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New Chest Workout

3K views 52 replies 8 participants last post by  pabuckkiller 
#1 ·
Going to start a new chest routine tonight.
10 sets of 15 reps on flat bench with dumbbells.
5 sets of 10 on incline bench with dumbells.
5 sets of 10 cable flys.
Maybe deadlifts after.

Should be pretty grueling. Been going heavy the last few months and have never done that high of a volume with lighter weight before.
Looking forward to seeing what kind of pump I get.

Anyone else have a chest routine they would like to share ?
 
#2 ·
I do chest and Tri's together.


Flat bench:
warm up, 10-12rep, 8rep, 4reps
Dumbbell incline:
12,12,10,8
Dumbbell flies:
10,10,8,8
Peck deck:
10-12 for 3 sets
Cable Cross:
12-15 for 3 sets


then into tri's:
I feel like I do to much volume so unless you are on some good supliments I don't think that much volume is good. But you may be a genetic freak that recovers really well. Also how long have you been at it and how much weight are you moving? those determine a good bit too I think.
 
#3 ·
Been lifting for over 5 months now after a long layoff. My routine has been anywhere from 6 to 12 reps 5 to 6 sets flat bench with dumbells. Maxing our at 95 pound dumbells. 4 to 5 sets with 8 to 10 reps on the incline Different variations of flys but mostly dumbell flys. Finish with wide grip dips using full body weight. 4 to 5 sets basically trying to do as many as I can on each set.
I am going to really have to drop the weight to get through this new workout. Probably only use 55 pound dumbells on the flat bench and even less on the incline. If it jacks me up too bad I will have to modify it. In a weird way I am starting to look forward to the pain now.
 
#4 ·
depends on if you want to build size. If you want to get bigger or stronger I think your making a mistake IMHO. can't do progressive overload with your new plan.
I live for coaching and helping people in the gym not gonna say it wont work because there are all kinds of genetic different people out there. What goal do you want to accomplish with this?
 
#5 ·
I want to continue to get bigger and more cut . Kind of getting bored with the same old routine. I know they say heavy weight to build mass but wouldn't I still be creating micro tares in my chest muscles by doing this new workout ? If my 14th or 15th rep is almost to failure ? Also I was thinking doing something completely different from what I have been doing may create a new stimulus for the growth ?
 
#6 ·
To create size you must follow some from of progressive overload. that takes a progression of weight or reps over time and when starting with weight light enough to go 15+ reps you can't really do it well unless your on gear and then all bets are off.
These are some 99% sure things:
8-12 is the best gaining size ranges because it's light enough to pump and tear into the muscle properly but light enough to contract and focus the energy. Any more than that and you lose a lot of the focus and end up building up endurance and oxygen to the fibers not adding to the size. Not that that is a bad thing but it's a waist of time for the power or look. Go less than 8 and you focus more on the triggering or activation of power. You will still accumulate size at a slower rate but the power will be the main focus in that range.
If your getting tired of your current chest work out do this:
substitute your next chest workout with dumbbell flat bench pick a weight that you can get 12-15 reps with and do 10 reps then pause for 10 seconds then do 10 more then repeat and as you get less reps per period add a few second more rest go from 10-15 but never more than 20. Do this for as long as you can until you can't get 1 rep the EAT! that's it for that chest day. since it's a 1 time shot I do maybe once a year it gives you a crazy blood flow stimulation that will revitalize your regular workout like never before.
 
#7 ·
I'm not sure what age you are but be careful with the regular flat bench.I see you're doing the flat bench with dumbbells and that's smart.Up until I was about 40,I lifted pretty heavy every day with a bunch of guys at lunchtime.Bench pressing is actually a pretty unnatural movement and you'll eventually pay the price if you lift heavy.
 
#25 ·
I cannot possibly agree more with this statement, especially when going for heavy weights. When I was younger, I finished my bench routine with a single rep with 405 on the bar, and that was with no spotter, which I was comfortable with.
I quit working out for a few years and got back into it. Went at it too hard, too fast and ended up with a ruptured shoulder tendon and torn bicep muscle. You just don't need to be Hercules and I would much prefer to go for reps than weight as one gets older.
To this day, I cannot lift free weights without discomfort and really, really wish that I could do it. I always thought that it would never happen to me...but it did.
 
