"A mill cannot grind with water that is past"
- American Proverb

 

Slight Incline Dumbbell Presses
* 30,35,40,45,55,65 all for 2-3 sets of 10
* 70 for 3 sets of 10
* 115 for 3 sets of 10- tempo moderate with no lockout

Shoulder Saver Bar Incline Press
* 4 warm up sets of 5-7 reps
* 4 work sets of 5 reps with the last set being 2 reps shy of failure

Machine Flies (Thumb in grip - at chin level)
* 4 sets of 10-15 (to failure)

Comfort Grip Cable Flies (at lower chest level)
* 4 sets of 10-15 (to failure)

Fat Rope Pushdowns
- In general the fatter the grip the more triceps activation
* 6 sets 12-15 reps (failure)

 

I began this post with an American Proverb because my chest day is not a bench day. Over my training life I stopped counting how many times I have strained my pecs but do remember the first time was when I was still in High School. The two worst were my left that was a complete tendon rupture from both origin and insertion. My pec looked like a softball shoved under and to the left of my nipple.  Everything that could be reattached was and the rest was left as is with a notice that I would never bench the same again. Shortly after  I moved to Westside Barbell and worked with Louie to make sure I never did bench the same again. We changed everything about my bench to take as much tension off the pecs as we could and shift it to the delts and triceps.

We could have stayed the course and hoped for the best but my pec was destroyed, defined  by the docs in Columbus as the worst they've ever seen. Louie decided this was not a work though thing but one we needed to work around. It took a year to figure out but once we did I was setting all time PR's and never had problems with that pec again.

However I did have a shoulder issue that began that required a clean up surgery and shortly after that I tore my other pec in half. I did nothing to fix this as all tendons were attached. This spiraled into another shoulder surgery and what I would describe as useless pecs. With Louie's help I was able to squeak out one more personal all time bench PR before being diagnosed for a total shoulder replacement.

My shoulders are still messed up, my pecs don't work right and my "water" today is not the same as it used to be. When it comes to training chest and shoulder I can't grind the same as yesterday. This is why you will see slower tempo's, lighter weights, super-sets, shoulder savers and other methods and items I use to make sure I can keep grinding as long as I can (ie New Water).

Due to joint issues my bench will never be as strong as it was...

Due to shoulder issues my lockout will never be what it used to be...

Due to muscle and nerve damage my chest my never grow muscle again...

But I find new water every day - so I keep grinding.