# Why won't my chest grow?!?



## TheStuff (Apr 19, 2003)

Okay, I've been working so hard on my chest and it doesn't seem to want to grow at all.  I have little improvment on bench press and my chest is just not growing.  I'm doing GoPro's power/rep/shock routine's and everything else seems to be doing great except my chest!  Please help out, I'm thinking about training my chest twice a week.  What do you guys suggest?  I'm 16 (17 in May) 5'8-1/2 and 143lbs.  I mostly have no body fat and am mostly build of muscle for some reason I can't gain any bf.  Maybe that's my problem?


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## tjwes (Apr 19, 2003)

Post your training routine.Are you eating enough?


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## Arnold (Apr 19, 2003)

Post your work-out.

Any you gaining any weight?

Maybe you're overtraining and/or under eating.


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## TheStuff (Apr 19, 2003)

CHEST

POWER:
Bench Press 3 set x 4-6rep 
Incline Press 3 set x 6-8rep 
Decline Flyes 3 set x 10-12rep 

REP RANGE:
Decline Bench 3 sets x 6-8reps 
Incline Dumbells 3 sets x 6-8reps 
Flat Flye 3 set x 6-8rep 
Weighted Dips 2 set x 6-8rep 

SHOCK:
Incline Fly 2 set x 8-10 supersetted with..... Bench Press 2 set x 8-10rep 
Pec Deck or crossover 2 x 8-10 supersetted with Incline Bench 2 set x 8-10rep 
Weighted Dips Drop Set....enough wt. to get 4-5 reps, drop the wt. and get another 4-5, take all wt. off (just bodyweight) and go till failure.... only one set of this. 


There is my routine.  I don't know if I'm eating right or what.  I'm trying to take in a lot of protein right after workouts and stuff, but mostly I'm just trying to eat as much as I can to gain weight.  I want to be around 150 of pure muscle and some bf.

I don't know if you will be able to see it since it's pretty dark, but here is a picture of me in December 
http://hardhitter2k3.tripod.com/Dec29_07.jpg  To have the picture work, you have to copy and paste it into the address bar


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## Arnold (Apr 19, 2003)

You do that entire routine in one chest workout?

If you truley want to gain weight/muscle you have to be much more in tune with your diet.


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## TheStuff (Apr 19, 2003)

No, first week I do the power routine say on monday, then next monday, I do the rep range routine, then next monday I do shock routine and then I just restart back at power so it alternates every week.


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## gopro (Apr 19, 2003)

Hey there. I see you are using my program, and I'm glad to hear that its working for you on most bodyparts. If all other areas are progressing, but your chest is lagging the problem may be twofold...

1- you may be using poor form and/or too much weight during your chest workouts

2- genetically you may be lacking in the chest area through poor nerve supply, lack of muscle fiber, etc

Since there is nothing you can do about your genetics you must make sure that you are using proper form on your chest exercises...that you are doing your reps slowly and in a controlled manner, without cheating the weight up. Make sure to keep your chest high, shoulders shrugged down, and shoulders blades pinched during all chest movements.

Also, with just chest I want you to modify your rotation with the workouts as follows....

POWER
REP RANGE
REP RANGE
SHOCK  

Then repeat. After 2 cycles like this let me know how you are doing.


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## TheStuff (Apr 19, 2003)

Thanks GoPro, so say instead of doing like 45's on each side (yeah I know, nothing impressive) go with 35-40 on each side and just do them really slow and make sure it's really hitting my chest right?  I'm going right now actually, so I'll work on it.  Thanks everyone.


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## gopro (Apr 19, 2003)

Right. Forget about how much weight everyone else is pushing. Make sure you are feeling the exercise first...that is # 1.


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## TheStuff (Apr 19, 2003)

Would it help if I started doing pushups nightly?  Like two sets of 20 or something before I go to bed?


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## Scotty the Body (Apr 19, 2003)

All push ups are going to do is warm your chest up, they will not build muscle so don't waist your time doing them before bed.


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## titans13ae (Apr 19, 2003)

gopro is your program posted anywhere in the forum which you can link me to


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## Arnold (Apr 20, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by TheStuff *_
> Would it help if I started doing pushups nightly?  Like two sets of 20 or something before I go to bed?



It would help to increase the number of push-ups you can do, that's about it.


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## gopro (Apr 20, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by titans13ae *_
> gopro is your program posted anywhere in the forum which you can link me to



Go to the sticky near the top of the training forum called "gopro workouts." On one of the first few posts there is a list of bodyparts that are linked to my workouts.


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## titans13ae (Apr 20, 2003)

thanks bud


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## gopro (Apr 21, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by titans13ae *_
> thanks bud



My pleasure friend!


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## Mudge (Apr 22, 2003)

Tried dumbells over barbell? I'm not a big fan of flys myself, I prefer pec dec, if I ever do flys its one set only (rare) and be carefull with the weight.


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## TheStuff (Apr 22, 2003)

yeah the thing is with bench pressing, I'm horrible at it.  I don't know if it's my form or what, but I really do not feel anything and most of the time, my triceps get tired before my chest.


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## Arnold (Apr 22, 2003)

what type of width do you use on your grip?

if your tri's give out first you may be using too narrow of a grip, try wider.


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## irontime (Apr 22, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Prince *_
> It would help to increase the number of push-ups you can do, that's about it.


I may have to disagree with you on this one Prince, I agree that it won't do much for your bench press, but I noticed that it does help the chest look more like a chest instead of all titty like.  Possibly noticed because I was a fat kid with big tits


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## Arnold (Apr 22, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by irontime *_
> I may have to disagree with you on this one Prince, I agree that it won't do much for your bench press, but I noticed that it does help the chest look more like a chest instead of all titty like.  Possibly noticed because I was a fat kid with big tits



so, you're saying that doing push-ups every night makes your chest leaner? that's absurd.


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## irontime (Apr 22, 2003)

I seemed to notice a difference


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## ClayEdgin (Apr 22, 2003)

I've been having good results with the 5x5 system.  Two warm up sets of increasing weight and then three sets with a heavy enough weight that I can only lift it for 5 reps.  I've taken my bench press from 155 in January to 245 as of yesterday morning.  Since I've been doing the Atkins diet and losing weight, my chest and arm measurements have only gone up slightly, but the loss of fat has made them more pronounced compared to the rest of the my body.  

But I'm a relative newbie too, so you'll probably find better answers from the pros


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## gopro (Apr 22, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by TheStuff *_
> yeah the thing is with bench pressing, I'm horrible at it.  I don't know if it's my form or what, but I really do not feel anything and most of the time, my triceps get tired before my chest.



There is a difference between being horrible at benching and getting nothing out of it. If you mean that you can't lift alot of weight, that does not mean you are horrible at benching, but rather that its just a weak movement for you. Now, if you can't seem to feel much chest stimulation while benching that still does not make you horrible at it...it just may mean that your form is poor, you are using too much weight, or, that benching is simply not a great movement for you.

Before giving up benching try doing it slower with more control. Also, try doing it after inclines rather than first in your routine. If after trying this you still don't feel it in your chest than perhaps benching is not an effective chest exercise for you.


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