Pectoral stimulation

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

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Followers of the bodybuilding threads may remember the issues I was having with my chest. Well, not issues exactly but the development of my overall physique is let down entirely by my chest. It's gradually beginning to get me down now.

I've read the articles, I've watched the videos, I know the form but I still struggle to engage my chest fully on the various exercises, compound or isolation. My front delts dominate everything, which I admit was due to bad form when I began lifting. Over two years of mostly delt development with very little chest progression.

Has anyone dealt with similar problems fully engaging the chest? What was the solution?

Presses: I keep my back arched and squeezed, mind focused on the muscle group, arms lowered and out of the movement. After 8 reps, all I feel is a pump in my shoulders and a slight sensation in my chest.
 
Sounds to me like you've got overactive traps, which are elevating the shoulder girdle and increasing anterior delt activition in your pressing movements.

Lat Stretch, Chest/Ant. Delt stretch, and most important aggressive stretching of trapezius. Stretch upper traps between every set, pre and post workout, and on non-training days too.

Also, find an exercise that hits lower traps hard. I like a close grip row on lat pull down, elbows tucked in, chest elevated. This will help depress shoulder girldle, you could even use this as a first set on chest day, there's some chest activation in this too :)

Ant :cool:

PS. A close up of pectoral, shoulders, and neck, and a full body shot would make it easier for me to assess posture :)
 
Do you not get any pump out of heavy flys? Tried declined bench?

I had to take effort off my shoulders when I bust my rotator cuff. It was stopping me from doing flat and incline presses but the above were much better.
 
Sounds like Ant has made a pritty good suggestion.

I remember you mentioning this. I'm not quite sure what to suggest.

Perhaps trying (if you haven't already) to build an even better mind muscle connection might be the key.

I can flex most of the key muscles in my body, pecs, lats, calves, both soleus and gastrocnemius seperatley, hams, quads etc. Practising your chest poses might help to wake the muscle up a bit?

Probaly already been suggested but have you tried benching with the far further down your body? I remember my old TP would sometimes bench with the bar on his neck :eek:

Hope you figure something out mate. You should intheory be able to build a decent chest with flyes as this motion will activate & work the pectoralis more than most pressing movements.
 
Alex_6n2 said:
Do you not get any pump out of heavy flys? Tried declined bench?

I had to take effort off my shoulders when I bust my rotator cuff. It was stopping me from doing flat and incline presses but the above were much better.
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I get the best pumps from cables but it's quite an effort and takes a lot of concentration, largely because the pumps are equal if not more on the shoulders.

BennyC said:
Perhaps trying (if you haven't already) to build an even better mind muscle connection might be the key.

I can flex most of the key muscles in my body, pecs, lats, calves, both soleus and gastrocnemius seperatley, hams, quads etc. Practising your chest poses might help to wake the muscle up a bit?

Probaly already been suggested but have you tried benching with the far further down your body? I remember my old TP would sometimes bench with the bar on his neck :eek:

Hope you figure something out mate. You should intheory be able to build a decent chest with flyes as this motion will activate & work the pectoralis more than most pressing movements.
Click to expand...

Flexing has never been an issue, surprisingly. With concentration I can flex my chest as well as any other muscle however with little or no concentration and effort I feel my shoulders tensing up in the process.

I find my concentration is generally a lot higher on my chest day, for this reason. I've really tried focusing but it's still quite an effort. I've also stripped the weights back entirely and started from scratch, 30KG upwards.

As mentioned, best stimulation comes from cable flyes, also fixed machine flyes when I really stick my chest out.
 
I'm in a similar predicament. The bottom of my pecs grow, but right in the centre at the top it's just completely flat. :confused:

As an example, the part where the lines are grows, but the area around the dot doesn't at all. :(

pecs.jpg
 
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For me pecs are very much dependent on how well you can contract them. Can you accurately 'bounce' them one side at a time? If not spend some time practicing that, it will help the mind muscle connection tremendously.
 
dun said:
For me pecs are very much dependent on how well you can contract them. Can you accurately 'bounce' them one side at a time? If not spend some time practicing that, it will help the mind muscle connection tremendously.
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I cant do that at all. :( Give me a few hours...
 
BennyC said:
Doing it when wearing t-shirts with letters on ad making the letters bounce is awesome :p

Very off putting for somebody if they're trying to have a conversation with you :D
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Hahah, just look at them in the eyes and act interested, then start bouncing them like you don't even mean to. /lol at reaction.
 
I dont even know how to begin trying to do this :confused: Bet its going to be like raising an eyebrow no matter how much i try i cant raise the right one on its own only the left...
 
Try doing bench dips? 2 benches and then move your feet further off and hand rest bench back until it becomes difficult?

I just watched a film and spent more time trying to 'bounce' my pecs than watching it and i still cant. Argh :(
 
crunchman said:
I can't do normal dips atm even :(

My triceps seem to be severely under trained, is there anyway I can build up to dips as I feel I'm missing a big part out of my workout.
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I'm sure you can do some dips to a degree. At gyms they have dips machines, you can put some weight on there to do some sets with, and build up to your body weight, then do proper dips, then start adding weights.
 
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