Muscle shape

[kimchee411]

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.

 

[fog_hat1981]

Study anatomy and kinesiology and you'll see that FLEX will get you flamed.

Start here... http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html This is an excellent site to start learning.

As you can see there are 3 muscles in realtionship to the chest.

As for the first part of your question, no you cannot target specific "square inches" of a muscle. However, by learning what exercises effect different muscles you can target different muscle fibers. Also, muscle fibers are covered in "fascia" and when this is broken down and rebuilt you typically build muslce. Stretching the chest muscle farther in different excercises (i.e. flyes) works toward activating muscle fibers that may not be engaged during a typical benchpress. The simple fact that the chest fibers are in the shape of a fan should be the first sign that this is possible.

You also have muslces that are controlled by two and three different joint movements. (i.e. the rectus femoris is a good example). Therefore you have the option of hitting these muscles from different angles producing better results in certain areas of the muscle with different exercises.

As for the "peak" on the bicep. No, you won't have Arnold's "peak" per say but different muscles are invloved in the bicep. You have the long head and the short head of the biceps brachii and the long head is typically ignored in almost ALL bicep excercises. Learn to isolate this muscle and you will see a difference in your "peak" (sitting in an incline bench set at 30-40 degrees is a good exercise to start with).

 

[Guinness5.0]

This is far from conclusive evidence, but when I dropped inclines entirely from my last two programs (totalling around five months) I noticed zero perceptible change in the shape of my chest. My main pec stimulus would have come from flat bench and military/push press. Previously I had always included flat and incline chest movements (mostly presses, some flyes).

 

[Extra_Strong]

Ok well the chest is a large muscle and there clearly is an upper and lower and they do work together.

If you are a begginner and just do bench or decline your upper chest will grow some.
But there would be more growth by adding in incline U would notice a difference around your colar bone.

so if you have already developed this area you could maintain it (upper chest) my staying with just bench. because it was already there.. and the millitaries would help..

if you are talking about shape no this will not change but size yes..

like the bicep if yours is short it will stay short. Long it will stay long.

 

[theprofessor]

im pretty sure my upper chest has been growing better than my lower chest since ive been doing inclines first in my routine. you can clearly see on guys like Markus Ruhl and other pro's that the chest has definate division between upper and lower. IMO doing flat alone would be enough stimulation to maintain. a lot of this is to do with genetics..no matter how much some of us train we will never have that definate defining "line" seperating upper and lower chest .

 

[Extra_Strong]

im pretty sure my upper chest has been growing better than my lower chest since ive been doing inclines first in my routine. you can clearly see on guys like Markus Ruhl and other pro's that the chest has definate division between upper and lower. IMO doing flat alone would be enough stimulation to maintain. a lot of this is to do with genetics..no matter how much some of us train we will never have that definate defining "line" seperating upper and lower chest .

Franco Columbo (sp) had this wonderfully

 

[Guinness5.0]

There are two muscles in the chest- pectoralis major and minor.

 

[fog_hat1981]

There are two muscles in the chest- pectoralis major and minor.

There's technically three bro. The Pectoralis Major consists of the Sternal Head as well as the Clavicular Head in addition to the Pectoralis Minor...