How to build Inner/ Upper Chest?

[Braaq]

Stop suggesting flyes! :angrydude:

Incline pressing movements are fine but flyes and cable cross overs are a waste of time. Flyes are the like are not going to isolate your "inner pecs" anymore than pressing and will only allow you to load less weight and have an inferior hormonal response.

I have read the same thing, but, contrary to some research. Flies, when done correctly give a great stretch and at the end of contraction I feel the stress on my point of insertion on the sternum. Regardless, results speak for themselves when some physiological or keniesiology studies say otherwise.

I would suggest them for someone having problems building their chest, regardless of what area. But obviously, rely more on pressing movements. That is a given.

 

[Daniel Andersson]

IMO close grip incline benchpress works the upper region best

 

[Basebodyfitnesspaul]

Interesting opinion Daniel Andersson....

Base

 

[Daniel Andersson]

Interesting opinion Daniel Andersson....

Base

Yes I think so. Shouldn't I?

 

[Line]

I have read the same thing, but, contrary to some research. Flies, when done correctly give a great stretch and at the end of contraction I feel the stress on my point of insertion on the sternum. Regardless, results speak for themselves when some physiological or keniesiology studies say otherwise.

I would suggest them for someone having problems building their chest, regardless of what area. But obviously, rely more on pressing movements. That is a given.

I realize the bit about the stretch but it's still a less than optimal way and I think a lot of the results people get are among the lines of confirmation bias. They want flyes to work because they've seen Arnold do them and they give them a great stretch but frankly I'd rather just do a pseudo-fascia stretching routine after training chest. It's going to be just as effective and is much safer.

 

[Slabbefusk]

So presses are the best way to go then?

 

[Braaq]

So presses are the best way to go then?

Of course

 

[Slabbefusk]

I've been doing flyes for a while and I think they give a great burn but maybe they aren't so good if you're doing a full body workout.

 

[Daniel Andersson]

Of course

I've heard that flyes are good to stretch the fascia with, and through that make more room for the muscle, isn't that correct?

 

[youngmusclejock]

I have found that DB neck presses, have helped quite a bit with my chest development..
Also I feel that I use to over train my chest, for myself lower reps around 6-8 and sets around 3-4... Never hurts to give it a try, also pullovers have done wonders.

 

[Braaq]

I've heard that flyes are good to stretch the fascia with, and through that make more room for the muscle, isn't that correct?

I do them primarily for the stretch, yes. That is why I dont do cable flies that much. All weight training is, ultimately, stretch and contractions. So like any other exercise, stretching and contracting the muscle with flies is adequate. But like Line said, dangerous, going to far can lead to an injury very easily.

 

[mike44]

do incline barbell press and incline dumbell press, they help with the mass for the upper chest.
then finish off with dumbell pullovers, they will give you a good strech to the rib cage and upper chest. good luck

 

[asdf]

I think we have a wanna be know it all. No my friend you are wrong, I dont know where you read your info.

As you can see smart guy, the pectoralis major is ONE muscle group. You may be refering to areas of insertion, but that is it. You clearly know some words of the human anatomy, but not what they mean.

When your wrong your wrong.
Pectoralis Major
Clavicular head:
Origin - Medial half of clavicle
Insertion - Anterior lamina and lateral lip of bicipital groove, deep fascia, anterior lip of deltoid tuberosity

Sternocostal head:
Origin - Anterior and lateral manubrium, body of sternum, aponeurosis of external oblique, upper 7 costal cartliages (not always 1st and 7th)
Insertion - Manubrial fibres to intermediate lamina. Sternocostal fibres to posterior lamina, with highest fibres into capsule of shoulder

This info is probably available in just about any anatomy source........

 

[BONECRUSHER]

Flys are an excellent finisher after all there is only so many heavy pressing movements that you can do before you are so fucked that you have to drag yourself to a bench or cables to finish off your workout

stretching between sets is also a good idea

 

[SiCK]

yea the clavicular head^^ is what you want to target to get that upper chest coming.

other then incline press, lower pulley crossovers and plate raises are awesome.

 

[Braaq]

When your wrong your wrong.
Pectoralis Major
Clavicular head:
Origin - Medial half of clavicle
Insertion - Anterior lamina and lateral lip of bicipital groove, deep fascia, anterior lip of deltoid tuberosity

Sternocostal head:
Origin - Anterior and lateral manubrium, body of sternum, aponeurosis of external oblique, upper 7 costal cartliages (not always 1st and 7th)
Insertion - Manubrial fibres to intermediate lamina. Sternocostal fibres to posterior lamina, with highest fibres into capsule of shoulder

This info is probably available in just about any anatomy source........

