I have functional strength. I want to look more like a Van Damme in Bloodsport. Besides diet, what in the gym is going to get me more muscle. For example I have a decent bench but I don’t have a chest that looks like it was carved out marble.
There was an interview with some of the Mens’ Health cover models. The article was pretty much, what do you do to look like you do. This one guy that had a very full chest said that could MIGHT be able to bench 200 lbs. one time.
I’m happy with my fuctional strength, I want to size.
Here’s what I’m currently doing.
Lifting very heavy weight 5 reps for 5 sets.
I read other things that are saying 8-10 is the optimal rep range for hypertrophy. Can someone settle this for me?
I just attended a Get Buffed! session with Ian King this weekend, and somthing just clicked in my mind. I just realized that in order for your chest to look impressive, you need to row! When I used to bench a lot, although I put on muscle, the tightness in the anterior muscles gave my chest a somewhat flat, or even a concave appearance. Now that I balanced things out more, my chest sticks out more, although the pecs are about the same size. Plus, I think the increased muscularity of the upper back gives my whole body a more powerful appearance.
Krak, what’s your training age? Personally, I would think that you’re going too low on your reps per set, but if you’ve been training for a decade or more, maybe not. Another method might be to try some of Pavel’s ladders for hypertrophy.
All that said, I gotta agree with Alpha Male: there is no such thing as “besides diet”.
Can you explain ladders to me? I would say that my training age is about a year. I haven’t been consistent for awhile (college) but now I’m back into it.
Have youtried any of the Ian King 12 week programmes? I am just about finished the super strngth one and am really happy with it (not like Van Damme yet tho), but 1 day…
You may be a shoulder/tri bencher. I know i am. While the bench gives me good size through the shoulders/arms, if i want to work the chest i have to do dumbell work. My favorite chest routine looks like this: low incline db press (I use an adjustable bench and raise it only one setting, about 20 degrees or so) I keep my arms out and I do not press the dbs together at the top of the movement. I push them slightly towards each other durring the lift, but keep them apart to keep the stress on my chest. I’ll do about 6 sets (3 very light warm up since its the first exercise and 3 regular sets). I’ll follow that up with 3 sets of pec dec work where I really concentrate of pulling my arms together with my chest, and squeezing for a full 2-3 seconds at the top. Then i’ll finish up with 3-4 sets of Hammer Strength or db declines. Again, focusing on lifting with the pecs. i don’t lock out on these and i’ll hold the top and squeeze for a good 2-3 seconds on each rep. i keep the reps between 8-10, except for the last set where they may drop to 6-8.