bench press

[UFC rocks]

i have a few questions on bench press.

1) were do you bring the bar to, to work the chest as much as you can, i bring it to about 1" above the nipples, this is were i feel it in the chest the most, is this the correct place to lower it to to work the chest the most.

2) can you increase you bench press without doing bench press. bench press is a compound exercise so it works the chest, triceps, shoulder. if a start doing shoulder press (wich works the shoulders and triceps) and dips (which works the chest and triceps) and then after a few weeks go back to bench press will it increase, because all the muscle being worked in bench press are still being worked.

3) i dont want to get into a big debate about muscle speration. because i haven't been doing weight lifting for that long, so for now i am just sticking with flat presses. will this still work the upper part of the chest, and then after a while i will properly start doing incline presses.

thanks in advance for any replys.

 

[XFatMan]

1. Go to Bodybuilding.com - #1 Exercises Guide - Over 300 Exercises! and check the description.
2. If you do it right, yes. For instance, you can use Dips, Flat Bench Barbell Press, and Inclined Bench Dumbbell Press to vary. The latter gives you more range of motion, which is why you won't be able to lift the same weight as you do with the Flat Bench Barbell Press. But it can make a difference with your next 1 RM attempt. The Dips are great as they hit the outer part of the chest more and are cruel to your triceps.
3. Don't worry about muscle separation. The Flat Bench Barbell Press works your chest quite well. But try other variations - they can be interesting, too.

 

[UFC rocks]

thanks.

 

[Witchblade]

1) safe and proper form is bar to about your nipples. If you don't care about long term shoulder healthy and want most chest recruitment, bring the bar to your neck.

2) you're correct. Bigger pressing muscles, bigger bench.

3) using different angles to hit your chest will stimulate most hyperthrophy. You can't train your upper chest though, emphasize it at most.

 

[UFC rocks]

1)

You can't train your upper chest though, emphasize it at most.

this is what i ment, i know i cant work the upper chest alone and can only emphasize it more from incline presses and flys. what i was asking was that do you think i should just shick to falt presses and flys for now and maybe in about a year start doing incline. because i am quiet new to weight lifting can i get a well developed chest includeing the upper chest just from fat work for now, and then later on down the line start doing incline work. thanks for the reply.

 

[tommy86]

I am new to bodybuilding and wondered if anyone can tell me how to reduce the fat from my arms and stomach and turn that into muscle?

What exercises i should do, i do weight lifting now, but nothin too heavy, rest assured i think i can lift something heavier, i am quite strong as it is

 

[XFatMan]

I am new to bodybuilding and wondered if anyone can tell me how to reduce the fat from my arms and stomach and turn that into muscle?

What exercises i should do, i do weight lifting now, but nothin too heavy, rest assured i think i can lift something heavier, i am quite strong as it is

You cannot reduce fat from certain body parts, neither can you turn fat into muscle. You must burn more calories than you eat to get the fat off.

You should read the stickies. To get more muscle, you must lift more, period.

It would be better if you started your own thread if you have a question because people don't like it that much if their thread gets hijacked.

 

[UFC rocks]

this is what i ment, i know i cant work the upper chest alone and can only emphasize it more from incline presses and flys. what i was asking was that do you think i should just shick to falt presses and flys for now and maybe in about a year start doing incline. because i am quiet new to weight lifting can i get a well developed chest includeing the upper chest just from fat work for now, and then later on down the line start doing incline work. thanks for the reply.

 

[Metallibanger]

I am new to bodybuilding and wondered if anyone can tell me how to reduce the fat from my arms and stomach and turn that into muscle?

What exercises i should do, i do weight lifting now, but nothin too heavy, rest assured i think i can lift something heavier, i am quite strong as it is

You actually can turn fat into muscle if you train regularly. Here???s a beginner program:
Monday ??? Chest, shoulders, triceps
1. Bench press: 1 w/u, 3 x 5-10
2. Incline press: 3 x 8-10
3. DB pullover: 3 x 10-12
4. BB shoulder press: 1 w/u, 3 x 5-10
5. DB lateral raise: 3 x 8-10
6. DB front raise: 3 x 8-10
7. Close-grip press: 1 w/u, 3 x 6-8
8. Lying extension: 3 x 6-8
9. Pushdown: 3 x 6-8
Tuesday ??? Back, biceps
1. Deadlift: 1 w/u, 3 x 4-12
2. Bent row: 1 w/u, 3 x 6-12
3. Pullup: 3 x 10-12
4. BB curl: 1 w/u, 3 x 6-10
5. DB curl: 3 x 6-10
6. Concentration curl: 3 x 6-10
Wednesday ??? Off
Thursday ??? Legs, abs
1. BB squat: 1 w/u, 3 x 4-12
2. Hack squat: 3 x 8-12
3. Leg extension: 3 x 10-12
4. Leg curl: 3 x 10-12
5. Seated calf raise: 3 x 10-12
6. Standing calf raise: 3 x 10-12
7. Situp: 3 x failure
8. Leg raise: 3 x failure
9. Broomstick twist: 10 min
Friday ??? Repeat Monday (This is a two days on, one day off split)
Good luck

 

[Burner02]

You actually can turn fat into muscle if you train regularly.

no, actually...you can't Fat and muscle are two separate things.
Tommy, welcome to the site. As with all new people to this great place, we invite you to read the stickies in the training and nutrition sections.
Do some reading, then please feel free to ask questions.

