chest refuses to grow.. wtf

[tumtum]

i've struggled my whole life building my chest..my chest is sore as hell after every workout.. and yes.. i put MAJOR emphasis on incline... i have literally tried everything... high reps.. low reps.. negatives.. burnouts... change of routine.. once a week.. twice a week... high volume low volume... everything.. 6 years and 60 lbs... still no chest.. wtf

anyone ever tried presses one day a week and nothing but flys another? i'll try anything

sorry for the low pants.. didn't realize it was so gay till now

 

[jcp2]

i think heavy flys are the best thing for guys like you. I mean real heavy semi bent arm flys, not the cute "lets get a pump" 30 lb fly. You could try splitting it up, or you could try hammering the flys then doing the pressing. I would probably start with incline and flats 2-3 sets in teh 8-12 rep range. I have seen it work to a degree with someone with your structure.

 

[tshaw024]

I have the exact same problem. I have talked to a few trainers and I really feel like people don't look enough into what permits your chest to grow. Obviously pounding your chest into the dirt isn't working, and flys won't make much of a difference. There is no secret lift you can do that you aren't already doing. I would focus more on your back workouts. I say this because by making your back stronger and wider, you are at the same time stretching your pectorals and giving them room to grow. By getting your lats, traps, and other back muscles larger and wider, it should in turn help develop the other side of your body. I'd hit chest and back hard and heavy together twice a week. Do 15 sets with heavy weight and low reps on Monday and then do 8-10 sets of chest and back with high reps on thursday.

 

[tshaw024]

Also start doing more free weight squats, and deadlifts.

 

[tumtum]

would u agree to keep it at once a week?

 

[tumtum]

i do plenty of deadlifts.. but my doc told me not to put anything directly on my spine.. i had bad nerve damage for over a year that cost me everything and i wont flirt with that again

 

[NJbreed]

chin ups and flys... back to back

 

[brownstown89]

try doing 3 workouts a week even. widen ur grip.. have u tried going really heavy.? sometimes only machines work...

when i started lifting i did 3 x 10 incline decline and flat. and then did 3 x 10 for dumbell bench too.Try some machines they sometimes give a better pump...

and try doing your bench with the bench one notch above the flat bench setting. it will give u a KILLER BURN

i can do 100 x 5 on dumbells 70s on that was hard.

 

[Flyers2385]

I've always had a problem with my chest development as well. I feel like anatomically it's hard for me to stimulate the chest fully. I've been just really focusing on the mind/muscle connection and try to work my chest and not so much my shoulders/tris. Really pay attention to your form. What I've tried recently is doing the pec deck for four sets in the beginning, finishing with a heavy set till failure. Next I do incline db starting light, and I really feel my entire chest unlike any other time. Some people believe that exhausting the tris b4 lifting chest will help, but not everyone agrees. Hope this helps, good luck.

 

[tumtum]

thanks for all the input fellas... sounds like a have a few things to try

 

[Zero V]

Whats your job? I feel that when a muscle lags, its because its not pushed as much. Not during hardcore workouts, but on a daily bases. Ever see a construction worker who actually stays in shape(even the fat ones are strong as hell and have endurance), their chests are built. But they use those muscles all the time.

I noticed something in the army, even the lazy people in the army have chest. But every day they get in abour 300-900 push ups, sometimes more. Do the math....

Weight lifting is actually very unnatural IMO, it used to be men grew to be muscular from their work, or being warriors, etc. The way we do it makes us injury prone, use unnatural motions etc. This is all my rattling crazy like and is all IMO. Grab an axe, go chop 500 pieces of wood, and tell me if your not feeling hit all over your body hahah.....I miss the army....

One of the biggest reason I hate desk jobs, and wont get one till i am into my 30's is the lack of effort required. You dont grow no muscles, or sweat, at a desk. It just aint manly(no offense to all you white collared folks). That and I DO NOT wear ties....period...its a no go...on my wedding day, I may get my a custom fit tie, but thats the only time, and only if she wants it....ties are the most retarded throwback to the 1800s i have ever seen.

