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Getbig Bodybuilding Boards => Training Q&A => Topic started by: NoCalBbEr on May 27, 2007, 10:39:42 PM

Title: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: NoCalBbEr on May 27, 2007, 10:39:42 PM
hey guys
i was wondering, should I be hitting  some kind of decine presses or some decline flyes/cable crossovers?? I'm trying to  work on building a fuller bigger chest. I'm made some improvements in my other bodyparts but  chest is always a lagging bodypart for me. I dont have a training partner so I can't go super heavy.

this is my routine
bench press
incline db press
db flyes
db pullovers (sometimes superseted with dips)

2- 3 working sets. sets are to failure. chest is trained on the first day of the week

is there any suggetion??

thanks
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: Bluto on May 28, 2007, 02:41:26 AM
not sure whether you really can target lower pecs on its own. not sure declines is safe either with the blood to the head etc
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: BigAlski on May 28, 2007, 06:50:56 AM
Well if you feel you want to hit lower pecs I suggest these 3 motions:

1. Wide wieghted dips, something you can hit 8-12 reps.  Go nice and wide and LOW LOW but you don't need to lock out, keeping the pecs in play and tense the entire set.
2. Decline flyes heavy low and very wide.  We do these as the last exercise and touch the dumbell to the ground on both sides, so 6-8 inches behind our torse in the bottom of the motions.  I don't think "blood to the head" is a risk really, but certainly can be an uncomfortable thing.
3. incorporate some drop sets on the smith with the decline bench.  Have your partner guide you through a 10/12/20/20 type of setup so you chest can get fully pumped after you have pre-fatiqued it.

Additional Work: Some heavy dumbell pullovers are also good to expand the ribcage, work the lower pec and diaphram, and give you some stability on a different axis. I wouldn't do them every week though.
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: Mike on May 28, 2007, 01:20:24 PM
hey guys
i was wondering, should I be hitting  some kind of decine presses or some decline flyes/cable crossovers?? I'm trying to  work on building a fuller bigger chest. I'm made some improvements in my other bodyparts but  chest is always a lagging bodypart for me. I dont have a training partner so I can't go super heavy.

this is my routine
bench press
incline db press
db flyes
db pullovers (sometimes superseted with dips)

2- 3 working sets. sets are to failure. chest is trained on the first day of the week

is there any suggetion??

thanks

This is the routine for EVERY GYM RAT IN AMERICA (minus the pullovers).  Let me guess, it's on Monday's too?

That wasn't a knock, just a little observation since I fall into this category occassionally.

I hate the decline bench but I love the idea of Weighted Dips and I would put cable work at the very end, listen to BigAlski on that one. 

There's a great article in Ironman this month about the short commings of the Smith Machine for pressing motions.  To quote Paul Chek "People using a Smith machine get a pattern of overload.  The more fixed the object, the more likely you are to develop a pattern overload.  Training in a fixed pathway repetitively loads the same muscles, tendons, ligaments and the joints in the same muscles, tendon, ligaments and joints in the same pattern, encouraging microtrauma that eventaully leads to injury."

The size of your chest could also depend on the number of sets/reps your doing, your weekly split and/or your diet. 
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: wes on May 28, 2007, 04:13:29 PM
Wide Bench-3 x 10,8,6
Inclines-3 x 12,10,8

Super-Set:
{Dips - 3 x failure (12 or so,add wt. when possible)
{DB Pullovers-3 x 12-15

Decline Flyes-1 set to failure (no more than 20 reps)
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: NoCalBbEr on May 28, 2007, 06:17:27 PM
This is the routine for EVERY GYM RAT IN AMERICA (minus the pullovers).  Let me guess, it's on Monday's too?

That wasn't a knock, just a little observation since I fall into this category occassionally.

I hate the decline bench but I love the idea of Weighted Dips and I would put cable work at the very end, listen to BigAlski on that one. 

There's a great article in Ironman this month about the short commings of the Smith Machine for pressing motions.  To quote Paul Chek "People using a Smith machine get a pattern of overload.  The more fixed the object, the more likely you are to develop a pattern overload.  Training in a fixed pathway repetitively loads the same muscles, tendons, ligaments and the joints in the same muscles, tendon, ligaments and joints in the same pattern, encouraging microtrauma that eventaully leads to injury."

The size of your chest could also depend on the number of sets/reps your doing, your weekly split and/or your diet. 

another reason to avold the smith machine. why did  gyms started to  use the smith machines that have angle?? whats wrong with the old ones that have no angle at all..

its like the rountine of every champ for some reason. that routine was from Lee Haley. I know thats what most bbers do flat/incle/flye.. its like squats/leg press/leg extensions for legs..
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: Deadpool on May 29, 2007, 02:02:21 PM
females don't need this  :)
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: jpm101 on May 30, 2007, 09:14:08 AM
Most guy's do not have trouble with lower pecs. They tend to get over developed compared to the upper chest. But for those who do not:

One of the prime  movements that do hit the lower portion are wide dips (as suggested by BigAlski). But going too deep may cause a problem with the shoulder joints for some people, when extra weight is used. Can also do the wide grip dip with the knuckles facing forward, giving a whole different feel and stretch to the exercise. A similar muscle press-up, on a chinning bar, can be consider also. Middle/close grip dips are very powerful position when handling heavier added weight. A 100lbs+ for  workout reps is not out of the question after awhile. If anyone can train on a "V" bar, than any position, from extra wide to extremely close gripping is possible. Anyone could easily make a "V" dipping device with 2X4's and a solid base. We did at out gym. Any dipping movement will also hit the anterior delts and triceps. Holding the body more upright, with elbows glued to the side, is an excellent tricep mass builder.

