Also, I've been feeling lately like my inner chest is really kinda lagging behind. Should I concentrate on close grip stuff for a while...at the expense of other exercises....to bring it back up to speed... Or is it not worth it?

Also, I've been feeling lately like my inner chest is really kinda lagging behind. Should I concentrate on close grip stuff for a while...at the expense of other exercises....to bring it back up to speed... Or is it not worth it?

Actually, the reason you are pinching your shoulder blades together during pressing movements is to create a stable pressing surface. In fact, it causes you to use less chest because it helps you tuck in your elbows and reduces shoulder rotation, which is what causes contraction of the pectoralis major. More emphasis is now placed on the triceps and lats.

Oh, by the way, there is no inner chest.

So why do people do this then? Sounds counter-productive, according to what you're saying here!

Technically speaking...no there isn't. But there are exercises that "target" the inner area more the outer, upper or lower... no?

cowpump, so why do incline bench? why not just do 6 sets of regular flat bench... it works the same muscle

cowpump, so why do incline bench? why not just do 6 sets of regular flat bench... it works the same muscle

cowpump, so why do incline bench? why not just do 6 sets of regular flat bench... it works the same muscle

I know that some people will laugh at me for suggesting this, but there are two separate heads to the Pectoralis Major. One has it's origin at the sternum the other the clavicle. Incline bench activates the clavicular head and almost completely removes the sternal. That would most likely be Cow's reasoning. If you don't believe me superset Incline bench with heavy incline flies, and notice that only the upper part of your chest is sory the next day in fact if you get enough pump to if directly afterwards flex your chest and you should be able to see the separate heads.

Whether or not these exercises are effective for hypertrophy of the clavilcular head of the pectoral I don't know but I do know that it is the target of these lifts, so unless the pectoral is different than every other muscle I would believe that it is a good idea to target the clavicular head of the pec.

/rant off, sorry I just never understood the people who suggested this exercise was useless.

edit: also to correct cow they have the same insertion but different origins thus they contract during different exercises. Muscles with the same insertion but different origins contract in the different ways. The Latissimus Dorsi connet to same groove as the pecs, but it usually isn't involved (as a target) in the bench press.

Technically speaking...no there isn't. But there are exercises that "target" the inner area more the outer, upper or lower... no?