Hitting the chest properly

M

mattb_88

New Member
Hey guys, I've been doing HST For about a month now (on second week of 10s) and it feels like muscles are popping up over my body where I didn't think they could, but I'm just sort of concerned with my chest. I'm really just curious whether the workout plan I have been using will be sufficient enough to make my chest grow even. Here's my workout:

[TABLE="width: 624"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 53"]
  • Squat
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 64"]
  • Leg Curls
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 64"]
  • Calf Raise
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 48"]
  • DB Incline Curls
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 45"]
  • DB Incline Bench
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 77"]
  • Seated Row
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 87"]
  • Lat Pull Down
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 46"]
  • Triceps Pull Down
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 92"]
  • Shoulder Press
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 48"]
  • Abs
[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

For the most part I do the exercises in this order, but I like to hit the biceps and triceps first so that it's mainly all chest doing the bench. We don't have a dip machine in our gym so I just go with regular Triceps pulldown, but I'm afraid that missing out on the dips is causing the bottom half of my chest to not get worked out enough. Am I correct in my assumption that I'm missing my pectoralis minor, possibly making it lack behind the upper half of my chest?
 
Last edited:
Dips, Flyes, decline bench, flat bench, all are options.
No dip bars? Dips rock.
 
mattb_88 said:
Hey guys, I've been doing HST For about a month now (on second week of 10s) and it feels like muscles are popping up over my body where I didn't think they could, but I'm just sort of concerned with my chest. I'm really just curious whether the workout plan I have been using will be sufficient enough to make my chest grow even. Here's my workout:

[TABLE="width: 624"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 53"]
  • Squat
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 64"]
  • Leg Curls
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 64"]
  • Calf Raise
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 48"]
  • DB Incline Curls
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 45"]
  • DB Incline Bench
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 77"]
  • Seated Row
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 87"]
  • Lat Pull Down
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 46"]
  • Triceps Pull Down
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 92"]
  • Shoulder Press
[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 48"]
  • Abs
[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

For the most part I do the exercises in this order, but I like to hit the biceps and triceps first so that it's mainly all chest doing the bench. We don't have a dip machine in our gym so I just go with regular Triceps pulldown, but I'm afraid that missing out on the dips is causing the bottom half of my chest to not get worked out enough. Am I correct in my assumption that I'm missing my pectoralis minor, possibly lacking behind the upper half of my chest?
Click to expand...

dips works all your chest not just the bottom so does benchpress etc.
the problem with burning out your arms before you do a chest or back exercise is the fact you wont be able to use enough weight to engage the fibres inchest/back.
 
For me, personally, if I nail my tri's before the bench press, I end up racking the weights early because my arms give out before I can do the work I wanted on my chest, which is I think is what faz is getting at. Maybe just trying switching the order and only do your arms once you are satisfied with you bench press.
 
Try training the chest right after your thighs. Id also consider doing rows and pulldowns and dips before you do biceps. Youre already working them in the rows and pulldowns.
 
Thanks for the info guys. The only reason I even work my arms before my chest is because I read a long time ago that wearing out your arms first allows your chest to do more work while benching. I never really preferred it that way because it does seem a lot harder to bench when I work arms first, but I was under the impression that it allowed me to hit chest harder. I'll go ahead and start benching first, but what should I do in regards to the lack of dips? Should I try doing dips across two weight benches instead or will my current plan suffice?
 
Always work the larger muscles before the smaller ones. Chest and back before shoulders and arms.

Benching is fine, you can skip dips if you have no bars.
 
mattb_88 said:
Thanks for the info guys. The only reason I even work my arms before my chest is because I read a long time ago that wearing out your arms first allows your chest to do more work while benching. I never really preferred it that way because it does seem a lot harder to bench when I work arms first, but I was under the impression that it allowed me to hit chest harder. I'll go ahead and start benching first, but what should I do in regards to the lack of dips? Should I try doing dips across two weight benches instead or will my current plan suffice?
Click to expand...

Really think about what those folks told you for a second.

"Working arms first allows you to hit chest harder."

Ok, so first of all... do arms first right? Now your triceps are fatigued so you cannot handle the same loads as you could have if you were fresh. So now we have less load. So instead of 5 RM, you use 10 RM. Now you are doing your sets and your triceps are fatigued, so you can't do as many reps, you can only do 8 reps with your 10 RM...

