Chest question

Hi peeps,
I'm having a few problems with chest excerises.
I never feel the pump in my chest when lifting and wondered if anyone could throw some advice my way.

I've gave up on barbell bench press and gone with dumbbell bench press, my right shoulder doesn't seem to like the bar and has this amazing feeling like a tendon gets trapped and then pings over something so I've stopped them :)

Anyway chest, I squeeze my shoulder blades together and I try to lift with my chest rather than my front shoulder muscles and squeeze the chest when up top am I doing this wrong???
Never feels like I've trained them on that day...
At the mo I'm doing 12/15 reps next week it will be 8/10 And the following 3/5 reps if anyone asks...
I'm trying the jim stoppani workout

Cheers people
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Replies

  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited June 2019
    One doesn't need to feel a pump for any lift to accomplish your goals. Example I currently have 6 slots of bench a week and don't experience a pump or soreness and progress just fine.

    The barbell is pretty simple. I have a feeling what your problem is but post a vid of a reasonable challenging weight and I can get you on a much better track.

    Post your pressing template as well as log for the past 6-8 weeks to give a idea of progression and everything involved please.



  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,937 Member
    edited June 2019
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    One doesn't need to feel a pump for any lift to accomplish your goals. Example I currently have 6 slots of bench a week and don't experience a pump or soreness and progress just fine.

    The barbell is pretty simple. I have a feeling what your problem is but post a vid of a reasonable challenging weight and I can get you on a much better track.

    Post your pressing template as well as log for the past 6-8 weeks to give a idea of progression and everything involved please.

    Same here. 6 slots, 3 strength, 3 hypertrophy. No pump or soreness. Interestingly, I seem to recover better from upper sessions than lower sessions. I get more stiffness/ soreness and fatigue when I push a lower body session hard than an upper body session. The program I am doing is a 4 day, upper/ lower split.
  • Buff_Man
    Buff_Man Posts: 622 Member
    I'm the same, so I also do flys, machine flys really help me feel the pump, don't go heavy though need to build up slowly
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited June 2019
    mmapags wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    One doesn't need to feel a pump for any lift to accomplish your goals. Example I currently have 6 slots of bench a week and don't experience a pump or soreness and progress just fine.

    The barbell is pretty simple. I have a feeling what your problem is but post a vid of a reasonable challenging weight and I can get you on a much better track.

    Post your pressing template as well as log for the past 6-8 weeks to give a idea of progression and everything involved please.

    Same here. 6 slots, 3 strength, 3 hypertrophy. No pump or soreness. Interestingly, I seem to recover better from upper sessions than lower sessions. I get more stiffness/ soreness and fatigue when I push a lower body session hard than an upper body session. The program I am doing is a 4 day, upper/ lower split.
    This because when upper body lifts are lighter weights and involve not only smaller but more muscle compared to lower body which generally uses a larger portion of one type of muscle.

    So less fatigue and stress to bench 275lb for sets compared to pulling 575lbs for sets. Not that it feels that way, but upper body recovery is much easier.

  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,937 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    One doesn't need to feel a pump for any lift to accomplish your goals. Example I currently have 6 slots of bench a week and don't experience a pump or soreness and progress just fine.

    The barbell is pretty simple. I have a feeling what your problem is but post a vid of a reasonable challenging weight and I can get you on a much better track.

    Post your pressing template as well as log for the past 6-8 weeks to give a idea of progression and everything involved please.

    Same here. 6 slots, 3 strength, 3 hypertrophy. No pump or soreness. Interestingly, I seem to recover better from upper sessions than lower sessions. I get more stiffness/ soreness and fatigue when I push a lower body session hard than an upper body session. The program I am doing is a 4 day, upper/ lower split.
    This because when upper body lifts are lighter weights and involve not only smaller but more muscle compared to lower body which generally uses a larger portion of one type of muscle.

