Neural Pathways - Chest

[nckfitheart2009]

Hi Cathe,

Hope you have had a great time with your family during thanksgiving.

I have been working out at home with you for a while now and feel I still have not been able to build up an optimal neural pathway for my chest! I want a stronger chest. I have a good connection for legs, back, shoulders and arms. It only takes second to feel muscles activation for those muscles groups but I am having hard time gaining improvement in my chest

I have been adding push ups and planks in a 100 challenge format. Is there any other exercise which could help me?

kind Regards,

 

[Justinef]

Did you ever find any good ideas Nathalie?
I saw the post, and hoped that someone would chime in.
Justine

 

[nckfitheart2009]

Did you ever find any good ideas Nathalie?
I saw the post, and hoped that someone would chime in.
Justine

Same thought here justine! I am hoping to get a reply from Cathe as well as from anyone else knowledgeable on this. I am always under the impression, for some reason i do not know Thinking too much, men have it easy working out and building chest muscle.

 

[Justinef]

I asked my Pilates tutor for some tips - mainly to prevent my shoulders taking the strain, rather than pecs.
She advised turning my hands inwards during push ups (like being pigeon toed, but with the hands) and placing my hands further back. It has helped a little. Also, supposedly the best push ups are done in TRX straps, so that it's a fly / push up combo. I have been playing with doing the push ups with mmy hands on sliding discs - tricky!
One final point from the Pilates lady is that if your shoulders are sore, then do the downward part of the push up, very slowly and controlled, then put your knees down and go up on knees (ie down on toes, up on knees). Apparently it's the upward movement which causes the most rotator cuff strain.

I still need to learn to activate the pecs, though - the chest equivalent of a hip thrust is needed.
Justine

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Nathalie...

Try doing slower reps and focusing on the eccentric portion of the movement (the lowering phase). For example of you were doing a bench press, put the weight up at your normal pace and then lower it slowly toward your chest. For fly's lift if up at your normal pace and let the weight come down to the sides slowly. For push ups, push your body away from the floor at your normal pace and come down much slower (try not to wind up in a face plant, ).


Ok, so let's look at doing the following exercises for 3 sets of 10 at the tempo described above. Use challenging weight and definitely use lifting gloves since that slower pace will make the barbell dig in your palm.

3 x 10 of decline bench press

3x10 of flat bench press

3x10 of incline bench press

3x10 of flat bench flys (alternate week to week with incline bench flys)

3 x 10 of push ups (on toes if you can with awesome form...if not on knees)

Do this workout one time per week and every other week you can do it twice per week (with at least three days in between chest sessions).

Good Luck!

Hi Cathe,

Hope you have had a great time with your family during thanksgiving.

I have been working out at home with you for a while now and feel I still have not been able to build up an optimal neural pathway for my chest! I want a stronger chest. I have a good connection for legs, back, shoulders and arms. It only takes second to feel muscles activation for those muscles groups but I am having hard time gaining improvement in my chest

I have been adding push ups and planks in a 100 challenge format. Is there any other exercise which could help me?

kind Regards,

 

[nckfitheart2009]

Hi Nathalie...

Try doing slower reps and focusing on the eccentric portion of the movement (the lowering phase). For example of you were doing a bench press, put the weight up at your normal pace and then lower it slowly toward your chest. For fly's lift if up at your normal pace and let the weight come down to the sides slowly. For push ups, push your body away from the floor at your normal pace and come down much slower (try not to wind up in a face plant, ). will do


Ok, so let's look at doing the following exercises for 3 sets of 10 at the tempo described above. Use challenging weight and definitely use lifting gloves since that slower pace will make the barbell dig in your palm.

3 x 10 of decline bench press

3x10 of flat bench press

3x10 of incline bench press

3x10 of flat bench flys (alternate week to week with incline bench flys)

3 x 10 of push ups (on toes if you can with awesome form...if not on knees)

Do this workout one time per week and every other week you can do it twice per week (with at least three days in between chest sessions).

Good Luck!

Thanks Cathe, specially for tips while holding the barbell
Just looking at the listed routine I can sense my chest will be in flame. So many angles of the chest will be hit.