So the day after benching I generally have stiffness/doms in the areas circled.
I really feel it in my front delts and the outside of my chest.
However, I feel nothing on the bulk of my chest. Also seeing better gains in the areas where I feel soreness.
How do I activate my full chest while benching?
I'm already pinching/pulling down my shoulder blades during setup and taking the bar to my chest on every rep.
>>37818866
you have to yell "ACTIIIIIVAAAAATE" while you raise the bar from your chest
>>37818935
kek
bumping for answers I was just wondering this myself
>>37818935
Don't listen to this dipshit.
You yell your gymbro's name while you use the barbell to push your shoulders into the bench.
Real answer
Mind body and make sure you are contracting and not just moving weight.
>>37818866
you can't fully contract your pecs when you do pressing motions, so even if you feel like you're "activating" your full chest, there won't be as much pain or development
to fully contract the pecs you have to cross your arms across your body like with flyes or cable crossovers
make sure your back is fully activated/tight throughout the whole lift. you're probably losing tightness when you touch your chest or lockout the bar
>>37818866
if you already retract your shoulders i believe your just feeling your side pecs and you are just bringing the bar down and stretching your pecs significantly
>>37818962
Reminder to say "no homo" on the last rep of the last set
>>37818866
Focus on really squeezing your pec muscles on the top of the rep, then keeping them squeezed on the descent.
Try this out with a weight you can rep for 8-10, so you can take some time at the top to really feel the squeeze.
doms are not an indication of anything
stop being autistic
>>37818866
I get the same problem. Try focusing on flexing your pecs at the top and keeping your back tight and shoulder blades retracted. Practice this with lower weight.
Also rethink how you're moving. Imagine you're breaking the bar at the bottom when you touch your chest and then forcing it back together on the way up. Practice that with some light dumbbells before benching. Make a superset out of it.
That's all I know, hope it helps.
>>37818866
Just fucking use a wider grip tard.
>>37818935
I laughed for a solid 30 seconds. Thanks anon
>>37819556
Have fun fucking your rotator cuff up.
>>37819573
pls explain
>>37818935
Ghostbusters rules apply, though. The body part you think of while yelling is the one that gets activated. Its one weird trick you can use if you love bench but hate leg day.
>>37818866
you feel stiff and get doms there because that's what stretches when you bench, not because those are the muscles you worked.
>>37820721
I get doms in my quads from squatting. Clearly squats don't work quads.
What it sounds like to me is you have great activation on the clavicular head of the pec, and mediocre on the sternal head.
If youre positive your bench tech is correct, theres two possibilities
>Youre flat out wrong
Honestly the more likely option. Never heard of someone only developing one half of their bicep. Youre just a little unfamiliar with how yojr body works at the moment.
>Your insertions GREATLY favor the top half of your pec
Highly unlikely, but weirder things have happened. If this is the case, do dumbbell work. There is more freedom of movement and youll be able to get a good stretch on the sternal head.
>>37818962
>not knowing the stand up and yell "Activate" meme
Everyone point and laugh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxXU1f2AJNU
>>37818866
Please ignore all these nonlifting fagtards, OP
I gotchu, fampai
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sl9NPBICdTM
Shit is MAGIC
I get a crazy burn in my pecs, and my pecs die out before my arms do.
Also make sure you have just a little bit of an arch, to align the pectoral fibers with the line of resistance
Sounds like that part of your chest is just weaker than the rest of your chest so it gets DOMS easier, doesn't mean you aren't working the rest of your chest
>>37818866
Don't lose tension and keep your scapula retracted throughout the movement.
>>37821572
so basically you do it on the floor? lel
Push your shoulders back, try to get your shoulder blades flat on the bench.
>>37821594
scooby does it too
>>37818866
Retract the fuckin scapula. When you push up on the bench, imagine you're pushing yourself into the bench rather than pushing the weight away from you.
>>37818935
Toppest of zozzles
nobody in this thread has read the sticky and it's so sad
the flat barbell press prime mover is the triceps, not the pecs. you literal fucking mongoloids please read the sticky then the recommended routines on the sticky
if you can't bench more than 100k for reps please stop worrying about where you feel it holy shit
>>37821594
No, he is not saying substitute bench for fooor press (but floor press is great for the chest as well)
Did you even listen to what he said?
>>37821748
Sticky says a lot of shit that makes me cringe in retrospect.
Like the dieting before lifting? Retarded. No reason to wait to lift
