# Tris before Pecs?



## lil-bit-slim (Dec 9, 2014)

So my pecs have always been behind the rest of my build and they are prob the source of my desire to build my muscles. My arms are always the first to get big and prob my best feature, spec tris. Anyways I've read the stickies and lots of similar posts to this in the past...

Specifically I've read the theory that you should try to do Flys before bench so that you can burn your pecs out and thus "feel" or "concentrate" on them more during your bench. 

My question is: Wouldn't it make more sense to do skull crushers or some other tri workout to burn out your tris prior to doing bench, so that when you bench your arms are tired and you have to rely more on your pec?


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## lil-bit-slim (Dec 9, 2014)

Basically i'm out of shape again and have to start from the beginning. This time I want to do something different to build my pecs more successfully.


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## IronAddict (Dec 9, 2014)

No two men are the same, what may be good for me may not be the thing for you. But, yes, always vary your workouts. Maybe your pecs are lagging because of the same work or work load. 

Always attack your muscles from different angles, always keep them guessing. Never keep the same routine for too long.

Pre exhausting your muscles is a good thing too.


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## Greedy (Dec 11, 2014)

lil-bit-slim said:


> So my pecs have always been behind the rest of my build and they are prob the source of my desire to build my muscles. My arms are always the first to get big and prob my best feature, spec tris. Anyways I've read the stickies and lots of similar posts to this in the past...
> 
> Specifically I've read the theory that you should try to do Flys before bench so that you can burn your pecs out and thus "feel" or "concentrate" on them more during your bench.
> 
> ...



Yeah sometimes I'll do flys before going to my main chest workout, it helps alot in my opinion. Just try switching up your sets/reps/weight I guess bud. But to answer your question I personally wouldn't hit arms before hitting chest but you can always try that out then yes it would focus more stressing the pecs.


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## SoCalSwole (Dec 12, 2014)

Like iron said everyone is different. Variety is the key. Do your work out in reverse, vary the rest intervals and reps. If I were starting from scratch again knowing what I know now I would alternate my workouts from low intensity high weight to high intensity with moderate weight. In the second scenario the key to the prize is Time under tension "TUT" High reps using this principle will produce the most size. It also strengthens the mind muscle connection which is what you need. If your chest is lacking and you tri's are awesome then guess what the tri's are doing the work. Slow down and take some weight off and really concentrate on how the muscle is working and get those pecs to fire. It is really hard to try to explain. I remember people trying to teach me this and I could never understand. Because I was concentrating on the muscle. But I wasn't. 

For chest I always think about pushing my chest up and my pecs together instead of pushing my hands up. Take you hands and put them out in front of you eye level with your thumbs touching. more than likely your shoulders are forward and you chin is slightly tucked. Now do the same thing but this time lift your chin up and push your chest out, and arch the back. That's what I am talking about. At the top of the reps try to get the body in that position practice it so you know what it feels like. If your under the bar and you can't get into that position then its too heavy. I can concentrate so hard on this that I work primarily just the pecs. I only need 135 on the bar to do it. do that for 4 sets of 12 taking your time and squeezing on the top not resting on your chest. Also if you in that position its rather hard to rest the bar on the chest you almost have to pull back if your doing it right.

Another thing to consider no one body part is weak with out the corresponding part weak as well. Work on your back. Pull ups at different hand positions, deadlifts, rows. I have trained several guys wanting to bring their chests up with big arms and no chest. I always instructed them to lay off the chest for a couple months and get the back up. Work on the pullups until you are doing weighted full range pull ups then work on the bench. I guarantee you make your back stronger the bench will come up and your chest will grow. 

Enough preaching. lol Good luck


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## Greedy (Dec 12, 2014)

SoCalSwole said:


