I've been coming along with weight lifting pretty well for a couple of weeks again. I've been sore everywhere I can be (a nice post work-out sore) but not my chest.
Any suggests?
What are you doing for your chest? I feel that incline or bench pressing (especially with dumbells) is enough for my pecs, but certainly fly's with dumbells or cables are classic isolation exercises. Pec decks work too, but cause joint issues for some people.
If you are getting stronger on your bench then I wouldn't worry about it. You are training them but are just not getting sore. DOMS is highly overrated.
My chest is so sore today from Monday's workout, that I had to laugh at Robert's comment
I started with flat benches for a strength progression:45X12 (empty bar)supersetted with 15 pushups. This was my warmup
95X10, rest 3 minutes
115X5, rest 3 minutes
135X3, rest 3 minutes
140X3, leap for joy! High five spotter
You will probably get lots of really great advice from the regulars, but I figured I would throw in my thoughts too.
For chest, aside from my usual presses, I seem to get lots of really good results doing push ups. My DH taught me several different hand positions, wide, close, etc, and this seems to really work well.
I have been able to build up my strength this way over the years...Since it is my own body weight, it seems to be a bit more organic, although I am not sure if that is why it 'hurts' more...Probably the stability issues, and that it calls in the abs, back, etc in addition.
Oh but my pecs hurt and I did nuthin compared to Meg!
Flat dumbbell bench presses and dumbbell flyes on Monday, then Tuesday we did about 150 push ups in kickboxing, then yesterday, more dumbbell bench presses - I think I need to rest my pecs now...
Doing nothing, you say? Sheesh, I'm propped up here in bed with my laptop and many controlled substances, typing away incoherently with one hand. Don't know about you, but I'm pretty darn impressed.
So I read all your answers quickly before I went to work. I was almost too tired to go to work after reading Mel's adventure ... whew!
Any time I had a chance, I did a close grip kinda push-up off anything ... the desk, the wall, footboards on beds .... and this morning ..... tah dah .... I'm a nice little bit sore under my collar bones!
I know you don't have to be sore to know exercise is working but for me it's another tool. I know my food is good because I log it in fitday (a tool), I know my weight because I use a scale (a tool) and I know I'm exercising because my muscles fatigue (another tool).