Fitness IQ Supplement: Workout of the Day
Unlocking Chest Growth: Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
I often hear people say that no matter how hard they train, their chest just doesn’t grow. While there can be several reasons for this, a few common issues may be holding back your chest development, especially during presses. Today, I’ll tackle these issues and share tips to help you achieve optimal chest activation for better growth and strength gains.
1. You May Not Be Training Hard Enough
The last few reps should feel challenging, with your speed slowing down noticeably. Ideally, you should reach a point where completing another rep with good form feels almost impossible. Learning to train close to failure takes practice, but once you understand this threshold, you’ll have a better sense of what it takes to push your muscles for real growth.
Why Many Don’t Reach True Failure
Misjudgment of Effort: It’s easy to feel like a set is tough when the muscles start to burn, but this isn’t always an indicator that you’re near failure.
Staying in the Comfort Zone: Training close to failure is uncomfortable. Many lifters avoid this intensity due to fatigue, soreness, or unfamiliarity with how hard they need to push.
Fear of Form Breakdown: Concern over maintaining form often stops lifters from pushing close to failure, particularly on compound movements like the chest press.
How to Learn What True Failure Feels Like
Use Rep Counts as a Guide, Not a Rule: Rather than focusing solely on a rep count, pay attention to how the last few reps feel. If you’re breezing through, you’re likely not close to failure.
Employ a Spotter: A spotter can help you push beyond your comfort zone safely. They can support those last few reps, allowing you to experience what true effort feels like.
Try Forced Reps: With a spotter, continue past normal fatigue with a few forced reps. This helps you understand the physical and mental effort it takes to reach failure.
Practice Rest-Pause Sets: After reaching near-failure, rest 10-15 seconds, then attempt 1-3 more reps. This method can help you adjust to the effort required for true failure.
Focus on Mind-Muscle Connection: Actively think about the target muscle working with each rep. Engaging the chest fully can help you recognize the sensation of nearing failure.
2. Shoulder Dominance
Another common reason for limited chest growth is shoulder dominance. For many lifters, the shoulders tend to take over during pressing movements, shifting tension away from the chest and limiting gains. Here’s why this happens and how to correct it.
Why Shoulder Dominance Happens
Natural Shoulder Engagement: The shoulders are involved in any pressing movement, but they can become overactive if they’re stronger relative to the chest.
Improper Form: Without proper setup, the shoulders can round forward, becoming the primary drivers instead of the chest.
Weak Upper Chest and Stabilizers: If the upper chest or supporting muscles are underdeveloped, the shoulders often compensate.
How to Minimize Shoulder Dominance
Focus on Shoulder Blade Positioning:
Retract and Depress: Before each press, pull your shoulder blades together and press them down to create a stable base, preventing the shoulders from rolling forward.
Adjust Your Elbow Angle:
Keep Elbows at 45 Degrees: A 45-degree angle between your elbows and torso optimizes chest engagement and reduces shoulder strain. Flaring elbows too wide increases shoulder involvement, while tucking them in shifts emphasis to the triceps.
Pre-Activate the Chest:
Warm Up with Flyes or Pec Deck: Start your workout with light isolation exercises to activate the chest. This can improve the mind-muscle connection and help the chest take the lead.
Practice Slow, Controlled Reps: Lower the weight slowly, focusing on the stretch in your chest. A controlled eccentric phase shifts more tension to the chest and limits shoulder involvement.
Signs That Shoulder Dominance Is Reducing
When your chest contraction feels stronger, shoulder fatigue decreases, and your chest pump improves, you’re likely achieving a good balance. With consistent form practice, your chest should feel more engaged, leading to better growth.
3. Other Considerations
Using Too Much Weight: It’s tempting to go heavy, but if your shoulders are taking over, scale back the weight until you can maintain chest engagement.
Optimal Rep Range for Growth: Many people associate pressing movements like the bench press with strength gains and one-rep maxes. While strength gains are beneficial, they don’t always lead to muscle growth. For reliable muscle-building results, stick to the 6-20 rep range. This range balances muscle growth, fatigue, and injury management effectively.
By addressing these common issues and incorporating these tips, you’ll start to see better chest activation, helping you finally break through those growth plateaus. Remember, small adjustments in intensity, form, and focus can lead to big changes in your results.