help working out pecs, am I doing it right?

mllejane
mllejane Posts: 2 Member
edited November 21 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys! Can someone clear this up for me?
I've started doing dumbell bench press and flyes about 2 weeks ago.
I was just wondering if it's normal that I only feel a slight burn after workout on the sides of the pecs, like, right on the side of the armpit. Shoudn't it burn on a wider area more towards the middle of the chest?
I really want to be efficient and hate loosing time doing wrong moves/exercises. Come to my rescue!

How I do the workout:
I do 3 sets of 10 reps (the more I can do atm) with 5 kg/11 lbs dumbells, flyes or press (I switch exercise the next session 1-2 days after last workout)
+ 2 sets of 30 reps with 2.5 kg/ 5 lbs dumbells to warm up before taking the heavier weights.
+Trying to really focus on the pecs and not doing a triceps/biceps workout.

Basically I'm trying to workout my pecs cause I feel like I have none and that it's impacting the way my boobs "hang" lol. Trying to get things firmer and rounder on top. I know breasts are fat tissue and you can't work them out but I'm thinking of toning and firming the skin on top mostly cause, spoiler alert, my boobs are full on bottom and flat on top and that doesn't look nice to me (C cup).

If anybody has useful exercises, tips, advice, links I'd be so grateful! :)

21 yo F, 63kg/140lbs, 167cm/5.4 ft

Replies

  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    A couple of things:

    1. Try pressing on an incline bench to work your upper pecs more. This will create "cleavage". Stay at a 45 degree or less incline or else you'll start recruiting your shoulders.
    2. You likely don't feel a "burn" on the inside of your pecs because, as you bring the dumbbells up and in, you lose tension on your pecs (thanks to gravity). Try flyes using a cable - they are better at maintaining tension throughout the range of motion. Be sure to squeeze at the point of peak contraction.
  • Jmaytes
    Jmaytes Posts: 16 Member
    Make sure your elbows are not flared out keep them inside, if they are it will work outer and shoulders more then the pec. Also try doing a different variety from flat bench, decline bench, and incline bench to hit each desperate part of the pec.
  • sweetochiken
    sweetochiken Posts: 51 Member
    Try incline or decline like others said, start increasing your weight too, and try some chest flies. You said you have been working on it about 2 wks? You body is probably used to that exersize and weight so switch it up a bit with heavier weight (like 8lbs isnt to crazy). If you have a barbell, that will be easier to do with more weight rather than dumbbells. Definitely switch to an incline or decline position.
  • sweetochiken
    sweetochiken Posts: 51 Member
    edited July 2015
    If you are at the gym, try the pec deck machine. Or look up pec Deck alternative exercises with dumbbells.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    personally I feel that push ups do a much better job of working my whole chest and I tend to 'feel the burn' more unilaterally throughout the muscle. but if you're looking to put mass on, 'feeling a burn' isn't exactly necessary
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    Is there a chest press machine at your gym that feels like you are pushing slightly out and down?

    Decline bench if it is in a free weight bench.

    Decline will hit the middle and lower area of your pecs. Rounding out and up, by adding some firmness to the middle and bottom.
  • mllejane
    mllejane Posts: 2 Member
    edited July 2015
    I don't havy any access to the gym so I work out at home (I live in France and gyms are really expensive here but will have access to one when I'm a student again starting sept). I read about using a decline bench and would like to try that out but I don't know how to create that at home.
    Any ideas?

    I'm also trying to put on some muscle using weights so I can do push-ups cause I've never been able to and I'm not quite there yet.
  • sweetochiken
    sweetochiken Posts: 51 Member
    Do you have an exercise ball, or a bonsu ball? If so, place your booty on it your back on the floor, then do the press. Look on line for alternate exercises for chest press without bench.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    barbell bench press…dumbbell incline/decline presses; dumbbel flys, etc…
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,713 Member
    Also monitor the time it takes to do each lift. If you're limited in available weights and can't go heavier, go longer. Consider the DB bench press; push the weights up as explosively as possible, then take a full 5 second slow-count to lower them down again. When that's easy, make it 10 seconds.

    For the DB flies, do both up and down motions with a 3-5 second slow count. When I slow way down, I know I feel the burn across my chest far more than simply moving quickly all the time, even though I'm using lighter weights.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    mllejane wrote: »
    I was just wondering if it's normal that I only feel a slight burn after workout on the sides of the pecs, like, right on the side of the armpit. Shoudn't it burn on a wider area more towards the middle of the chest?

    Soreness isn't a good indicator of an exercise's effectiveness. But in your case, you might be letting your elbows drop below bench level, which can cause strain near the armpit (+ injure the shoulder). I would stop at bench level.

    For the upper chest, i'd use a flat bench or <10 degree incline. Slight decline for the rest of the chest, since the fibers run downward.
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