I’m 52, been physically active all my life but mostly aerobically (running). For the last couple of years I’ve ventured into some moderate weight lifting and I have had great results in all areas except the chest.
I do plenty of pushups (500 +/- per week), some bench press with about 150lbs, and chinups but can’t seem to get bigger in the chest area. Am I not doing enough reps, weights or just not the right exercises?
I usually alternate one day of running with one day of the weights and one day of core. My abs are looking great and so are my arms and shoulders and legs. Any advice would be greatly appreciated…
From your avatar photo your chest does not appear to be noticably under developed compared to the rest of your body. I would say cut back on the volume (500 pushups per week) and increase the intensity.
A good goal to shoot for is to be able to bench press your body weight for 12 reps. 3 good chest workouts a week rotating a 2x12-15, 3x8, 4x6 set x rep scheme on bench press followed by 2 sets of 12 reps of lying flyes should be all thats required.
Start with a weight you can comfortably complete the required reps and sets with 1-2 minutes rest between sets and try to add some weight every month or so and in a couple of years (don’t expect overnight results) you will be there strength-wise and size-wise.
I agree with the above poster, I think maybe because everybody loves chest your looking to have a disproportionately big chest.
To answer your question raise the weights for the bp, try flyes and I like that CT dumbell exercise where you squeeze the dumbells together. Since your trying to build muscle you can do that with virtually any chest exercise you do.
Personally, I get more from the isolation of Cable Flyes than Flat Benches. The Pectorals are the primary mover in Transverse Flexion, i.e., moving the upper arm toward and across the chest with the your elbows facing out to the sides, without assistance from the Triceps. And I prefer Cable Flyes over DB Flyes, because the muscle remains under stress throughout the entire ROM.
Moreover, most people are lacking in upper chest development (Pectoralis Major (clavicular head)), so Incline Benches are a good addition to Cable Flyes to round out your chest development. You can do them in any order, depending on your own needs.
There are techniques in the bench wherebye the feel you get is that you are pushing yourself away from the bar not pushing the bar away from you, a subtle difference i know but some folks say this works the pecs better. Bascially read up some articles on how to bench and try things out, but safely!
For upper pecs you could try incline press ups for a change.
[quote]Geoman wrote:
I’m 52, been physically active all my life but mostly aerobically (running). For the last couple of years I’ve ventured into some moderate weight lifting and I have had great results in all areas except the chest.
I do plenty of pushups (500 +/- per week), some bench press with about 150lbs, and chinups but can’t seem to get bigger in the chest area. Am I not doing enough reps, weights or just not the right exercises?
I usually alternate one day of running with one day of the weights and one day of core. My abs are looking great and so are my arms and shoulders and legs. Any advice would be greatly appreciated…[/quote]
Here’s an interesting way to get your chest going: do dumbbell benches, but press out to the sides slightly from vertical, instead of straight up. Don’t do a fly — its a press. If someone were looking at you on the bench from behind your head, your arms would make the letter V.
This is a pure bodybuilding exercise, basically useless for sport or self-defense or any of that.
Most trainees shy away from an exercise like this btw because you have to use a lighter weight; some mystical fascination with how MUCH they can lift.
First off, you are in better shape than most of the people on this site. You look good. I have never used more than 65 lb dumbells in 40 years. My favorite tri set(mix these up as you wish is, pullovers, flyes and press to the neck. My reps are 10, 10 & up to 20.
Be prepared to start with 10 lb dumbells and work up. This is not as easy as it sounds, but it sure does work. You will get girls to make good comments on your new chest.
you look great! I have problems developing my chest also, most of it seems to be in the mechanics of bench pressing. When I bench most of the force is coming from my triceps, not my pecs. Other people have slightly different body mechanics, and utilize their pecs more when they bench. This led me to do a lot more of other chest exercises, which seems to help, but it is hard getting as good a workout. Good luck!
Paul
I think you look pretty solid myself … I can appreciate desire to make a change to suit yourself and thats good.
I have had great success with bench Incline<tripple drop sets… Start with a weight you can do 8 - 12 times and go till fail drop the weight some crank out say 3-6 more till fail … then drop again in such a fashion two more times followed by flat bench Same as on the Incline.
Then Finish the chest with some dumbell flys and or a “Pec Deck” say one set of 12 till fail. But I will tell you something that you should do from the start and that is to do something daily for your shoulder’s health Rotator cuff strengthening.With out fail daily .
It will add to your work out in time and to you slightly but its one of the most important things you can do to keep yourself making progress in the chest area. Dont forget your back either … some narrow grip palm up pull downs heavy <say 6 - 10 reps> 4 sets and some wide grip pull downs along with seated rows. These will help with the look I believe you want to accomplish.
My .02
I’ve always felt a better overall stretch in my pecs when I do inclines. Over the last few years, if I do flat work at all, it’s at the end of the session, and usually with dumbells. Lately I’ve been starting with incline cables, then straight into incline BB presses.
I’ve noticed a real nice fullness afterwards, so I’m banking that it’s a nice little combo. Again, as someone else noted, everyone is different. I spent years doing heavy flats, and although moved some serious poundages, never had a full top to bottom developed chest. If something isn;t working, try something else.