What???s your favorite chest routine?

[DKM]

I???m looking for different routines to take me past my current plateau ??? Please share yours.

My typical chest routine is as follows:
Flat Bench: Warm up 275 for a set of 10
Flat Bench: 4 x 8 with 315
Incline Bench: 4 x 10 with 100 dumbbells
Incline Flies: 4 x 10 with 65 dumbbells
Flat Bench Flies: 4 x 10 with 65 dumbbells

If I have any gas left in the tank, I might finish up with dips 4 x 10 (body weight only)

 

[Marat]

At your condition, I'd recommend checking out "5/3/1" by Jim Wendler.

 

[theCaptn']

I hate the bench, but i do it. Much more prefer DBs.

Favourite routine is as follows:

incl flys ss/ flat DB Press 12/8 x3

decl. BW press ss/ Incl DB Press 12/8 x3

iso moves pre-exhaust pecs, then throw in the compound to wreck em.

finishing with some fwd leaning dips and/or cables

 

[T_man]

Heavy Bench
Weighted Dips
Cable crossovers finish it for me

 

[nova1970sb]

barbell bench press
barbell incline
dumbell bench
dumbell flies
dips

i was sore as hell last time! i have only done this once, before i did all but the dumbell stuff

 

[Gazhole]

Bench or Dumbells. Some pullovers maybe. Thats pretty much all i do for chest.

 

[FMJ]

If you're just looking for a change from flat presses, I too would go with dips. I wouldn't discount some weighted push ups either.

 

[Doublebase]

flat bench, pull overs. i switch between DB's and BB.

 

[Perdido]

Looks like most of you guys do allot of volume for chest. I'm with Gaz on a minimalist approach. My chest responds better to a few good movement than a lot of movements.

 

[gtbmed]

My chest has always been a weak point and I hate working it, so can I say squats, deads, and cleans?

 

[Gazhole]

Looks like most of you guys do allot of volume for chest. I'm with Gaz on a minimalist approach. My chest responds better to a few good movement than a lot of movements.

I've found my chest responds best to one or two exercises, so long as i really push hard, but my back responds best to a shitload of volume and frequency and a wide variety of exercises.

On Built's block training i trained my back 3 times a week at least, and it exploded.

If i train chest too much it doesn't develop faster, my bench numbers take a hit, and my anterior delts start to really hurt. It's one of the reasons traditional bodybuilding splits simply don't work for me. The idea of doing a "chest day" just doesn't work for me, lol.

 

[Phineas]

Bench or Dumbells. Some pullovers maybe. Thats pretty much all i do for chest.

I don't understand how pullovers are a chest lift. I use them for lats/serratus anterior/rib cage expansion, but have NEVER felt my chest working. Besides, isn't the job of the lats to bring the arms towards the torso vertically? That's what you're doing in pullovers.

 

[PushAndPull]

Flat or Incline Barbell or Dumbbell press.

 

[CaptainNapalm]

Less is more. This might seem like stupid advice but for some reason worked for me. I had surgery on a broken humerus a little over a year ago and since then I've been paranoid to go heavy on chest, just chest for some reason. So from doing heavy presses before my injury I literally reduced my weight by half on barbell and dumbbell presses. Instead of trying to crank out as much weight as possible I focused more on extremely deep movements (especially with dumbbells), slow movements and really making the lighter weights "feel" like heavy weights. To my surprise my gains in chest have been slightly better than when I was jerking around heavier weights.

 

[Merkaba]

I don't do enough to have a favorite routine. Warmup, 3 sets of something heavy on Flat BB, some heavy DB flat, and heavy DB incline, then some dips. If I'm splitting horizontal and vertical I do the inclines on vertical days and maybe an extra set or two on the other exercises. I might do some flies or cross cables if I get a wild hair in my ass, witch is very rare.

 

[DKM]

Thanks guys??? You gave me some good ideas.

One more question: What???s your normal rotation? Chest gets hits once a week or once every five days?

 

[Nahtok]

for chest

My favorite chest routine consists of
dumbell bench press 5 sets pyramid weight and reps
machine incline presses for 4 sets heavy as you can go
cable flyes for 3 sets squeeze and hold

at the end of this routine my chest is blowed the f**k up!

 

[Nahtok]

My chest has always been a weak point and I hate working it, so can I say squats, deads, and cleans?

I can see why your chest has been a weak point. I always look for my weak point and strive to turn it into a strong point

 

[kyoun1e]

No floor presses for anyone...strange.

KY

 

[Phineas]

No floor presses for anyone...strange.

KY

Floor press is intended more as a triceps strengthening exercise for your regular bench. From the bottom position it's supposed to be an explosive push with the triceps and a wider grip.

 

[amazinspiderman]

I like to pre exhaust with 2 sets on the peck machine then:
- 5 sets pyramid 30º incline dumbell presses
- 3 sets chest press machine
- 3 sets 15º incline dumbell flys dropsetting on the last set (total 6 sets)
- 3 sets dips using only bodyweigh

I alternate every 3 weeks with:
- 5 sets pyramid bench press
- 3 sets 30º incline chest press machine
- 3 sets ascending cable crossovers dropsetting on the last set (total 6 sets)
- 3 sets dips using only bodyweight

 

[OMNIFEX]

Decline Dumbbell Presses

Dumbbell Pullovers

 

[Hoglander]

Thanks guys… You gave me some good ideas.

One more question: What’s your normal rotation? Chest gets hits once a week or once every five days?

IMHO, you can hit ONE target area twice a week while keeping others to once a week. If you have it in your head to improve your bench or chest volume go for it twice a week. Just be careful that you put the second routine well enough apart from your weekly push.