Pittspeed Fitness & Nutrition thread update:

[77rednecktruck]

@01GPGT

try working your triceps harder

they play a big part in your ability to bench, more so than your shoulders

I usually do triceps pretty good and they don’t strain on bench. Or maybe they are and it’s making me lose form and putting more strain on the shoulders.
I usually do skullcrushers with 110, tricep pulldowns with 100, then do dips until death for 3 sets (after my full chest workout)on my chest and tricep days.

:dunno:

[Darkstar]

Max,

when you say 260, is that including the bar? if so, how much do you figure in for the bar?

[bics56]

bar should be 45lbs

[77rednecktruck]

@Darkstar

Max,

when you say 260, is that including the bar? if so, how much do you figure in for the bar?

that is total weight including the 45lb. bar

[bics56]

Every smith machine is different, but for the most part figure 7-10 lbs for the bar, givin that it is counter balanced

[TwoFortySX]

@77rednecktruck

I have a question on benching. The outside of my shoulders fatique before my chest starts hurting. If I get on the smith machine I feel my chest a lot more and can do a good bit more weight, but when I get on free weights, my shoulder gets tired and i’m stuck at 260lbs. I tried hitting my shoulders for a good month and they are a lot stronger now but still fatique faster than my chest on chest days. It’s starting to piss me off a little. Is it technique on bench or just something that needs to be built up more. I only noticed the shoulder fatique when my max was around 225-present. Before that they were fine. But they don’t seem to be getting any better.

try a wider grip on the barbell when you bench press. a wider grip will shift more of the stress from your shoulder/tri muscles to your middle/upper chest.

you should also start getting away from barbells if you want to make gains in size and strength. try using dumbells and hitting your chest from different angles.

the reason you can press more weight on a smith machine is because your eliminating your weaker muscles from the movement. its not only your shoulders but a combination of delts/tris and other stabilizing muscles.

another technique you can try would be using an isolation exercise before a compund movement. so try cable crossovers or DB flys before flat bench pressing.

hope that helps
jimmy

[bics56]

@TwoFortySX

try a wider grip on the barbell when you bench press. a wider grip will shift more of the stress from your shoulder/tri muscles to your middle/upper chest.

you should also start getting away from barbells if you want to make gains in size and strength. try using dumbells and hitting your chest from different angles.

the reason you can press more weight on a smith machine is because your eliminating your weaker muscles from the movement. its not only your shoulders but a combination of delts/tris and other stabilizing muscles.

another technique you can try would be using an isolation exercise before a compund movement. so try cable crossovers or DB flys before flat bench pressing.

hope that helps
jimmy

Right on …good info

[Darkstar]

@TwoFortySX

try a wider grip on the barbell when you bench press. a wider grip will shift more of the stress from your shoulder/tri muscles to your middle/upper chest.

you should also start getting away from barbells if you want to make gains in size and strength. try using dumbells and hitting your chest from different angles.

the reason you can press more weight on a smith machine is because your eliminating your weaker muscles from the movement. its not only your shoulders but a combination of delts/tris and other stabilizing muscles.

another technique you can try would be using an isolation exercise before a compund movement. so try cable crossovers or DB flys before flat bench pressing.

hope that helps
jimmy

DB flys really get my pecs a’burnin! love that.

[Darkstar]

@bics56

Right on …good info

240 + fitness and nutrition = win

[77rednecktruck]

@TwoFortySX

try a wider grip on the barbell when you bench press. a wider grip will shift more of the stress from your shoulder/tri muscles to your middle/upper chest.

you should also start getting away from barbells if you want to make gains in size and strength. try using dumbells and hitting your chest from different angles.

the reason you can press more weight on a smith machine is because your eliminating your weaker muscles from the movement. its not only your shoulders but a combination of delts/tris and other stabilizing muscles.

another technique you can try would be using an isolation exercise before a compund movement. so try cable crossovers or DB flys before flat bench pressing.

hope that helps
jimmy

thanks. I will try the different grip tomorrow.