 

[Jordinator]

sorry for the low pants.. didn't realize it was so gay till now

Yea for a chest shot it was a bit uncalled for

 

[tumtum]

well currently i'm just a student.. saved up enough to quit my job so i can finish my last semester of college w/o the extra 30 hours of unloading semi trucks by hand.. which is what i was doing..

a bit off topic... i'm currently cutting.. gone from 198-194 in about 3 weeks.. do ya'll think i can get to single digit bf if i shed another 10-15 lbs?.. i dont think i can let myself get below 180.. no matter how shredded i get

 

[tumtum]

Yea for a chest shot it was a bit uncalled for

yeah.. these pics are helping me monitor my cut so i wanna see as much as i can with them.. at ya'lls expense.. haha

 

[Zero V]

Yea for a chest shot it was a bit uncalled for

crap I didnt notice till just now...I was looking at the chest...dude...brb I need some scolding soapy water...:borladuck:

 

[Link24]

I would lower the volume drastically by taking more of a Dc Training approach to chest One Rest Pause Set 12-20rep. 8-12rep to failure take 20 deep breath, again go to failure and 20 deep breaths, repeat. Then do the Chest stretch then your done. Remember strength = size if you eat enough

 

[time lord]

scrap bench press and replace w/ db press.

focus on DECLINE presses... incline places emphasis on the anterior delts, especially if done with an olympic bar, but still even w/ dumbbells. decline db presses, done w/out much extension of the elbows, beat just about everything for chest development.

 

[Gator 87]

scrap bench press and replace w/ db press.

focus on DECLINE presses... incline places emphasis on the anterior delts, especially if done with an olympic bar, but still even w/ dumbbells. decline db presses, done w/out much extension of the elbows, beat just about everything for chest development.

Why all the decline work? He's not trying to build breasts. It is mostly upper pecs that he is lacking (so incline work).

 

[time lord]

Why all the decline work? He's not trying to build breasts. It is mostly upper pecs that he is lacking (so incline work).

the science says that decline dumbbell presses specifically stimulate the entire pec much more than incline. incline is near the bottom of the list in all studies done using ekg readings.

and from personal experience i can say that you do not need incline. i have a massive upper chest and haven't done an incline press in years. all flat, decline, or dips

decline db press done with elbows at 45 degrees in relation to the body and finished w/ palms facing is the heighth of pectoral stimulation in all areas.

upper or lower mass distribution is mainly genetic and related to muscle attachment points. to get a big upper chest you have to get a big chest overall. period. do declines

 

[SVT01]

ive had problems developing my chest as well....im not a big guy nor have i ever been strong and chest is my absolute LEAST favorite day in the gym for that reason....im tryin to break myself of that mentality cuz it wont help me get past that barrier but yes it is frustrating.

 

[fritzer]

i am 6'5 and man trust me i had the same issues. but there are going to be people with big chests and hard to build shoulders looking at you wishing they had popping out bowling ball shoulders so first of all take a step back and don't be frustrated over your chest. secondly, everyone is different, and regardless of what everyone comes on here and tells you to do heavy flys or light flys or decline this or that the truth is all you can do is keep pushing hard.

here is a list of things to keep in mind, ofcourse with good form:

- keep record of everything you do and continually progress on paper
- use a full range of motion (but dont lock out the tris)

- do not overtrain them, do them like everything else
- train chest monday when you are fresh

- STICK TO BASICS, bench/DB press. as for flys do the flys if you really have to do them, but they do not work well for fiber activation or muscle overload. this is where growth comes from. And dont be tricked into thinking flys will change the shape of your muscles because genetics determine that, all you can do is grow them

i would say:

2 sets flat bench (4-6 reps) --> heavy as hell to positive failure
2 sets DB incline(4-6 reps)
2 sets dips (4-6 reps)

after you get good at that i would get my partner to let me perform 2 or 3 negatives of the last set of flat and last DB incline after failure has been reached

now i do only once a week
1 set flat bench
1 set 25 degree incline
1 set DB incline
1 set dips

your chest might grow slow but it will catch up over time. and trust me hit the basics and do not go crazy and train them more or do more exercises. If you bench 200lbs x 6 with good form today and next year are doing 275 x 6 then later 315 x 6 your chest will have grown. stop thinking and let your notes guide you



:twak:

 

[jcp2]

Fritzer, the routine i posted was what we did with my old training partner who like you was 6'6. The heavy flys worked, I think he had trouble benching with his chest, and used to much of the shoulders and tris. If you do not bench with your pecs the bench will not make your pecs grow. My chest is smaller now that i bench 450 then it was when i benched 350. I do not bench with my pecs therefore the lift is pretty useless for building the chest. If i want my pecs to grow i would have to add the flys and dumbell inclines into my routine.

