I’ ve been lifting for nearly 3 years. Im still 100% Natural. My chest has always been shit-tastic, it just does not want to grow. Even with weekly progressions in weight, it always seems to shrink back down by the 4th or 5th day since being hit. I’ve always done a 4 day split, hitting chest once a week. Can you offer any advice on what I should do to get it growing? Starting to think my chest is genetically doomed.
Yup you’re screwed.
But seriously. Try 2 times a week? Post your current chest routine.
I feel as if my chest is the same way, but I’ve had some injuries along the way that haven’t helped my upper body pressing at all. But I agree with the above post maybe up your frequency see how it works for you.
Current Routine is: Incline Bench, Flat DB Bench, Incline Hammer Strength, Flys. Ive switched exercises quite a bit it doesnt make much difference as it starts to lose the pump by the 4th or 5th day.
My schedule is:
Chest
OFF
Back
OFF
Shoulders/Tris (have done CGBP here doesnt seem to make much difference)
Legs/Biceps (Genetically good legs I have, and dont like biceps after back)
I really dont know how to hit chest more frequently without risk of overtraining.
How long are your arms?
Are you lifting for power (with more of an emphasis on tucking, etc like a PL’er) or are you lifting for your CHEST? Are you ego lifting?
And I’d like to see some numbers. If you’re not pressing 300 for reps then this shouldn’t even be brought up.
[quote]McMusclesNHam wrote:
I’ ve been lifting for nearly 3 years. Im still 100% Natural. My chest has always been shit-tastic, it just does not want to grow. Even with weekly progressions in weight, it always seems to shrink back down by the 4th or 5th day since being hit. I’ve always done a 4 day split, hitting chest once a week. Can you offer any advice on what I should do to get it growing? Starting to think my chest is genetically doomed.[/quote]
I guarantee at 21 y.o., if you’ve only been training for 3 years, it’s
- You are not eating enough
and/or
- You are not training nearly as hard as you need to.
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
[quote]McMusclesNHam wrote:
I’ ve been lifting for nearly 3 years. Im still 100% Natural. My chest has always been shit-tastic, it just does not want to grow. Even with weekly progressions in weight, it always seems to shrink back down by the 4th or 5th day since being hit. I’ve always done a 4 day split, hitting chest once a week. Can you offer any advice on what I should do to get it growing? Starting to think my chest is genetically doomed.[/quote]
I guarantee if you’ve only been training for 3 years, it’s
- You are not eating enough
and/or
- You are not training nearly as hard as you need to.[/quote]
naa
[quote]SSC wrote:
How long are your arms?
Are you lifting for power (with more of an emphasis on tucking, etc like a PL’er) or are you lifting for your CHEST? Are you ego lifting?
And I’d like to see some numbers. If you’re not pressing 300 for reps then this shouldn’t even be brought up.[/quote]
took time off from bench for dumbells. Was pressing 270 before
[quote]McMusclesNHam wrote:
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
[quote]McMusclesNHam wrote:
I’ ve been lifting for nearly 3 years. Im still 100% Natural. My chest has always been shit-tastic, it just does not want to grow. Even with weekly progressions in weight, it always seems to shrink back down by the 4th or 5th day since being hit. I’ve always done a 4 day split, hitting chest once a week. Can you offer any advice on what I should do to get it growing? Starting to think my chest is genetically doomed.[/quote]
I guarantee if you’ve only been training for 3 years, it’s
- You are not eating enough
and/or
- You are not training nearly as hard as you need to.[/quote]
naa[/quote]
Pics.
At first glance, you’re split is pretty classic and people have grown just fine from it. You’re not hitting your chest as hard as you think you are or you’re not eating. Is everything else growing?
Worried about overtraining on a 4 day per week split and 4 exercises for your chest? I think you’re making excuses.
And, unless you’re like 5’5" and a ripped 180, a 270# press probably isn’t the recipe for ‘shitastic chest’.
You only bench 270… No wonder your chest isn’t big
[quote]McMusclesNHam wrote:
I’ ve been lifting for nearly 3 years. Im still 100% Natural my chest is genetically doomed.[/quote]
You want to know a secret?
. . .
Well do you?
Are you sure?
Are you positive?
Well here it is
. . .
Going not natural ain’t going to do anything for you chest
All statements/ posts above are worth listening to
You say you lose the pump by the fourth or fifth day? The “pump” is merely the flowing of blood to the muscle as it is worked and at most should last for a little while after you finish your workout.
