Upper Chest

[JMike]

Ok I know I just asked about obliques, but I've got another query.

I need some help hitting my upper chest. I want to square it off, and I'm not quite sure what to do. I thought maybe some standing barbell press? Any tips would be appreciated.

Mike

[.V.]

Hit the whole chest

Flat BB bench press
Incline BB bench press
Decline BB bench press

Even my puny little chest (genetically pre-programmed to be tiny) has grown a little doing this.

[maverick]

"squaring it off" takes lots of mass, its that simple. You can throw extra emphasis on incline pressing exercises, but pure size is what's gonna give that armor-plated look.

[rangers97]

*sigh* --

There is no "upper chest"!!! The chest grows as a whole!!! You cannot target one part of your chest at the exclusion of another....you CAN however, train the different pressing angles (flat, decline, incline) for a different stimulus to the chest muscles, which may produce more overall growth for the entire muscle, but you cannot specifically target one portion over another.

I used to believe that you could as well, but the evidence overwhelmingly is in agreement that you cannot target a specific part of the chest....

My advice based on what I am finding right now, is that if you are not into powerlifting, skip the flat bench press and concentrate on declines, inclines, and dips. I see no need for the flat bench unless you are training for bench press glory--the decline press (on a slight decline mind you, around 15-20 degrees) I find will work the entire chest muscle much more throroughly than flat press, and will be less stressful on your shoulders. IMO, it is the one pressing movement where you can completely concentrate on your chest muscles without too much help or involvement from the shoulders or tris....

[maverick]

Originally Posted by rangers97

My advice based on what I am finding right now, is that if you are not into powerlifting, skip the flat bench press and concentrate on declines, inclines, and dips. I see no need for the flat bench unless you are training for bench press glory--the decline press (on a slight decline mind you, around 15-20 degrees) I find will work the entire chest muscle much more throroughly than flat press, and will be less stressful on your shoulders. IMO, it is the one pressing movement where you can completely concentrate on your chest muscles without too much help or involvement from the shoulders or tris....

I agree, flat bench press can be extremely dangerous and is prone to shoulder injuries and pectoral tears once the weight gets heavy enough, as it certainly is in rangers case. My current training program swears them off completely.

[JMike]

Thanks guys, I guess I'll just keep at it. I've been doing exactly as suggested, just a bit impatient maybe

Mike

[cursor]

Make sure that your lifts are going up in amount of weight, and that you're eating adequately to add the desired mass.

[rbuchman]

I've never had a shoulder problem as long as I use DB's (even up to 140's) but I haven't been able to do BB flat or incline for many years.

[maverick]

Originally Posted by rbuchman

I've never had a shoulder problem as long as I use DB's (even up to 140's) but I haven't been able to do BB flat or incline for many years.

Exactly, another case of someone obviously pushing enough weight to make the flat bench press dangerous.

[Edward]

how important/effective is working the chest with decline BB press. I'm looking at getting a bench but it won't have decline, is it worth investing in even if it doesn't have decline?

Ed