trouble improving upper chest

[krusher]

right now I do 4 sets of each excercise start with incline barbell press, flat bech press then flat bench flys. should I remove all flat bench excercises and replace with incline dumbbell press and incline flys insight anyone?

[Dog-Slime]

4 Sets is alot for chest IMO. I do decline press for 2 sets and incline press for 2 sets. Then either flat or incline flys for 2-3 sets. Your getting 12 total sets where as I would be getting 7 at most. You may have an overtraining problem (unless your on gear). You could try switching up the excercises but if that doesn't help then I would try doing less total sets.

[EcToMoRpHiAn]

I would highly doubt that you are overtraining with 12 sets. I try to keep it to 4 exercises for major muscles (ie chest) and 3 exercises for smaller muscles (ie triceps). That would put me at 12 sets for major muscles and 9 for smaller muscles.

I think that having the incline at the beginning of the workout would be beneficial to growth, but you may want to try some sort of pre-exhaustion technique to better isolate your chest.

[number twelve]

try doing incline db fly's instead of flat.

[Dog-Slime]

K well was just pointing out from experience that some peoples (or atleast mine) grows better from less.

[JC2007]

When you're doing Overhead Dumbell Presses on delt day if you do them... put the bench back one notch from 90 degrees/completely upright so you're leaning back slightly. I find that this hits the upper chest hard. On Chest day I do mostly incline work and weighted dips.

[MotoLifter]

I have found that incline no peak flys work very well for my upper chest development. give them a try.

[krusher]

I switched to incline no peak flys they seem to be a little more effective hard to tell this earily. when I do train im not there for any more than a little over an hour I'm gonna stay with 12 sets I know it's a larger muscle group, I agree smaller ones require less sets. I'm gonna try real steep inclines this coming week never done those b4 i'll keep you guys posted thanx for all the good feedback and GROW MOFO'S GROW!

[RA]

Where are you bringing the bar down? Remember that the area you want to target, thats the one the bar should be hitting. Many people do inclines wrong.

[boxer1]

set up a cable crossover machine low and cross level with your face, do this as well as your incline bench work, hits the upper chest hard

[krusher]

I'll have to try keeping the bar towards the upper part of my chest, when I bench I always bring it to the middle or lower part. definitely be trying it this week hopefully it'll work roidattack thanx for the insight bro.

[krusher]

I kept the bar higher on my chest when I did incline huge difference! sore isolated upper chest much better. thanx!

[briancb1]

I make sure I rotate from incline barbell to incline dumb bell every 3 weeks, keeping it fresh works for me.

[UberSteroids]

try doing incline db fly's instead of flat.

What would be the advantage of fly's over flat in this case if they're both incline movement?

[timtim]

What would be the advantage of fly's over flat in this case if they're both incline movement?

flies mimic the way the pec muscle contracts, like an oriental hand fan whereas presses dont.

[UberSteroids]

flies mimic the way the pec muscle contracts, like an oriental hand fan whereas presses dont.

So what You are saying is that by doing incline flies you contract pec muscles different way than when You do with the incline press movement?

[boostedevo8]

flies mimic the way the pec muscle contracts, like an oriental hand fan whereas presses dont.

I've never heard about that.....




by the way make sure you touch your chest with the bar for ever rep......don't do that half way bullshit I see all the time where people only go half way down........by the way half way down is ok when you do close grip bench for your tris...hands are 6-10inches apart with the elbows tucked in , and you only go half way so that you don't use your chest to help youlift......that's the only time half way is ok on bench.....


sorry for going on and on about this but it really pisses me off when I see that shit in the gym lol

[timtim]

So what You are saying is that by doing incline flies you contract pec muscles different way than when You do with the incline press movement?

yea, flies cause more stimulation and add more mass, they arent isolation exercises as most assume. charles poliquin discusses this stuff if you want to research some of his findings.

[MFT81]

I've never heard about that.....




by the way make sure you touch your chest with the bar for ever rep......don't do that half way bullshit I see all the time where people only go half way down........by the way half way down is ok when you do close grip bench for your tris...hands are 6-10inches apart with the elbows tucked in , and you only go half way so that you don't use your chest to help youlift......that's the only time half way is ok on bench.....


sorry for going on and on about this but it really pisses me off when I see that shit in the gym lol

I dont agree with this at all, Its called Range Of Motion for a reason, once your arms exceed a 90 degree bend your not stretching the chest muscle your streatching the tendons and placing to much stress to the shoulder joint.
you also lose tension on the chest as well.

my arms come down a tad past but ive got prolly 3-4 inches between the bar and my upper chest. and if I were training someone i would never have them go all the way as this could promote injury.

I also dont lock out at the top of the movement either, hope this dosent piss you of as well..........


BTW, you need to update your avy, I saw your pics man looking solid!

[boostedevo8]

lol thanx on the pic comment....

I don't lock out either so we cool...hahahaha


on the touching topic well ......I believe correct form , for exaple squeezing you shoulder blades make help take stress off of the shoulder.....and hand placement also affect this aswell.....

well I believe touching the chest stretches the muscle not tendon....!!!! lol

any one else care to share some thoughts.....

