What am I doing wrong on chest day?

[Adam3000]

OK, let me start off by saying that I'm a pretty skinny guy, but I'm not interested in becoming huge. I just want to have good muscle definition. That being said, I'm happy with pretty much my whole body except for my forearms and my chest (which is almost nonexistent).

I've only been lifting for a short while so I can't say for sure that nothing is changing, but on my chest day I have NEVER felt a pump in my chest nor have I ever been sore in my chest area the next day. I have felt soreness in my shoulders in biceps, but that is it.

I feel like I am using correct form, maybe a little uncontrolled on occasion though. Is this normal not to feel it in my chest?

[Retart]

Based on my experience, you aren't lifting heavy enough.. I used to go gym all the time on my own and chest was quite easy, no pain after, even though i was lifting relatively heavy.

The minute i went with someone else who was bigger than me i realised my actual potential, out of pride i was lifting the weights they were lifting and realised i could actually lift alot more when i put my mind to it. And then my chest hurt for 2 days. But since then i've been lifting those weights and seen a definite improvement

[houston911]

youre either not lifting hard enough or youre not doing enough sets

[Adam3000]

I don't lift a lot, but mostly I chalk that up to just not being very strong. I'm only 160 and haven't been lifting very long. The thing is though, I lift enough weight where I can only do 6-8 reps. Although it isn't a whole lot of weight, isn't that the same concept as some huge motherfukker doing 250 for 6-8 reps? Shouldn't I be getting a pump on my light weight as long as it is heavy enough that I fail after 8 reps?

It could be that I don't do enough sets though. Maybe I'll change my routine next time and see how I feel.

[sicc_esco]

dont focus on reps or weight, right now focus on MUSCLE ISOLATION.
i was like you i was doing chest but not really gaining results. what i changed up was how wide my grip was and how far down i went, when u do chest warm up with a really light set than go to a weight u can do like 6-8 to get it pumped up but no cheating, go ALLL the way down rest for a second and than go up, if u want it to burn more go VERY slow down and UP FAST, after u do flat bench do incline than decline, and just do flys. its ALL ABOUT FORM dont worry about weight right now that was my mistake. anyone else can add on because i dont wanan type too much lol peace

[Diggy_Dat_Niggy]

I don't lift a lot, but mostly I chalk that up to just not being very strong. I'm only 160 and haven't been lifting very long. The thing is though, I lift enough weight where I can only do 6-8 reps. Although it isn't a whole lot of weight, isn't that the same concept as some huge motherfukker doing 250 for 6-8 reps? Shouldn't I be getting a pump on my light weight as long as it is heavy enough that I fail after 8 reps?
It could be that I don't do enough sets though. Maybe I'll change my routine next time and see how I feel.


Try doing 3-4 sets of bench, then 3-4 incline, 3-4 decline or hammer strength, some flies and some weighted dips or pushups


see if you feel how you wanna feel after

[gotti capone]

OK, let me start off by saying that I'm a pretty skinny guy, but I'm not interested in becoming huge. I just want to have good muscle definition. That being said, I'm happy with pretty much my whole body except for my forearms and my chest (which is almost nonexistent).
I've only been lifting for a short while so I can't say for sure that nothing is changing, but on my chest day I have NEVER felt a pump in my chest nor have I ever been sore in my chest area the next day. I have felt soreness in my shoulders in biceps, but that is it.
I feel like I am using correct form, maybe a little uncontrolled on occasion though. Is this normal not to feel it in my chest?



go heavier or do more reps or sets. and if you're doing your chest you shouldnt be feeling it in your biceps as a secondary muscle it should be feeling it in your triceps.

[andre patton]

first off you shouldnt be feelin shiit in your biceps.

if your shoulders are sore afterwards then your form sucks. you're bringing the bar up too high on your chest.

also, dont judge progress based on muscle soreness. if you're getting stronger, then your muscles will grow.

[Propaganda]

i was in the same boat for awhile, turned out i had shytty form. kind of push your shoulder blades together, take a lil wider grip than your natural push up position, keep your feet flat on the floor and arch your back a bit.

if you're doing that with heavy enough weights, you'll defintely feel it.

