Bench Press Problem

[cbiz]

I started lifting semi-seriously about 3-4 months ago and so far have made some decent gains. I am pretty scrawny and small but so far have gained a bit of weight. The only problem is that my pecs are basically none existent. When I first started benching my triceps would be spent by the end of my sets yet my pecs would also be slightly sore the next day thus making me think I was at least sort of using them. When doing bench press as of late (where i have made most of my gains) I notice that my shoulders are getting sore/tired by the end of the set. How should I adjust so that I am using less shoulder and am focusing more on the pecs, I have experimented with wide grip and such but I already use a fairly wide grip at the moment.

Thanks for the help

[mattnxtc]

Well the obvious answer is that bench uses a combination of your tris, shoulders, and pecs. so that explains why your tris and shoulders are sore. Likely its just natural growing pains that come with the beginning of lifting.

What workout are you doing? It is possible that you are overworking your shoulders/triceps and that is causing the fatigue/soreness

[Rearden]

Try changing it up for a little bit and doing Flyes before Benching... that may help.

What angles do you Bench with (flat only or also inclince, decline, etc.)? Do you do dips? Other shoulder/tri work?

Basically; more info please.

[gol4pro]

Pre-exhaust your pecs with flies or cable crossovers. Then go about your routine as before.

[Colt McCoy]

[ QUOTE ]
Try changing it up for a little bit and doing Flyes before Benching... that may help.

What angles do you Bench with (flat only or also inclince, decline, etc.)? Do you do dips? Other shoulder/tri work?

Basically; more info please.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Pre-exhaust your pecs with flies or cable crossovers. Then go about your routine as before.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't start doing a bunch of crap exercises like flyes and cable crossovers, and don't start goofing around with different bench angles.

What does the rest of your routine look like? If you're not already doing them, the best thing you can do to make your entire body grow is to start doing heavy squats and deadlifts. My guess is if you just keep after it your chest will come along. With that said, the bench press is not a chest isolation exercise, as you've found out.

If you're squatting, deadlifting and benching and your chest doesn't start to come along with the rest of your body, weighted dips are the best chest isolation exercise there is and it isn't at all close. To hit your chest hard, do dips with your chin on your chest and your knees pulled forward.

[Grey]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/dimaggio11.htm

[zer0]

db flyes are not a crap excercise

[mmctrab]

Do dumbbell bench presses instead, or switch things up and do barbell benches one day and dumbbell benches the next. Bench once a week.

[thirddan]

maybe do some kind of activation work...some pushups, ballistic pushups, T push up before doign bench...this will get your chest working a bit so that it is activated when you do your bench...

this activation stuff is something im reading more and more about...can't find much in the way of specific though...im considering getting the inside-out warm up manual thing...

[Efourdee]

[ QUOTE ]
weighted dips are the best chest isolation exercise there is and it isn't at all close.

[/ QUOTE ]

Umm No. Weighted Dips are not an isolation exercise. Its a compound movement. A fly motion is the best isolation you can get "and its not even close".