Chest gains.

Hi All,

I just wanted to share my recent results working my chest. I wasn't seeing
great gains doing flat bench as my main chest exercise so about 6 months ago
I decided to replace it with weighted dips. I managed to work my way up to
this:

body weight: 86kg

15xbw (w/up)
10x25kg
10x30kg
8x35kg
8x40kg
6x45kg
5x50kg

Last week I decided to give bench another shot and managed this (with a
spotter who did assist on the last 2 sets):

10x60kg (w/up)
10x100kg
8x110kg
7x120kg
5x125kg
3x130kg

Before doing weighted dips I was on a 5x5 routine in an effort to increase
strength and size. I managed this on the 16/1/07:

5x105kg
5x105kg
5x105kg
5x105kg
3x110kg

So good gains even with the spotter. I felt strong. Lifting the weight from
the bench even seemed a lot easier than it previously did (stronger
shoulders?) My first good gains after the initial newbie gains I
experienced.

Rock on.

Steph.

Good to hear you've made progress satisfactory to yourself. I'm
surprised simply benching didn't do much for you. I only ever did
push-ups and had a great chest from that, even before I knew about
weight-lifting! The thing about weight-lifting is that you can make
the muscles stronger in less time -- just rack up the poundage,
instead of doing a million reps of push-ups...so calisthenics can
become boring pretty quickly...but anyway, I feel that I could make
much faster gains with a spotter (I use the power rack for benching
and squats), with forced reps, you see...so I'm also surprised at your
comment about making gains "even with a spotter"...a spotter's not
supposed to make your job easier; he's supposed to be able to enable
forced reps, work beyond muscular failure!

"Prisoner at War" <prisoner_at_war@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1187188645.801353.227360@r34g2000hsd.googlegr oups.com...
>
> Good to hear you've made progress satisfactory to yourself. I'm
> surprised simply benching didn't do much for you. I only ever did

Maybe bad form? Maybe I was lacking in shoulders and triceps? The weighted
dips definately hammered the shoulders more than flat bench.

> push-ups and had a great chest from that, even before I knew about
> weight-lifting! The thing about weight-lifting is that you can make
> the muscles stronger in less time -- just rack up the poundage,

A bit scary when you are under the weight though.

> instead of doing a million reps of push-ups...so calisthenics can
> become boring pretty quickly...but anyway, I feel that I could make
> much faster gains with a spotter (I use the power rack for benching
> and squats), with forced reps, you see...so I'm also surprised at your
> comment about making gains "even with a spotter"...a spotter's not

I meant in comparison to the 5x5 results without a spotter. I was trying to
say that having a spotter allowed me to push that extra 2 out of the second
last set, and definately gave me the confidence to attempt the last set.

> supposed to make your job easier; he's supposed to be able to enable
> forced reps, work beyond muscular failure!
>

Forced they were...

On Aug 15, 11:12 am, "Stephan Carydakis" <scaryda...@nospam.gmail.com>
wrote:
>
>
> Maybe bad form? Maybe I was lacking in shoulders and triceps? The weighted
> dips definately hammered the shoulders more than flat bench.

Well, the flat bench ain't supposed to target the shoulders, really,
so that's no surprise.

I'm thinking maybe you're not using enough weight, then?

> A bit scary when you are under the weight though.

Well, that's why you should work out in a power cage (power rack) like
me; you don't even need a spotter, then (the rack is much safer, in
any case, than a spotter usually is).

> I meant in comparison to the 5x5 results without a spotter. I was trying to
> say that having a spotter allowed me to push that extra 2 out of the second
> last set, and definately gave me the confidence to attempt the last set.

Ah, there you go, then. Yes, a spotter's best use is for forced reps,
or even those last few reps approaching failure.

> Forced they were...

What's important is that you feel really good about your work outs
now. Still, it's curious that you made gains from weighted dips as
opposed to the flat bench. You should definitely post again if you
ever experience the flat bench differently!