I too have recently had trouble really feeling my chest workouts in my pecs. It coincided with my recent strength gains. I think that my anterior delts are doing too much of the heavy lifting.
[quote]ironmanzvw wrote:
I too have recently had trouble really feeling my chest workouts in my pecs. It coincided with my recent strength gains. I think that my anterior delts are doing too much of the heavy lifting.[/quote]
I had this problem too. I eliminated flat bench since most of the power was coming from my delts. I started only doing incline with DB’s(with a little lighter weight) and REALLY focusing on contracting my chest. Definitely check out the video I posted. It helped me out.
Kai will tell you
[quote]Ripsaw3689 wrote:
[quote]ironmanzvw wrote:
I too have recently had trouble really feeling my chest workouts in my pecs. It coincided with my recent strength gains. I think that my anterior delts are doing too much of the heavy lifting.[/quote]
I had this problem too. I eliminated flat bench since most of the power was coming from my delts. I started only doing incline with DB’s(with a little lighter weight) and REALLY focusing on contracting my chest. Definitely check out the video I posted. It helped me out. [/quote]
Yea I would do the dumbbell thing for inclines BUT my gym’s dumbbells stop at 100 lbs for some reason (everything else in the gym is top notch and plenty of weight). I need for than 100 lb dbs to go heavy for chest. So I use those later in the work out to get more reps out.
I really feel my pecs contracting on the incline hammer strength machine though.
Also, I have read that if you tend to feel your posterior delts too much while working chest, you should use incline later in the workout.
[quote]Ripsaw3689 wrote:
About the 5:00 mark Ben Pakulski goes into a detailed demonstration on contracting the pecs.[/quote]
Never thought of it like like, good post ripsaw.
On a side note OP, do you ever do db pullovers? Have you ever felt those in your chest? You can manipulate the ROM and get a good burn in your seratus and your chest. Could be a missing link to help with that mind muscle connection you are missing.
The video of Ben Pakulski at the 5:00 minute mark is very good. I was doing it while watching it could feel how it would work. Defiantly going to try it out next chest workout. I find doing cable flys for warm up to get a mind muscle connection before hand for about 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps to really help hit my chest.
Three things have really helped me feel my chest on flat bench and I got it from watching Ronnie Coleman train…
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Pinching my shoulder blades.
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Stopping short of full lockout.
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Bringing the bar down within an inch of touching chest and then rebounding.