kimchee411
New member
Okay, I'm confused. I've read numerous times here that one cannot change the shape of one's muscles through hitting them from different angles and that shape is genetically predetermined. This makes sense to me; it would seem like if increased stimulation to a particular area of a muscle made that part grow more than other areas of the same muscle, then we'd have groqtesquely deformed looking muscles with multiple protrusions since we can't possibly balance out the load to every square inch evenly. (Similarly, I would imagine if spot reduction were true we'd have disgusting "pockets" of fat all over our bodies)
However, in this thread people seem to agree that one can develop the upper pecs to compensate for a "drooping" chest. Do the pecs subdivide (e.g. long v. short head in the biceps)? Does "shape" refer to lateral and... errr, longitudinal? (length) development only and not depth?
This is from the British Columbia Amateur Bodybuilding Bodybuilding Association Rules and Regulations
e. Shape: Genetically determined structure of the entire physique and individual muscles.
Here's an old Q&A from IronMagazine.com
Question:
I want to build up my upper and inner chest, should I do incline presses and cable crossovers for this?
Answer:
YES! As well as flat barbell presses, decline barbell presses & dumbbell flyes.
I do not say this because any of those exercises will actually target any specific region of your pectorial, cause they will not. I say this because to obtain "complete" chest development to your maximum genetic potential you will need a variety of exercises.
A common mistake people make is the "I feel it" syndrome. They think because an exercise makes a certain part of a muscle sore it must target that area of the muscle. This is true in some cases such as the deltoids where there are more than one head with different tendon attachments. The pectorial major is a single muscle with one tendon attachment to the humerous (arm) that fans accross the rib cage. However, it is still a single muscle and muscles grow as a whole, not in parts. Think about it this way, if you could cause growth in one area of a single muscle that would inply that it's possible to shape a muscle, right? Well, we all know (at least I hope we do) that you cannot shape a muscle. The shape of your muscles are genetically predetermined.
Now, it's still important to use multiple angles to hit the pectorial muscles (and any muscle for that matter), not because it will cause growth in one area, but because using different angles to hit a muscle is necessary for maximum stimulation and to continue progress and development.
Question:
How can I build the peak on my biceps like Arnolds? I was told that preacher curls build a peak, is this true?
Answer:
You will need to clone yourself and mix in a copy of Arnold's anatomical DNA! Just kiddding.
Unfortuantely, a peak on your biceps is genetic, meaning you either have it or you do not. If you build your biceps just as you would any other muscle group, and a peak never forms, then it probably never will.
There are no "special" exercises that build a peak, or shape a muscle. You train a muscle and it grows, whatever genetic shape it has that is how it will grow. It really is that simple.
So continue to train your biceps, utilizing many different exercises, e.g. preacher curls, barbell curls, & dumbbell curls, hopefully you are one of the few lucky ones that is gifted with "peaked" biceps.
From Flex (Please don't flame me on the source
):
SHAPE CHANGERS We can expand muscles via training, diet and rest, but changing specific areas of a muscle is a different matter. Your thighs consist of several separate muscles, so you can alter the contours of your quadriceps by emphasizing one part over another. However, you are limited as to how much you can change the contours of an individual muscle. Differences in the shape of muscles from person to person are more a matter of genetics than training.
Discuss.
However, in this thread people seem to agree that one can develop the upper pecs to compensate for a "drooping" chest. Do the pecs subdivide (e.g. long v. short head in the biceps)? Does "shape" refer to lateral and... errr, longitudinal? (length) development only and not depth?
This is from the British Columbia Amateur Bodybuilding Bodybuilding Association Rules and Regulations
e. Shape: Genetically determined structure of the entire physique and individual muscles.
Here's an old Q&A from IronMagazine.com
Question:
I want to build up my upper and inner chest, should I do incline presses and cable crossovers for this?
Answer:
YES! As well as flat barbell presses, decline barbell presses & dumbbell flyes.
I do not say this because any of those exercises will actually target any specific region of your pectorial, cause they will not. I say this because to obtain "complete" chest development to your maximum genetic potential you will need a variety of exercises.
A common mistake people make is the "I feel it" syndrome. They think because an exercise makes a certain part of a muscle sore it must target that area of the muscle. This is true in some cases such as the deltoids where there are more than one head with different tendon attachments. The pectorial major is a single muscle with one tendon attachment to the humerous (arm) that fans accross the rib cage. However, it is still a single muscle and muscles grow as a whole, not in parts. Think about it this way, if you could cause growth in one area of a single muscle that would inply that it's possible to shape a muscle, right? Well, we all know (at least I hope we do) that you cannot shape a muscle. The shape of your muscles are genetically predetermined.
Now, it's still important to use multiple angles to hit the pectorial muscles (and any muscle for that matter), not because it will cause growth in one area, but because using different angles to hit a muscle is necessary for maximum stimulation and to continue progress and development.
Question:
How can I build the peak on my biceps like Arnolds? I was told that preacher curls build a peak, is this true?
Answer:
You will need to clone yourself and mix in a copy of Arnold's anatomical DNA! Just kiddding.
Unfortuantely, a peak on your biceps is genetic, meaning you either have it or you do not. If you build your biceps just as you would any other muscle group, and a peak never forms, then it probably never will.
There are no "special" exercises that build a peak, or shape a muscle. You train a muscle and it grows, whatever genetic shape it has that is how it will grow. It really is that simple.
So continue to train your biceps, utilizing many different exercises, e.g. preacher curls, barbell curls, & dumbbell curls, hopefully you are one of the few lucky ones that is gifted with "peaked" biceps.
From Flex (Please don't flame me on the source

SHAPE CHANGERS We can expand muscles via training, diet and rest, but changing specific areas of a muscle is a different matter. Your thighs consist of several separate muscles, so you can alter the contours of your quadriceps by emphasizing one part over another. However, you are limited as to how much you can change the contours of an individual muscle. Differences in the shape of muscles from person to person are more a matter of genetics than training.
Discuss.
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