Cannot get sore after strenght training.

[UG]

Hi:

Might sound a strange question, but I want to get sore next day after strenght training, but cannot, specially in chest. I have decided to focus on chest for next few moths, since I feel chest is my weakness at this point.

What do I need to do different ? I am afraid if I increase weights suddenly, I'll get injured, so how do I get to the sore point, without getting injured ?

For chest, I am doing: (I strenght train 2-3 times a week)

5 sets: Incline Lever press, with 40lbs. (8-10 reps)
3 sets: Flat Bench Chest Press, with 80lbs. ( " )
2 Sets: Pec dec Flys, with 90lbs. ( " )
1 set: Body weight push-up. ( " )

I am 35, 5-10, 175lbs, male.


Please be aware that I am limited to types of exercise I can do, because
the gym at work doea not have many options (like gym does not have free weights, for example). So I am looking to increase intensity to the point of getting sore withing this limitation.

Any Ideas pls. ?

Thanks.

[stuward]

First of all, getting sore provides no benefit other than getting sore and that's only a benefit if you're a masochist. Assuming that's the case, and since I feel like being sadistic, accentuating the eccentric movement will cause more soreness. Do lots of negatives on movements that isolate your pecs. Be careful of the range of motion as that's a good way to tear a muscle. One thing you can do is lie on the floor on your back, repeatedly press moderate weight dumbbells straight up. Let them fall to the outside while you resist them as you would a fly. The weight should be lighter than you can press but heavier than you normally use in a fly. I can't say that it will make you stronger or bigger but it will make you sore. You can do the same thing with the pec dec machine if you have someone to help you.

Stu

[caangelxox]

getting sore is only when your body is not used to that movement/exercise and weight.

[Stephen Johnson]

For chest, I am doing: (I strenght train 2-3 times a week)

5 sets: Incline Lever press, with 40lbs. (8-10 reps)
3 sets: Flat Bench Chest Press, with 80lbs. ( " )
2 Sets: Pec dec Flys, with 90lbs. ( " )
1 set: Body weight push-up. ( " ).

A typical workout should have between 20-30 sets, and you're doing 11 for chest! Unreal.

[Ryan A]

Well, for the chest, you can try doing pushups with a moderate to wide hand spacing going down on a 4-6 second count and then holding at the bottom for 3-5 seconds (pausing) and then pushing yourself upward as fast as possible.

This could also be done on a any bench machine but, as others have stated, if you have been doing the same exercises for too long, you will not be making much progress. For that reasno I recommended the pushup, which is an all around great exercise that anyone should be able to do 20 reps in without too much effort. Since I see you are working with relatively low poundages compared to your bodyweight, it seems like pushups could be in the range for you to make some gains in strength. If you think they are too hard, then I am confused since you are asking for a way to get sore and personally I would rather have something be hard and beneficial than something make me hurt for no reason.

Let me be extra clear that I am not saying soreness is associated with progress. You said your chest is weak and if this is an honest assessment not related to your perception of soreness as a workout indicator, then changing exercises can be a great way to catapult yourself out of a plateau.

[UG]

For chest, I am doing: (I strenght train 2-3 times a week)

5 sets: Incline Lever press, with 40lbs. (8-10 reps)
3 sets: Flat Bench Chest Press, with 80lbs. ( " )
2 Sets: Pec dec Flys, with 90lbs. ( " )
1 set: Body weight push-up. ( " ).

A typical workout should have between 20-30 sets, and you're doing 11 for chest! Unreal.

Yes, and the reason is I want to focus on Chest for few months.
Above is part of full-body workout, but I have listed only chest exercise.

Hope this explains.

[Matt Z]

Are you getting stronger? If you are, then what difference does it make if your soar or not?

[Matt Z]

Also, your not going to get much stronger unless you progressively increase the amount of weight you're using.

[pdellorto]

If you want to get sore, just take a couple weeks off training and then go back to your routine as if there was no break. Your body will probably react by getting sore.

But will you be stronger? No. You're just getting back to where you were. It's just as Matt Z said - if your weights are going up, or if your reps are going up, you're getting stronger, and who cares if you are sore?

Some people use things like soreness, injury, vomiting, etc. as a gage of a workout. "I worked out so hard I popped a pec!" "I worked out so hard I puked!" "I'm so sore."
Compare that to "I worked out so hard the next week I added 5kg more on that same exercise and got all of my reps."
Which one is a better gage of progress? Puking, soreness, pain, or lifting heavier?