[Fatal Reality]

Change ya reps and do WIDE gripped bench [the form i always do]


make sure to do it smoothly and all the way down to chest


change ya reps daily too


like 12-12-12-12

or 12-10-8-6-4

or 5-5-5

or 8-6-8

or 12-4-10-6-8

or some ****


change ya **** up


only need 2 chest exercises a day, if anyone tells you to do more they some morons

[Adam3000]

Thanks for the tips

Every thing I read about proper form on the bench says back flat, hands slightly wider than should grip. Isn't arching your back dangerous when benching?

[andre patton]

Thanks for the tips
Every thing I read about proper form on the bench says back flat, hands slightly wider than should grip. Isn't arching your back dangerous when benching?

your ass should be firmly planted on the bench, and your lats spread. with spread lats, your chest should stick out, which puts a slight arch in your lower back. as long as your ass and upper back are firmly planted you're fine.

[Stephano DiMera]

Push ups work the best

[houston911]

Push ups work the best

get



the




fukk




outta



here

[Big H]

OK, let me start off by saying that I'm a pretty skinny guy, but I'm not interested in becoming huge. I just want to have good muscle definition. That being said, I'm happy with pretty much my whole body except for my forearms and my chest (which is almost nonexistent).
I've only been lifting for a short while so I can't say for sure that nothing is changing, but on my chest day I have NEVER felt a pump in my chest nor have I ever been sore in my chest area the next day. I have felt soreness in my shoulders in biceps, but that is it.
I feel like I am using correct form, maybe a little uncontrolled on occasion though. Is this normal not to feel it in my chest?

Make a switch to dumbbells.

People don't realize that Bench Press is not the most effective way to put on mass. Dumbbells have always been the prime way to get that pump and see growth.

Start with a weight you can press for ATLEAST 8 reps and bang out 4 sets. The key to an effective dumbbells press is keeping tension on the chest at ALL TIMES. This means not lowering the dumbbells to far and NEVER KNOCKING THE WEIGHTS WHEN YOU RAISE IT UP... classic rookie mistake.

Use em for both flat and incline press. Also throw in some dumbbell Pec Flys to gain that definition in the center of your chest and increase your pump at the end of the workout. Remember the KEY IS TO MAINTAIN TENSION ON YOUR PECS.

[Adam3000]

Make a switch to dumbbells.
People don't realize that Bench Press is not the most effective way to put on mass. Dumbbells have always been the prime way to get that pump and see growth.
Start with a weight you can press for ATLEAST 8 reps and bang out 4 sets. The key to an effective dumbbells press is keeping tension on the chest at ALL TIMES. This means not lowering the dumbbells to far and NEVER KNOCKING THE WEIGHTS WHEN YOU RAISE IT UP... classic rookie mistake.
Use em for both flat and incline press. Also throw in some dumbbell Pec Flys to gain that definition in the center of your chest and increase your pump at the end of the workout. Remember the KEY IS TO MAINTAIN TENSION ON YOUR PECS.
So to prevent taking tension off the chest, wouldn't it just be a good idea only to raise and lower the weight a small length, never even coming close to locking elbows or going below parallel? Or should you still shoot for as big of a range of motion as possible without clanging the weights?

[Big H]

So to prevent taking tension off the chest, wouldn't it just be a good idea only to raise and lower the weight a small length, never even coming close to locking elbows or going below parallel? Or should you still shoot for as big of a range of motion as possible without clanging the weights?

You kinda got the right idea. Look up videos of powerlifters or bodybuilders (Ronnie Coleman) and notice their form on dumbbell press. Their range is short and strict... which should be the same on Bench Press. Too many people arch the bar when bringing it up and this is completely wrong. You want to raise the bar in the vertical motion only with strict form.

The idea is NOT to lock out doing dumbbell press, you'll notice a massive amount of tension on your pecs and your Triceps are going to feel like exploding at first. Once you get used to it you'll notice our pecs becoming fuller and harder. Its gonna be hard to fight the urge to lockout when your starting with lighter weight but on dumbbell press you gotta show some discipline. The heavier the weight, the easier it will be to maintain form... just gonna have to fight harder to move the weight but thats a good thing haha.

