chest workout

[zach]

Heard about this forum and thought maybe somebody could help me out. I have been doing different chest workouts for the last few years, I feel like I have hit a wall and need a new routine on bench press. My typical chest workout consist of bench press, incline dumbell press, sometimes flat dumbell press, then flys and/or cable flies/pushups, etc (usually a total of 4 exercises with 4 sets on each). In these next few months I am really trying to add 15lbs or so. I weigh 210 right now and can max out on Bench Press around 345. (goal would be to weigh 225 and hit 365 on bench in the next two months.) My workouts have consisted of doing 4 sets of 4 to now basically doing reps of 6-8 with no structure. I need a new bench press workout, hopefully something that will help my chest grow add some weight and get my max up..

[candidate2025]

heavy negatives.

[Jr. Yates]

Every chest workout is different for me. Sometimes I start with flyes before presses, sometimes I"ll use a machine and do alot of super set drop sets. All that is more for chest size and conditioning. If your main goal is to up a max bench than do 5-7 sets of flat bench followed by just 2-3 sets on incline and 2-3 sets of a flye excersise to get somewhat of a proper chest workout in. Just throwing ideas at ya man Good luck.

[zach]

thanks for the post i havent done negatives for a while ill give those a shot, if im doing 5 to 7 sets on bench how many reps should I be trying for (should I pyramid or increase my weight on every set?) I have found that when i have a set workout with a weight and reps already on paper and i have to strive to hit it I have way better results that way, i just cannot find a workout like that right now atleast one that i havent done in a while. Thanks for the help, any more info will be much appreciated.

[brianX]

It just takes a lot of back-breaking work to make progress after a certain point. Lots of heavy bench presses, weighted dips, and overhead presses will get you past that plateau. There are no shortcuts and no magical routines. It has taken me a year to go from 350 to 385 on the bench.

I would definitely bench at least twice a week. Do a lot of sets in the 1-3 rep range, as well as drop sets in the 5-10 rep range. Heavy tricep work wouldn't hurt either.

[Hedgehog]

A sample benchpress layout:

Week 1:
Wed
4-6sets x 3  benchpress @ 10-15 lbs under your 3RM

Sat
5-7sets x 3 board presses

Week 2:

Wed
4-6 sets x 3  benchpress  @ 20 lbs lighter than week 1

Sat
Go up to a near max single
then 4-5 x 3 negative benchpresses


Don't do any other chest, triceps or shoulder work, except perhaps some lighter side lateral raises or shit like that for injury prevention.


YIP
Zack

[pjs]

Figure out where you are weak, and make it strong.

To gain weight, look at your eintire routine.