Am I just screwed as far as chest development goes?

[The Dude]

I've been training for 19 years to some extent with no breaks other than injuries. What I thought would be my worst bodypart (quads) seems to be my best. My calves are growing. My chest just doesn't seem to get that thickness. It grows very little and not aesthetically pleasing. I've tried doing nothing but Incline, supersets, drop sets, pre exhaust, Doggcrap, I just don't know what else I can do. Also my arms look very large, but seem to shrink to nothing for a show... at least when I get onstage. I'm actually treating this year like Nuk is although I won't compete. I'm giving it 2 years. I'll adjust AAS to play with things and added in insulin post workout and one day with breakfast for a total of 5 days a week. Also doing 100mcg of IGF preworkout. Thoughts?!

 

[MrPerfect]

tell me your routine now, lets see if i can change it up... my chest is my best body part next to my back

 

[supermannpc]

I always trained high volume high intensity with DC stretch
DC alone didnt build my size but the stretches were key

 

[The Dude]

I always trained high volume high intensity with DC stretch
DC alone didnt build my size but the stretches were key

In all honesty I did and do slack on the stretching.

 

[The Dude]

tell me your routine now, lets see if i can change it up... my chest is my best body part next to my back

It changes each workout but is usually along these lines.
3 sets of Pec Deck or Cross Overs building up to my heaviest set and do 15 reps sometimes followed by a drop.
Next I'll do a Strive or Hammer Press 3 sets building up to my heaviest set of 15+ reps
Then perhaps dips or an exercise that focuses on the lower part 2 sets
Last I'll do Incline Hammer since my shoulders tend to take over if I do any Incline early on. This way my chest is fried and my chest always gives out first.
Occasionally I'll replace the second exercise with one arm Hammer presses.

 

[Ox 51]

Seems like a lot of high reps. Do you do any flat bench? If you don't have any injuries preventing it, I'd start each chest workout with flat bench, keeping the reps at 6 and going heavy as hell, increasing weight each time until you can only get 4 reps on the 4th or 5th set.

Chest has always been my strength, just because through my teen years I was more concerned with building my bench press than anything else.

 

[Rep]

Dude, i had the same problem. My problem was that my shoulders would do ALL the work. My chest was always flat. Also, my triceps are very strong so trying to fatigue the chest was REALLY hard. I gave up until I read something on a site about not doing Full Range with chest. I immediatley started fucking with differnt things and this is what works for ME and Ive gotten great results, esp on my upper chest.
I place a squat pad on the bar so the bar does not touch my chest. I keep it about 1-2 inches off my chest and I only go up 3/4 way and come down, repeat. I always start with incline, shoulders back and do 5 sets on incline and through in (in-between the barbell) a set of dumbell inclines. Then I do flat, and declines, then incline flyes on a cable machine. I cant tell you enough about how NOT doing full range has worked for my body. Anyway, I hope this helps a little, bc you have helped my a lot

 

[The Dude]

I'm not capable of doing a bench press. I've already ruptured one pec. I've been extremely strong previously and that could've led to the rupture so now I do higher reps and I'm more careful. I could do 315 for 12 on the flat at 18, by 20 I could do 365 on the incline for 9.

 

[Ox 51]

I'm not capable of doing a bench press. I've already ruptured one pec. I've been extremely strong previously and that could've led to the rupture so now I do higher reps and I'm more careful. I could do 315 for 12 on the flat at 18, by 20 I could do 365 on the incline for 9.

I see. Kinda the same boat I'm in with legs. My knees hurt so bad that I usually stick to lighter weights and higher reps. But, most of the summer they've hurt so bad from softball that I haven't worked legs properly in a couple of months.

 

[Mrbigz]

what about dumbbells Dude?

 

[The Dude]

what about dumbbells Dude?

I'll do them very rarely, but I still have trouble with the ruptured pec when doing these so I end up taxing stabilizer muscles before my actual pecs. The rupture really screwed me.
I did chest today and as usual had a great workout and then some serious DC stretching at the end before biceps and calves, so we'll see if that helps.

 

[Chris250]

your avatar pic your chest looks full and round...you got anymore close up of your chest in the offseason, when your big and full...It could be that you dieted down and took some muscle off, because chest is your weak bodypart. I know for me, my chest use to be a weaker bodypart, and tends to flatten out when all dieted down, its fuller and rounder now, so it looks much better now....but my back is the same way, so Im hoping that with the extra muscle now, it will be better. But, it couldve been just dieting down hard and fast that flatten it out...Maybe ?

 

[The Dude]

your avatar pic your chest looks full and round...you got anymore close up of your chest in the offseason, when your big and full...It could be that you dieted down and took some muscle off, because chest is your weak bodypart. I know for me, my chest use to be a weaker bodypart, and tends to flatten out when all dieted down, its fuller and rounder now, so it looks much better now....but my back is the same way, so Im hoping that with the extra muscle now, it will be better. But, it couldve been just dieting down hard and fast that flatten it out...Maybe ?

That's a real possibility. It's pretty good in the offseason and no one see's it when I say it's weak until I'm dieted down. I also lost a substantial amount of pressing strength while dieting while I lost very little to no strength on other movements.

 

[mcgaret]

what about dumbbells Dude?

too bad about the past injury. I was also going to say dumbells, they
always seem to give me a rounder fuller look. I would say try low
reps. Mabey around 6. Not so heavy you will blow something but
heavier then you are going now. I bet after all those years of doing
high reps your pecs might respond to the low reps. Keep us posted of
what you try and how it works.

 

[mcgaret]

how long since you tried bench or DB's? I blew out a shoulder once and I thought I could never bench again. Just used machines.
About a year and a half later I tried bench and it worked. It took that long and I now worm up carefully.

 

[The Dude]

how long since you tried bench or DB's? I blew out a shoulder once and I thought I could never bench again. Just used machines.
About a year and a half later I tried bench and it worked. It took that long and I now worm up carefully.

It's been a decade since I've done them. I try occasionally, but I still can't do them. Bench press has never suited my structure. I prefer machines now although I'm trying to get back to doing heavy dips and DC stretching.

 

[Presser]

I think chris might have nailed it bro, with the possibility of you losing muscle that you couldnt afford to with what you were already working with.

 

[big in vegas]

I also think Chris is right, my chest looks decent in offseason and seems to flatten out as well for contest. I have a small chest in comparison to other parts so it's very noticable

 

[The Dude]

I hope to put on at least 20lbs of muscle in the next 2 years with the addition of insulin and GH so hopefully that will help some.

 

[theBIGness]

if you can get that damn big you can bring up your chest, for sure.