specificly for chest

**Bang!** · Posted On: 4/12/2004 3:54pm

For the people not lifting to failure: How close are you coming? Based on what I've been reading, one should cycle through a number of ranges (from 10-12 reps at 60% 1RM to 4-5 reps at 100% 1RM). However you break it down, though, you wind up coming close to failure.

My impression is that Deluxe is a) pushing too little weight over too many reps and b)not varying up his workouts. If that's correct, then he's only really training his slow-twitch muscles, which are never going to add much mass (unless you consider a tri-athlete bulky).

Do I lie? Set me on the path to truth, amen.

**stencil** · Posted On: 4/13/2004 1:00pm

Monkey, you're touching on what people call "positive failure," which is what I do. You lift until you know you're ABOUT to fail and stop there. Works for me. For shits & giggles, here's my chest routine:

Flat bench press: 1 warmup set, 3 working sets (6-8 reps depending on if it's a new weight)
Incline or decline press (alternated weedkly): 3 working sets
Weighted Dips: 3 working sets (make sure you lean forward during these)
Cable crossovers: Sort of like flies but less hard on the shoulders

**Jenfucius** · Posted On: 4/13/2004 5:11pm

Originally posted by Billy Havoc
in alternative medicine school (before anybody starts to scream, we do have almost exclusively traditional medicine style classes, because we get tested by "normal" doctors before we can get work) we learned that a small impulse strengthens tissue, a stronger one stagnates it and a very strong one actually weakens it (for example, if you have chronically hurt knees, jump down from a very small height for a few months and because of that impulse, your knees will heal and get stronger over time)

now, some of you may disagree, but it's still interesting, that traditional training systems (yoga or old time strongman courses for example) were strongly against training to failure.

as the resident xing yi quan guy on this board, i would like to strongly advocate that you QUIT YOUR WHINING AND PUMP SOME IRON, GIRLIE MAN!!!!

**Dochter** · Posted On: 4/13/2004 5:39pm

Originally posted by Black 6
Remember that the ENTIRE scientific community uses the metric system for measurement.

Yeah, that was my point. (click profile)

**Djimbe** · Posted On: 4/14/2004 9:17am

The other thing to look at is the connecting/subordinate muscles that are being used . Are you so weak in these Areas (your Shoulders /Tris in this case) that you arent able at all to even TRIGGER your Pecs to a Response ? This may mean that you need to Blast out some High Clean Pulls , Front Raises , and (as said earlier) Dips (Lean Forward when you do them to hit your Pecs) in order to be capable of even hitting your Pecs yet .

Other Excercises :

Close Grip (hands Touching) cambered Bar bench press
Pushups on your Fists (till your Nipples hit the Floor)

As a last ditch (Yeah , I know that this is probably not going to be recieved very well , but) try adding mass to your Back .

There are just some times when youre stuck that your body needs to have something else shift so that you can start growing again in a particular spot . a LOT of times its the Opposing muscle group(s)