 

[Metallibanger]

no, actually...you can't Fat and muscle are two separate things.
Tommy, welcome to the site. As with all new people to this great place, we invite you to read the stickies in the training and nutrition sections.
Do some reading, then please feel free to ask questions.

If you like reading I recommend you the book "Totalee Awesome" by 8-time Mr O Lee Haney, there's a chapter on redistributing body weight

 

[Goodfella9783]

You actually can turn fat into muscle if you train regularly. Here???s a beginner program:
Monday ??? Chest, shoulders, triceps
1. Bench press: 1 w/u, 3 x 5-10
2. Incline press: 3 x 8-10
3. DB pullover: 3 x 10-12
4. BB shoulder press: 1 w/u, 3 x 5-10
5. DB lateral raise: 3 x 8-10
6. DB front raise: 3 x 8-10
7. Close-grip press: 1 w/u, 3 x 6-8
8. Lying extension: 3 x 6-8
9. Pushdown: 3 x 6-8
Tuesday ??? Back, biceps
1. Deadlift: 1 w/u, 3 x 4-12
2. Bent row: 1 w/u, 3 x 6-12
3. Pullup: 3 x 10-12
4. BB curl: 1 w/u, 3 x 6-10
5. DB curl: 3 x 6-10
6. Concentration curl: 3 x 6-10
Wednesday ??? Off
Thursday ??? Legs, abs
1. BB squat: 1 w/u, 3 x 4-12
2. Hack squat: 3 x 8-12
3. Leg extension: 3 x 10-12
4. Leg curl: 3 x 10-12
5. Seated calf raise: 3 x 10-12
6. Standing calf raise: 3 x 10-12
7. Situp: 3 x failure
8. Leg raise: 3 x failure
9. Broomstick twist: 10 min
Friday ??? Repeat Monday (This is a two days on, one day off split)
Good luck

Holy overload. Especially for a beginner.

 

[Burner02]

If you like reading I recommend you the book "Totalee Awesome" by 8-time Mr O Lee Haney, there's a chapter on redistributing body weight

I think you may either be confused or mistyped. Fat and muscle are two completely separate things. You cannot turn fat into muscle, or muscle into fat.
Now...proper exercise and resistance training will reduce fat storage while increase lean muscle mass.

As in the opposite: lethargy will atrophy muscle mass and fat storage will increase.

 

[Metallibanger]

Holy overload. Especially for a beginner.

That's just nine sets per bodypart. These sets are pyramided, increasing weight gradually. I began with this plan and it works, less is UNDERtraining

 

[Burner02]

Monday ??? Chest, shoulders, triceps
1. Bench press: 1 w/u, 3 x 5-10
2. Incline press: 3 x 8-10
3. DB pullover: 3 x 10-12
4. BB shoulder press: 1 w/u, 3 x 5-10
5. DB lateral raise: 3 x 8-10
6. DB front raise: 3 x 8-10
7. Close-grip press: 1 w/u, 3 x 6-8
8. Lying extension: 3 x 6-8
9. Pushdown: 3 x 6-8

I counted 27 sets for day 1.
That's a bit much.

if you are gonna do a push day....maybe a little modification:
you are saying: BEGINER (doesn't really know what they are doing, getting used to liftinng, etc)
reps need to stay closer to the 12-12 range till they really understand what they are doing.
Instead of doing 3 exercises for all groups, drop 1 exercise:
Chest: Bench Press, Flyes

You don't need warm a warm up set for delts or tris, they are already warmed up from chest exercises.
I just saved you 11 sets of unecesarry work. (minimum of 22 minutes of gym time)

 

[Metallibanger]

Fat and muscle are two completely separate things.

Human body is not a separate thing. To give an example, if you take a break from training, your muscles quickly deflate, because your body doesn't need/want them, it prefers storing them as bodyfat. But when you start training again you quickly retrieve your muscles, with no significant changes in body weight

 

[tucker01]

Human body is not a separate thing. To give an example, if you take a break from training, your muscles quickly deflate, because your body doesn't need/want them, it prefers storing them as bodyfat. But when you start training again you quickly retrieve your muscles, with no significant changes in body weight

I would love to see that shown in an anatomy of physiology book.

 

[Burner02]

Human body is not a separate thing. To give an example, if you take a break from training, your muscles quickly deflate, because your body doesn't need/want them, it prefers storing them as bodyfat. But when you start training again you quickly retrieve your muscles, with no significant changes in body weight

you sir, are incorrect and need to do some reading.
There are VERY separate things going on inside the human body that work together and when wrapped up in a way that resembles say....Jessica Alba...its a beautiful thing...

You have skeletal structure, you have muscle tissue and you have fatty tisue as well as the nervous system, etc.
Unless of course, you are Chuck Norris...then that's a whole new thing.