#8 ·
Go less than 8 and you focus more on the triggering or activation of power. You will still accumulate size at a slower rate but the power will be the main focus in that range.

I agree with that.If you're focus is on gaining strength,it's still tough to beat the old 5 sets of 5 work out.
 
#11 ·
Had stomach issues for whatever reason last night so I didn’t go. Going tonight but probably just going to stick with what I have been doing. You guys kind of steered me away from trying it and in all honesty I have made a lot of progress so why change it.
 
#15 ·
How old are you?Look at it this way.You never have anywhere to go but up as long as you stay dedicated.Take a trip to a mall,Walmart amusement park etc and just look around.We live in a pretty unhealthy society.I'm far from an expert but I never really changed anything up until I hit a plateau.Keep doing what you're doing and just concentrate on doing it right.I heard at one time that less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the worlds population can bench press 300lbs.If you can do that,which isn't all that hard to accomplish after a while,you're a legend.
 
#13 ·
This is the most committed I have ever been. Had a few hiccups here and there over the winter with getting sick. Had a few occasions where I drank more than I should of as well and my diet hasent always been on point. With that being said, in the past I would of used one of those instances to give me an excuse to quit. Now I get right back in the gym . Still working on cleaning my habits up a bit and getting even more dedicated. It’s been tough lately. Lots of functions with bad food and alcohol that keep coming up. Need to stay focused and not let anything derail me.
 
#14 ·
It's a hard road for sure. I am back for 18 months now and in pretty incredible shape to toot my own horn lol. And I am with you I am good 95% of the time and when stuff goes wrong with a function or an adult beverage the best medicine is to jump right back at it. If you let it go even 1 day more than scheduled it's an chance to slip back into laziness.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I will be 45 in September. Doubt I will hit the 300 lb mark at my age. In fact I will probably never find out what I can max out at because I don’t really have a spotter at the gym I go to. The bar has always felt awkward to me so I exclusively use dumbbells. Feel like I get a better stretch that way. After a little over 5 months I am getting a few reps with 100 lb dumbbells which isn’t bad considering how long my arms are.
I am just glad I am going consistently. I feel great and love the feeling I get right after a good workout. My routine is get home from work and hang with the family for a few hours. Once the wife and I finally get the kids to bed I go to the gym for an hour, come home and have a protein shake. Its a great hour or two having the house quiet and enjoying my shake watching a little television.
I don’t lift for vanity but a lot of random strangers have been asking me how long I have been lifting for in the last 3 weeks or so. Family and friends have been commenting to. I am not going to lie.....it feels good having people notice, especially at my age.
I just want to keep going and see how much more I can improve. Don’t want to look back twenty years from now and wonder what I could of looked like if I worked out in my 40s.
 
#17 ·
Steelhead125 you hit the nail on the head. I don't think a lot of us guys lifting that are over 30 started again or got serious for vanity, but it is nice and can be the base for a lot of motivation! Anytime you want that spotter let me know I am always down for a gym day!
 
#18 ·
I am just glad I got most of my gut off. I couldn’t stand it. Not so much for how I looked (which was not as bad as I am probably making it sound) but for how uncomfortable I was. Some guys may be unaffected by having one but mine was making me miserable. Really looking forward to archery season. Hiking the mountain and climbing trees will be much easier now that I lost twenty plus pounds and I am in shape.
 
#19 ·
Don't sell yourself short,I know a lot of guys who have their best lifts in their 40's.I lift every day with a 72 year old guy who's still breaking world records.Three years ago at 198lbs,he was squatting 550 for a double with perfect form.The poor guy never had a bench but his squat and dead lift numbers were insane.If he had a 300lb bench,he'd be famous.I lift before work and I'm the only guy in their under 65.There's some guys right around 70 that are in pretty good shape for any age.
 
#21 ·
I'm not an expert but I always thought that as you get older you should watch lifting heavy weights and increase your reps and decrease the weight to avoid injury. For me it was when I turned 40 I noticed anytime I started lifting heavy to build strength I would develop joint or muscle issues. Now I do more reps with less weight.

Good luck.
 
#23 ·
I am pretty in tune with my body and know my limitations. My workouts always start out with a warmup and then my fist set of anything is usually light so I can concentrate on my form. Gradually I increase the weight with each set. If anything feels off or awkward I stop. Don’t want to jinks myself but I have been blessed with a good back and my joints never really bother me for the exception of my left shoulder once in a while. I take extra precautions not to injure it.
I really feel for people with nagging back issues. Know a lot of guys younger then me that are already having problems and see multiple surgeries every day at the hospital I work at.
 