I know that the decline press will build lower pec's (most any movement, where pressing down and/or along the body, affects the lower range of the pec's) but to me it's just too awkward. Where as, to my mind, any form of dipping gives better results.  The pec deck and bent arm pullovers are other considerations for lower pecs. Good Luck.

Medford: Those A- cup's need a lot of lower pec work for some of the less gifted females. A lot of guy's find that out on blind dates.
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: BigAlski on May 30, 2007, 05:04:59 PM
When I was 23 I injured my AC in the right left shoulder so did heavy dips instead of benches for 4 weeks.  I got up to full range wide dips (bottomed out where the hands are lower than the nipples) with 4 plates hung on a belt for reps.  Dips can get you crazy strong.
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: IrishMuscle84 on June 19, 2007, 03:02:54 PM
Its really up too you, if you wanna train lower chest, I ALWAYS DO lower pecs, always. I do either dips with cable crossovers, or just do cables, with decline bench. Heres what my CHEST ROUTINE looks like:

I always start with UPPER CHEST

Incline Bench Press- 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Pec Deck and/or Incline Dumbell Flyes-

Pec Deck- 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps

Dumbell Flyes- 60lbs 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 70lbs 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

Incline Hammer Strength- 4 sets of 8-10 reps

MIDDLE CHEST

Flat Bench Press or Dumbells, 4-5 sets of 8-10reps

Dumbell Flyes- 60lb 3 sets of 8-12 reps 70lbs 3 sets 8-12 reps

LOWER CHEST

Cables- 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Decline Bench: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: MindSpin on June 19, 2007, 03:05:59 PM
Wide weighted dips...
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: SamoanIrishman on June 20, 2007, 07:14:52 AM
Its really up too you, if you wanna train lower chest, I ALWAYS DO lower pecs, always. I do either dips with cable crossovers, or just do cables, with decline bench. Heres what my CHEST ROUTINE looks like:

I always start with UPPER CHEST

Incline Bench Press- 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Pec Deck and/or Incline Dumbell Flyes-

Pec Deck- 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps

Dumbell Flyes- 60lbs 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 70lbs 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

Incline Hammer Strength- 4 sets of 8-10 reps

MIDDLE CHEST

Flat Bench Press or Dumbells, 4-5 sets of 8-10reps

Dumbell Flyes- 60lb 3 sets of 8-12 reps 70lbs 3 sets 8-12 reps

LOWER CHEST

Cables- 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Decline Bench: 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Say lad, tell me I didn't just count 38 sets of chest?
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: jpm101 on June 20, 2007, 08:00:30 AM
Indeed that is 38 sets. 29 sets more than anyone would need in the real world. And only 3 total exercises would be required to work the chest to it's ultimate.  Hope IM is not on one of those whacked out splits, where he works chest twice a week on the 38 set chest program. He is probably under the evil influence of those muscle magazines or a creative training video, that some Pro is supposed to do. May God have mercy on this poor guy. Good Luck.
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: SamoanIrishman on June 20, 2007, 09:42:06 AM
Indeed that is 38 sets. 29 sets more than anyone would need in the real world. And only 3 total exercises would be required to work the chest to it's ultimate.  Hope IM is not on one of those whacked out splits, where he works chest twice a week on the 38 set chest program. He is probably under the evil influence of those muscle magazines or a creative training video, that some Pro is supposed to do. May God have mercy on this poor guy. Good Luck.

I agree...wonder if he's ever had a problem gaining mass and strenth there?...lol

That is the most sets I've ever heard of....done 2x per week at that!!!!!
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: leonp1981 on June 21, 2007, 08:09:52 PM
Keep it simple:-

Incline press - 4 sets
Bench press - 4 sets
Wide Dips - 4 sets

Rotate the order every week, and your chest should come up nicely.
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: IrishMuscle84 on June 25, 2007, 08:40:33 PM
HAHA.....ya I guess that is alot of sets, I just did CHEST tonight, all i did was upper chest. I did about 4-6 sets of INCLINE BENCH, then did SUPERSETS with PEC-DECK and INCLINE DUMBELL FLYS. Iam probably gonna start focusing mostly on my UPPER CHEST.
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: SamoanIrishman on June 26, 2007, 06:32:57 AM
HAHA.....ya I guess that is alot of sets, I just did CHEST tonight, all i did was upper chest. I did about 4-6 sets of INCLINE BENCH, then did SUPERSETS with PEC-DECK and INCLINE DUMBELL FLYS. Iam probably gonna start focusing mostly on my UPPER CHEST.

glad you learned something here about overdoing it.... ::)
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: Bigger Business on June 26, 2007, 07:25:20 AM
Decline benchpress uses very little 'chest'

Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: marcus on June 26, 2007, 05:48:58 PM
Just started decline bench again and I'm already noticing differences. I do 4 sets using progessively heavier weight each set. I get 4-8 reps per set.
Title: Re: do I need to work the lower pec?
Post by: davie on June 27, 2007, 02:17:00 PM
Haha just shows how peoples opinion differ.

Bigger Business said that decline used very little chest, the marcus writes that he just started them again and is already feeling a difference.

Bodybuilding....u gotta love it.

davie