 

[Metallibanger]

I counted 27 sets for day 1.
That's a bit much.

These 27 sets take less than an hour. As I said before, less is undertraining. You can't fully work a large bodypart like chest or back with just two exercises unless you are an advanced HIT trainer. Warming up is always necessary, specially for delts

 

[Metallibanger]

you sir, are incorrect and need to do some reading.

I read the best son. I mean Arnold, Haney, Yates, Coleman, etc
Maybe you need less reading and more gym practice. About Chuck Norris, I also read Bruce Lee, I like him more

 

[JailHouse]

I read the best son. I mean Arnold, Haney, Yates, Coleman, etc
Maybe you need less reading and more gym practice. About Chuck Norris, I also read Bruce Lee, I like him more

you are a dumb ass. have a nice day.

 

[Burner02]

These 27 sets take less than an hour. As I said before, less is undertraining. You can't fully work a large bodypart like chest or back with just two exercises unless you are an advanced HIT trainer. Warming up is always necessary, specially for delts

I read the best son. I mean Arnold, Haney, Yates, Coleman, etc
Maybe you need less reading and more gym practice. About Chuck Norris, I also read Bruce Lee, I like him more

heh...you called me: Son....that's....funny...good to see you have a sense of humor.
and, I see that you're no longer saying that fat and muscle are one in the same. So there is hope!

You are contradicting yourself. You are saying that someone using HIT can gain and grow by using only one working set per body part? (One of our members: Archangel does this and is an active competing body builder) But, if you are not HIT training, you have to use mass volume workouts? Why?
Let me refer you back to HIT to get your answer:
H: High
I: Intensity
T: Training

If you say you have to use 27 sets to 'kill' your workout, I say you aren't using enough intensity..and your favorite authors stated above say the same thing.
Its been years since I read Arnold's book..but as I recall, he even tells newbies to use ONE exercise per body part, full body workouts, 3-times a week for the first 6-8 weeks.

If I can do 27 sets in under an hour, then I wasn't training hard enough.

Metal: I used to train like you. I thought the same way. However, That was a LONG time ago. Once I found this site and met VERY knowlegable people, they showed me the error of my ways. Same thing: Too much volume.

When I come up w/ a new workout, I'll post it for feedback. Most common misstake: too much volume.

You are free to workout the way you feel makes progress.
The original poster said he is new to training. 27 sets is WAY too much volume for him.


I do use different training techniques:
When I am doing only one main body part per week, yeah..i do hit 3-4 exercises for that muscle.
When I do a push/pull routine, I will be hitting each group twice a week, 2 exercises are just fine.

hmm...I've got the Tao of Jeet Kun Do...never read it...but I do make the sounds whenever possible....waaaahhhhH!

 

[Metallibanger]

you are a dumb ass. have a nice day.

Hi CKSCKR, I love your mom too...

 

[XFatMan]

Metallibanger, I'm a beginner and have done some of my homework. This site has helped like no other to get where I am. But it's plain to see that you have no usable knowledge at all. Do yourself a favor and read before you come up with things that are so obviously wrong that it hurts.

 

[Metallibanger]

heh...you called me: Son....that's....funny...good to see you have a sense of humor.

All right son, I realize that you have no idea about training. Now, get your Arnold book and tell me low volume, revisit Haney's and Coleman's workouts...
Even Dorian began doing more volume than later in his career
About HIT, I began with it, when you begin it works like everything else, but it's not a good approach for a beginner. And I have to tell you that I became the biggest guy in my gym in a matter of months... That's four years ago

 

[StanUk]

All right son, I realize that you have no idea about training. Now, get your Arnold book and tell me low volume, revisit Haney's and Coleman's workouts...
Even Dorian began doing more volume than later in his career
About HIT, I began with it, when you begin it works like everything else, but it's not a good approach for a beginner. And I have to tell you that I became the biggest guy in my gym in a matter of months... That's four years ago

Your an idiot. You've been reading material that is only going to yield good results for people who plan on taking a truck load of steroids, otherwise there is an exceptionally strong chance of overtraining and not seeing any kind of progress.

 

[Burner02]

You're a funny guy.
have you noticed..nobody insulting me...or ridiculing anything I post?
hmm...wonder why that is...but I have no idea about training...but keep thinking the way you do.

There's a saying: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

metal: I'm done with you.

UFC and Tommy:
again, welcome to the boards. Please read the stickies and learn.

 

[Metallibanger]

Your an idiot. You've been reading material that is only going to yield good results for people who plan on taking a truck load of steroids, otherwise there is an exceptionally strong chance of overtraining and not seeing any kind of progress.

You're gay. I'm an experienced 245-pound NATURAL bodybuilder
"If you were me, you'd be in luck. But you're not, so you suck" Superjoint Ritual

 

[Metallibanger]

You're a funny guy.
have you noticed..nobody insulting me...or ridiculing anything I post?

That's because they're girly men like you

 

[XFatMan]

Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open.
Elmer G. Letterman, a very wise man.