Peter

[Stephen Johnson]

For chest, I am doing: (I strenght train 2-3 times a week)

5 sets: Incline Lever press, with 40lbs. (8-10 reps)
3 sets: Flat Bench Chest Press, with 80lbs. ( " )
2 Sets: Pec dec Flys, with 90lbs. ( " )
1 set: Body weight push-up. ( " ).

A typical workout should have between 20-30 sets, and you're doing 11 for chest! Unreal.

Yes, and the reason is I want to focus on Chest for few months.
Above is part of full-body workout, but I have listed only chest exercise.

Hope this explains.

It would be interesting to see the other exercises, sets, reps and weights in your full body routine - just to confirm that chest really is a weak area for you.

[Onlyethic]

I had a similar thing-- my chest generally wasn't sore after a workout. I found this to be problematic only because other body parts I worked out did get sore a day or two after a solid workout.

Basically, I realized that since I didn't want to ask people for a spot on the bench press (I like to keep to myself at the gym), I wasn't lifting enough weight since I was afraid of losing control of heavier weight. (Same with other chest exercise, like flies or whatever else.)

I'm about 175lb, and was putting up 8+ (sometimes 12, 15) reps of +/- 160lb.

Now, I start with a good deal more weight-- 190, 200lb--, ask for a spot, and shoot for 5 reps. While I'm not howling in pain the next day (thankfully), there is a slight to moderate soreness.

Perhaps upping your weight, lowering reps, and asking for a spot will do the trick.

But, like others are saying, a lack of soreness is generally a good thing rather than bad-- unless your under-challenging yourself.

[UG]

First of all, getting sore provides no benefit other than getting sore and that's only a benefit if you're a masochist. Assuming that's the case, and since I feel like being sadistic, accentuating the eccentric movement will cause more soreness. Do lots of negatives on movements that isolate your pecs. Be careful of the range of motion as that's a good way to tear a muscle. One thing you can do is lie on the floor on your back, repeatedly press moderate weight dumbbells straight up. Let them fall to the outside while you resist them as you would a fly. The weight should be lighter than you can press but heavier than you normally use in a fly. I can't say that it will make you stronger or bigger but it will make you sore. You can do the same thing with the pec dec machine if you have someone to help you.

Stu

If getting sore does not have any benefit, then I would not seek soreness.

I misunderstood that unless I am getting sore, I am not getting enough intensity in my exercise.

Thanks.

[UG]

A typical workout should have between 20-30 sets, and you're doing 11 for chest! Unreal.

Yes, and the reason is I want to focus on Chest for few months.
Above is part of full-body workout, but I have listed only chest exercise.

Hope this explains.

It would be interesting to see the other exercises, sets, reps and weights in your full body routine - just to confirm that chest really is a weak area for you.

Full body exercise with weights are as below, please look at this and let me know weekness:

Lower:

Leg Extn: 3 sets with 80 lbs. (8-10 reps)
Body weight squats: 2 sets (")
leg curl: 2 sets with 30 lbs. (")

Upper:
Chest: As mentioned in my original post.
Upright Rows: 2 sets with 110 lbs. (8-10 reps)
Pull-Down: 2 sets with 80 lbs. (8-10 reps)
Preacher Curl: 2 sets with 30 lbs. (8-10 reps)
Tricep Extn: 2 sets with 30 lbs. (8-10 reps)
Military Press: 2 sets with 60 lbs. (8-10 reps)

[UG]

Are you getting stronger? If you are, then what difference does it make if your soar or not?

I think I am getting stronger. Generally I am able to lift more now than what I started with. I was just worried that I was lacking intensity (by lack of soreness, which turns out to be in-correct), and hence the question.

Thanks.

[pdellorto]

Your routine is really weak on the legs, and has piles and piles of exercises for the upper body.

I think you're better off ditching the leg extensions and leg curls and focusing on weighted squats and deadlifts as well.

Upper body, you can probably chop most of the routine out and replace it doing only some or all of chinups, bench presses, dips, rows, and shoulder presses and get better results.

Check the basic routines sticky, especially looking at the Rippetoe and Mahler routines. You might be having problems gaining because you're doing too many exercises at high reps and low weight, when you could be doing a few compound lifts at heavy weights and low reps and gain a lot of strength.