ISOLATION MOVEMENTS FOR CHEST

[trainlikeadog]

what are your opinions on isolation movements such as flies, pec dec, cable when trying to build a big chest? some say its pointless. do you think its good to add it at the end of the workout? or just stick to the big compound movements of bb press, db press, dips, etc...?

[Mrbig]

there good for a pump at the end but they will not add mass to your chest because the weight you have to use is to light id love to see someone get a big chest doing only cable crossovers lol

[trainlikeadog]

how many sets overall should you be aiming at for chest? considering your NOT on roids.?

[Pseudonym]

I think isolation movements have their place. Sure, you're not going as heavy as you would on a compound exercise, but you're working the muscle in a different range of motion, and that's important, IMO.

I generally do 12-15 sets for chest.

[PeterDolan]

I can pec flye 38kg DB's, not going heavy is for pussies!

Flyes allow you isolate the pecs so yes they can help add mass, it's all about intensity, train like a bitch, look like a bitch

[tinytraps]

50 sets a bodypart will work good. Do this 3x per week each bodypart.

[Mrbig]

ofcourse they have there place but compounds/multi-joint exercises are greater than isolations/single-joint exercises because the synergy of the muscles allow for superior loading. This leads to a higher recruitment of motor-units, which leads to a higher stimulation of muscle growth. And the higher the stimulation for muscle growth leads to an increase in cross-sectional area.

a few guys here need to go and study the anatomy and learn the origin and insertions of muscles and their joint actions and how most stuff you read is utter bullshit

[PeterDolan]

I agree with the compound superiority but I think you should usually have at least 1 isolation movement per body part anyway. They tend to allow the greatest stretch and have minimal synergistic assistance. In my opinion though, cable cross overs/machine flyes are purely a pre contest exercise

You can always go heavy on isolation exercises unless you have had an injury you need to be careful of

[Mrbig]

yup agree with you peter definately add them in but just make sure compunds come first unless doing pre-exhaust

lift big get big

[PeterDolan]

Ever tried pre exhausting your chest? My brother likes it but I don't see the point in it for chest, my tri's and delts barely come in on my chest (well I don't really feel them but I know they are)

[Mrbig]

yea tried it just got a crazy pump and couldnt lift as heavy on the compund movement so I dont do it prefer to lift as heavy as possible on compounds then do iso exercises for stretching and volume

[PeterDolan]

I often do my flye as the 3rd exercise and it completely fucks me for my final exercise, good to know it isn't just me

[trainlikeadog]

for a while i was trying the greg plitt chest workout of supersetting flat db press with flat db fly, then icline db press with incline fly, i cant remember the rest of the workout. it was so hard and my chest was sore for days, looking back i dont know how good it would have been though

[Specter]

I often do my flye as the 3rd exercise and it completely fucks me for my final exercise, good to know it isn't just me

yep, flyes are my 3rd exercise.

Olympic Bar bench press (close grip)

O Bar incline press (wide grip)

Db flyes (for good seperation/the line between the pecs)

finish off with dips (lean fwd slightly) (squeeze up working lower pecs)

Im a great believer in working all angles of the chest.

Thats just me, each to their own.

[PeterDolan]

I often do my flye as the 3rd exercise and it completely fucks me for my final exercise, good to know it isn't just me

yep, flyes are my 3rd exercise.

Olympic Bar bench press (close grip)

O Bar incline press (wide grip)

Db flyes (for good seperation/the line between the pecs)

finish off with dips (lean fwd slightly) (squeeze up working lower pecs)

Im a great believer in working all angles of the chest.

Thats just me, each to their own.

Branch Warren is similar to you, can't argue with what he's got!

[tinytraps]

tbh bro I think at this stage, judging by your avy, that you just need to work the compounds hard, no point in trying to isolate your chest if you got no meat there to play with

[trainlikeadog]

tbh bro I think at this stage, judging by your avy, that you just need to work the compounds hard, no point in trying to isolate your chest if you got no meat there to play with

yeah i agree, just seeing if throwing in some flies after flat, incline and dips would be effective as people say it stretches out the chest

[Gym rat]

For flys have the DB's facing in by doing that you hit more muscle fibers that way plus you get a wicked and mean pump

[PeterDolan]

tbh bro I think at this stage, judging by your avy, that you just need to work the compounds hard, no point in trying to isolate your chest if you got no meat there to play with

yeah i agree, just seeing if throwing in some flies after flat, incline and dips would be effective as people say it stretches out the chest

Yes it will have value

[cantygirl]

I don't think you lads are training hard enough if you are able to do so many different exercises for 1 muscle group. Surely you should be so nuked doing your bench barbell press that you might be able to squeeze a couple of sets of an isolation exercise in for variation and to release a little lactic acid.

[PeterDolan]

I don't think you lads are training hard enough if you are able to do so many different exercises for 1 muscle group. Surely you should be so nuked doing your bench barbell press that you might be able to squeeze a couple of sets of an isolation exercise in for variation and to release a little lactic acid.

This ain't PL

[cantygirl]

This ain't PL

Well I would have thought you would know, "to get bigger you have to lift a heavy weight" or are you lads happy with the size you are?

[PeterDolan]

This ain't PL

Well I would have thought you would know, "to get bigger you have to lift a heavy weight" or are you lads happy with the size you are?

Why can't you lift heavy on 3-4 exercises?

[Mrbig]

cantygirl is right if you go to true absolute failure on your first compuond lift you will need a decent amount of rest to do it again on another exercise

but she also may not understand that bbers have great conditioning if they are volume trainers as they build a tolerance to lactic acid and desnseitize the golgi tendon organ

a great example is to alternate between d/b press and benchpress on a weekly bases you will notice that when you do a d/b press first to failure you will lift heavier than if you do it after a benching movement

just watch dorians HIT training vids on bb.com you will see in the chest section they guys are unable to lift as heavy as they normally do on d/b press because dorian fried them on the bench

[PeterDolan]

Agreed, you can't handle as much weight on your latter exercises but doesn't mean you can't handle heavy weight