[handzilla]

Originally Posted by LCSULLA

You alway have to keep in mind recovery-the time when you grow.

That's why I give everything a week to recover. I just want to make sure I'm hitting everything hard enough, though.

[CROWLER]

Hey bro just ask whatever questions you have.

Don't be dumb like me and waste 10 years of working out the wrong way and eating the wrong way.

[LCSULLA]

Originally Posted by handzilla

That's why I give everything a week to recover. I just want to make sure I'm hitting everything hard enough, though.

But recovery is more then one body part. It's also the whole body. Your CNS doesn't know bi's from chest, but it does know energy. So just because you work a Bodpart every week does not mean your not overtraining. How many days off are you taking?

[handzilla]

Originally Posted by LCSULLA

But recovery is more then one body part. It's also the whole body. Your CNS doesn't know bi's from chest, but it does know energy. So just because you work a Bodpart every week does not mean your not overtraining. How many days off are you taking?

Energy is something I have plenty of. I give my whole body 2 full days of rest.

[Renton405]

More compound exercises and less isolation...5-7 sets...Heavy AND light weight...remember lighter weights give you better full range of motion usually and a good pump....do both

Also try widening your grip on the barbell when doing bench presses, hits the chest more

Another good technique that gets it to grow is to do a compound set and then go immediatly into an isolation set...For instance do heavy bench press, when you reach failure immediatly do flys...

[glenihan]

pyramiding reps is dumb imo just go as heavy as you can for lower reps and 2 full days of rest a week is not that much, i get 3 many people get 4

[MMA]

You are having a argument with people that know yet you weigh 170 and you can't figure out why you aren't growing. Low volume high intensity and diet.

[Bean]

The way I broke through is a volume routine... but not THAT much volume... jeez

I'm doing one big compound movement; I alternate each week between 2... i go for 5-6 reps for 3 sets...
then after that I do another compound movement from a different angle for ~8reps for 2-3 sets... then thats pretty much it, i do a few more isos and i'm done... not to failure except sometimes on the last set

My chest routine from last week:
3x6 Incline DB
2x8 Decline BB
3x8 Skullcrushers
3x8 Dumbell Pullovers
3x8 Tricep Isolation Pulley
3x8 Cable Flyes

I'll mix it up and throw dips in there or make Declines my primary compound, etc... its worked pretty well; I've gained tons of strength

[handzilla]

I'm gonna put all this knowledge to use tomorrow.

Incline 10,6,6,4
Flat 6,6,4
Dips Weighted 10,6,6
Pec Deck or DB Flies 8,6,6
BB pulovers 10,8,6

Better?

[LCSULLA]

No. Your still doing too much. And two days rest...Sat and Sun? I'll say this again "people with better genetics then you do less". But you'll say "They have better genetics then I do so it's easier for them to gain muscle. So I have to work harder." No you have to work SMARTER. That means knowing that your recovery is not so great as to gain off a extremly high volume routine. And 16 sets of chest is still to much. Max 10 sets. Best 5-7 sets.

[kmac6225]

incline db
flat bar
dips (weighted if you can)

[kwyckemynd00]

Originally Posted by LCSULLA

Yes, even gear and A+ genetic BBr's only do once a week. Some people even do once every 9 days.

I've tried to rip-off an HST principle, since I'm too much of a pussy to try it full-on. Here's what I've been experimenting with.

Mon: (Chest)
4 x Incline BB Press
4 x Flat BB Press
4 x Incline Dumbell or Upward Cable Crossovers
3 x Dips or Cable Crossovers

Wed or Thurs I'll add another quick chest workout in with my normal shoulder workout. I'll do 2 sets of either incline bb press or flat bb press. That's it, two sets. It's for hormonal stimulation.

The first week after doing this I hit a PR on my incline BB Press (I'm weak on Incline BB Press ) 235 x 8 and then jumped up and did about 4 reps at 245lbs. Now, for me that's great! I'm very fast twitch and after my first explosive set, I'm usually DONE and my lifts go downhill from there. So to do 4 more reps of 245 after a heavy set of 235 is unusual. I'll see how all goes next week, hopefully it was not a coincidence.

Just a thought

Other than that, I agree that it's all about the negative! I do 2-3 down and then explode up. I don't see the point in pushing up slowly... 15 sets max is a good number. Maybe 18-20 on cycle, but never 26 sets

[glenihan]

why pyramid? its pointless and a waste of effort

[kwyckemynd00]

Originally Posted by glenihan

why pyramid? its pointless and a waste of effort

Pyramid? Me? No...I don't pyramid I was just suprised I got 8, so I went up in weight to see how it went...I'll be starting at that weight this week

[LCSULLA]

Originally Posted by glenihan

why pyramid? its pointless and a waste of effort

Can you post your Chest routine glenihan?

[Brodus]

If you want to experience strength and size increased, keep your weight and intensity high and your sets and reps low. Ditch the 10-rep sets. Compound motions produce much better growth. If you feel you must isolate, do it at the end of the workout. Cable presses, chest pres machine, etc., are all isolation exercises.

Here’s my chest workout. It’s simple, very effective, and doesn’t injure me:

* I start each new exercise (save dips) with a short warmup set.

** I do rotator cuff exercises between each set with 5-lb dumbbells to keep my shoulder capsule warm and reduce chance of injury. Since beginning this protocol (6 months + ago), I haven’t had any shoulder problems, and I’ve been able to steadily go up in weight.

EXERCISE :SETS :REPS

DB Incline (30 deg.) Bench: 3 :6, 6, 4

Decline BB Bench: 3 :6, 6, 4

Weighted Dips: 2 :6, 4

Flyes/Pec Dec/Cable Cross : 2 :6, 4

Often times I wont even do the iso exercies, and instead do a couple extra sets of bench or dips.

I do this once per week. My chest also gets slightly hit on tricep day, when I do dips again (with different body position) and close-grip flat BB bench press.

Oh--I saw the Arnold workouts in new Muscle and Fitness….supersetting Chest and Back, 20+ sets per. Ridiculous!

[Rebel]

Originally Posted by LCSULLA

Try this then:

2 warmup sets of Bench then
Work sets:
1st set 10 reps
2nd set 8 reps
3rd set (to failure) make sure you don't get pinned. Shoot for at least 5 reps

Dips
1 set 10 reps
2nd set to failure

Done once a week.

It's a simple routine. Don't get things to complicated.

Wohhhhhhhh I dont know about 2 lifts for chest haha...I do chest 2 times a week and do 10 sets each time 3 lifts....but thats 2 times a week.

[handzilla]

The 10 rep sets are just for warm up.

[glenihan]

sure
the order changes each week and i do 2-3 warm up sets of whatever exercise i start with BUT only warm up the muscle once

chest
flat - 3 sets 4-