[boostedevo8]

wow I think that was the gayest post I've ever made lol..

geez that was a shitty come back lol....

k time forme to go google whoring and reading lol.....

I'll be back....lol

[boostedevo8]

BTW, you need to update your avy, I saw your pics man looking solid!

lol better?

[UberSteroids]

yea, flies cause more stimulation and add more mass, they arent isolation exercises as most assume. charles poliquin discusses this stuff if you want to research some of his findings.

So tell me what happens when You lift incline barbell at high intensity? Isn't that going to be a lot of stimulation? More stimulation will be caused by more intensity and efficient lift (posture etc.)
You cannot isolate upper pec muscle... or any of the pec muslces. Flies wont workout Your pec muslce any different than barbell. You just have to make sure, to put enough resistance on it and make sure Your lifts are done properly.

[MFT81]

wow I think that was the gayest post I've ever made lol..

geez that was a shitty come back lol....

k time forme to go google whoring and reading lol.....

I'll be back....lol

No not gay, and no need for a journal debate, just personal pref. thats all.

sounds like out form is almost identical, (as I to recommend pulling s. blades back as well) it just that you like to go down a bit deeper,

and yeah the avy looks good to, give it another 3-5 weeks you should be shreaded!

[MFT81]

So tell me what happens when You lift incline barbell at high intensity? Isn't that going to be a lot of stimulation? More stimulation will be caused by more intensity and efficient lift (posture etc.)
You cannot isolate upper pec muscle... or any of the pec muslces. Flies wont workout Your pec muslce any different than barbell. You just have to make sure, to put enough resistance on it and make sure Your lifts are done properly.

I agree but you dont disagree w the fact that you can EMPHASIZE a certain area right?

as far as the debate of flys vs bar bench im not touching that just enjoying from afar.

[UberSteroids]

I agree but you dont disagree w the fact that you can EMPHASIZE a certain area right?

as far as the debate of flys vs bar bench im not touching that just enjoying from afar.

Pec muscles, yes You can put on more resistance on upper, middle and lower area. Can't isolate them, since Your muscles are always trying to synchronize with others to make the job as easy as possible. So when pressing, incline, flat or decline,at each angle all pec muscles are stimulated, but yes we do have that option to stimulate each area more by pressing from different angles, becasue these are the angles at which Your muscles are attached.

[boostedevo8]

, but yes we do have that option to stimulate each area more by pressing from different angles, becasue these are the angles at which Your muscles are attached.

hmm never knew my chest was attached at a 90 degree angle??

lol or my upper at 30...haha

so what put the attachment of my lower ches 150 degrees???
hahahah lmao....

[MFT81]

Pec muscles, yes You can put on more resistance on upper, middle and lower area. Can't isolate them, since Your muscles are always trying to synchronize with others to make the job as easy as possible. So when pressing, incline, flat or decline,at each angle all pec muscles are stimulated, but yes we do have that option to stimulate each area more by pressing from different angles, becasue these are the angles at which Your muscles are attached.

I agree w/you and see what you mean.

[UberSteroids]

hmm never knew my chest was attached at a 90 degree angle??

lol or my upper at 30...haha

so what put the attachment of my lower ches 150 degrees???
hahahah lmao....

Are You just trying to be funny? Or You are serious? Don't know what is so funny about it...
Your pec muscles are attached at different angles... so different angle of the lift are required in order to stimulate one area more than the other.
Let me make it MORE clear to You...
At 0 - 10 degrees Your lower and middle fibers get invlolved more, 40 degrees middle and upper fibers, at 70 degrees Your upper fibers AND Deltoids...
Obviosuly degree of muscle attachment is DIFFERENT than angle of the lift...

[boostedevo8]

ehh I guess my jks aren't too funny then......
lol

[UberSteroids]

I saw "lol" and "lmao" plus some "hahaa" like 100 times in Your thread
For some people that might be funny as hell. Or maybe I am too serious I always get serious when I try to answer people serious questions.

[boostedevo8]

need some humour in your life man.....show off them fangs lol

[timtim]

So tell me what happens when You lift incline barbell at high intensity? Isn't that going to be a lot of stimulation? More stimulation will be caused by more intensity and efficient lift (posture etc.)
You cannot isolate upper pec muscle... or any of the pec muslces. Flies wont workout Your pec muslce any different than barbell. You just have to make sure, to put enough resistance on it and make sure Your lifts are done properly.

theres mri's that have been taken of the pec muscle under bb tension and db fly tension and the total tension was higher on the fly movement. the information is out there, you can find it if you like. there is a difference in muscle stimulation for a press and a fly. the movements when done under zero tension show the difference in the muscle stim., not sure what perfect posture has to do with either movement, who would do either without strict form? not sure what your point is here. if a bench was the same as a fly the two different exercises wouldnt exist. they hit the cns muscle recruitment differently. look it up, its out there.