The Bodybuilders Thread!

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Archer said:
The search for a suitable back squat replacement continues :/ Stupid gym with its stupid squat rack :mad:
Would some variety of single leg squat (I'm thinking pistol squat) along with deadlifts work out to a similar end result?
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Worst case, do the goblet squat, no machine required at all, although you won't be going as heavy.
 
It is amazing how a few extra kilos can ruin your form.

I recently added 3 kgs to my bench press and suddenly noticed my form going out the window. I also felt my shoulders were doing more work as they were the ones burning and not my chest. After messing about I dropped the extra 3 kgs and yesterday I had the best chest workout since before going up. Perfect form and everything concentrated on my chest.

I think I need to buy more smaller weights as I'll probably need to go up in 0.5 - 1kg batches.
 
RandomDesign said:
lol that looks like a recipe for APT
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Yeah tried some of those and it just feels awkward, went back to back squats.

Today found nutritech 3.2kg whey for R480. Berea pharmacy in East London.

Been coughing up over R619 online .
 
Hemps said:
Yeah tried some of those and it just feels awkward, went back to back squats.

Today found nutritech 3.2kg whey for R480. Berea pharmacy in East London.

Been coughing up over R619 online .
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Damn that is cheap!

Buying at R599 from local Xtreme Nutrition. Is that a special?
 
Orihalcon said:
Damn that is cheap!

Buying at R599 from local Xtreme Nutrition. Is that a special?
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Didn't see any special advertised , the refill packs where slightly more pricey. Bought 2 thinking I should stock up.
 
mark.saved.duplessis said:
I am on a mission to build my chest.

I've been gyming for 7 months now, wanting to gain muscle and of course weight and loose some around my stomach. I started using only a Protiene shake the first 3 months, the next 4 I used a bulk shake and the last two months pure L-Glutamine with the bulk shake. Last week I started using the USN hyperbolic mass which has everything in - creatine too.

I probably gained 1kg in this time, but I've lost quite a bit around my stomach. I've had some decent gains in muscle.

My chest is the weakest part, so I am now in a mission to really push my chest. I've been doing a lot of reading on how to better activate my pecks when doing bench. Even though my chest has def grown the past 7 months, I still feel only my shoulders burn when I do flat and incline bench. So I know I am not activating my chest.

I've learned that the pecks really work to bring your arm across the chest (there is some word for it) - so when doing bench I need to focus on that instead of pushing the weight straight up. I've also learned to keep my shoulder blades tucked back and my chest out when I bench. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/benching-with-the-pecs.html/

At the moment I will do something like this on a Monday:

Warm up my rotator cuffs and do a few push ups.
4 sets of flat bench with barbell - 10 reps each - increasing the weight making sure I fail on the last set.
4 sets of incline bench with dumbbell - 10 reps each - increasing the weight making sure I fail on the last set.
I hold a weight in each hand - palms facing each other, arms straight ahead for 15secs after each set.
3 sets of peck deck - 10 reps each.
If I have time (normally do) - incline dumbbell flyes - 4 sets - 10 reps each - increasing as I go making sure I fail on the last set.

I end on about 57kg on the flat bench now. I weigh 84kg now - 1.87cm tall. My aim is 95kg.

Any other advice?
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I tried the new routine yesterday - focusing on that article...and today my shoulders are so sore and not my chest. Only felt my shoulders burn yesterday and not my chest... :( :( :(

Don't know what to do...its so discouraging!

New routing:

4 sets - incline dumbbell flyes
4 sets flat barbell bench
4 sets incline dumbbell bench
4 sets bottom cable cross overs

Feels like my chest is too small to focus on it...so frustrating! Don't know what to do!!??
 
mark.saved.duplessis said:
I tried the new routine yesterday - focusing on that article...and today my shoulders are so sore and not my chest. Only felt my shoulders burn yesterday and not my chest... :( :( :(

Don't know what to do...its so discouraging!

New routing:

4 sets - incline dumbbell flyes
4 sets flat barbell bench
4 sets incline dumbbell bench
4 sets bottom cable cross overs

Feels like my chest is too small to focus on it...so frustrating! Don't know what to do!!??
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Hate to say it, but your arms and everything have to get stronger in proportion to be honest.
Also, first work on strength, then work on size. It is a far easier route, sure bit longer, but it will give results.

