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4-6 reps is more for strength than hypertrophy

Working out any body part increases test. Working out legs may increase it a little more but its so minimal it wont make a difference.

I just have a question about your workout. When you're doing your chest exercises, are you hitting 6-8 reps and stopping or do you do the reps until you can't seem to make your muscles work?

This machine is really underrated for chest and you could actually see his chest contracting in the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tug0SX654oU
They call it the tricep press machine, but it's one of the few exercises that leaves my chest sore. It's like a dip except with more resistance. My triceps have also improved from using that machine and doing dips. My other suggestion would be to train chest, shoulders, and triceps together instead of separately. All compound pressing movements work your chest to some degree and doing all of those exercises will help your chest grow. The most important thing is to get a calorie surplus if you want to grow. That's something I struggle with also having a fast metabolism and being an ectomorph, but I always try to get my calories in.

IceBucket said

Runninchlt saidA few questions.

1) Are you doing the same routine week after week with no increase in sets or weights? Your body is very adaptable and becomes very efficient at what you're doing. Just because you're moving weight that doesn't mean the body incentive to put down lean mass. Doesn't matter how much protein you eat...protein supplements are highly overrated, and too much protein stresses out your kidneys.
2) Are you working your back out just as hard? This ensures that you're not creating a muscle imbalance. A lot of people (especially people who work behind a desk) walk around with rounded shoulders. Truthfully many men could get their chests to pop more if they worked to bring their shoulders back by strengthening their mid backs (Mid traps, and rhomboids).
3) Why is your fly weight so high but your presses so low? If you're afraid of weight, can you find a training partner to spot you or can you afford to hire a personal trainer? Presses work more muscle mass, therefore can handle heavier weight.
4) Are you working your legs and hips hard? This is important because 65% of your body's muscle mass is carried in your lower body. When you work your largest muscle groups (below the belt) your body will release more testosterone and HGH naturally.

Seems to me you're doing a lot of exercises to work upper and middle pecs, but you're not doing a whole lot to work your lower pecs. Working back, and doing pull ups will help a lot with your grip strength. Getting off the machines and doing push ups and other forms of exercise will help your stabilizer muscles. The bottom line is if you're not working your muscles to the point of fatigue, then you're just going through the motions of the exercise, and not much.

Lastly if you're set against hiring a personal trainer research these 5 things.

1) Periodization-this is what people are talking about when they tell you to switch up your routine.
2) Training for muscle hypertrophy.
3) The endocrine system and it's roll in your body's adaptations to strength training.
4) Different chest exercises you can do.
5) Body types and type I vs. Type II muscle fibers.
6) Compound vs. Isolated exercises

Need a 10 page report typed and double spaced by 10 am Monday and you thought you were done with school.

1. I always try to bump the weight up. I tend to have issues getting my incline press weight up though.
2. No way in hell. Good advice. My back needs serious work...
3. Double the presses - I write down by how much weight on one side to save me 2 seconds of math so it's really 100-110. It may also be with the flys I'm not going back all the way.
4. I did not know that. I do try to get one or two exercises in. I'll put in more now.

Personal trainers are way out of my budget unfortunately. I finally managed to get back to the gym today and lowered the amount of exercises but increased the weight and sets I was doing (4-6 reps at 5 sets) except for those damn incline presses. I lowered it down since I wasn't able to get the full motion and I was shaking quite a bit. I did do drop sets on a very simple chest press machine - I like to do them for my biceps for which I don't know why I never tried it with my chest since my arms were stubborn.

Hiring a personal trainer for only one or two sessions should not make you bankrupt. One or two sessions should be sufficient to get you on the right track then, if you want to, you can hire a trainer again in another six months or so if you don't seem to be making sufficient progress.

Ethan_1990 saidI just have a question about your workout. When you're doing your chest exercises, are you hitting 6-8 reps and stopping or do you do the reps until you can't seem to make your muscles work?

Eek. Haven't paid attention to this thread.

Any hoo. What I do is on one set, I reach 6-8 and can do that 9th or 10th, I'll bump the weight up so I can't do anymore at that 5th, 6th, whatever.

I'll consider the trainer once money stops being an issue. Painting cartoon characters doesn't pay very well.

Kobaltjak saidI was waiting for someone to jump in who might have a little more wisdom to offer, but here goes:

I'm assuming that your goal is to have a larger chest, although more strength would be welcome, too.

With that in mind, I would suggest switching to higher weights and lower reps. Choose a weight where you're approaching failure at 5-6 reps. Once you're knocking out 6 reps consistently, increase the weight by 5-10%, whatever is practical. If you're only able to do 4 reps at the new weight, fine. Give yourself 2 minutes of rest between sets so that you have good recovery.

I'd also do more sets of fewer exercises: five bench and five dips or crossovers maybe. I do think you'd profit from using a barbell because you'll recruit a greater range of muscles as you stabilize the weight. Plus, it's a confidence thing and you really want to get to the point where you can do whatever the hell exercise you want, right?

This is good ... but it's important to do high rep FIRST to prepare for the low reps... or else the blood vessels and muscles will not be warmed up. This can lead to injuries, knots, and not gaining size nor strength.

The best exercises to grow upper body, i.e. chest, shoulder, arms, upper back, etc.. is handstands against a wall, then in time, hand-stand push-ups. Super gain and awesome strength/look.... I was as thin as you are now.