#24 · (Edited)
In my opinion most people over train, by a lot. For example, when I was younger I would do 20 sets for chest. Now I do 10, and maintain the same size. The weight I use has decreased, but I think that is due to my age (55).

I have also learned that diet is the most important and most difficult thing to control. 99% of weight trainers who are trying to look better, get bigger stronger, have a layer of fat covering their muscles, some more than others. Getting ripped it a matter of disciplined eating. For me, and I think most, it is the most challenging part of the equation. Your body just wants to keep that fat around the middle! lol And the more you run and lift the more you want to eat! Someone said "stay hungry", it's the truth if you want that six pack. Unless you are genetic freak or 18 years old. lol

Just some thougts.... Best of luck with your lifting!
 
#28 ·
In my opinion most people over train, by a lot. For example, when I was younger I would do 20 sets for chest. Now I do 10, and maintain the same size. The weight I use has decreased, but I think that is due to my age (55).

I have also learned that diet is the most important and most difficult thing to control. 99% of weight trainers who are trying to look better, get bigger stronger, have a layer of fat covering their muscles, some more than others. Getting ripped it a matter of disciplined eating. For me, and I think most, it is the most challenging part of the equation. Your body just wants to keep that fat around the middle! lol And the more you run and lift the more you want to eat! Someone said "stay hungry", it's the truth if you want that six pack. Unless you are genetic freak or 18 years old. lol

Just some thougts.... Best of luck with your lifting!
Please define over training??? I don't agree with that part of your statement at all.


Diet for the look part I agree with, but you still need a good base of muscle to look balanced.


A lot of what is said here seem to be very generic statements that may or may not apply depending on what the person is wanting to do.
 
#26 ·
Another workout to consider that a lot of guys are doing is a set of maybe 10 reps between 135-185, depending on your strength, immediately followed by sets of 10 pushups. Do several combined sets of this. It's supposed to be brutal but effective, and you're not going crazy with heavy weight. This combined with a good diet and cardio should increase getting "cut" more quickly.
 
#27 ·
I was the strongest and in my best pain free shape into my late 30's.By the time I hit 45,I started to feel it in my joints.Your joints just aren't meant to be abused with excessive weights for several decades and eventually you pay the price.When I realized I was getting past my prime,I cut back on the heavy free weights.
 
#44 ·
Maybe I'm just lucky and have good genetics, but I'm 45 and still lift as heavy as ever. I was a power lifter in my 20's. In my 30's I did some of the fade workouts like P90X (which is great by the way) Now my teenage son is very into lifting and we go heavy. We cycle weight after 8-12 weeks. I also starting bulking in the fall and winter. I then carb cycle towards summer. The results have been very good. I do occasionally have some elbow problems but that is mostly my fault for not stretching warming up enough. I have ditched the isolation moves and do almost all compound lifts.
 
#31 ·
Over training is doing more than is necessary to achieve the desired product. May lead to physical injury or psychological burn out. Basically, if you do too much too often, you will not make the gains you could have. You could also come down with an overuse injury and go backwards. https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/dimaggio12.htm
While I agree there are diminishing returns to muscle growth with XYZ amounts of sets I RARELY see anyone over train a muscle (the central nervous system is a different thing when it comes to overtraining). People usually "under recover"
Also most people genuinely lack the ability to put out the effort needed to maximize muscle growth in only 10 sets for a body part. Building muscle and maintaining muscle growth are two VERY different things. Also muscle memory absolutely exists.
I think most people use "overtraining" as a cookie cutter excuse to not push hard or to be satisfied with mediocre results.
 
#32 ·
All I know is this stuff gets pretty confusing. So many different styles and types of training methods. I guess you could call my routine a bro split. Just finished reading an article that basically said for fast gains I should be working each body part 3 times per week and lowering my volume. Gives me a headache when I do some research on it.
 
#33 ·
In one respect they are all correct for someone since genetics are all so so different.


one of the only 99% bets is you need progressive overload to grow new muscle. How you get that either from volume or heavy depends on what your body type likes. So being honest with yourself is the hardest part and why most people should have a coach to give you an objective look if your trying to be more than just a little more healthy than the average man.
 
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