 

[dg806]

Fritzer, the routine i posted was what we did with my old training partner who like you was 6'6. The heavy flys worked, I think he had trouble benching with his chest, and used to much of the shoulders and tris. If you do not bench with your pecs the bench will not make your pecs grow. My chest is smaller now that i bench 450 then it was when i benched 350. I do not bench with my pecs therefore the lift is pretty useless for building the chest. If i want my pecs to grow i would have to add the flys and dumbell inclines into my routine.

You're a freak, so whatever you do is amazing to most people.:biglaugh:

 

[youngandfree]

No one mentioned or responded when the OP said he is cutting right now. If you are in a calorie deficit, you won't get much new growth. Focus on working the chest differently while you finish cutting down to where you want to be. Then to really make progress, you are going to have to eat more to feed the chest, and all your muscles, to get some new growth. Decide how long you want to have your abs, then make a game plan that you are over maintenence for 6 months at least. I don't mean overboard, just above 500 cals or so to start. Do a progressive addition of cals every couple weeks as you go. Once you get to your desired BF, track how many cals to maintaing that level of BF. When you can maintain it for a few weeks without weight changing, that should be your new maintenance cal level. You should be able to get a rebound type of effect when you add cals, since you have been in a deficit for a while. If you add the cals back slowly over time, you lessen the probability of adding too much BF in the process. If BF goes up more than planned, add in a bit more cardio to offset, but you still feed your body.

Really though, you seem to be pretty proportional all over, based on the lighting of your pic. You said you have tried everything, but how long have you stuck with a program? You should devote several months at least, I think 6, to the same type of program. Plan out a 6 month bulking phase after pretty boy season is over. Take some time off every 6-8 weeks to recharge, and stick with it. And don't plan a bunch of supp cycles either, just how much food you will need, and staple supps to help you grow. When you do add on size, all over, you will have earned it and should stick with you.

Just my .02

 

[jcp2]

No one mentioned or responded when the OP said he is cutting right now. If you are in a calorie deficit, you won't get much new growth. Focus on working the chest differently while you finish cutting down to where you want to be. Then to really make progress, you are going to have to eat more to feed the chest, and all your muscles, to get some new growth. Decide how long you want to have your abs, then make a game plan that you are over maintenence for 6 months at least. I don't mean overboard, just above 500 cals or so to start. Do a progressive addition of cals every couple weeks as you go. Once you get to your desired BF, track how many cals to maintaing that level of BF. When you can maintain it for a few weeks without weight changing, that should be your new maintenance cal level. You should be able to get a rebound type of effect when you add cals, since you have been in a deficit for a while. If you add the cals back slowly over time, you lessen the probability of adding too much BF in the process. If BF goes up more than planned, add in a bit more cardio to offset, but you still feed your body.

Really though, you seem to be pretty proportional all over, based on the lighting of your pic. You said you have tried everything, but how long have you stuck with a program? You should devote several months at least, I think 6, to the same type of program. Plan out a 6 month bulking phase after pretty boy season is over. Take some time off every 6-8 weeks to recharge, and stick with it. And don't plan a bunch of supp cycles either, just how much food you will need, and staple supps to help you grow. When you do add on size, all over, you will have earned it and should stick with you.

Just my .02

I have only been doing box squats for years, i have not been doing any real quad work. I just started doing high bar olympic squats and am in a calorie deficit. I guarantee i put size on my quads in a calorie deficit. Granted it is not ideal, but if you don't hit a muscle properly or at all, and you begin to, you can put some size on.

 

[fritzer]

so since you dont bench with the pecs i am assuming that you can military press 450lbs as well? because if you only military 275-315 in the maximal position for your shoulders with help from tris where is the extra weight coming from on the bench if not your pecs?