> Like iron said everyone is different. Variety is the key. Do your work out in reverse, vary the rest intervals and reps. If I were starting from scratch again knowing what I know now I would alternate my workouts from low intensity high weight to high intensity with moderate weight. In the second scenario the key to the prize is Time under tension "TUT" High reps using this principle will produce the most size. It also strengthens the mind muscle connection which is what you need. If your chest is lacking and you tri's are awesome then guess what the tri's are doing the work. Slow down and take some weight off and really concentrate on how the muscle is working and get those pecs to fire. It is really hard to try to explain. I remember people trying to teach me this and I could never understand. Because I was concentrating on the muscle. But I wasn't.
> 
> For chest I always think about pushing my chest up and my pecs together instead of pushing my hands up. Take you hands and put them out in front of you eye level with your thumbs touching. more than likely your shoulders are forward and you chin is slightly tucked. Now do the same thing but this time lift your chin up and push your chest out, and arch the back. That's what I am talking about. At the top of the reps try to get the body in that position practice it so you know what it feels like. If your under the bar and you can't get into that position then its too heavy. I can concentrate so hard on this that I work primarily just the pecs. I only need 135 on the bar to do it. do that for 4 sets of 12 taking your time and squeezing on the top not resting on your chest. Also if you in that position its rather hard to rest the bar on the chest you almost have to pull back if your doing it right.
> 
> ...


+1

Its funny as you were saying you only need 135 for Bench and how you'd see results basically I was actually watching this when you posted that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMncbdtwic4


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## SoCalSwole (Dec 12, 2014)

^^^^Love Rich, love his passion! pretty much what I said That's the whole key right there. But no one can check their ego at the door. Way more impressive to me to pump out 225 for 25 reps than 2 reps for 405. Everytime the guy who does reps is always bigger. I don't give a FXCK about the weight. My goal is to be a Rep god.


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## Greedy (Dec 12, 2014)

SoCalSwole said:


> ^^^^Love Rich, love his passion! pretty much what I said That's the whole key right there. But no one can check their ego at the door. Way more impressive to me to pump out 225 for 25 reps than 2 reps for 405. Everytime the guy who does reps is always bigger. I don't give a FXCK about the weight. My goal is to be a Rep god.




Rich/Lee Priest are probably my favorite youtubers about gear and truthful talks they're awesome to listen too.( if you havn't watched lee priest on sams fitness you should check them out)
Yeah I had a roommate after he blew up from 150 to 195 lbs on gear ( he was 5'4) Jeezus, he did 225 for 22 and everyone was like how many times can he do 315, he told everyone he hasn't ever tried 315 nor is it beneficial to him on growth, its just like that its true benching heavier will/can help but in my opinion it won't beat hypertrophy, I'm not a weight lifter nor am I a powerlifter I don't care about strength because honestly all it is,is ego.


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## macedog24 (Dec 13, 2014)

I love high reps ! With that said .personally I stopped doing tri's with chest . Your already burning out your tri's  so when you go to do chest how can you push and reach  full potential/growth when you have fatigued your tris. Or vice versa. My strength and growth are noticeable better keep the two seperate. This is just my opinion.but if you try it for two weeks. You will not go back.


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## SoCalSwole (Dec 13, 2014)

^^ Agreed I train everybody part on its own day. Back, Chest, Legs, Shoulders, Arms. One day of rest and then I pick one to train twice in a week Lately its been legs. I could never go back to a 3 day split. Too many reps and too many sets. It already takes me an hour and 15 just to do shoulders, and I'm not taking long rests between sets either. If I attempted the shoulder work out I do know 4 years ago it would be more harm then good. If you train hard enough you only need to hit it once a week, plus shoulders, back , bi's, and tri's all get hammered on the other days just because of them being supporting groups to the one I am training.


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## macedog24 (Dec 15, 2014)

SoCalSwole said:


> ^^ Agreed I train everybody part on its own day. Back, Chest, Legs, Shoulders, Arms. One day of rest and then I pick one to train twice in a week Lately its been legs. I could never go back to a 3 day split. Too many reps and too many sets. It already takes me an hour and 15 just to do shoulders, and I'm not taking long rests between sets either. If I attempted the shoulder work out I do know 4 years ago it would be more harm then good. If you train hard enough you only need to hit it once a week, plus shoulders, back , bi's, and tri's all get hammered on the other days just because of them being supporting groups to the one I am training.


I guess when your younger and can afford to stay in the gym 2hrs + . I don't know how I use to do it now that I think about it. 
Like you said socalswole, I don't rest long between sets and doing shoulders, or chest. I'm there hr + . But if I wanna do cardio add another 30 min.+ . Only thing i do together  is arms. And it's a long workout. Bi/tri/forearms.


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## lil-bit-slim (Dec 17, 2014)

Thanks for all the great info guys! Much appreciated!


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