Looking to get pecs

smurf860

A few years ago I had a bad dislocation in my right shoulder. Up to this day, my right pec is much softer and weaker than my left pec. I want to build this back up again and try and get good definition on it.

I can only get into the gym every second week with work. I do strength training 3 days of the week - chest and triceps one day, legs and shoulders another day, upper back and biceps the other day. The other days I try doing complexes for fitness.

The day I do my chest exercises, I do 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, and 4 reps, increasing the weight as the reps decline for the 3 bench presses I do. These bench presses include flat bench press, incline, and decline, all with the barbell. I do 3 sets of 10 wit dumbells doing incline flys, and 3 sets of 10 doing cable flys.

My question is would it be better for me to use dumbells rather than the barbell for the bench presses in order to help develop my right pec more? Or even vary it from day to day between dumbell and barbell? Or is my chest exercise good enough? I do the usual chaning the program around after so many sessions

JJayoo

So you only do your chest once every two weeks?

ApeXaviour

I'm also confused you say you go every second week but then 3 times per week.

Anyway, good to mix it around. Dumbells will help a lot with stabilising muscles. If you can mix in dumbell shoulder presses, dips etc. Pullups are good too. If you're bothered, many kettlebell exercises are good for the aul stability too.

Was it an anterior dislocation (subluxation)? That's what I had. It does hamper bench strength progress a lot. I can only bench about half what I squat for example... but it's improving all the time.

Personally I'd recommend you make-sure you're form is correct and even for both arms when benching heavy with the barbell... I was unconsciously "compensating" with my bad-shoulder-arm in a kind of skewed way and ended up repeatedly pulling some muscle in my neck... which hampered my bench strength progress even more until I sorted out my form.

Mellor

ApeXaviour wrote: »

I'm also confused you say you go every second week but then 3 times per week.

I assume he works shift work.
So he goes 3 times one next, but then can't go the next week, then 3 times the next week etc

JJayoo

Well in that case you will have to come up with some workouts you can do from home. Pushup -> weighted pushups -> chair pushups -> weighted chair pushups. Use a back pack with some books for the weighted part.

A cheap BB set from Argos would be handy.

ray jay

JJayoo wrote: »

A cheap BB set from Argos would be handy.

Yeah, you don't even need a bench if you do flies on your floor. DB floor press is another option, though you may want to elevate your upper back with a couple of phone books to get a better range of motion.

smurf860

@JJayoo - As I was mentioning in another post which I think you replied in, I also do boxing, thai boxing and jui jitsu. And yes as Mellor guessed I work shift work. Therefore, when I'm working evenings I lift wieghts in the gym, when I'm on days, I train in the other sports. The reason I only do the chest once in the week when I lift weights is because Ido strenght training 3 days of the week and complexes the other days. To answer your question, strenght training wise, I work the chest once every 2 weeks, but my chest still does get a good workout training in the other sports.

@ApeXaviour - As i said above, when I get into the gym lifting weights every 2nd week, I do my chest and triceps one day, legs and shoulders another day, and upper back and biceps another day. In between these days I do complexes. I do dips for my triceps, and I do pull-ups when I'm doing my biceps and upper back (narrow grip for biceps, wide grip for upper back). I didn't have a subluxation, I have a complete dislocation. It happened putting in a tackle playing a rugby match. And since you've had a similar injury, you know too how once side over compensates when you are recovering from your injury. In my case, my left side is much more defined and muscular, however strength wise I dont think there is much difference between the too sides. I do concentrate on my form when benching but maybe my left side does lift slightly more without me realising it. Hence, I thought that the dumbells would sort this problem. I might just try mixing things up between dumbell and barbells.

@ JJayoo & ray jay - The reason I dont get a barbell or dumbell set to do exercises from at home is because of what I said above. I train in other sports the weeks I work days. I would only over train if I tried lifting weights before or after these training sessions.

Thanks for all the feedback