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Weak point: Check, need good advice.

ManOfArms

New member
Weak point: Chest, need good advice.

My weak point would be my outer pecs, from my arm pit to lower chest. I'd like to know what some of you have done to help develop this area a little more.

What exercise do you recommend, and perhaps have a link or description on proper form for performing this exercise.

I'd like to hear from those who consider this area their weak point as well and have actually improved upon it.

Thanks!
 
"Technically" you can't really change that area.

You were born with your inherent muscle shape and attachment points.

Muscles tend to look like they change in appearance as they get bigger because they sorta do based on how they grow in relation to your bones/attachment points and fiber composition of the muscle, but it's been scientifically proven that you can't truly change a muscle other than make it bigger/stronger.

As I get bigger there aren't any exercises that will help me bring out my lower lats more simply because I have mid-high attachment points nor can I get my lower biceps to fill out heavily because they aren't built like that.

I'd just keep on doing the basics.
 
ghettostudmuffin said:
"Technically" you can't really change that area.

if it's an underdeveloped muscle area you can

I agree you can't change the attachment points,but the overall look of the muscle you can if it needs size and shape which can be manipulated through training and exercises.
 
It helped me for that area when I added heavy dumbell flyes. How to perform to perfection? watch Arnold at Pumping Iron. Works for me.
 
Wide Grip Incline Bench (dont go too heavy) super setled with Cable flys or Super strict Flat Dumbbell Flys
 
An underdeveloped muscel can surely be built up more.

But, the pectoralis major and minor (lower and upper pec) are the only 2 muscles that comprise the pecs. The outer pec is not a muscle, but part of a muscle and is stimulated with every chest exercise to a degree just as the inner pec or upper pec is.

The only thing I beleive you can accentuate on the pecs besides just plain making them bigger is the upper pec since that IS a muscle and does not get worked as hard as the lower on typical flat exercises.

Your outter and inner pec are worked on every chest exercise so that area is unlikely to be underdeveloped.

This is part of the reason only the genetic elite become bodybuilders in the pro sense.

I can point out an excellent example that will back up what I can say since I am not the most techincal speaker.

Look at pictures of Arnold when he first started training at 14 or so. He's not even close to being fully developed, but you can see the beginning of his trademark biceps.

By age 16-17 he's getting pretty thick and now his pecs are filling out. His biceps look the same as before except they are bigger.

By 18-19 he's almost as big and developed and strong as he ever got. His pecs are pretty much fully developed and guess what. His biceps still look the same, only bigger.

Now for anyone that would point out Arnold's own comments on his physique flaws like his legs/calves and triceps well those areas were under developed because he either didn't train them to the same level as his other muscles or those muscles didn''t respond as fast to training as his trademark bi's and pec's. Over time he brought them up to the same elite standard as teh rest of his body, but they did not change shape, they just got bigger. They do appear to have changed shape, but as I said before that's related to the muscle increasing in size in relation to it's attachment points.

In that case he made them bigger, but did not actually emphasize an area of each muscle to make it bigger as muscles really don't work like that.

After the age of 19 or 20 and he had achieved his overall size and shape, he then came to america and refined it. Note his muscle shape does not change otehr than the appearance of change by making it bigger. The most notable physical change in his physique besides the improved legs and triceps was his upper pecs which he was able to increase the size of because the upper pec is an actual muscle and not "part" of a muscle.

Obviously as you train over the years you will look different. ALOT different. AS you muscles grow in relation to their attachment points they ARE gonna look different, but focusing on lower bicep, or outer pec is not gonna change that part of the muscle.

While their have been emg studies on muscles and what exercises seem to work what muscle best, there has never been any proof that you can actually increase the size of say the lower biceps other than making the whole bicep bigger which can give the illusion that the lower bicep got bigger.

Former and first Mr. Universe winner Larry Scott always had amazing lower biceps and I would be willing to bet that they would have been just as amazing regardless of whether he did his trademark preacher curl(which is scientifically proven to be a crap bicep exercise) or regular barbell/dumbell curls.

I really wish I had the gift of speech, but that was never a strong point of mine so these laymen's examples are teh best I can do.

:theshadow
 
Great feed back! This is what I was looking for. Honestly, when benching I've never gripped the bar wider then the guide lines, so I will give this a try. However, how should I add this routine into my chest workout? Should I start with medium grip and do the last 2 sets with a wide grip, for ex?

ghettostudmuffin, awesome reply! thank you. I've been very lucky when it comes to my legs, back, biceps, shoulders and abs. My Weakest points would be my chest then my triceps.
 
when I perform bench press I usually keep a wide grip from start to finish,this can be hard on a lot of peoples shoulders though so I would go by what feels right and comfortable to you.

I let the bar come down and actually touch my chest also,without bouncing it and keeping slow and strict form.
 
Yes stick to the basics as stated above...Flat BB press works the entire pectoral region and you can push the most weight. Pushing more weight = more muscle. More muscle = greater affinity to burn fat in that particular area.
 
ManOfArms said:
It says to not allow the bar to touch the chest, but only let the bar come down to 3 inches above the chest.

I've always thought that allowing the bar to come down slowly and touch the chest, with out bouncing off the chest, was a better form.

Yeah and inch or two off the chest is fine. If you have a 42 inch chest it is quite different than someone with Ronnie Coleman's chest size touching the bar to your chest. The is no reason to put excess pressure on the AC joints, rotator cuffs, or shoulder girdle.

Plus if you pinch your shoulders back and get that slight arch in your lower back you reduce your range of motion significantly. It is much easier to touch or come very close to your chest that way.

Slowly or in control can be two different things. If you do it too slow you ruin your natural rhythm. In control means not dropping it down to your chest and bouncing.
 
So I put in 2 sets of wide grip flat, incline, and decline into my regular bench. For the first time I actually felt the sides of my chest pumped. So that must be a good thing.

I went about an entire hand space wider, and benching actually felt more comfortable, perhaps because I have broad shoulders? Anyways I'm going to try to go as wide as I possible can.

Thanks for the advice, I think this is going to produce some positive results!
 
yeah my lower chest sags i hate it and ive tried every exercise it still doesnt change it my chest has gotten alot bigger tho
 
arnold did 3/4 flyes. using a flat bench and getting a deep stretch but only coming up 3/4 of the way, keeping the tension throughout the motion.....actually, it may only be about half before you lose the action...
 
ManOfArms said:
So I put in 2 sets of wide grip flat, incline, and decline into my regular bench. For the first time I actually felt the sides of my chest pumped. So that must be a good thing.

I went about an entire hand space wider, and benching actually felt more comfortable, perhaps because I have broad shoulders? Anyways I'm going to try to go as wide as I possible can.

Thanks for the advice, I think this is going to produce some positive results!

glad we could be of help bro :)
 
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