chest exercises

[Maddwraph]

when i bench press, for size and strenght how many sets and reps should i do to get stronger and better? i bench a measely 115 6-8 reps 3 sets and i weigh 170.

also the chest exercise butterflies and flies i was told by a personal trainer and physical therapist that i dont need to do that, because its impratical, and i dont need it for strenght, its just for look.

thanks

[Aodhan]

when i bench press, for size and strenght how many sets and reps should i do to get stronger and better? i bench a measely 115 6-8 reps 3 sets and i weigh 170.

also the chest exercise butterflies and flies i was told by a personal trainer and physical therapist that i dont need to do that, because its impratical, and i dont need it for strenght, its just for look.

thanks

If your physical trainer told you that flies are just for looks, then you need to find another trainer.

To gain size and strength, you need to stress the muscle with heavy weights, low reps and plenty of recovery between sets. 3 sets of 6-8 is more of a toning/maintenance type workout.

Go read a good bodybuilding site, and then a good powerlifting site, compare the differences, and figure out what you want to emphasize. If it's powerlifting, drop Sohan a PM, he competed in it and is a very knowledgable personal trainer.

Aodhan

[Samuel]

Flys are a brillient chest exercise, they put alot of stress on your chest, and you can add flares in your movement to make it more challenging, and with dumbbells you really work your stablizing muscles with flys.

For streght training I'd look at about 3 set of 3-5 reps personally, thats what I do, and have been recommended to do.

Dont forget to train with differnt width grips when benchpressing, closer together to work triceps, wider to work the chest, the triceps and chest work hand in hand when pressing, so it helps to have both trained well.

[elbows_and_knees]

when i bench press, for size and strenght how many sets and reps should i do to get stronger and better? i bench a measely 115 6-8 reps 3 sets and i weigh 170.

also the chest exercise butterflies and flies i was told by a personal trainer and physical therapist that i dont need to do that, because its impratical, and i dont need it for strenght, its just for look.

thanks

If your physical trainer told you that flies are just for looks, then you need to find another trainer.

To gain size and strength, you need to stress the muscle with heavy weights, low reps and plenty of recovery between sets. 3 sets of 6-8 is more of a toning/maintenance type workout.

Go read a good bodybuilding site, and then a good powerlifting site, compare the differences, and figure out what you want to emphasize. If it's powerlifting, drop Sohan a PM, he competed in it and is a very knowledgable personal trainer.

Aodhan

I think the trainer is referring to the thought that flies are unnecessary. All you really need is the bench press. Technically, he's right. the upper, inner and lower pecs are so close together that you can't work one without working them all.

[Maddwraph]

yeah, so for now im sticking to regualr bench press, dumbell bench press, and incline and decline. how many reps and sets should i do to get bigger and stronger?

[Sohan]

I agree that flies are a waste of time for you right now. Flies are for developing better shape in your pecs, and do little to increase strength or mass because of the smaller weight involved.

It's good to vary your routine on a weekly minicycle. Try having one "heavy" and one "light" day. On your heavy day, do 3-5 sets (after warmup) of 4-6 reps for your basic movements, bench, shoulder press, etc. Take 3-5 minutes between sets to recover. On your light day, do 3-5 sets of 8-10 reps with slightly lighter weight with only 1 to 1:30 between sets. The heavy workout makes you strong, the light workout gives you mass. Allow at least 72 hours between workouts and do one of each workout every week for best results.

Cut out most of your dumbbell, incline, and decline benches for now. Stick to flat bench and perhaps barbell shoulder presses with minimal assistance work until you can press a decent weight for a 1-rep max (at least 1.25-1.5x your bodyweight), then start varying your routine. Keep your butt on the bench, feet on the floor, and don't bounce the bar off your chest, and you should improve.

With respect,

Sohan

[Maddwraph]

oh wow, so i guess i should cut the incline and decline an djust really beast out on the bench. i gotta do that lighter thing. thanks a lot Sohan.

[Sohan]

Don't get me wrong. Inclines are great for chest development. Substitute them eventually for flat bench once a week for optimal development, but right now keep to doing flat bench to get your strength up. As far as declines go, avoid them, because proper flat bench develops the lower pecs just fine and besides, if you overdevelop your lower pecs you will have a saggy appearance to your chest. No bueno.

With respect,

Sohan

[Maddwraph]

ok no incline for then, but i will continue regluar flat, dumbell, incline and maybe dumbell. btw Sohan, are you famialiar with the West Side Barbel Gym? a freind of mine was telling me about them.

[Sohan]

ok no incline for then, but i will continue regluar flat, dumbell, incline and maybe dumbell. btw Sohan, are you famialiar with the West Side Barbel Gym? a freind of mine was telling me about them.

Yep. I've had a few conversations with Louie Simmons at Westside about his training methods over the years, beginning back in '92 when I first simply picked up the phone and called him for some advice. He is a very friendly and accessible guy, and really puts a lot of thought into his training and coaching. He's had a bunch of guys with really big lifts over the years, so the proof is in the pudding.

However...

His techniques are more suited to seasoned powerlifters. If you try to train the way his guys do, you might get hurt. He uses a lot of high velocity, low weight lifts that can really damage your connective tissue if you haven't been training heavy for a few years. Some of his techniques are kind of out there, but they seem to work for powerlifting. If you live close to his gym and don't get intimidated by 350 lb guys screaming and yelling at each other, then by all means drop by and say hi.

With respect,

Sohan