So, ive been working on my pecs for a while. The standard pushups, butterfly, bench press and an occasional dumbell fly routine. and this is my look so far. I need some advice on excercises and other helpful tips to help my chest look more masculine and add some strength. I was born with a mild pectus chest (my sternum sinks in to my chest) and my nipples are obviously puffy naturally. As i see it, these two conditions make me look like i have some small tits. Thanks
try doing incline and decline bench to hit the edges of the muscles and square it off a bit. also not sure what you're doing as far as weight is concerned but if you want to start toning you could go for a slightly lower weight and work to fatigue. it takes a while to actually exhaust a muscle but the results are impressive and then when you move up in weight you'll have a really good dense muscle base. also working your back, ie lats etc. will help tighten the muscles around the pecs and give you a more sculpted look. and everyone's body is different so you know you'll look like you even if you bulk and cut. also if you get a chance work with a partner. you can usually push your body further because you have somebody there to assist with weight you might not otherwise be able to continue with etc.
Hey jrnyman: What are your thoughts on "sets." I've heard two different theories. 1) If you do (say, push-ups, for example) to exhaustion once, you've done all you need to do. Resting then doing another set serves no purpose becuase you've already broken down the muscle so it can rebuild. 2) More sets are better. Of course I'd love number one to be true, but it sounds too good to be true. Too easy.
I think that if you can still keep going it's going to work it harder... if say you have enough fuel. if you work past what your body can keep up with it will metabolize the muscle or injure you. It's really hard to actually completely exhaust a muscle. descending sets is a good way to get there though if you want to.
Word. Thanks bro. Guess I gotta keep doing my sets. Damn. The price we pay to be beautiful. ALSO: LivingCorpse: Judging by your photos, I bet if you could slim down your waist you'd help yourself have more of that "V" shape we all wish we had. Your shoulders are broad anyway, but you can really make your upper body look more prominent if you shrink the waistline. I know, easier said than done. Good luck!
no worries. although going to exhaustion really isn't necessary to get cut or bulk. It'll cut your work out time in half though if you do it right. Make sure you warm up properly first! back when I was in the gym a lot I talked to a trainer and he gave me a new routine. Before I talked to him I couldn't even get sore cause I hit the limits of the way I was working out. Yeah I didn't even make it through his workout it was so hardcore! so it's not how much you put up or how many of something you do if you do it efficiently.
I've also heard that the new thing is to "confuse" the muscles by changing the way you work out? Not sure if this is just another money-making phase or if it's backed up by studies. I'm not even really sure what it means. Here in Ohio we have entire gyms that have popped up and charge ridiculous amounts of money to kick your ass and train you to "confuse" your muscles into making you hot.
yeah it's generally a good idea to alter your workout every so often. I think I used to do a 4-6 week rotation on workouts also depends on what you're trying to accomplish. if you're training for a sport you'll generally work differently than if you're bodybuilding etc.
start working on them abs.. you not woking out in proportion to you body and frame. your gona wind up having problems in other areas,. and hurting yourself later on with pulled muscles and tears. do kick backs, lawnmowers.. overhead press.. strengthen your ab section and your chest.. back arm over heads, and some clse grip pull downs .. Cardio.. SWIMMING..
If you're only concerned about pecs then just forget about it. If you're genuinely concerned about being in overall physical shape then you need to work one your legs and back as well. Look at what you put IN your body as well. Do you poison your system with junk food and alcohol? Do you have any intention of changing that? If no, then forget about your pecs and lay in a supply of oversized baggy clothing and learn to like your body as is. Oh, and working abs without doing something about overall body composition is a recipe for discouragement... there's so much bad information out there that is as dangerous as bad lifestyle.
haha... I said to myself wheres stinkfoot at while I replied to this thread.. the Op need a workout partner so he dont hurt himself either.. figure hes doing benches? how hes pushing the breaking point without a partner Idk.. even his curls will benifite with a partner, give you modivation too.. But while your curling you get to the point you cant do any more thats when your partner helps just a bit so you burn and rip.. Agreed healthy diet... eat your carbs b4 working out, 1. Eat a small (100- to 200-calorie) snack about 30 minutes before you work out. This snack should include fast-digesting (high glycemic index) carbohydrates and very little fat (which digests slowly), so that you digest the meal quickly and the fuel is available during your exercise session. Here are some ideas: Fruit juice Fruit smoothie High-glycemic fruits like pineapple, apricots, banana, mango, and watermelon Sports drinks Pretzels or bagels (but not whole grain varieties, which digest slowly) Energy bars (look for 3-5 grams of protein, at least 15 grams of carbs, and very little fat) 2. Eat a nutritionally balanced meal 1-2 hours before your exercise. This is the best option for many people. The larger the meal, and the more fat and protein it contains, the longer you may need to wait before exercising. Ideally, try to eat enough calories to equal about half the calories you expect to burn during your upcoming workout. So if you burn about 600 calories during your workout, aim for at least 300 calories during this meal — or a little more if your exercise is “high intensity” (over 75% of your maximum heart rate). At least 50-60% of these calories should come from carbohydrates, which should keep your blood sugar and energy levels fairly stable during your exercise session. Include some protein to help prevent the breakdown of muscle for fuel and give your muscles a headstart on recovery after exercise. Some good food choices and combinations for this kind of meal include my favorite workout food.. Fruit Loops in a blender with milk and bananas, kinda a cereal smoothie... lots of sugar and carbs.. potassium and proteins.. I eat alot of chicken and rice.. WATER... .. hehehe... I did a Ab workout the other day and my belly was on fire.. Ive neglected my lower abs now tryig to catch up is killing me. I thinks it was the leg lifts.. but boy did my belly burn and was it hot to the touch... But I love it when you feel the burn..
Sounds awesome. Thanks for the recipe. Too bad I can't put a pint of cookie-dough ice cream on top of it ... Great advice overall, too, btw.
why not, you can work off that fat.. Burning a high cal as long as you work out on it. If your trying to gain weight loading up on fats is ok, but you still need to workout all areas of the body, your muscles that have already restord themselfs cant take any more which now converts to fat usually in belly area. Also you should try something with a heavy bag hard boxing and kicking if you can. Jump rope with wide circles works your shoulders and helps rotations of shoulders. So not to get locked joints.. Even if you have no rope pretend you do.. No swimming pool pretend on a bench with weights.. Learn to flex and stretch.. get a mirror.. Im done lol.
burn fat you got, by drinking water or(gatorade) and eating a low carb meal before working out.. Drink water... < the best advice.. stay off the soda.