 

[Mars1107]

i've struggled my whole life building my chest..my chest is sore as hell after every workout.. and yes.. i put MAJOR emphasis on incline... i have literally tried everything... high reps.. low reps.. negatives.. burnouts... change of routine.. once a week.. twice a week... high volume low volume... everything.. 6 years and 60 lbs... still no chest.. wtf

anyone ever tried presses one day a week and nothing but flys another? i'll try anything

sorry for the low pants.. didn't realize it was so gay till now

your chest doesnt look that small, its just out of proportion with your shoulders,

maybe cut back on the shoulders for a while, go low. just maintain them.

when u do chest make shure u try to do most of the work wither you chest, its impossible not to use tris an shoulders, just try not to shoulder press on bench press, You may already be doing this correct probaly.

Some people have better genetic for chest, plus Shoulders are so easy to grow, including myself.

Also try inner chest pushups.

And try a routine, with maximal 6-8 repitions of bench press,4 sets abouts.

Go to the smith machine until u cant move you chest.

Then follow it up with dumbell flies or pec dec, with static holds. Feel the burn, i love static holds.

are u flexing your traps, or is that unflexed, traps looks really nice, but theyre making the chest look small. Nothing against big traps, its your chest isnt ridiculously small, maybe just seems small, my two cents.

 

[jcp2]

so since you dont bench with the pecs i am assuming that you can military press 450lbs as well? because if you only military 275-315 in the maximal position for your shoulders with help from tris where is the extra weight coming from on the bench if not your pecs?

Read about a powerliftng style bench and how much pec stimulation their is. It is minimal and definately not optimal for chest development. You can rationalize it all you want, the bench is not the best chest developer especially for people with long limbs, and especially if you tuck your tris for optimal performance.

 

[fritzer]

weird that dave tate would say to tuck the elbows to decrease shoulder output at the bottom of the movement and increase chest output. kinda goes against what you are saying... and if in a certain individual elbows tucked allows then to move more weight then it is more overload and more growth

and the OP isn't doing powerlifting

and maybe you think "powerlifting bench" has minimal chest simulation because you put a suit on and train for the suit. the westside training actually has tons of chest stimulation in all of its training, i dont know what article or scientific thing you might of read but please post its where it says powerlifting training doesnt use the chest on bench,,,??? that is just crazy talk!

i dont think anyone can overlook the basics of genetics that sme poeple have calves some dont. some chests grow fast some dont. and if they dont you have to work for it,
My quote for the day "you wouldn't give up squats for other fancy S#$% so dont give up bench for crap like flys and pec deck!"

 

[jcp2]

weird that dave tate would say to tuck the elbows to decrease shoulder output at the bottom of the movement and increase chest output. kinda goes against what you are saying... and if in a certain individual elbows tucked allows then to move more weight then it is more overload and more growth

and the OP isn't doing powerlifting

and maybe you think "powerlifting bench" has minimal chest simulation because you put a suit on and train for the suit. the westside training actually has tons of chest stimulation in all of its training, i dont know what article or scientific thing you might of read but please post its where it says powerlifting training doesnt use the chest on bench,,,??? that is just crazy talk!

i dont think anyone can overlook the basics of genetics that sme poeple have calves some dont. some chests grow fast some dont. and if they dont you have to work for it,
My quote for the day "you wouldn't give up squats for other fancy S#$% so dont give up bench for crap like flys and pec deck!"

I am not even sure what you are rambling about at this point. You tuck your elbows to achieve maximal use of the tris when you bench, and to take strain of the pecs and shoulders to some degree. The same way i do my close grip bench presses, elbows tucked. And the OP is not part of powerlifting, the bench squat and dead is. I never said you don't use your chest when you bench, i said it is minimal and not optimal for development in alot of people. You obviously don't like it when people disagree with you. The funny thing is, i am pretty good bencher with long arms, and i get very little pec stimulation from a bench, and you are basically telling me i am wrong, lol. And i bench raw every week, no shirt.

