I Need Help With My Chest Routine

[Steelwill2006]

I haven't been in the gym in nearly a year, and it shows. Everything will be an easy fix, except developing my chest muscles. This has been the most difficult muscle group I've had in the 5 years I've been working out. And it's frustrating because I had significant muscle growth in my legs, back, shoulders, arms, etc.

But when it came to my chest...:smh: And I've tried everything from hitting this muscle groups once a week, twice a week, and once a month. Still nothing. I'll admit my dieting has never been proper either and I was consuming more than moderate consumptions of alcohol. Sometimes I even drank the same night I got finished working out. So I know can attribute a strong lack of muscle development to that.

Before I stopped working out, I weighed about 237 and now I'm at 283, standing 76 inches tall. The target areas are the inner part of my chest and the upper part.

My routines has always consisted of heavy/low reps(3-4) and light/high(5-11) Last time I benched, I was putting up 240 FlatB and 85 DB's. Which doesn't say much if your chest isn't visible imo. Just shows that you have alot of strength in other places.


1.Do I need to incorporate push-ups in my routine?
2.What is the best way to target the inner and upper chest muscles?
3.Does my large torso play a huge role in developing muscle mass in my chest?
4.Should I lift Heavy/low or Light/high?

Also:

My chest is slightly concaved, but it's not really noticeable from the little mass I've gained over the years. Is there a special routine I need to do? I know I can correct the problem with surgery, but at 25, I think it's too late. It's 08 and I'm ready to change. So I'm ready to commit myself to a strict program for the better.

Thanks

[Da Piper]

S.Will try to incorporate a daily regimen of dips and push ups to firm up that specific area along with the weights you should see some better results.

[gene cisco]

S.Will try to incorporate a daily regimen of dips and push ups to firm up that specific area along with the weights you should see some better results.

I love dips!!!!!

Lean forward and blow that chest up!!!!!

After you can handle your own bodyweight easy for sets of 20-25, add some weight. Start off with 25lbs, and work back to 20-25 reps. Then add some more weight.

Dips are the most slept on exercise and it shows in most folks build.

[notcold]

My suggestion, is spend more time with DB's. It has always been my opinion that DB's help you shape and grow your pecs, while barbell presses add more power then mass.

I would focus on angles Incline/decline presses and Flys. Flys will help reduce the concave look by spreading the clavical and growing your inner pec muscle.

Routine suggestion:
All Dumbbells, Moderate to heavy weights, total of 12 sets so you can mix your routine to shock the muscle but incline press is the main stay of all routines. Plus once every 3-4 weeks add flat bench DB press:


Suggested routine:
Incline Press
Decline Press
Incline DB Flys(full range of motion with big stretch on the outward movement.)
Cable Flys Alternate each workout between Hi, Middle, Low cable Position.
Nice tip for mid/upper chest size.

Place smith machine cable at highest position. Use small stool or end of bench and sit in line with pully. Heavy weight is not critical, form is. Do flys, bringing the handle all the way down touching the side of your leg, or even touching under. This movement really works the entire pec and gives you great shape and size.

Finally, with the pulley position still at the highest position, do light weight 20 - 40 max trying to do about 20 reps. Bring the cables high, bring the handles forward keeping them at eye level. You should get a good burn in you upper chest just below the collar bone. This really fill in the upper chest.

Good Luck

[Da Piper]

G.C. the beauty of dips is it dont just hit the chest you get some shoulders, triceps & back in there too. i do dips and push ups to warm up before i hit the weights and then again after to cool down you get a crazy pump.

[Steelwill2006]

I really appreciate the responses. Hope I have luck this go around in the gym.

[gene cisco]

G.C. the beauty of dips is it dont just hit the chest you get some shoulders, triceps & back in there too. i do dips and push ups to warm up before i hit the weights and then again after to cool down you get a crazy pump.

Yes, exactly. I stay straight up and down and with a closer grip to work my tris more, and lean forward with a wider grip to hit the chest.

[clarkkent]

Dips are one of the best chest builders known to man,go deep on the bottom portion to feel that stretch in the chest and push up contracting your chest.I think the problem is you don't have any mind muscle connection and that would be hard to establish if your using heavy weight and low reps all the time so you probably need to lower the weight to about 75% of your max and the next time you do DB,BB Incline DB,BB concentrate on moving the weight with your chest to get that mind muscle connection.

[kain]

I do these execises on chest day:

3 sets of each:

Incline DB press
Flat DB press
Incline DB Flies
Flat DB flies
Decline cable press
Decline cable flies
Regular cable flies
Pec Deck
Machines dips to failure.

[el mas chingon]

Man, I'm up to 275lbs. after hanging around 235lbs. most of my adult life (35yrs old). I'm actually more active now than when I was younger. I run 4-5 miles, 3-4 times a week, weight train 3-4 times a week.

My problem I believe, like you, I drink too much. I think my drinking sabotages my efforts more than I realize.

Can anyone share their experience with stopping or limiting their alcohol intake and the results of doing so? I hope it'll motivate me to leave the shit alone.

Thanks, I love this board!

[gene cisco]

Man, I'm up to 275lbs. after hanging around 235lbs. most of my adult life (35yrs old). I'm actually more active now than when I was younger. I run 4-5 miles, 3-4 times a week, weight train 3-4 times a week.

My problem I believe, like you, I drink too much. I think my drinking sabotages my efforts more than I realize.

Can anyone share their experience with stopping or limiting their alcohol intake and the results of doing so? I hope it'll motivate me to leave the shit alone.

Thanks, I love this board!

I had the same problem when younger. I was always constantly out kicking it and drinking. I just took myself out of circulation. No bars, clubs or "hanging" out with the fellas til I got right. When I had an urge to go out and drink I just read a book or watched a movie. I did push ups round the clock. LOL I eventually got my mind right and adjusted to leaving all that kicking it shit alone.

Now in the rare occasions I hit a bar or club I drink a diet coke.

[kain]

Man, I'm up to 275lbs. after hanging around 235lbs. most of my adult life (35yrs old). I'm actually more active now than when I was younger. I run 4-5 miles, 3-4 times a week, weight train 3-4 times a week.

My problem I believe, like you, I drink too much. I think my drinking sabotages my efforts more than I realize.

Can anyone share their experience with stopping or limiting their alcohol intake and the results of doing so? I hope it'll motivate me to leave the shit alone.

Thanks, I love this board!

You sitution is the very reason I stopped drinking.
I would hit a personal high, in say the bench press.
I'd come back after drinking Crown all weekend and could not budge the same weight.
I stopped drinking 7 years ago.