Nutritional Supplement Reviews by Real People Like You

1) You're overworking your chest. Each muscle group should be worked (intensely) no more than every 5 days to once per week. If you're looking to build mass, you need to train more intensely (more weight, less reps, less often).

2) You need proper form. Performing the bench press with proper form will build your chest as well as strengthen your shoulders and tris.

3) Rest between sets. Don't rest more than 60-90 seconds per set. Once you pass 90 seconds, your muscles begin to cool down and are less stimulated. Keep up the pace.

Try this to get that burn and increase your size - One day of the week, say Monday, perform these exercises and rep counts:

Flat Bench - Set1:12 reps, Set2:8 reps, Set3:Failure, Set4:12 reps
Incline Bench - Set1:12 reps, Set2:8 reps, Set3:Failure, Set4:12 reps
Flys - Set1:12 reps, Set2:8 reps, Set3:Failure, Set4:12 reps
Decline Bench - Set1:12 reps, Set2:8 reps, Set3:Failure, Set4:12 reps

This way, you're working each area of your chest. You're building its size and endurance. When determining weight for your sets, start out with a "discovery" day. This day, you will discover what your 1 rep max weight is. Start with what you would assume your max would be. If you can push it up with ease, and possibly squeeze another off, DON'T. Put the weight down, wait 5 full minutes, then add 5lbs per side and push again. Continue this process until you reach your 1 rep max. From there, you can work your sets this way:

Set1:12 reps:40% of max
Set2:8 reps:60% of max
Set3:failure:80%of max
Set4:12 reps:40% of max

Failure is extremely important. You push that bar until you physically cannot push it up anymore. Use a spotter to help you get that last "impossible" rep up. If you can do more than 6-7 reps on your failure (heavy) set, increase your max weight by 5%, then recalculate the rest of the sets.

Every time you work your chest again, do one of two things. Add more weight or more reps to your heavy set. Even as little as an additional 2.5lb plate on each side of the bar every time you work your chest will show you results.

Next, FORM! The nasty little 4 letter word of the weight-lifting world. This is more important than weight. Without proper breathing, range of motion, etc., forget about seeing results this year.

First...BREATHING. On exercises where you're "pushing" weight, exhale as you push, inhale as you bring the weight back towards the body. On exercises where you're "pulling," it's the opposite. Inhale as you're pulling, exhale as you let it away.

Next...TIME, AKA TUL (Time Under Load). When you remove the bar, hold it above you for a 2 count, lower it at a 4 count, push it back up at a faster count...approximately 2-3 count, then repeat. Every time you're at the top of the lift, hold it for a 2 count. Letting the bar down slowly will give you the most noticeable strength difference.

So, that's it. Do 2 warm-up sets, one heavy...gradually increasing weight each time. Heavy set is to failure. Then, do one last cool down set with your starting weight. As you're pushing, exhale as you push up at a 3 count, hold weight at top for a 2 count. Then inhale as you lower weight back down at a 4 count. Lifting this way may throw you off. You will probably have to drastically reduce the weight you're currently doing, but believe me, it's worth it. Your strength will increase fast enough, and with proper form, you will blow by everyone else in the weight room.

Your chest will probably be sore for two days after each "chest day." DO NOT work it while it's sore. It's recuperating (if you bench the next day, you're going to injure your muscle and it will take a lot longer to recover). Growth does not occur until the 2nd day of rest...at least. If you're burning for two days, growth won't begin to occur for 2-3 days. That's why you only work a particular muscle group about once a week. Overworking your muscles doesn't give them time to grow, they NEED, absolutely NEED rest to grow.

There are guys that will bench every single day. Some may be strong, but they aren't very big. There's a reason for that. Also, I can't stress this enough, keep proper form. You may feel bad about yourself because you have to decrease weight, but concentrate on the timing, and you'll work it right back up.

I used to bench (a long time ago) this way: Set1: 225, Set2:235, Set3:255 - that was it. It was fast, no form, just brute push. I learned more about form and tried it...immediately I HAD to adjust my weight to this: Set1: 120, Set2: 180, Set3: 240, Set4:120 - huge difference right? Way lower weight. Let me tell you, watching my TUL (time under load), I was burning for 3 days! My chest hadn't hurt so bad since the first time I ever benched. Now, I am around this: Set1: 160, Set2: 240, Set3: 320, Set4:160 - My max bench has increased 100lbs in about a year and a half. It went from 300lbs to 400lbs. Guys I worked out with are probably benching 40-45lbs more now than they were a year and a half ago. They don't use any kind of form, so strength is taking longer to build.

Finally, you won't burn the day of the workout. Your muscles are pumped and stimulated. The lactic acid for the repair process the next day is what's burning. I know this was wordy, there's just a lot to proper lifting that many people look past.