Chest Workout

[airforcechief11]

Hey Guys!! I've been a member for a while now and I usually just lay back and read all the threads! However, my chest has been lagging behind. Doesn't matter what I do. I switch up routines, I've done reps changes..Everything. Is there anything that you guys may be able to help me out with? I'll give you a sample of my routine right quick. I switch from barbells to dumbells every other week!

Flat barbell or Dumbell 4 sets rep range from 8-12
Machine Fly 4 sets of 8-12
Incline barbell or Dumbell 4 sets 8-12
Cable Crossovers 4 sets 8-12
Pullovers 4 sets 8-12

I deviate from week to week but thats about it. Thanks for any help in advance guys! I appreciate it!

 

[Natzo]

Presses , presses , and more presses.

leave the pullovers and limit exercises like cable crossovers and flys to one exercise per workout.

do more Db press and BB press. incline ,decline ...etc

 

[SirTeddy]

Presses , presses , and more presses.

leave the pullovers and limit exercises like cable crossovers and flys to one exercise per workout.

do more Db press and BB press. incline ,decline ...etc

Word!

 

[tim290280]

Hey Guys!! I've been a member for a while now and I usually just lay back and read all the threads! However, my chest has been lagging behind. Doesn't matter what I do. I switch up routines, I've done reps changes..Everything. Is there anything that you guys may be able to help me out with? I'll give you a sample of my routine right quick. I switch from barbells to dumbells every other week!

Flat barbell or Dumbell 4 sets rep range from 8-12
Machine Fly 4 sets of 8-12
Incline barbell or Dumbell 4 sets 8-12
Cable Crossovers 4 sets 8-12
Pullovers 4 sets 8-12

I deviate from week to week but thats about it. Thanks for any help in advance guys! I appreciate it!

Spend more time actually pressing and adding weight to the bar and less time doing "accessory" exercises that look good when done in front of a mirror (any fly or crossover).

Get stronger at pressing and your chest will get bigger.

Also Chest will ultimately be limited by your body size. You need to add mass all over your body. This means that the big muscles have to be trained hard. Squats, deadlifts, rows and chinups. They'll help alot.

 

[tim290280]

^^ I think food is better.

 

[Skeptic]

^x2

 

[Natzo]

^^
X3

 

[airforcechief11]

Thanks guys for the responses. I actually do heavy deads, squats, and rows to be honest. I'm currently in iraq right now and eating is a big of a problem. They only have chicken breast a couple times a week and not much lean meat selection as well. Is there anything else i can do. Maybe up my carbs a bunch more and supplement with protein powder, well more than I usually take. Thanks guys.

 

[Natzo]

well since you're in Iraq... I guess try to get in the quality protein you have available that includes a couple shakes ( that I suposed, from your post, you have.)

don't you have access to caned tuna? it's a great source of protein.

try to get the most out of you have.

good luck bro. come home safe.

 

[airforcechief11]

I guess the heavy presses are out the door. I am experiencing pain right above my left elbow, seems like it goes up to my shoulder. Hurts like hell. I was just pulling plates off the bar and it was killing me. Any ideas what this could be? tendonitis maybe??

 

[El Freako]

I guess the heavy presses are out the door. I am experiencing pain right above my left elbow, seems like it goes up to my shoulder. Hurts like hell. I was just pulling plates off the bar and it was killing me. Any ideas what this could be? tendonitis maybe??

Welcome to my world, sounds like shoulder tendonitis/impingement. Lay off pressing work for a while and get some anti-inflammatories into you. The you could either google shoulder impingement or look through the last couple of weeks of my log, I've been researching the shit out of it and there's lots of helpful links in there. Essentially you need to do a lot of rotator cuff and upper back work to correct a common imbalance among bench fanatics. There's some stretches in there that will do you good as well.

A lot of good reading to be done there.

 

[tim290280]

Thanks guys for the responses. I actually do heavy deads, squats, and rows to be honest. I'm currently in iraq right now and eating is a big of a problem. They only have chicken breast a couple times a week and not much lean meat selection as well. Is there anything else i can do. Maybe up my carbs a bunch more and supplement with protein powder, well more than I usually take. Thanks guys.

Everyone gets so caught up on how much protein they need. Ultimately after you have consumed 1.6g/kg (so assume you are 80kg then you'd need 128g/day which is SFA, one steak a day) then you just have to manage your calories from there. Complex carbs that aren't going to enter the bloodstream quickly, good fats and not getting too much more than maintenance (500-1000 to gain mass) and it is all good.

Protein is really overhyped by BBing mags and supplement companies.

 

[airforcechief11]

Well poop!!! That doesn't sound good. I was just about to start a cycle here and i can't go heavy!!!!! I guess thats out the door. Is there anything else i could take?? I read somewhere they did a study and NSAIDS makes muscle tissue not grow as well??? This really sucks balls...

 

[El Freako]

I'm back to pressing heavy and I only really took it easy for 2 weeks. You just need to learn to be more careful with your shoulder. You might also want to learn proper benching technique, powerlifting style. Dave Tate and Wendler have written several articles a piece on the subject and they're easy to find on those links I posted.

 

[airforcechief11]

I've been reading on my symptoms and it sounds more like elbow tendonitis. However, i think Im going to still take a couple of weeks off like you suggested and I read up on the "proper" form to bench. Although, I thought I was doing that. Thank you for the advice. One last question, how did you keep your mass and strength up?? I'm afraid of giving up the gym to be honest... I'll have nothing to do here in Iraq and that would be miserable. LOL Thanks guys!

 

[Essensen]

How about the frequency of your chest-workout? How many times do you hit it during a week? An effective parameter you can manipulate with is the frequency - if you are only hitting it once a week with a lot of volume and exercises, try to hit it twice a week, but do less volume and exercises; this could do the trick.

 

[El Freako]

I only took one full week off benching and just stuck to light chest work the second week. If you think its more of an elbow problem then you might want to lighten up on the tricep work for a while, and once again dose up on the anti-inflams.

 

[airforcechief11]

Ok, I'll pick up some anti-inflams today and get back to work on other exercises and stay away from arms and chest this week and go light next week. I'm getting some elbow sleeves from inzer too so hopefull that will take some of the stress off my elbow as well. Thanks guys and good pumpin!

 

[airforcechief11]

I went to the doc today and he gave me some Naproxen and told me I had lateral and bilateral tendonitis or some shit like that. He said just to lift light for a couple of weeks and it should be good to go within 10 days with the medicine. Thanks guys for the help!

 

[tim290280]

^^ When you start back again take it easy for a bit to give the tendonitis just that bit longer before you go back heavy. Very easy to flare things up again by doing too much too quickly.