    So less fatigue and stress to bench 275lb for sets compared to pulling 575lbs for sets. Not that it feels that way, but upper body recovery is much easier.
    Thanks for the response and the insight!
  • Riff1970
    Riff1970 Posts: 136 Member
    I have bad shoulders so I have to be careful with range of motion with certain exercises. I like to try different exercises or different versions of exercises to help my shoulders and to vary it up.

    I was trying to find a YouTube video but I can’t find it. It’s by mountaindog1. He showed a different version of the Dumbbell bench press with the palms facing each other. He kept his palms facing the whole time. At the top, don’t bring your hands together, keep them apart. Kind of like a cross between a fly and a press. Keep constant tension the whole time.

    This is one I work in every now and then. It helps my shoulders and keeps the workouts interesting. 👍🏼
  • ahmedz10
    ahmedz10 Posts: 1 Member
    For the pump: try to do some slow rep push-ups to feel the muscle.
    Fro the barbell: start with NO plates and go slow to be able to squeeze the chest at the top.
    For the shoulder isse: try to do a closer grip on the bar, dont go extra wide and use less weight.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,913 Member
    I will get woo-d for this because every single time I've suggested that someone goes and sees this particular person's account someone woo's me. But here we go - there is this guy called Eugene Teo - he is known as The Muscle Mechanic. I also couldn't feel my chest (or my shoulders or my hamstrings) now I can. I implemented the stuff he taught.

    So, go on Instagram and search @coacheugeneteo (all of you who woo me - you go search him too and then if you think it's crap, go ahead and woo me, but hold your woos until you actually see the content)

    I'm not in any way shape or form affiliated with the guy or get money from spruiking him. I honestly have had great experience with his way of doing things and my gainz have come a long way since I discovered him.

    Sometimes you need to 'map' the muscle first. Activate it, then go do your main lift and accessories.



  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
    Eugene Teo has good content; John Meadows frequently has him for guest appearances on his youtube channel workouts/exercise videos (mountaindog1)
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,231 Member
    I find the "pump" feel to be a nuisance and avoid it since hypertrophy isn't among my goals. But, given this is what you want, have you considered the plain old vanilla push-up. Bang out 25 to 50 reps and then give us a pump report. If they're too easy, you can do weighted or play with the angle by raising your feet on a step.
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
    Sorry guys, totally forgot I wrote this post..
    I don't think I was meant to say the word "pump" was meaning I never get the feeling that I've worked them. If i use triceps for example by the end of that work out I know I've worked them cos the feel knackered.

    With chest well even back aswell they just feel normal.
    if I had the energy i reckon i could do like 10sets of what ever rep range I would do.



  • Buff_Man
    Buff_Man Posts: 622 Member
    Do more flys, upto 15 reps, you'll feel it.
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
    Buff_Man wrote: »
    Do more flys, upto 15 reps, you'll feel it.

    Can't do flys mate, shoulder issues
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,451 Member
    Can you physically flex your pec muscles on demand? If not, then you haven't yet learned how to flex the muscle correctly while it's under tension. Practice it and you'll see a difference.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Can you physically flex your pec muscles on demand? If not, then you haven't yet learned how to flex the muscle correctly while it's under tension. Practice it and you'll see a difference.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    Yeah I can, great advice thro
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,231 Member
    There's a weight, a grip distance and a sets and reps cadence, using the bench press, that'll make your chesticles scream like a baby making you wished you hadn't said you don't feel anything. Discover it and then report back to us.
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
    There's a weight, a grip distance and a sets and reps cadence, using the bench press, that'll make your chesticles scream like a baby making you wished you hadn't said you don't feel anything. Discover it and then report back to us.

    I think I found the spot mate.. they seem the scream more on lighter weights rather than the heavier ones?? Do u think I'm using other muscles to lift the heavier ones.. I am making sure I'm squeezing at the top with the heavys
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
    edited June 2019
    I saw a skinner kid than myself today at the gym load up his bench press 60kg (132lbs) I stayed near to him cos I thought these no way. Lucky i did guys bloody donut got stuck. Saved the day