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gsxrclub80 06-10-2008 07:28 AM

Need some chest workout suggestions
 
Hey guys! I'm looking to build up my chest more so it's more symmetrical with the rest of my body. My arms, shoulders, and neck are all way bigger than my chest. I've dropped weight on chest day in order to ensure i'm doing every exercise correctly.

For chest i've been doing:

Incline dumbbells - 95 lbs 3 sets of 5-7
Flat bench dumbbells - 100 lbs 3 sets of 3-5
Flat bench one arm dumbbells - 80 lbs 3 sets of 10-12
Front Dips - 3 sets of as many as I can do
150 push ups at least 3 times a week

I've noticed excellent gains in my chest but no where near the gains i've got with the rest of my body. I've always had huge shoulders even when i didn't work out so i'm thinking i'm just not blessed in the chest area....any suggestions?

Oh yeh my diet is pretty clean. I work in office all day so it's hard to stay strict.

Breakfast = cup of oatmeal or sausage and egg whites
mid morning = kashi bar
lunch = pasta or hamburger
mid afternoon = kashi bar
workout = NO xplode drink pre + protein and creatine shake post (just started on this)
dinner = always grilled chicken breast + bowl of broccoli and green beans (steamed)
Hour or two before bed = can of tuna or carrots

Like I said my diet isn't perfect by any means. It's just hard to perfect with my allowance and being stuck in an office all day...any suggestions will help...thanks in advance

widdoes2504 06-10-2008 07:47 AM

Two things. One, try switching from all dumbbells to using the bar for your pressing movements. Two, plug your diet into fitday and see where you stand cause I am willing to bet you are not getting enough protein. Good luck.

hrdgain81 06-10-2008 07:50 AM

Your overdoing it IMO. How many times a week do you do that "chest" workout?

I would pick one main movement like flat barbell bench, and work it progressively, low reps, heavy weight. I know you want to make sure your form is good, and thats fine, but work your way up adding 5-10lbs a week to the bar. I also wouldnt have a "chest" workout day, I've never really grown well on one bodypart a day workout schemes. That would be my suggestion.

gsxrclub80 06-10-2008 08:08 AM

I'll try fitday and get back with the results. I work out at the gym at my office which is really nice but it's all dumbbells and machines. No bars for bench press which is no good but it's still a free gym. I only do that chest workout once a week. I do chest one day, arms another, back and legs, and shoulders all on separate days. I could try switching and doing chest and tri's one day? It's just frustrating that everything else is working and getting significantly bigger except my chest. Thanks again guys!

Ross86 06-10-2008 08:19 AM

If I were you, I would get rid of "arm day". I hate those (that's just me...other people like it). Add biceps to back day and triceps to chest day. On the day that you do chest, do one of the db pressing movements, the dips, and tricep exercises. Then on your shoulder day, do one of the other db pressing movements as your first lift...and then your normal shoulder routine (unless it has wayyy too many movements like your "chest day"). I'm sure other people will have different (and better) opinions, but that's mine. :)

john917v 06-10-2008 08:26 AM

That's good that you're seeing gains, but it might be that you're not getting enough protein. As a rule of thumb, you want to consume .7-1 grams of protein per lb. of bodyweight, and the leaner you are, you should have closer to 1 gram of protein per lb of mass. For example, I weigh 250 lbs, but I am not quite as lean as I should be, so I eat about 175 grams of protein a day. Have you tried changing things up, like trying new exercises? This 'shocks' the muscles, as they are not used to doing the new movements, or you can up the reps, and lower the weight. Or, maybe you can do partial reps, where your arms only go up until your upper arms are inline with the bench you're on? This places most of the stress on the chest. Regardless, good luck, and eat big to get big!!
-John

gsxrclub80 06-10-2008 09:00 AM

Thanks for all the help guys...I'll try adding bi's to back day and tri's to chest day and see if that helps. I'd be willing to change almost anything with chest but don't want to mess with the others too much since i'm loving the results. I have switched up the excercises often changing to fly's with dumbbells and cables. I've also used the equivalent to a bench press machine too. I am pretty lean. I weigh 185 and i'm 6'2''. I'm pretty well cut up everywhere but still need some work on lower abs. I like the cut look I have going if I could only get my chest bigger. With that being said would I still want to consume the 185 grams of protein per day? Thanks again everyone!

Pitysister 06-10-2008 09:13 AM

more protein if possible...generally if you want growth...you need more protein than just 1g/lb.

gsxrclub80 06-10-2008 09:14 AM

I plugged my daily diet into fitday and here's the results....this is without any of the supplements i'm taking...strictly real food.

Totals

cals -1806
fat - 75
carbs -142
protein - 149

height = 6'2''
weight = 185 lbs

i'm also drinking a NO xplode shake pre workout
Creatine and protein shake post workout (52g protein)
I take a multivitamin daily after breakfast as well

iron_worker 06-10-2008 09:18 AM

I would say 1g/lb of body mass would be a minimum intake level for protein.

I'm also going to say you're overdoing the chest movements. I would pick one main exercise that you're going to hit really hard (perhaps flat DB bench press) and then hit maybe one accessory to that (maybe dips or something) that you do higher volume/less intensity.

I might also reccomend a full body routine 3x a week or a upper/lower split rather that the body part split.

IronWorker


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