Hey T-people. I definitely need some “Chest Help.” No…not the kind that Vegita, Xen, and others have been posting in the “Who has the best rack” thread," but the other kind (i.e. pec development).
I have been training for about 4 years and am still learning how to eat big (i.e. constantly adding more calories) as I am a hardgainer, but I have made some awesome progress. However, my weakpoint is my chest. I have built it up, but it seems that because of my long arms and strong shoulders (especially front delts) that many pressing movements tend to be only marginally effective. Flyes (flys?) seem to work better for me, but I still want to make some improvements in my chest size and strength.
I have read most everything on T-Nation, well not everything, but after reading this site for 5 years I have acquired a lot of knowledge. But, I recently stumbled upon…
“Build a Huge Chest in Six Weeks”
by Chad Waterbury
and wanted to ask people three questions.
1.) Has anyone completed this program or used the outlined exercises, and what were the results/opinions?
2.) Where can I get this “mystical” slide device that Mr. Waterbury refers to. I am contemplating using towels, but having the device may be a wiser move. (if people don’t know what I am referring to then read the article: Type “Chest” in the T-Nation search to find it)
3.) I have read a few other good chest articles, but I am having trouble finding them. So if anyone could provide links or offer their own wisdom/guidance etc then I would be very grateful. Wait… this was supposed to be a question…ahem…What type of chest exercises do you find most effective (i.e. besides Bench Press unless it is a specific variation)
Thanks in advance, and sorry for the rambling. Peace.
The bench press is a largely tricep dominant movement, so I wouldn’t use it as the main chest builder. Flye-type movements will always be more effective because the pectoralis major’s main function is to adduct the arms.
So, cable flyes, incline, flat, decline flyes. Another variation I like is the dumbell bench/flye combination. On the concentric portion of the lift perform a bench press, then on the eccentric portion perform a flye. You will have to use less weight than you would for a normal dumbell bench, but it should be a bit more than you can handle for a normal flye. Give it a shot.
The best rule is: lift as much as you can for as many times as you can. Specifically, I find that Incline bench press and dumbell presses work well. I generally do 5 X 5’s. I also rotate in regular bench presses every other workout(sometimes I do 10 X 3’s sometimes 5 X 5’s). Mixing up the routine works well for me.
I have to go along with thor here. You aren’t going to build alot of mass doing flyes as your main chest developer. Take a look at your set up for bench. Drop and pinch your scapula together. Push your chest out and up. This will help from allowing your front delts to take over. This works for all benches-ie incl or flat–db’s or bb’s.
Get tight. Pull it down and drive your rear shoulders into the bench as you push the weight away. Mix it up, but not too crazy, You want to be able to quantify what works for you and what doesn’t.
Hey everyone. Thanks for all the comments. I also wanted to vent my frustration with flyes, although I do like them. My frustration comes from not being able to use that much weight primarily due to my long arms. I usually use 30 lb dumbbells and recently went up to 35 lbs, but anything higher than that and I feel as if I am putting my shoulders and arm tendons and ligaments in jeopardy even with a slight bend at the elbows. I suppose cable flyes could help alleviate this problem a little bit. Maybe I am just being a wuss, but I prefer to lift hard and smart (i.e. injury free)
Anyways, other comments or suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks…