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Message
Why am I not seeing gains in my pecs?
Posted on 5/4/20 at 5:02 pm
Posted on 5/4/20 at 5:02 pm
We've got home gym equipment with a chest press and pec deck, with a single cable off to the side. Also have a dumbbell set, but no other free weights or bench.
Using the press and pec deck to failure, I feel like I'm working my chest, but afterwards I tend to feel it primarily in my deltoids and other muscles and tendons around my shoulders. My upper and lower pecs never burn.
I've looked at videos to study up on techniques, but I still feel like I'm doing something wrong (like keeping my elbows too high) and just spinning my wheels.
Should I ditch the machine and go to dumbbells, or just continue to work on form? I've never much tried the cable fly because I have to manually switch it over from the other pulleys and it makes it cumbersome to go back and forth between stations.
Any recommendations, videos, tip/tricks for the best pec exercises at home? Foolproof methods for better form would also be appreciated.
Using the press and pec deck to failure, I feel like I'm working my chest, but afterwards I tend to feel it primarily in my deltoids and other muscles and tendons around my shoulders. My upper and lower pecs never burn.
I've looked at videos to study up on techniques, but I still feel like I'm doing something wrong (like keeping my elbows too high) and just spinning my wheels.
Should I ditch the machine and go to dumbbells, or just continue to work on form? I've never much tried the cable fly because I have to manually switch it over from the other pulleys and it makes it cumbersome to go back and forth between stations.
Any recommendations, videos, tip/tricks for the best pec exercises at home? Foolproof methods for better form would also be appreciated.
9
Posted on 5/4/20 at 5:35 pm to paperwasp
Weighted pushups helped me.
Another big thing for me was focusing on flexing your pecs instead of moving the weight. It helped me a ton to forget weight and focus on doing everything with the flexing of my chest instead of focusing on the movement.
Another big thing for me was focusing on flexing your pecs instead of moving the weight. It helped me a ton to forget weight and focus on doing everything with the flexing of my chest instead of focusing on the movement.
Posted on 5/4/20 at 6:54 pm to paperwasp
quote:
dumbbell
Throw in pushups.
Mix maxing out and light, big reps. Boom.
The only thing I really can't replicate from the gym is the range of motion from the cable pulley flys.
ETA: Get carbs & sugar out the door if you haven't already. A lot of looking "bigger" can be accomplished by trimming the rest down.
This post was edited on 5/4/20 at 7:03 pm
Posted on 5/4/20 at 7:22 pm to Backinthe615
quote:
Mix maxing out and light, big reps.
I haven’t thought of mixing it up like this.
Pushups seems to be something else, and I haven’t done any in a few weeks. I’ll give that a shot too.
Thank y’all for the good ideas!
This post was edited on 5/4/20 at 7:28 pm
Posted on 5/4/20 at 10:49 pm to paperwasp
Use a real bench press, not a machine press. But you nailed by saying you need to work on your form. Work keeping your elbows in. use a bench that can give you multiple angles, flat, incline, and decline benches with the barbell and dumbbells. Also throw in various types of pushups.
Posted on 5/4/20 at 11:07 pm to paperwasp
Start doing push-ups every single day. You're not going to "overtrain". You'll be surprised how much they grow.
Posted on 5/5/20 at 12:58 am to paperwasp
Like Rep said, focus on the flexing/stretching of the pec while working it.
Throw in some dumbell floor press as well.
Throw in some dumbell floor press as well.
Posted on 5/5/20 at 8:11 am to GeorgeTheGreek
This morning I tried the dumbbell exercise that Backinthe615 referenced and focused on the flexing/stretching that has been mentioned, and I can definitely feel the difference.
I think I've been in a rut, and maybe switching it up like this will get me back on track.
Gonna try some pushups tonight.
I think I've been in a rut, and maybe switching it up like this will get me back on track.
Gonna try some pushups tonight.
Posted on 5/5/20 at 10:47 am to Rep520
quote:
Weighted pushups helped me.
I’ve been doing push-ups with resistance bands. (Since I cant go to a real gym)
The extra resistance helps tremendously for me in pec activation over normal push-ups
Posted on 5/5/20 at 11:36 am to paperwasp
AthleanX has some good videos on YouTube about chest gains.
Posted on 5/5/20 at 1:05 pm to paperwasp
How long have you been trying?
Pecs are big. They take a lot of time to grow to the size you see on say a pro wrestler. Like a year or more.
ALso, Eat enough.
Also, Try eccentric overload.
Pecs are big. They take a lot of time to grow to the size you see on say a pro wrestler. Like a year or more.
ALso, Eat enough.
Also, Try eccentric overload.
This post was edited on 5/5/20 at 1:17 pm
Posted on 5/5/20 at 1:25 pm to paperwasp
Like others eluded to, you need to have a solid neuromuscular connection to fully benefit from most chest exercises. Just doing flat bench press and/or pec deck a couple of times a week won't cut it, especially if you are using poor form on the bench.
You need to push heavy 1-2 times per week to build strength and power. The flat and incline bench press are the two primary ways to do that. Then, you can supplement with 1-2 squeezing movements (flies or crossovers) and something that targets the upper or lower pecs from a different angle like weighted dips with your feet lifted behind you or pullovers. Read up on bench press form and make sure you are keeping your shoulders down, scapulae tucked, and your hands the right distance apart with proper grip.
You need to push heavy 1-2 times per week to build strength and power. The flat and incline bench press are the two primary ways to do that. Then, you can supplement with 1-2 squeezing movements (flies or crossovers) and something that targets the upper or lower pecs from a different angle like weighted dips with your feet lifted behind you or pullovers. Read up on bench press form and make sure you are keeping your shoulders down, scapulae tucked, and your hands the right distance apart with proper grip.
Posted on 5/6/20 at 12:23 pm to paperwasp
I’ve had the same problem. My chest was a weak spot and my shoulders and arms are much stronger and tend to take over on chest work. I’m not sure if it’s a technique thing so much as it is a some people just being shaped differently thing. I switched to machine chest work as a way to focus on a weak spot. Switching to machines allowed me to more directly work my chest. Machines are generally considered an inferior lift, unless you want to really focus on 1 muscle. They use fewer muscles so aren’t very good for full body development and you can’t lift as heavy, but it allowed me to be able to focus on the pec and really get a good squeeze at the top, instead of having my arms and shoulders take over. Everyone’s body is different so I think you have to do whatever works for you.
This post was edited on 5/6/20 at 12:30 pm
Posted on 5/6/20 at 1:14 pm to Celery
Chest was a weak area for me too. In the past I had tried to compensate by doing chest workouts 2-3 days a week, like 3 chest exercises (3 X 8-10). I would do flies and DB presses until I got a good pump to be sure that I was targeting the right muscles and getting enough work in. I made some progress, but it was really slow.
I switched to Greyskull from 777s thread several months ago which actually emphasizes low rep heavy press movements and high volumes of pushups. Since then, I have gotten much stronger. The biggest strength gains have been on the bench press and squat, and my chest actually looks like I have been lifting for the first time. Sometimes, it's hard to know what is actually working until you start to see results.
I switched to Greyskull from 777s thread several months ago which actually emphasizes low rep heavy press movements and high volumes of pushups. Since then, I have gotten much stronger. The biggest strength gains have been on the bench press and squat, and my chest actually looks like I have been lifting for the first time. Sometimes, it's hard to know what is actually working until you start to see results.
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