Building pecs close to sternum?

[Flexor]

I do wide and narrow bench presses and i have bigger pecs on the outside than the inside. They slant from the outsides to only a small region next to the sternum which doesn't pop out much. It doesn't look too bad but I was wondering whether the exercise has only been working the outside portion of the muscle and not the inner. Is there any way I can also encourage the inner portion of the sternal pec to grow? Would it be dumbbell flys?

[SwoleCat]

Genetics will play the biggest role in the development you will see, even using all the correct exercises. Pressing movements for mass, flyes and cable crossovers for additional work in that area. Make sure to utilize the peak contraction.

~SC~

[bluethunder]

Hold & squeeze the contraction as Swole said. Perform some iso-tension techniques are push /force your bood using your palm of hand towards the inner region may help. Works for myself. Using too wide or excessive grip can target the outers to a certain degree but again alot is genetics and doing that will place more stress on your shoulders and increasing injury escpecially if the weight is very heavy. Cables & DB flies are good ones for the final touch up but doing them right is required.

[nsa]

Like was said already, overall mass exercises like presses and flies will help alot, but along with those exercises i think that if you do cable crossovers and really squeeze it you will get some good results for your innner chest over some time.

[Bound for Muscle]

just a thought, but you could do some pushups at the end of your workout (if you have anything left in you)

i have a half-baked theory that doing things like pushups and chinups kinda help 'pull everything together'

[nsa]

I have used push-ups and pull-ups at the end of my workouts for 2 sets or so til failure. It seems to just fry every last fiber at the end of my workout. I do this periodically to shock my chest and back from time to time. Although IMO it would be a bad idea to do this after every chest or back workout, might lead to overtraining.

[blood-hound]

dude it will appear over time, just think though it could be worse, you could have man boobs..not that i have them! :P heavy benching maybe? what weight do you bench? in kilo please im not a LB person:P

[Savage1]

just a thought, but you could do some pushups at the end of your workout (if you have anything left in you)

i have a half-baked theory that doing things like pushups and chinups kinda help 'pull everything together'

I believe that as well. I think it is true.

[Pale Horse]

I was and am a big believer in close grip bench presses, they hit the tri-s pretty hard too, along with said excercises above.

[BigJames]

I would try dumbbell presses with peak contraction...also dumbbell flyes with peak contraction. Finish the workout with cable cross-overs with peak contraction. That should fry your inner pecs...

[ReX357]

Sorry for the stupidity of my question but what is "peak contraction"?

[Scooby1]

Flex- I have the same problem. I found that heavy incline dumbell presses and flys seemed to help. On my upper chest I can actually feel ribs, and my pectoris major(muscle you can see) begins in my armpit region, and "anchors: near my nipple. Try these exercises and see if it helps.

[cpt steele]

I honestly feel its genetics... My pecs are all outer and not much inner and the tie-ins to the upper and delts is very thick... But that big line in the center is really genetics

[Hypertrophy]

As already mentioned, cable crossovers with a strong squeeze and hold at peak contraction works pretty well. The other thing I have found that will really blast the inner chest is using a pec deck machine with limited range of motion.

I am not a fan of <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=5&k=weight%20machines" onmouseover="window.status='weight machines'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">weight machines</a>, but using a fly machine and limiting the range of motion from where your hands are only about 18 inches to 24 inches apart then all the way together with a couple of second squeeze for a couple of sets with cause the pecs right near the sternum to burn like fire. It is like a clapping motion, and I orient my hands open and just like I am clapping them together. Not sure if this will work for everyone, but for me it is definitely a winner.

Totally agree.

[TheDfromGC]

I honestly feel its genetics... My pecs are all outer and not much inner and the tie-ins to the upper and delts is very thick... But that big line in the center is really genetics

i agree, it just really depends on where the fibers in ur inner chest start, there are some guys that can be 220 and ripped but have big space between pecs, not really too much u can do about that...

[TheChosenOne]

i agree, it just really depends on where the fibers in ur inner chest start, there are some guys that can be 220 and ripped but have big space between pecs, not really too much u can do about that...

I say genetic factors are more important than exercises also. Arnold never brought his hands together on flyes (he always kept tension on them instead), but yet is always thought of as having the "ideal chest."