adjustments
OK, my chest just has not been getting thicker like I’d like it to, and my bench is not improving substantially. In my ongoing search for knowledge, I read the magazines, blogs, and web-sites. Notably, of course, bodybuilding.com and Flex. All good information. Flex obviously must be adjusted to the amateur, and caution to see which training protocols are for pre-contest, bulking, conditioning, whatever. Trying to train like the pro’s without the professional diet, pharmaceuticals, etc. is counterproductive. But, by the same token, there’s a lot to be learned from anyone who can get that big. SO…..
I’m switching from a 5 day a week split, one body part per day, to a 4 day a week, 2 bodyparts, and hitting chest twice. Mon - Chest/back, Tues - Delts, traps/tri’s, Wed - legs(quads, hams, calves), Thurs - rest, Fri, Chest/biceps. The protocol calls for abs, too, on chest days, but with limited gym time (I still try to keep it at around an hour) I hit abs as the mood hits and can do them at home anytime, or with cardio. I still try to keep the intensity up, hitting 20 sets or so within the hour, but with the split this way, that also means fewer set per bodypart, so I have to hit each set extra hard!! I plan a program for each day, but when I reach the hour mark (provided I haven’t lost focus, socialized, or otherwise slacked my intensity) I cut out rather than overtrain. Gotta remember I’m not a 20 year old chippy who can eat pizza at will.
So, in 13 weeks, focusing on chest growth, we’ll see what I can achieve.
March 11, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Good luck!
March 11, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Best of luck to you…Vinny
March 11, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I started only bringing my bench exercises to a 90 degree bend in the elbow no matter what lift before i would bring the bar to my chect or go beyond paralell with dumbbell the switch for me was tremendous I had never been able to bench 225 for 10 now im doing almost 245 for 10 using 110 dumbell for incline press and my chest is geting thick and wide
March 11, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Good luck with your efforts. I understand you quest, but in reverse. Us women are trying to keep our chest from falling to our knees. I am really having to do some work, lots of pushups to keep everything, chest and back tight and toned.