Plenty of chest exercises focus on the upper chest. The amount of development you achieve depends, to a large extent, on your genetics. However, you can emphasize certain training angles and techniques to better target your upper pectoral muscles. Add the right exercises to your chest workout to develop your upper chest.
Bench Press
Although specific exercises might target the upper chest better, you should not necessarily stop doing the bench press, an excellent workout for the entire upper body. Proper technique will put more emphasis on the upper and lower pectorals. The farther out your elbows drift from your sides during the pressing movement, the more emphasis will go onto your shoulders and away from the chest muscles.
Incline Bench Press
The incline bench resembles a reclining chair. Press upward from a bottom position somewhere between the neck and chest line, finishing with the bar about at an arm's length over your upper torso. Lower the weight back to the chest, then repeat for the desired number of repetitions. According to "3-D Muscle Building" by Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman, you should not lock out your elbows at the top--that would reduce the strain on your pectorals, giving them a chance to rest and decreasing the stimulus for muscle growth. Incline presses also can be done with dumbbells, the self-spotting Smith machine, weight machines or plate-loaded strength machines.
Decline Bench Press
According to "The Ultimate Mass Workout" by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson the decline bench press also targets the upper pectoral muscles. Unlike the flat or incline bench presses, the decline bench press takes the shoulders out of the movement, helping to directly target the chest. The decline bench creates a different training angle, almost the opposite of an incline bench. Instead of a reclined position, your head is lower than your feet, which lock into pads for stabilization. This exercise also can be done on the Smith machine or with dumbbells.
Chest Dips
According to "Combat the Fat" by best-selling author Jeff Anderson, body-weight exercises have a unique effect on the central nervous system because you must maintain balance, triggering heightened muscle fiber involvement. Chest dips work differently than dips targeting the triceps. Grip the parallel dip bars and let your body "dip" downward to the furthest comfortable stretch, then press your body back to the top position. Lean forward slightly and let your elbows flare outward during the movement. There is no need to lock out the elbows at the top, as this takes emphasis away from the chest muscles.
Incline Dumbbell Flies
Incline flies build definition into the upper-chest muscles. Always do isolation movements, such as flies, after you have finished your multi-joint, compound movements (bench presses or dips). Sitting on an incline bench, start with the dumbbells in each hand, touching above your chest. Keeping your palms facing each other, lower the dumbbells, letting your elbows descend to the lowest comfortable stretch. Raise the dumbbells to the starting position, as if hugging an invisible tree. Machine flies, cable crossovers and pec-deck flies are acceptable alternatives.
References
- "Combat the Fat"; Jeff Anderson, 2008
- "3-D Muscle Building"; Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman, 2006
- " The Ultimate Mass Workout"; Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman, 2004
Member Comments