 

[fritzer]

i couldnt care less if you disagree with me. i am a training physician, right now doing electives with a sport med doc. and barring no physical impairment and proper form there is almost nobody who gets more "stimulation" from flys than flat bench . you might think you are because of a burn or DOMS but muscle growth is brought on not from pump, burn, fatigue, etc but rather from overload

and i am 6'5 with a massive reach and i have overcome a lot of my weaknesses by benching and pressing. by going over my logs and improving my form constantly. not by incorporating hanging reverse cable flys with the neighbours panties over my face in an anti-gravity chamber... simple is always best

flys can be incorporated in a smart training regime, but 4 sets of flys 6-8 reps or 3 sets 6-12 is useless. and unless you are doing 1g of test and your jay cutler it is wasted energy and muscle power

but we can agree to disagree. you gotta do what works for you

 

[mooch2321]

op...when you bench press do you get a great work out for your shoulders and tris? from your pics it would seem that you are like me and your strong shoulders and tris are compensating for a weak chest....i fixed this by doing pre-exhaust sets for my shoulders and tris before i do my chest work....you wont be able to lift anywhere near as much weight but you can actually work your chest....

 

[mooch2321]

i couldnt care less if you disagree with me. i am a training physician, right now doing electives with a sport med doc. and barring no physical impairment and proper form there is almost nobody who gets more "stimulation" from flys than flat bench . you might think you are because of a burn or DOMS but muscle growth is brought on not from pump, burn, fatigue, etc but rather from overload

and i am 6'5 with a massive reach and i have overcome a lot of my weaknesses by benching and pressing. by going over my logs and improving my form constantly. not by incorporating hanging reverse cable flys with the neighbours panties over my face in an anti-gravity chamber... simple is always best

flys can be incorporated in a smart training regime, but 4 sets of flys 6-8 reps or 3 sets 6-12 is useless. and unless you are doing 1g of test and your jay cutler it is wasted energy and muscle power

but we can agree to disagree. you gotta do what works for you

i prefer the neighbors sweaty jockstrap when i do this....it really tips the old aggression over the edge....

 

[fritzer]

haha gross

 

[jcp2]

i couldnt care less if you disagree with me. i am a training physician, right now doing electives with a sport med doc. and barring no physical impairment and proper form there is nobody who gets more "stimulation" from flys than flat bench. you might think you are because of a burn or DOMS but muscle growth is brought on not from pump, burn, fatigue, etc but rather from overload

and i am 6'5 with a massive reach and i have overcome a lot of my weaknesses by benching and pressing. by going over my logs and improving my form constantly. not by incorporating hanging reverse cable flys with the neighbours panties over my face in an anti-gravity chamber... simple is always best

Obviously your missing something in my posts somewhere, because i recommended incline benching with heavy flys as his only accesory work, or possibly doing the flys first. Incline benches put more stress on the pecs imo, and the flys are the only worth a crap accesories when you don't have much chest imo.

Now as far as you being in Med School, that is great, doctors saved my eyesight and probably my life at one point. But that is something that people like to say on the net to seem as though they know more about training. If i want to get stronger i am going to call Louis Simmons, if i want to get bigger maybe Palumbo since he is in my area. Never once did i ever look through my medical plan and look for someone to help me train. An old friend of mine is a sports surgeon, (not even sure what the means) but we are not swapping training advice over a beer, i doubt he could do a proper squat, nor does he know the difference between bench press variations.

 

[fritzer]

this can go on forever haha, we have very different view on training. i say i am working with a sports med doc so you might realize i know what i am talking about in terms of stimulation and overload. not just pulling things from my head. and there is a huuuge difference between a sports med doc and any type of surgeon. med doc = study, know the sports, movements, drugs, etc. surgeon = cut and fix

i dont agree with preexhaustion, it decreases overload on the working sets. i do know what you are saying. but in my opinion preexhausting is not beneficial neither are flys especially not in that sense

 

[mooch2321]

this can go on forever haha, we have very different view on training. i say i am working with a sports med doc so you might realize i know what i am talking about in terms of stimulation and overload. not just pulling things from my head. and there is a huuuge difference between a sports med doc and any type of surgeon. med doc = study, know the sports, movements, drugs, etc. surgeon = cut and fix

i dont agree with preexhaustion, it decreases overload on the working sets. i do know what you are saying. but in my opinion preexhausting is not beneficial neither are flys especially not in that sense

most people that dont have a dominant bodypart think im crazy for pre-exhausting tri's and shoulders....but if everytime you sat down at a bench, no matter how good your form, you couldnt even get a pump in your chest....youd start to understand......ive been doing this for a year or so and seen MASSIVE improvements in my chest.....it really works for people who have this problem....take it or leave it

 

[fritzer]

personally for you when you preexhaust your tris dont your tris then fail before your chest on the bench? do you do partial reps at bottom?

