Weight gainer + chest plateau

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

Soldato
Joined
27 Sep 2004
Posts
13,522
Location
Glasgow
Bear with me, I'm not looking for a quick fix solution to weight! You've seen my progress shots, I've been training on and off for the past circa two years but I'm having a couple of issues.

Weight: Time restraints are stressing me out, when I'm not at Uni I'm straight to work, on my rare days off I'm either entertaining the mrs or attending to something else. Still, I eat a lot, I usually get in around 4 sometimes even 5 meals but it varies depending on the days activities. I'm having to prepare meals the night before but I'm not gaining much if anything.

Would a meal replacement supplement be a good idea? What's your experience and opinions? They do appear rather steep in price, unfortunately,

Chest: My upper chest is killing me. Compared to everything else: legs, tri's, it's lagging far behind. I've even resorted to trying those isolation machines, particularly the incline press. My upper chest seems to be pretty much non-existent with my lower half lagging.

Any advice?

I'm actually preferring leg days now :eek: as I'm actually seeing some gains.


edit: Found my last gayer shot
Arms, legs and everything in general are still developing but my chest is pretty much the same. :\
 
Last edited:
Your chest is looking good Shifty, it seems proportional at the very least.

Im obese so what progress I do make on the chest is still hidden by my moobs.

My best advice, not that Im an expert, if your gym has an isolation machine where you push the weight out with your feet then let go, use that. For a year before I had the condifence to hit the front of the gym with free weights/smiths I used such a machine. You can really push yourself right to failure and simply catch the falling weight with your feet when you just cant push any more. I still feel to this day that machine give me a headstart on my chest.

I hope my description is clear, this image below is a similar machine in my gym, you can simply push the weight out with your legs first using a foot plate (which the below machine doesnt seem to have), then let go and support the weight with your arms. I still use it now and again if Ive 'plateaud' and want to really exert myself.

verticalpress.gif
 
Last edited:
shifty_uk said:
Would a meal replacement supplement be a good idea? What's your experience and opinions? They do appear rather steep in price, unfortunately,

Chest: My upper chest is killing me. Compared to everything else: legs, tri's, it's lagging far behind. I've even resorted to trying those isolation machines, particularly the incline press. My upper chest seems to be pretty much non-existent with my lower half lagging.

Any advice?
Click to expand...

As for MRPs I dont really have a thing against them, if I'm not able to grab a meal I'd happily have 100g of Oats with a scoop of whey in it, but not make a habit of it, not really looked into the actual MRPs available as you say they are expensive. I may be working evenings soon so this may be ideal for about 7 or 8pm then have my normal meal when i get home at 10.30pm.

As for the chest, do you mean size or progress in weight? What do you normally do?

I used to do the 'usual' 3 sets of about 10-12 reps, and hit a bit of a plateau, now moved to 5x5 and the weight I lifted has gone up quickly. So maybe a change in regimen could be in order?
 
going from 3x10 to 5x5 will mean a raise in weight just due to the rep range remember Kappa.

G4ORCE - while those are ok, they will not be of any use as a primary exercise for chest development. Great for drop sets or some isolation after some good compounds, but generally it is not comparable to free weights.
 
I know it sounds obvious but is it possible for you to eat more in these 4/5 meals, to the point of being uncomfortably full? :p

A few things I would recommend for upper chest (Mine I feel is also lagging, but I think it's an area that's hard to hit for most)

Pec-Fly machine (booo hissss). Sit quite low.
Diamond press ups - raised feet. Or the equivelant Incline CGBP
Get Dipping if you aren't already.
Slow the reps right down, long painful negatives.
 
Hi Shifty,

Pic is not available so cannot see but have you tried;
incline dumbbell press
Incline bench press

Both compound and both good for the upper chest. Both done with free weights.

Drop sets are great for getting a good burn on.

Do you usual xxKg incline bench press then for the normal reps / sets then drop 5 / 10 Kg depending on the size of the total and rep to failure, then drop and rep to failure etc until you hit a clean bar. You should feel the burn and if you are not used to it you should feel the DOMS the day after.

I really llike drop sets and it give a massive pump so take you pics after completing one ;).

Give us more idea of your workout and I am sure more and better advice will be forthcoming.

RB
 
Benny06 said:
I know it sounds obvious but is it possible for you to eat more in these 4/5 meals, to the point of being uncomfortably full? :p

A few things I would recommend for upper chest (Mine I feel is also lagging, but I think it's an area that's hard to hit for most)

Pec-Fly machine (booo hissss). Sit quite low.
Diamond press ups - raised feet. Or the equivelant Incline CGBP
Get Dipping if you aren't already.
Slow the reps right down, long painful negatives.
Click to expand...

Sorry fella, but doing things like CGBP and diamond pressups will just transfer more of the exercise onto the triceps, not the top of the chest.
 
thats gotta be the obvious one. target it for some full on treatment for 6 weeks to 2 months. double chest sessions while upping the kcals a bit
 
While we're on chest.. my chest days consists of 3 x incline db and 4 x flat bb. Is it worth mixing in some decline or will my chest develop nicely without?
 
Just concentrate on making your chest as a whole bigger.

Genetics will dictate the shape and how well it develops, and to me your chest as a whole looks in proportion to the rest of you.

Maybe look into Extreme Fascia stretching and perform it at the end of every chest workout aswell. I use it myself and it does help with both recovery and growth.
 
Morba said:
Sorry fella, but doing things like CGBP and diamond pressups will just transfer more of the exercise onto the triceps, not the top of the chest.
Click to expand...

You're right. Though when I do diamond press ups I focus on pushing my hands together as well as away from me which might be why I feel it more in my chest.

As suggested try training it twice a week :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom