So whatever makes your chest look better

[Marty Champions]

heavy maximal sets and reps

or

alot of pushups 200 total

serious question

[tbombz]

heavy weight 8-12 reps is where you reach failure

[Marty Champions]

heavy weight 8-12 reps is where you reach failure

same after 100 pushups , youll be hittin failure after every 5 reps during and excruciating burn/pump

the more you do the better your chest tightens up, the key is insane volume  hitting complete muscular failure atleast 40 times or you could say 40 sets to failure regardless of rep range 5-20 reps a set on pushups

[tbombz]

same after 100 pushups , youll be hittin failure after every 5 reps during and excruciating burn/pump

the more you do the better your chest tightens up, the key is insane volume  hitting complete muscular failure atleast 40 times or you could say 40 sets to failure regardless of rep range 5-20 reps a set on pushups

yeah you can but total weight is important too, not just failure.

[Marty Champions]

yeah you can but total weight is important too, not just failure.

better yet density of training

you can have a fairly dense continuous workout over an  hour long with many many sets,  actual heavy weight becomes a non factor when total workload poundage over sets excedes that

you can do fewer sets at higher weight and have a higher average of weight but that is inferior to total volume of poundage

[tbombz]

actual heavy weight becomes a non factor when total workload poundage over sets excedes that

no, both total poundage over the entire workout, and also the total poundage put on the muscle at one time matter. you need a mix of both

[lvtolft]

better yet density of training

you can have a fairly dense continuous workout over an  hour long with many many sets,  actual heavy weight becomes a non factor when total workload poundage over sets excedes that

you can do fewer sets at higher weight and have a higher average of weight but that is inferior to total volume of poundage

I would have to agree with this concept, but add that the work has to be at a very high intensity.

[Mr Nobody]

heavy weight 8-12 reps is where you reach failure

Agreed, 6-10 even better. Reg Park a massive classic dude before alot of roids came on the seen did 5 rep heavy benches for chest.

[Spike]

YOU HAVE TO DO LEGS

[Man of Steel]

My chest looks best when a hot lady smashes her tig ole bitties into it.

[PJim]

try pre-exhaustion jf, heavy flyes straight into heavy inclines.

[wavelength]

Then why don't marathon runners have huge legs?

[PJim]

Then why don't marathon runners have huge legs?

exactly

[PJim]

Then why don't marathon runners have huge legs?

intensity will always trump volume.

[lvtolft]

intensity will always trump volume.

I agree with this completely.  What falcon is asking though is that if, with push ups, his intensity is high enough, will it be enough?  I think he would definitely need weight training to do this, but heavy weight is not the end all be all to increasing muscle size.

[Man of Steel]

I work with Ironman/Marathon competitors and they're all 160lbs soaking wet with no strength or muscle mass whatsoever, but they do have tremendous endurance.  They train their asses off and believe me what they do is harder than lifting weights and bb.  Anyone that says, "BB is the hardest sport on earth!" is absolutely full of dogshit.

[wavelength]

I work with Ironman/Marathon competitors and they're all 160lbs soaking wet with no strength or muscle mass whatsoever, but they do have tremendous endurance.  They train their asses off and believe me what they do is harder than lifting weights and bb.  Anyone that says, "BB is the hardest sport on earth!" is absolutely full of dogshit.

Agreed 100% it's probably one of the easiest sports out there.

[PJim]

I agree with this completely.  What falcon is asking though is that if, with push ups, his intensity is high enough, will it be enough?  I think he would definitely need weight training to do this, but heavy weight is not the end all be all to increasing muscle size.

A muscle can work extremely hard with what most "lifters" would call a relatively "moderate" weight if performed in pre-exhaust fashion. As long as the three levels of strength are taxed beyond previous levels, growth will be triggered.

[lvtolft]

A muscle can work extremely hard with what most "lifters" would call a relatively "moderate" weight if performed in pre-exhaust fashion. As long as the three levels of strength are taxed beyond previous levels, growth will be triggered.

Exactly!

[Parker]

I work with Ironman/Marathon competitors and they're all 160lbs soaking wet with no strength or muscle mass whatsoever, but they do have tremendous endurance.  They train their asses off and believe me what they do is harder than lifting weights and bb.  Anyone that says, "BB is the hardest sport on earth!" is absolutely full of dogshit.

They also have the lowest test levels of any athlete. plus a skinny fat look. That and the top marathon runners are about 115-125 pounds. Man wasn't meant to run marathons, just as man wasn't meant to be 5'8 250 pounds. Both are extremes that are not natural

[PJim]

The problem you may be coming across Johnny is the one of only having a full looking chest after high volume type work. The muscle might even look fuller for a couple of days after and thus adding to the idea that the volume is triggering growth, but from personal experience it's normally just the encouragement for glycogen storage from this kind of training. If you tried pre-exhaust I can more than guarantee that you will slap on some more muscle as oppose to  a temporary pump.

[Man of Steel]

Running is not an extreme....hundreds of thousands of people are avid runners and do half/full marathons every year.  Running is an extreme to someone who bbs and can't run the length of a city block without oxygen and difibrilator.

[PJim]

Running is not an extreme....hundreds of thousands of people are avid runners and do half/full marathons every year.  Running is an extreme to someone who bbs and can't run the length of a city block without oxygen and difibrilator.

yes. Running is quite easy to pick up aswell, you just need to make sure you keep trying to increase your anaerobic threshold.

[affeman]

I work with Ironman/Marathon competitors and they're all 160lbs soaking wet with no strength or muscle mass whatsoever, but they do have tremendous endurance.  They train their asses off and believe me what they do is harder than lifting weights and bb.  Anyone that says, "BB is the hardest sport on earth!" is absolutely full of dogshit.

Bodybuilding is not the hardest but the unhealthiest sport on earth. Maybe that's what people mean by "hard"? (hard on your health)

[Tombo]

you stop using your anaerobic energy systems after about 60 seconds of resistance... after that you start using lactic and then aerobic, why would you want to train those?