Need some advice to bring up my upper inner pecs, please help..........

[BodyByFinaplix]

Sorry about that BlkWS, I'll clairify. You can't reshape a muscle. He needs to develop larger overall pecs, and probably lose some body fat. I guess you already made the same point, as I got near the end I just scanned the last two posts, so I didn't catch that in yours, I reread it carefully and agree with everything you said.

 

[BodyByFinaplix]

Blk, of course Greco wrote "Recently I have incorporated some close grip incline barbell presses and have notice some change." and others suggested changes in his routine that would somehow magically reshape his chest.

 

[BlkWS6]

Oh ok thanks man for clearing that up. I just saw a couple percentages and some fractions and I got a little side tracked.

 

[BlkWS6]

Originally posted by BodyByFinaplix
Blk, of course Greco wrote "Recently I have incorporated some close grip incline barbell presses and have notice some change." and others suggested changes in his routine that would somehow magically reshape his chest.


Yeah you are right, and this occurs a lot on the forum but it has always made me think. I mean as soon as someone says that are lagging in upper chest, everyone is quick to jump on suggesting incline presses which would once again assume that changing the angle will "hit a different part of the muscle". And I just find it hard to believe that a change in angle or exercise for that matter wouldnt result in a change in which part of a muscle is being stimulated, of course not on an individual fiber level.

 

[Debaser]

My guess that the people who experience changes by changing to inclines is something like this:

1. They switch to the incline press.

2. They also sometimes have a new zeal for training, thinking they're gonna start making a good change in their chest.

3. They bring their incline press up by 50+ lbs.

4. They say, "wow my upper chest is bigger"

I wonder if they realize that it's still a press. If they added 50 lbs to their bench, their chest would have grown everywhere too (including the upper and inner areas).

HOWEVER, there is a clavicular head. An incline press may target this area a bit more. This would account for some extra growth.

Here is the big HOWEVER though, you need to concentrate on increasing the load (whether it is over time with strength training or in cycles by HST) to see REAL CHANGES in your pecs.

It's really not a big deal to have both presses in a workout, though. I myself do a set of hammer machine presses as well as a set of barbell inclines.

A PRESS IS STILL A PRESS. Here is where many people make the mistake. They want to just add the exercise into their routine. If your current chest routine is 3 sets of a bench press (and believe me, you don't need any more than that for hypertrophy), you should not add another 3 sets of inclines. Replace a set of flat with a set of incline, and be done with it.

This post was kind of long and rambling so I'll cut it short here

 

[BlkWS6]

Originally posted by Debaser
HOWEVER, there is a clavicular head. An incline press may target this area a bit more. This would account for some extra growth.


Yeah I agree with what you just said man, but this is the part that Im really interested about. I mean if a press is a press and a row is a row etc. it is strange that we often associate something for "width" and something for "thickness" (using back training as one example) Since you are a big advocate of DC training, why do you think he calls for an exercise for both? I mean essentially wouldnt a deadlift hit everything one would need to hit (width, and thickness) if we are following the logic of one exercise basically stimulating all parts of a muscle, as opposed to changing angles in an attempt to stimulate a different head???

 

[gsxr1000]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

I always work out alone, so I usually won't go higher than about 250 lbs. I can't really do much higher than that and retain good form, so there's no real point to it. I can max at 300, but I'm not trying to powerlift. I usually don't do weighted dips since I usually end up doing them at the end of a workout for one last pump and by then most of my strength is gone. But I'll try incorporating some the movements you guys mentioned above, again I appreciate the input.

 

[Debaser]

Originally posted by Debaser
HOWEVER, there is a clavicular head. An incline press may target this area a bit more. This would account for some extra growth.


Yeah I agree with what you just said man, but this is the part that Im really interested about. I mean if a press is a press and a row is a row etc. it is strange that we often associate something for "width" and something for "thickness" (using back training as one example) Since you are a big advocate of DC training, why do you think he calls for an exercise for both? I mean essentially wouldnt a deadlift hit everything one would need to hit (width, and thickness) if we are following the logic of one exercise basically stimulating all parts of a muscle, as opposed to changing angles in an attempt to stimulate a different head???

I can't remember how DC distinguishes the two exactly, but a major reason to do both is to have pulling movements in both the horizontal and vertical plane. Rowing is important as you need to keep your horizontal pulling strength in balance with your pushing, otherwise your shoulders will be pulled forward. Rows also seem to hit your traps a lot more. In my opinion rows are really a superior exercise to pullups/pulldowns, but I feel both should be done.

 

[casualbb]

I agree completely. The human chest/back/shoulder interactive system is designed essentially for one thing: To allow pushing and pulling in a complete 360 degree sphere around the center of the body.

Significantly changing the angle of a push/pull will significantly change the muscle contribution to the movement. For instance, a vertical pull is mostly lats and lower traps, a horizontal pull mostly middle/upper traps and rhomboids. I, like Debaser, think a complete routine should include both.

-casualbb

 

[bignate73]

I can't remember how DC distinguishes the two exactly

as for DC advocating "width" and "thickness" exercises:

"width" referring to exercises that are lat dominant. pulldowns/pullups are primarily involving the lats.

"thickness" is calling for more upper/mid traps (as casualbb said), movements that row or at the least retract the shoulder blades under resistance (deadlifts do so with isometric contraction for the most part).

that is my take on it.