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Have you ever seen a guy with a chest that pops out of his
shirt? You know, that Hercules sort of look! He’s not
a huge bodybuilder, but underneath that shirt, the upper chest
sticks out like a sore thumb and appears sculpted and well
defined.
Upper chest development depends largely on bone structure
and the pectoral attachments to that structure. When doing
bench press and dumbbell presses use a medium grip at varying
degrees of incline with an emphasis on the 55 to 65 degree
range. Focus on the target area by keeping your elbows back
and pressing straight overhead, plus a few notches to the
rear. When doing barbell inclines your using a rigid bar which
is tough on the shoulder rotation for many body structures,
whereas the individual dumbbells allow a forgiving range of
motion and more accurate targeting.
When performing any chest movement, whether it’s a bench
press or dumbbell fly, the entire chest will always be affected.
It’s not possible to completely isolate a muscle. However,
a slight shift in angle will create a more pronounced effect
on one specific area if the correct overload parameters are
used. In the case of the upper chest muscles, it’s important
to perform movements in an incline position.
Incline Bench Press
Execution of Exercise: Lie on an inclined
bench, keep your feet firmly pressed down on the floor for
stability. Use a medium width grip (shoulder width) on the
bar. Lower the bar from arms length to the upper chest. The
bar should be lowered under control and there should be a
brief pause on your chest before you return the bar to the
starting (arms length) position.
Start |
Finish |
Important Points: Do not bounce the weight
off your chest. The bar should move up and down in a straight
line i.e. the bar should not move towards your head or feet
during the lift, if this happens it is a sign that the bar
is not under control. It is common to push the bar out instead
of up and therfore a training partner may prove invaluable
in finding the correct groove.
Incline Dumbbell Press
Execution of Exercise: Lie on a inclined bench, feet
firmly on floor. Make sure that your butt, back, shoulders,
and head are firmly positioned on the bench. Roll your shoulders
back and down so the shoulder blades are firmly pressed against
the bench and the chest is sticking up. This should result
in the spine being slightly arched. Your arms should be placed
straight up with your hands gripping the a pair of dumbbells.
Inhale and hold your breath as you lower the dumbbells. When
they reach the chest, begin to move the weight upward. Exhale
as you pass the point of greatest resistance. Pause slightly
at the top of the movement and repeat.
Start |
Finish |
Important Points: To keep the deltoids
(shoulders) from doing too much work, don't allow the rear
deltoids to come off the bench, especially the last few inches
when pushing the weight up. They should remain in the same
position flat on the bench throughout the movementIf you are
having trouble balancing the weight make sure that your arms
remain relatively vertical throughout the left. The more vertical
your arms are, the better your balance will be. The more narrow
the grip, the more you involve your triceps. The wider the
grip the more the outer area of the chest is worked.
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Execution of Exercise: Hold two dumbbells at arms
length with your palms facing each other(inward). Lower the
dumbbells down and out in as wide an arc as is comfortable/feasible,
pay attention to getting as good a stretch as possible from
your pecs. Lower the weights in this wide arc until your elbows
are in line with your shoulder blades. From this position
pull the weights back up in the wide arc making sure not to
press the weight up.
Important Points: Do not move up and down
in a jerky or uncontrolled manner - this is a potentially
dangerous exercise. Remember that you are using your pecs
in this exercise, the weight is pulled/lowered in an arc and
there is no pressing involved. This exercise can also be done
on a flat bench.
Related Articles
Best Chest Exercises
Building Huge Pecs
How To Build A Large
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