Hi Y'all,

I am in a temporary moved situation right now and couldn't bring my equipment with me so right now I only have some 40# dumbells (pathetic) :rolleyes:
Anyway, even when I had my equipment, I could never really develop my chest muscles (at least I've never felt any soreness)
What exercises can y'all recommend? pullovers?

Thanks in advance

-jess

Dips - bend forward a little and incline bench press are my faves, but you probably don't have a dip rack or bench. Correct form is important. I wasn't too aware about my elbows, and when I changed that, it made a huge difference. Also push-ups if you can. Using your body weight, for women, can be challenging, but it's a very nice and dynamic way of exercise.

Flat barbell bench press. Everytime. :nod:

With limited weight, push for rep increases.

Dips - bend forward a little and incline bench press are my faves, but you probably don't have a dip rack or bench. Correct form is important. I wasn't too aware about my elbows, and when I changed that, it made a huge difference. Also push-ups if you can. Using your body weight, for women, can be challenging, but it's a very nice and dynamic way of exercise.

I think women only THINK it's more challenging for them (I'm speaking in general here ;) ) women have just as much ability for push ups as men do, it just takes practice... start with one set of however many you can get (full pushups... none of that girl push up crap :p on your toes) once you can do 12 reps add a second set and so on untill you can do three sets... it's a great chest excersice... I do wide grip pushups in almost all of my chest workouts... it's tough but you wouldn't beleve the impressed glances you get when you go up on your toes and actually do 'guy' push ups :p

Thanks everyone for your replies. :) No, I don't have my bench here with me, so it looks like the dreaded push ups...maybe I can get past 6 lol :o

The hubby showed me how to do a pushup correctly. number of pushups I can crank out...1 lol! pathetic!

I can't even get all the way back up for number 2 so that is one of my new goals. Monday is chest day so i'll keep track of them in my journal.

now the girly kind of pushups, I can do 8 reps, so I'll keep doing those also but my goal is to phase out the girly one's and switch to reg pushups.

P.S. I had DOMS on wed and it's finally feeling better today four days later. So thank you so much for the advise :)

Keep it up and they should get a little easier. Push ups are hard for me also. I have VERY long arms, so have a longer distance to go up and down. I think I can only push out 10 correct - up on your toes push ups at a time.
I hate them, but I still do them several times a week.

It's worth persevering with the push ups - when my gym instructor first had me do them I could do one set of 3, I felt like such a wimp! But I'm now up to either 16 in a row or 2 sets of 10 and a set of 5 in about 3 months of practising twice a week, it's surprising how much you improve. But you do have to grit your teeth, I'm not saying it's not painful!

I loooooove push ups. Current max is around 50 without rest in 45 seconds. Try different variations--wide arm, close-hand/diamond, military, feet elevated on a chair--to really work different muscle groups. Only go to your knees as a last resort. I prefer to stay in plank to catch my breath instead of dropping to girlie knees.

They are harder if you are top heavy, but anyone can get better with practice.

Thanks all :)
I tried again today...I pushed out 3 on my toes and then a set of 12 then 8 on my knees. That's good for a start huh?

-Maggie that just rox! I'm gonna get there someday (yeah right!)

I didn't used to have a bench. I'd do dumbell flys. My outer chest would hurt like crazy. The inner chest [near cleavage ;)] hurts too cos I contract the muscle for like 5 seconds when nearing the top of the motion and then very very very slowly let the dumbells down to the sides. The negatives can kill.

I'm another fan of press-ups - great for chest, shoulders, triceps and abs. Even if you can only do a couple (I've been there!), the more you practice them, the better you'll get. The same applies to chin-ups; they are a lot harder - but achievable.

Don't bother doing press-ups on your knees - they are not the same beast. It is better to do three full press-ups than eight half press-ups. You don't get the benefit to your abs with half press-ups either.

What I was taught when I first started doing press-ups was not to think about pushing yourself up with your arms, but concentrate on pulling yourself up with your abs. Really contract your core, keep your whole body ramrod straight, head aligned, and PULL!

It works!

I'm another fan of press-ups - great for chest, shoulders, triceps and abs. Even if you can only do a couple (I've been there!), the more you practice them, the better you'll get. The same applies to chin-ups; they are a lot harder - but achievable.

Don't bother doing press-ups on your knees - they are not the same beast. It is better to do three full press-ups than eight half press-ups. You don't get the benefit to your abs with half press-ups either.

What I was taught when I first started doing press-ups was not to think about pushing yourself up with your arms, but concentrate on pulling yourself up with your abs. Really contract your core, keep your whole body ramrod straight, head aligned, and PULL!

It works!

:) Interesting observation about concentration on the core (I fell to the floor and tried….you’re right, it worked for me………emphasis on core not arms.) I think I agree with boxer-in-training about the length of the arms too!! :nod:

:) Interesting observation about concentration on the core (I fell to the floor and tried….you’re right, it worked for me………emphasis on core not arms.) I think I agree with boxer-in-training about the length of the arms too!! :nod:

I, too, have noticed the arm length issue. My arms are about 4" longer than my height and I find bench press quite difficult. I think those of us with monkey arms have an advantage in deadlift though :p :claphigh:

I, too, have noticed the arm length issue. My arms are about 4" longer than my height and I find bench press quite difficult. I think those of us with monkey arms have an advantage in deadlift though :p :claphigh:
6' arms???? :d_eek:

Wow, come to think of it I think my arms are the same or longer than my height too - count me in the monkey arms club.

This is really great thread. I also dread pushups after surviving the drop and do 15 in between 10 or so sets of kicks and punches in TKD in my youth. <<shudder>>

But I have to add my vote for them as a great exercise. I am going to have to try that pulling up with your core thing. It sounds intriguing.

I am shooting for benching about 1.25 times my body weight as a goal. I am currently at nearly half. I do low reps with heavy weights after several warm up sets (Max-OT). Maybe you could try that. I do flat and incline bench presses and yep, I do get a little sore.

I used to love incline flyes. Yes, done properly those suckers will get your pecs screamin’ at you.


okay edited to add:

we mean wingspan when we say arm length. You know stretch your arms out and measure from finger tip to finger tip you sillies.

6' arms???? :d_eek:

;) hi old friend