[Propaganda]

since we're on the topic...i'm doing rippetoes which preaches one exercise per bodypart a week (warmups + 3x5 flat barbell bench) but im not happy with how my chest is progressing compared to the rest of my body.

my upper and mid chest is wack. lol it looks like i got a bad boob job cuz my pecs are full on the outer and lower portions then i got a flat "V" from the middle up to my collar bone.

what should i add? inclines and flies?

[andre patton]

since we're on the topic...i'm doing rippetoes which preaches one exercise per bodypart a week (warmups + 3x5 flat barbell bench) but im not happy with how my chest is progressing compared to the rest of my body.
my upper and mid chest is wack. lol it looks like i got a bad boob job cuz my pecs are full on the outer and lower portions then i got a flat "V" from the middle up to my collar bone.
what should i add? inclines and flies?

ripptoes is a great program for people starting out. if you're still progressing, i would just stick to the script.

remember mark ripptoe is a professional thats been doin this shiit for years and knows way more about lifting then you or anyone else on this forum.

if you've stalled out on the program then it may be time for you to try a whole new program.

[Big H]

That program is nothing new... its simply designed for adding strength first and putting growth as a second priority. I know very few people who actually followed his routine strictly; people always customize it to fit their needs. But even ripptoe programs do more than just one exercise a week.

If your doing ONLY bench press for chest once a week I don't see the benefit of that particular program. I fully support working each muscle only a once a week, but with atleast 3-4 exercises per muscle.

[Propaganda]

so what do you think i should add? incline and flyes maybe?

and should i follow the 3x5 still with the extra exercises or go with a little less weight and do like 8-10 rep sets?

[houston911]

so what do you think i should add? incline and flyes maybe?
and should i follow the 3x5 still with the extra exercises or go with a little less weight and do like 8-10 rep sets?

try some cable and dumbell flys, when i started doing those i started seeig instant improvement

this is the routine ive been using for the past few weeks

4 sets of 6 reps on bench with the same weight (add 10 lbs every week)
3 sets of incline dumbell presses, sets of 12, 8 and 6
3 sets of decline, reps change sometimes im more tired
3 sets of flat dumbell bench 12,10,6


2 dif types of flys for 6 sets total, i use cables a lot cuz i feel it in my shoulders when im using dumbells. anybody know how to fix that?

[Big H]

so what do you think i should add? incline and flyes maybe?
and should i follow the 3x5 still with the extra exercises or go with a little less weight and do like 8-10 rep sets?

Incline and flys will definitely help. Finish it off with dips or something like that. Just don't do more than 4 different exercises.

I would go with a 5x5 routine to be honest. I find it more effective than ripptoe and adds more bulk. Strength will shoot up too, but 5x5 has been known to induce muscle growth if done with the right weight. The only thing is you still need to be using a good amount of weight so you reach positive failure on the last rep of each set. Nothing too light or your just wasting your time.

The goal of 5x5 is to progressively increase the weight every one or two weeks. Once you master a weight for 5 sets and 5 reps, increase it next week by 2.5-5 lbs. and attempt it. This forces the muscle to adapt and grow, along with huge strength gains.

Don't bother doing 5x5 for lesser exercises like pec flys, save it for compound and main lifts like Bench, Incline, etc. For those lesser ones use a 8-12 rep scheme.

[Mr.Rominati]

Dont know if its been said or not, but when it comes to chest and bench pressing

FORM IS EVERYTHING.

Use lighter weights to perfect your form, if you do not have good for you are doin your body more bad then good. Form on bench pressing is more important than weight and reps.

[arbosj]

I'm going to give advice that is the exact opposite of what everybody else has said.

Lift lighter weights, maintain more control, and feel your chest muscles contracting when your pushing the weight.

Going heavier isn't a solution for somebody who isn't feeling anything.

[arbosj]

Dont know if its been said or not, but when it comes to chest and bench pressing
FORM IS EVERYTHING.
Use lighter weights to perfect your form, if you do not have good for you are doin your body more bad then good. Form on bench pressing is more important than weight and reps.

c/s

should of read to the bottom first before replying.