 

[mooch2321]

the trick is to not completely fatigue the muscle....just get it tired enough that the chest isnt dominated by it......it takes a while to get it right....

 

[diezel]

I'd start taking measurements every 4 weeks or so, I bet you'd be suprised by your results. Is everything else growing quickly except for the chest? Or are you just mostly concerned with growth of your pecs?

 

[mooch2321]

I'd start taking measurements every 4 weeks or so, I bet you'd be suprised by your results. Is everything else growing quickly except for the chest? Or are you just mostly concerned with growth of your pecs?

who is this directed at?

 

[Good Shepherd]

well currently i'm just a student.. saved up enough to quit my job so i can finish my last semester of college w/o the extra 30 hours of unloading semi trucks by hand.. which is what i was doing..

a bit off topic... i'm currently cutting.. gone from 198-194 in about 3 weeks.. do ya'll think i can get to single digit bf if i shed another 10-15 lbs?.. i dont think i can let myself get below 180.. no matter how shredded i get

You are asking about making a muscle larger, but then state you are cutting. Perphaps you should pick a goal first. It sounds like you operate under a fickle paradigm.
To make a muscle larger, you need to aply progressive overload and give it ample calories; some muscle groups take longer then others. It's really that simple. Be patient.

 

[jcp2]

this can go on forever haha, we have very different view on training. i say i am working with a sports med doc so you might realize i know what i am talking about in terms of stimulation and overload. not just pulling things from my head. and there is a huuuge difference between a sports med doc and any type of surgeon. med doc = study, know the sports, movements, drugs, etc. surgeon = cut and fix

i dont agree with preexhaustion, it decreases overload on the working sets. i do know what you are saying. but in my opinion preexhausting is not beneficial neither are flys especially not in that sense

I actually agree with your entire philosophy on training, i just think the bench press sucks for pec stimulation. Preexausting is not my thing, but sometimes you need something different. I know preexaustion is not supposed to be beneficial, i have read it all, but some people swear by it.

 

[crazyfool405]

i have the same problem with my chest, my best development was with supersetting incline bb or db with incline flys then flat db or bb with decline pushups then 1 burnout set of alligator pushups supersetted with dips.

 

[mooch2321]

I actually agree with your entire philosophy on training, i just think the bench press sucks for pec stimulation. Preexausting is not my thing, but sometimes you need something different. I know preexaustion is not supposed to be beneficial, i have read it all, but some people swear by it.

i agree with you guys...it definately reduces the overall load im moving....but it allows me to actually move it with my chest....ive been training for a lot of years and this is the first way ive been able to consistently stimulate my chest.....

i have the same problem with my chest, my best development was with supersetting incline bb or db with incline flys then flat db or bb with decline pushups then 1 burnout set of alligator pushups supersetted with dips.

this would just leave me with really tired front heads and tris....

 

[shortstop1616]

I would try cable flyes and cross your hand when you get to the top... that will add that little extra squeeze that you may need.

 

[tumtum]

sorry fellas i haven't chimed in the past few days... i've been etremely busy and couldn't get on... but yes i take measurements weekly.. since i'm cutting i'm wanting everything to stay big cept the waist..

haha.. so far.. i've been cutting for about 4 weeks.. lost 5-6 lbs... arms have stayed the same at 17.25... legs have stayed the same.. chest has stayed the same at 44... where i have lost a lot is my upper stomach.. top abs right under chest.. i've lost 3 inches.. which has REALLY made my chest look better.. but.. doesn't matter how lean i get... upper prolly wont show.. i'm planning on cutting for another 4-6 weeks... hopefully to get to single digits.. so i can monitor my muscle gains easier...

i'll then pack on the calories and maybe strive to go real heavy and keep it in the reps of 4-6.... untill them i'll keep the reps higher.. my shoulder has been bad for about 5 weeks so i'm trying to take it easy on it