What programs have you been following in the first 7 months?
What is your current bodyweight, and the amount of KGs that you can bench press, and for how many reps?

You may find, that maybe you are just weak, and a program like stonglifts for beginners is a perfect way to build up your strength. Compound exercises will also make you stronger and bigger faster if you are a beginner (which you could be even with 7 months of wasting time in the gym or doing the wrong things).

doing 4 sets of 12 reps on an isolation exercise, is not going to get you results if you are weak. When I say weak, is when you use small dumbbels, like 3-18Kg.

The order of exercises are also super important. Compound exercises should be done before isolation exercises.

Some rules I follow, that did wonders for me, I used to be a skinny guy (tho technically still a bit)
- Heavy squats and deadlifts will do wonders for your core.
- To build a strong chest, you need a strong back.
- Get stronger before you get bigger
- Eat A LOT, then eat even more, and even more
- Compound exercise are king.
 
Every other part of my body has grown nicely over the past 7 months and my weights I use for them in the gym have increased well too - including my back. My pecks have grown too, but I don't feel them ever burning when I do chest and they have not grown as fast as the others.

How do I work on strength for my chest and what are compound exercises for my chest?

Thinking of getting an instructor for a month to help me with this but they are expensive.
 
+1.

I have only once or twice felt the burning in the pecs. I think I mentioned the lack thereof in this thread as well. At some point in the beginning I didn't even feel soreness the next day. So I upped my weight significantly and switched to a low rep (6 max) program. Saw much better results regarding strength and some size in the following 4 to 6 weeks.

I'm just continuing with my program even though I feel my pecs are developing slower than my other muscles. To be honest I feel it is all in the mind anyway and they all grow at about the same pace.

As long as I get the soreness the next day I believe I am growing and improving... Even if it is only 1%.

Our minds might be a bit brainwashed by all the good looking dudes in magazines and on USN packs. It takes years (or steroids) to look that good.
 
^ Wonder if you are right. Cause when I was following my original routine I was always sore the next day - very sore in my pecks. But never felt the pecks burning - only my shoulders - so still think I am doing something wrong even though they were sore. I've now excluded the peck deck machine and chest dips and battle to get sore in my pecks the next day now. I think later this week I am going to do just peck deck and chest dips and no bench and see if I get sore after that.
 
My chest and tricep day consists of

Flat bench
Incline bench
Total bodyweight Dips (leaning forward)
Close grip bench
Tricep kickbacks

All of them 5 sets of 6. Except for dips. I do each set to failure. Usually around 16 to begin with and around 10 during the last set.

And if I feel I have anything left I do flyes as well. But I don't do them often. It doesn't quite feel comfortable for me.
 
The same as bench but with a narrower grip. Mainly works the triceps but also the chest and shoulders.


BBCloseGripBenchPress.gif

Preparation
Lie on bench and grasp barbell from rack with shoulder width grip.

Execution
Lower weight to chest with elbows close to body. Push barbell back up until arms are straight. Repeat.

Comments
Grip can be slightly narrower than shoulder width but not too close. Too close of grip can decrease range of motion, may tend to hyper-adduct wrist joint, and unnecessarily decrease stability of bar.
 
Compound exercises is bench press, squats and deadlifts.

But after the other posts I guess you just want to feel a burning in your pecs and see their size go up faster.
Burning will come from heavy weight and high rep. But for that you first need strenght, so start with lower reps and working on doing heavier bench press, up to 100Kg. Then once you there, work on upping your reps at 100Kg. Once you at 12-14 reps at 100Kg, I will be surprised if you don't feel the burning. You should also have some nice boobs once you can do 12-14 reps at 100Kg benchpress.

Focus on wider grip for Benchpress to target the pecs.
Make sure your back muscles are also very strong, eg. do 80-100Kg pendlay rows. Your back must be able to support your core whilst doing benchpresses.
Make sure your shoulders don't do any work while benchpressing, eg. chest up and shoulders back during the whole movement.
Do as much as possible with ROM (Range of Motion). The bar must go down all the way to your chest, pause, move up again.

The above is for benchpress. Once you done with that in your session, move on to the isolation exercises, the cable system and pec flyes. Do the isolation / assistant exercises with high reps, anything from 12-20 reps per set.
 
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