Kinda seems like you aren't hitting chest as hard as if you were fresh and did 3 sets of 5 with your 5 rep max, right?
 
Totentanz said:
Really think about what those folks told you for a second.

"Working arms first allows you to hit chest harder."

Ok, so first of all... do arms first right? Now your triceps are fatigued so you cannot handle the same loads as you could have if you were fresh. So now we have less load. So instead of 5 RM, you use 10 RM. Now you are doing your sets and your triceps are fatigued, so you can't do as many reps, you can only do 8 reps with your 10 RM...

Kinda seems like you aren't hitting chest as hard as if you were fresh and did 3 sets of 5 with your 5 rep max, right?
Click to expand...

I think the reasoning behind this was to allow the chest to not rely on the arms as much when doing bench. The lifts will be harder but it was explained that the wearing down of the arms creates a higher dependency on your chest to lift the weights because the arms aren't able to help as much during a lift. I'm thinking that maybe it was addressed more towards novice lifters who lack the proper lifting motion but I honestly can't remember. I agree with you though, which is why I'll be going back to bench before arms.
 
Their reasoning in intrinsically flawed. Let use an analogy perhaps. Think of a chain with massive links. The kind that industrial mining equipment uses, ala that Ryan Lochte uses in his training;

images


Now, connect two of those with a smaller link.

Which is breaking first under duress/work?

Which is breaking first after you hit all parts of it with a hammer ("pre fatigue") ... ?

When you exhaust/tire smaller muscles, those that facilitate the lifting but don't provide the bulk of contractile force, you're basically inhibiting the larger muscles from lifting at their maximum loads (whether 2RM, 5RM, 10RM, whatever).

Your arms are basically just a form of connection, like a hook or a strap, that lets your powerful muscles do the powerful work. Work the big ones first, and frankly, you'll only need minimal work for the smaller ones.
 
I don't have any studies to cite to back up my thought, but I am aware of another possible problem with working arms prior to working the larger upper-body muscles is the effect that the brain plays in deciding whether or not you can lift a weight. I must have read about this somewhere but I don't recall where?

If you destroy the weaker links in the chain (as in Alex's example) before turning your attention to the larger ones, it is very possible that safety mechanisms within your brain will actually prevent you from being able to contract your larger muscles as hard as you might have been able to had you not "pre-exhausted" the important weaker links. Eg. if you were to attempt a heavy deadlift having "pre-exhausted" your grip, your brain will reduce your ability to contract your large prime-movers if it determines that you can't grip the bar well enough to break it off the floor. Putting on some straps will effectively replace the weak link and then you'll be able to fully fire up your large prime movers and continue to work them hard until the next weakest link gets fatigued (probably your spinal erectors), causing your form to break down and the set to end.

Or something like that! :)
 
Lol said:
I don't have any studies to cite to back up my thought, but I am aware of another possible problem with working arms prior to working the larger upper-body muscles is the effect that the brain plays in deciding whether or not you can lift a weight. I must have read about this somewhere but I don't recall where?

If you destroy the weaker links in the chain (as in Alex's example) before turning your attention to the larger ones, it is very possible that safety mechanisms within your brain will actually prevent you from being able to contract your larger muscles as hard as you might have been able to had you not "pre-exhausted" the important weaker links. Eg. if you were to attempt a heavy deadlift having "pre-exhausted" your grip, your brain will reduce your ability to contract your large prime-movers if it determines that you can't grip the bar well enough to break it off the floor. Putting on some straps will effectively replace the weak link and then you'll be able to fully fire up your large prime movers and continue to work them hard until the next weakest link gets fatigued (probably your spinal erectors), causing your form to break down and the set to end.

Or something like that! :)
Click to expand...

Lol, yeah I understand what you guys mean. I never thought of the psychological portion that doing arms first could have on chest; I actually hit the chest first yesterday and noticed that the extra strength allowed better control over the weights, which felt like it lead to a better chest workout than I have been getting. I truly appreciate the info regarding that and I'm going to continue with working the chest first.

With that said, I still don't feel very confident that I'm working the chest fully. Should I continue with my workout and see if it grows as intended?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top