I do incline and decline DB work every chest day. I will try to throw the flat DB set in there also.

[TwoFortySX]

@77rednecktruck

thanks. I will try the different grip tomorrow.

I do incline and decline DB work every chest day. I will try to throw the flat DB set in there also.

welcome.

try alternating the order you do your exercises and possibly throw in a few sets of dips until failure.

my chest + Bicep routine goes something like this:

Cable X’over 1x50 as a warm up; 4x15
DB Bench 4x10-12 (heavy)
DB Incline 4x10-12 (heavy)
DB Flys 3x15
Dips 2 or 3 x failure

Str. barbell Curls 4x15
Machine Preacher curls 25,20,15,12,10
hammer curls 3x12

i do chest on thursdays because its one of my better develops muscles. i try to do my lagging body parts earlier in the week.

monday back, tris, core
tuesday Delts, traps
wednesday core, cardio
thursday - chest, bis
friday legs, core

the reason for doing chest,bis and back,tris is because splitting the muscle groups apart has given me better workouts when i isolate bis and tris. when i would work the pushing or pulling muscle groups together, the workouts always ended subpar which caused less that good results for me!

jimmy

[77rednecktruck]

@TwoFortySX

try alternating the order you do your exercises and possibly throw in a few sets of dips until failure.

I never have the same order. The gym I goto is pretty packed so I have to use what’s open at the time.

At the end of my chest/tri days I always do 3 sets of dips to failure. usually get about 12 on the first set 6-8 on the second and haven’t been able to get more than 4 on the final set.

[TwoFortySX]

@77rednecktruck

At the end of my chest/tri days I always do 3 sets of dips to failure. usually get about 12 on the first set 6-8 on the second and haven’t been able to get more than 4 on the final set.

good to hear. they are a great way to kill your chest at the end of a workout

[bics56]

@77rednecktruck

I never have the same order. The gym I goto is pretty packed so I have to use what’s open at the time.

At the end of my chest/tri days I always do 3 sets of dips to failure. usually get about 12 on the first set 6-8 on the second and haven’t been able to get more than 4 on the final set.

Try to keep in mind you don’t want to train the same muscle group 2 days in a row. For example if you do chest one day try not to do tris the next. When switching it up oyu have to plan it out in advance so you give your muscles time to heal before breaking them down again. I break up my routine like this

day1: Chest
day2: legs
day3: back/bis
day4: shoulders/tris
day5:rest
Day6: something I feel is laging
Day7: rest

I try to get some cardio in on days I have time as well.

[BlkP42E]

i usually do 4 days on, 3 days off

1 chest
2 bi’s /back
3 shoulders
4 tris

[77rednecktruck]

I do chest/tri’s one day
back/bi’s one day
shoulder/core one day
sometimes a leg workout, but damn i hate working out legs.
I do this because I only have 1 hour at the gym and can only get there a few times a week. my tri’s are dead from the chest so it only takes a few sets to finish them off, same with bi’s on the back days.
I do situps and pushups every day

[bics56]

Try to do your tris with you shoulders and your core with your chest

[77rednecktruck]

@bics56

Try to do your tris with you shoulders and your core with your chest

i’ll give it a try. I just want to get past this barrier and move up in weight again. The only thing that has moved at all in the past 3 weeks were my bi’s.

I need to redo my entire workout I think.

[bics56]

ya…varity is key to spark new growth…if you want I could PM you a few high intensity workouts. you will need a spot for some though.

[Sinner6.0L]

@BlkP42E

i usually do 4 days on, 3 days off

1 chest
2 bi’s /back
3 shoulders
4 tris

pretty much the same,
1 pecks/ tri’s
2 delts/lats/back
3 bi’s/tri’s/forearms
4 whatever I feel like, sometimes its the off week(only lift 3 days)