Also I notice when you listed your split you have triceps then only one day off before starting back over with chest. This could be holding you back from going harder on your chest workouts. Its a good rule of thumb to try and give yourself about 48 hours for full recovery and since triceps play a major role in many chest exercises not doing so could limit you.
Another idea you can try which I’ve done in the past is training chest twice a week. Give at least 2 full days in between and add on one or two tricep exercises at the end of each. You can do the first day mainly flat and the second day mainly incline.
[quote]McMusclesNHam wrote:
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
[quote]McMusclesNHam wrote:
I’ ve been lifting for nearly 3 years. Im still 100% Natural. My chest has always been shit-tastic, it just does not want to grow. Even with weekly progressions in weight, it always seems to shrink back down by the 4th or 5th day since being hit. I’ve always done a 4 day split, hitting chest once a week. Can you offer any advice on what I should do to get it growing? Starting to think my chest is genetically doomed.[/quote]
I guarantee if you’ve only been training for 3 years, it’s
- You are not eating enough
and/or
- You are not training nearly as hard as you need to.[/quote]
naa[/quote]
I honestly hope that was sarcasm
I don’t know if our situations are similar since I was much stronger than you and still had a shit-tastic chest lol but my chest HAS finally been growing and while it’s happening slowly, it’s getting there. I lift much lighter and put all my focus into the negative, stretch at the bottom and the contraction of my chest throughout the exercise. I’ve essentially turned it into a time under tension kind of deal and while the weight I’m using looks retarded for my size, it keeps me from involving my shoulders/triceps which has always been the issue.
so…in closing, I would still work on getting stronger first. Saying you are at a 270 lb bench press and can’t grow is wayyyyy too early to be called. For instance, I was doing 405 with solid reps on incline, 455 reps on flat bench and still had a shitty chest. At that point I knew something had to change.
I’d have to see pics to tell whether it’s genetic.
[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
I don’t know if our situations are similar since I was much stronger than you and still had a shit-tastic chest lol but my chest HAS finally been growing and while it’s happening slowly, it’s getting there. I lift much lighter and put all my focus into the negative, stretch at the bottom and the contraction of my chest throughout the exercise. I’ve essentially turned it into a time under tension kind of deal and while the weight I’m using looks retarded for my size, it keeps me from involving my shoulders/triceps which has always been the issue.
so…in closing, I would still work on getting stronger first. Saying you are at a 270 lb bench press and can’t grow is wayyyyy too early to be called. For instance, I was doing 405 with solid reps on incline, 455 reps on flat bench and still had a shitty chest. At that point I knew something had to change. [/quote]
Good post, Way.
Basically you’ve found what YOU needed to do. And it’s working.
I think the OP has to find what works for him… regardless of poundage, ego, or what someone else prescribes specifically.
[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
so…in closing, I would still work on getting stronger first. Saying you are at a 270 lb bench press and can’t grow is wayyyyy too early to be called. For instance, I was doing 405 with solid reps on incline, 455 reps on flat bench and still had a shitty chest. At that point I knew something had to change. [/quote]
You really, really need to let this particular paragraph sink in, OP. I don’t know a lot of 270 benchers with impressive chests.
[quote]McMusclesNHam wrote:
Current Routine is: Incline Bench, Flat DB Bench, Incline Hammer Strength, Flys. Ive switched exercises quite a bit it doesnt make much difference as it starts to lose the pump by the 4th or 5th day.
My schedule is:
Chest
OFF
Back
OFF
Shoulders/Tris (have done CGBP here doesnt seem to make much difference)
Legs/Biceps (Genetically good legs I have, and dont like biceps after back)
I really dont know how to hit chest more frequently without risk of overtraining.[/quote]
Overtrain- Adj; derived from french; Synonymous with undereating. Most often used by small people to justify why they dont work out harder.
But I bet you had killer triceps.
It’s not just about doing a movement, but how you do it that counts. Even more so for aesthetics.
[quote]SSC wrote:
How long are your arms?
Are you lifting for power (with more of an emphasis on tucking, etc like a PL’er) or are you lifting for your CHEST? Are you ego lifting?
And I’d like to see some numbers. If you’re not pressing 300 for reps then this shouldn’t even be brought up.[/quote]
took time off from bench for dumbells. Was pressing 270 before