assume that 4 sets of 8, not 4 sets of 32. Just keep lifting and your chest will grow. When you're benching 80kg you'll have a much more noticeable chest. Check out the starting strength program. I wish I did it when I started.

[Harveyl12]

Yep, it’s 32 reps of 4 sets. So I have a re target with an amount of sets I can use. As said though I sometimes use a 5th set, when I can do a weight with all reps within 4 sets I move up the weight.

Thanks for all your input, will keep working on my strength and hopefully start seeing bigger ressults

[Tholos]

If you're simply looking for some mass to help define it, simplify your workout to emphasize blood flow to your chest. Hit chest twice a week and put 3-4 days between your workout days when you work chest. On those workout days though, hit your chest with everything you can for a solid hour. I'm talking bench, flys, you name it. Force as much blood as possible into your chest as you can and it will grow. All you need is to fill it with blood where you can barely move them before your hour is up and then go eat enough to feed the growth. Goodluck!

**Edit: also, it helps to exhaust your triceps first so you're not relying on them to pick up the weight on your pec work. Maybe hit your tris with some pulldowns to failure before you hit chest.

For real bro? Pulldowns don't hit triceps...

[Tholos]

If you wan't to grow chest, do cable flys and pec fly machine.

[OldFartTom]

If you get to sets of 8 at 55kg your estimated 1 rep max is then around your bodyweight (55*0.033*8)+55 =69kg do to move from 35kg is great progress. Considering lifts like bench and OHP are notoriously slow to build, for 5 months work.. you've done very well Indeed.

[Harveyl12]

Thanks for you feedback, progress is gradually slowly but it’s still progressing at least. I will try to stop worrying and ignore it for the next few months and then look at the difference.

[cornman99]

If you're simply looking for some mass to help define it, simplify your workout to emphasize blood flow to your chest. Hit chest twice a week and put 3-4 days between your workout days when you work chest. On those workout days though, hit your chest with everything you can for a solid hour. I'm talking bench, flys, you name it. Force as much blood as possible into your chest as you can and it will grow. All you need is to fill it with blood where you can barely move them before your hour is up and then go eat enough to feed the growth. Goodluck!

**Edit: also, it helps to exhaust your triceps first so you're not relying on them to pick up the weight on your pec work. Maybe hit your tris with some pulldowns to failure before you hit chest.

Terrible advice for a beginner. Don't kill your chest for an hour twice a week, keep following the program. And don't fatigue certain muscles before lifting.

[Billnb]

Second the comment about adding dips, perform them with a slight forward lean and focus on contracting your chest.

Another thing, I find it helps hit the chest when you focus on cues that help contract the chest. I.e. on bench I imagine I'm trying to push my biceps together on the concentric movement.