Advice/help please?

LaurenEllexx

So, when I do chest and back workouts. i never feel anything! I have done dumbbell flyes (10 lbs is what I use as 15 is too heavy) and lat pulldowns yet I felt nothing in those areas. Any advice for chest/back workouts that I can do ad actually feel?

Also what are some ab workouts that noobs like me can do? I can't really do sit ups without it hurting my neck so what are some alternatives ? but I do like the reverse crunches.

Also, I know I have to lower my body fat enough to see abs but still...

Any advice would be great!

AllanMisner

If you're not feeling it, then you're not getting benefit from the exercise. Have you considered using a bar instead of dumbbells? When you do your presses, how many reps are you doing? When saying 15 lbs are too heavy, does that mean you cannot doing any reps with them? When doing the lat pull downs, how many reps and at what weight? Have you tried going heavier or slowing down the repetitions?

Early on, there is little reason to do ab work. Instead, do weighted squats. They activate the abs much better than crunches. And yes, you're going to have to get your bodyfat down (well below 20%) before you'll see abs. Once you see them, then you'll know what to do to bring them out properly.

Walter__

Your main problem is most likely that you don't have a good mind-muscle connection. This is especially true if you're new to lifting.

You need to focus on using the muscles that the exercise is intended to train. Lifting weights isn't simply throwing the weight around. You need to lift with focus and purpose. Like I recommended to someone else..use light weight and do numerous repetitions at first so you get an understanding of how the movement should be. In each rep, focus on using the muscles that you're supposed to be using. Once you've got the form and feel of it down, you can add more weight and lower the reps.

When I was a beginner, the best way overall I found to gain better feel and control of my back muscles was the seated row machine. This is the type of machine I used: http://www.bodysolid.com/Images/Products/GSRM40/600/GSRM40_Hero02.png

You want to focus on really using those back muscles to pull, and make sure to squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the movement. After I did that on the seated row machine for a while, my mind-muscle connection increased tremendously for all other back exercises. I don't know if this would help others, but this really helped me personally.

As far as flys go.. Try doing a fly machine first. Once you know how it feels to actually squeeze your pecs together, you can go back to dumbbell flys and replicate the same feel.

LaurenEllexx

I usually go 12-15 reps but I can do a few (maybe 5 reps) with the 15 lbs dumbbell. As far as the lat pulldown I do 30 lbs. Right now last time I checked my bodyfat was at 24%.

I'll definitely try the seated row machine but we do not have a fly machine. The gym I go to is very very small!

Walter__

I usually go 12-15 reps but I can do a few (maybe 5 reps) with the 15 lbs dumbbell. As far as the lat pulldown I do 30 lbs. Right now last time I checked my bodyfat was at 24%.

I'll definitely try the seated row machine but we do not have a fly machine. The gym I go to is very very small!

Yea just really focus on doing the movement with the muscles that the exercise is supposed to be training. Every lift is the same way. You'll find once you've got the concept of mind-muscle connection down it's really easy for you to learn new exercises.

dbmata

So, when I do chest and back workouts. i never feel anything! I have done dumbbell flyes (10 lbs is what I use as 15 is too heavy) and lat pulldowns yet I felt nothing in those areas. Any advice for chest/back workouts that I can do ad actually feel?

Also what are some ab workouts that noobs like me can do? I can't really do sit ups without it hurting my neck so what are some alternatives ? but I do like the reverse crunches.

Also, I know I have to lower my body fat enough to see abs but still...

Any advice would be great!

Increase those dumb bells by 30# and report back.

meshashesha2012

So, when I do chest and back workouts. i never feel anything! I have done dumbbell flyes (10 lbs is what I use as 15 is too heavy) and lat pulldowns yet I felt nothing in those areas. Any advice for chest/back workouts that I can do ad actually feel?

Also what are some ab workouts that noobs like me can do? I can't really do sit ups without it hurting my neck so what are some alternatives ? but I do like the reverse crunches.

Also, I know I have to lower my body fat enough to see abs but still...

Any advice would be great!

Increase those dumb bells by 30# and report back.

this. increase your weights. the 15s are always going to be too heavy until you start using them and force your muscles to repair stronger. you dont get stronger by doing the same weights, you get stronger by progressively overloading the muscle.

dbmata

For the abs, drop body weight.

Now you could build their endurance if you'd like, or you can work on bulking what's there. Neither will show them.

davepearson86

For lat pulldowns I find I feel it more with a reverse grip, try to find a way that works so you feel the muscle working. Someone else had a really good wordy post, follow that advice too.