Its still one muscle, that is what I am trying to say. Your not wrong on the points of instertion which are on the clavicle and on the sternum. But it is still considered one large muscle, and I have taken all sorts of anatomy and physiology courses. If we had some sort of miscommunication on what we are talking about, but the pectoralis major is one muscle. The "heads" are the two different areas where the muscle is attached.

The Pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the upper front (anterior) of the chest wall. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female.


[edit] Origin and insertion
It arises from the anterior surface of the sternal half of the clavicle; from breadth of the half of the anterior surface of the sternum, as low down as the attachment of the cartilage of the sixth or seventh rib; from the cartilages of all the true ribs, with the exception, frequently, of the first or seventh and from the aponeurosis of the abdominal external oblique muscle.

From this extensive origin the fibers converge toward their insertion; those arising from the clavicle pass obliquely downward and outwards (laterally), and are usually separated from the rest by a slight interval; those from the lower part of the sternum, and the cartilages of the lower true ribs, run upward and laterally, while the middle fibers pass horizontally.

They all flat in an end tendon, about 5 cm. in breadth, which is inserted into the crest of the greater tubercle of the humerus.


[edit] Laminae
This tendon consists of two laminae, placed one in front of the other, and usually blended together below.

The anterior lamina, which is thicker, receives the clavicular and the uppermost sternal fibers. They are inserted in the same order as that in which they arise: the most lateral of the clavicular fibers are inserted at the upper part of the anterior lamina; the uppermost sternal fibers pass down to the lower part of the lamina which extends as low as the tendon of the Deltoid and joins with it.
The posterior lamina of the tendon receives the attachment of the greater part of the sternal portion and the deep fibers, i. e., those from the costal cartilages.
These deep fibers, and particularly those from the lower costal cartilages, ascend the higher, turning backward successively behind the superficial and upper ones, so that the tendon appears to be twisted.

The posterior lamina reaches higher on the humerus than the anterior one, and from it an expansion is given off which covers the intertubercular groove of the humerus and blends with the capsule of the shoulder-joint.

From the deepest fibers of this lamina at its insertion an expansion is given off which lines the intertubercular groove, while from the lower border of the tendon a third expansion passes downward to the fascia of the arm.

Again, didnt mean to come off insulting. But you are misunderstanding your info that you are reading.

 

[BONECRUSHER]

^^ Why does every training thread become an argument

If incline bench press did not work then Pro BB would not incline to build upper chest.

People don't train to lose competitions. Plus you don't need to have a Masters in Sports Science to be successful in this sport. Its more to do with grit determination then getting a calculator out to try to work out the physics of each rep.

 

[Braaq]

^^ Why does every training thread become an argument

If incline bench press did not work then Pro BB would not incline to build upper chest.

People don't train to lose competitions. Plus you don't need to have a Masters in Sports Science to be successful in this sport. Its more to do with grit determination then getting a calculator out to try to work out the physics of each rep.

True, but understanding what is happening to your body physiologically when training, eating, etc is going to give you an edge over someone who thinks that grit determination is going to help them in the long run. And its not an arguement, its a debate, that is what you do on forums.

 

[Line]

^^ Why does every training thread become an argument

Because people speak in definitives, even when they're wrong.

If incline bench press did not work then Pro BB would not incline to build upper chest.

Pros do a lot of lame exercises. I'm not saying inclines are worthless but pros aren't the best people to look to for training advice.

Its more to do with grit determination then getting a calculator out to try to work out the physics of each rep.

But why not train more efficiently?

 

[Dante]

I am lacking in these regions and I wanted to know if anyone knows some techniques to bring these areas up to speed with the rest of my body. I think it is from focusing on flat bench too much. Any suggestions?

Youre stuck with your genetics,changing genetic shape of the muscle is impossible.

However,if you develop your pecs enough,the flaws you say you have might become much less noticable. YOU NEED MORE MASS. Go hit the basics,flat bench press,incline dumbell press. Cables are waste of time for you at this point.

Oh yeah,flat bench press is the best pec builder,therefore its the best upper pec builder also,IMO.