different types of weights training for pecs

[ged]

im starting a new pecs routine, where i do strength training on pecs (6 sets of 3 on benchpress) and then bulk training on upper pecs (3 sets of 10 or so or incline)

is this possible? to do 2 types of training on pecs?

has anyone tried this before?

[Sharky]

don't say "upper pecs" in this forum!!! :D

i do bench presses, 3x8 reps, at the start of my workout, then at the end, i use these butterfly things which are attacted to my bench, and i just go for as long as possible with these, feeling the burn, and holding it in positions to get maximum burn. I guess this would be more endurance, but gives nice definition.

"You can't see it if you blind but we will always prevail (true)/Life is like the open sea, the truth is the wind in our sail/And in the end, our names is on the lips of dying men/If ever crushed in the earth, we always rise again/When the words of lying men sound lush like the sound of a violin/The truth is there, it's just the heart you gotta find it in" - Talib Kweli

[Braden]

Oh yes. If you're body building, it's almost essential to hit different aspects of each muscle group. I do four different exercises for my pecs.

[Sharky]

what are they braden?

"You can't see it if you blind but we will always prevail (true)/Life is like the open sea, the truth is the wind in our sail/And in the end, our names is on the lips of dying men/If ever crushed in the earth, we always rise again/When the words of lying men sound lush like the sound of a violin/The truth is there, it's just the heart you gotta find it in" - Talib Kweli

[Braden]

close-grip bench press, bent-arm lateral, decline dumbbell fly, close-grip straight-arm barbell pullover across bench.

[This message was edited by Braden on 09-16-01 at 06:53 PM.]

[Sharky]

i got a lat machine, it attaches with the bench, but i think they gave me the wrong bits, and i never bothered putting it on, and now it just sits there :( i can't take it back or get a refund either :(

"You can't see it if you blind but we will always prevail (true)/Life is like the open sea, the truth is the wind in our sail/And in the end, our names is on the lips of dying men/If ever crushed in the earth, we always rise again/When the words of lying men sound lush like the sound of a violin/The truth is there, it's just the heart you gotta find it in" - Talib Kweli

[Braden]

I like the laterals. You can try doing them on your back on a bench with dumbbells, depending on how much weight you're using.

The decline flys are my favorite. If I could only do one pec exercise, it would be them.

I don't think either are the best exercise for power though. But I'm not a power-lifter. ;)

[Silumkid]

As always, it depends on your goals. However, I will refer to Dr. Hatfield here (and in deference to Sharky's comment) "The muscle bellies are all stressed during movements that activate the muscle...so in other words, just lift the ****ed bar!" According to his research, the bench/dumbell press should suffice. The only major difference in the different lifts is the pain receptors activated...however, if I remember correctly he does advocate dips, which secondarily involve the so-called "lower pecs".

We are trained in wushu; we must protect the Temple!

[ged]

yup, so i can train 2 different parts of pecs.

but, can i train the top part for size, and the bottom part for strength?

[ElPietro]

There are different regions in the pectoralis but it isn't really possibe to target different areas of the chest. If you go to high intensity your body is recruiting all pectoral muscle fibres to do the work. The only way you could probably target an area is by lifting such light weight that only some muscle fibres are recruited, but the weight wouldn't be suitable for musclegrowth so therefore useless. Training the same muscle from different angles is recommended as your body needs to adapt to those new forms, this is a neurological response not a muscular one. If you have large increases in strength and then they rapidly slow down, this isn't a plateau, just the rapid initial gains are due to increased adaptation of your nervous system and motor skills to perform the movement...the slower gains that follow are actually your muscles getting stronger...so don't just switch exercises when you can't add 20lbs extra to your bench each week.

Last and most important...don't overtrain...if you overwork yourself and don't give your body sufficient rest you are just wasting your time anyway...