what is the secret to big pecs?

• Keep the feet firmly planted on the floor
  
• Grip slightly wider than shoulders
  
• Shoulders and Rear stay on the bench with a slight arch in the back.
  
• Elbows at a 45 degree angle
  
• As the weight lowers.. push out your chest, as if you're trying to meet the bar half way.. if that make sense?
  
• The bar should lower right at or right below your pecs.. 
  
• As you push the bar up, squeeze the pecs
  
• Don't lock out your elbows at the top of the press.
  
• If your shoulder hurts, it's ok to bring the bar down where it's an inch or two off the pec.
  
• Don't use too much weight. Start with 3 sets of 10 reps using about 70-75% of your 10 rep max and add about 5 lbs to each workout.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ss396

ive been working out 8 months and made only little progress on my chest , my biggest problem would be   that most things i try i dont seem to feel it in my chest  , just my shoulders , and not in a good way which is why im taking a week off for sore shoulders.and possibly over training

i mean i can see some difference but not enough! i want huge pecs! i was doing
bench with bb 3x10
incline bench with db 3x10
pec fly machine 3x10
and cable crossovers 3x10

the first three of always done  but as for cable cross overs i usually do those or some other form  of pec work out..

but for god only knows every exercise i do out of all those , just started awhile ago .. i hurt my shoulders , weather its going to far back on the pec fly machine or with the DBs on incline bench ect ect... i just feel pain in my shoulders. and get a lack luster muscle pump.  i try to focus on proper form i just think im cursed , no matter what muscle  or what exercises im doing i always seem to have bad form and lately since my shoulders have been hurting , i can do something for biceps like preacher curls and hurt my shoulders... dunno why , frustrated and wanna snap! as for exercises like flies with Db , stuff like that all on my shoulders and hurts them!!!!

like i said i have made gains just not much .

how come they dont get cut at the bottom of the pec? and what about the sides of the pec?
mine have like flab rolls! or something , i know i have alittle body fat and need to cut , but im not planning on doing that till i gain another 30 lbs ,...

also , you know how the next day your alittle sore on the muscle u work out!!! when i do chest the only place i feel sore is A. my rat bagged shoulders  and B. for my chest i feel like  in between where the shoulder and chest connect , never all over my chest which is what i want! why is that?

which leads my to my next question/// when i do pec fly machine , i was told to keep my arms parallel to the floor , which makes them stick straight out.. shoulder height , but last week my gym was closed i had to go to another and used their pec dec and i couldnt adjust the seat , so my arms were abit lower.about nipple height!. while it did ofcourse hurt my shoulders , after my set i felt a squeeze in the middle of my chest  , i got excited  cuz i dont ahve much chest mass i figured hey im finally working it! then the next week at my gym i once again didnt get that squeeze! should i be nipple height on everything for chest like on bench and stuff?


i found a new routine on body building.com that im excited to do i tried it last week but my shoulders held me back but it did how ever exhaust me alittle quicker then the usual routine.

its like this  first u pre exhaust on something that barely uses arms  and more chest.. so pec dec..

a warm up set or two then a triple drop set first 8-10 with a spot then drop it 6-8 with a spot and drop it 4-6 with a spot..  and that is pretty intense makes the chest tired

then onto incline bench on smith machine , same concept with triple drop set only  using five second negatives.

then flat bench with DBs but its not a drop set , its a rest pause , u do reps 8-10  and get assisted last two if needed , rest for 20 seconds , then again 6-8 , rest 15 seconds , then again 4-6 and ont he last one hold the Dbs mid way for 20 seconds , then to polish is of with the weight u can  handle flat flies with , start at the top and lower to stretch the chest then hold it 50 seconds , and thats the workout , when i did the fly thing after 30 seconds i dropped them it was tearing my shoulder out...

anyway i desire a big chest.. i feel like i have bad form on everything but i read about form and try to apply it but im not getting far and im getting hurt , which makes me not wanna try the real mass gainers like clean and press and deadlifts cuz no matter what i alway seem to be doing something wrong , this is the one thing ive stuck to , im determined.. i need help.. can anyone offer their opinion on the new routine ive found aswell as anything i may be doing wrong!????????

quote:

ORIGINAL: pc2761

are decline presses even necessary? I've tried them but seem to really struggle with them. I hit the incline dumbell, and start with 65,70, 75, 85 doing 4 sets of 8-10...however when i try decline dumbell, i cant do crap? does decline really isolate the chest better than incline?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Essential
For cable crossovers... I would stay away from those for now. You need to really watch the excersizes you do with a shoulder injury. The best thing is to stay off of it for a while or atleast lift light. It's better to have it full healed sooner than prolonging the injury and possibly making it worse.

quote:

ORIGINAL: smoundzou

Necessary?
Other than flat bench, nothing else is really necessary...

< Message edited by Rex 22 -- 11/27/2007 9:06:56 AM >

_____________________________

Recent Maxes.

Barbell Bench Press - 265 lbs.
Barbell Military Press - 187 lbs.
Barbell Squat - 340 lbs.
Barbell Deadlift - 362 lbs.

(in reply to smoundzou)

quote:

ORIGINAL: RollingStone

well you seem to have problems with all of your exercises in the shoulder area.  Are you working the chest really hard and not paying attention to your shoulders? I doubt it but its a possibility. Its suggested that one be able to military barbell press at least 2/3 the weight that they can bench press.  Get your form down on bench and your other exercises if you say its not good. Make it good.  When you bench you want ur shoulders to be back and ur lats should be digging into the bench. Any of these things could be your problem but im just guessing so if im no help im sorry