Thread: Other exercises other than Incline Press to stimulate upper pecs?

How steep is the incline?

45. I varied it before, basically unless its flat or a little higher than flat, then problems arise.

First off, just to be clear, you can't "isolate" a portion of the chest. Not that you used that word, but usually this sort of question is getting to that. You might put a little extra emphasis, but mixing angles, grips, etc, is just to give the chest, as a whole, different stimulation. It works as one muscle.

Secondly, I know a lot of people use a 45 incline, but, in my opinion, that's a bit too high. That's getting to the point where it's going from a pec-dominant push to a delt-dominant push -- more along the lines of a shoulder press. I've always used 25-35. It's enough that it's a very different experience from a flat press, but remains a chest-dominant lift

On another note, I had a neat idea for a incline chest exercise, which you might try. I haven't tried it yet. It's a cross between corner press and incline press:

Grab an olympic bar and place it in a corner. Set up an incline bench in line with the oly bar (doesn't matter about sides because the oly bar can just pivot to each side). Raise the olybar and lay down on the bench to get into position. Now, with one arm at a time, press the bar from your incline position. So, basically, it's stuck in the corner on one end and the other end is close to where you're holding it (with a neutral grip, of course) and then you bring it down and press it. a different approach to a unilateral incline press. In this case, your arm will simply be going up and down, not inwards like when using DBs. Nevertheless, the chest is still working

Originally Posted by Phineas

First off, just to be clear, you can't "isolate" a portion of the chest. Not that you used that word, but usually this sort of question is getting to that. You might put a little extra emphasis, but mixing angles, grips, etc, is just to give the chest, as a whole, different stimulation. It works as one muscle.

Secondly, I know a lot of people use a 45 incline, but, in my opinion, that's a bit too high. That's getting to the point where it's going from a pec-dominant push to a delt-dominant push -- more along the lines of a shoulder press. I've always used 25-35. It's enough that it's a very different experience from a flat press, but remains a chest-dominant lift

On another note, I had a neat idea for a incline chest exercise, which you might try. I haven't tried it yet. It's a cross between corner press and incline press:

Grab an olympic bar and place it in a corner. Set up an incline bench in line with the oly bar (doesn't matter about sides because the oly bar can just pivot to each side). Raise the olybar and lay down on the bench to get into position. Now, with one arm at a time, press the bar from your incline position. So, basically, it's stuck in the corner on one end and the other end is close to where you're holding it (with a neutral grip, of course) and then you bring it down and press it. a different approach to a unilateral incline press. In this case, your arm will simply be going up and down, not inwards like when using DBs. Nevertheless, the chest is still working

Thank you very much for the detailed response. I will concentrate then on low incline benches as you suggest with flat benches. The idea at the end sounds very intriguing, will give it a shot when I'm next at my friend's home gym.

Have you tried other variations of the incline press, like using dumbbells, or a neutral grip press? Perhaps an incline press using a cable stack?

It's always worth noting that there is no such thing as the "upper pec."

Take three 10 pound plates and stand them up together on the floor. Put one hand on each side of the plates standing up and push together, so you pick up all 3 plates. DO NOT WRAP YOUR FINGERS AROUND THE EDGES OR HOLES INSIDE. Just push them together. Stand up, and bring the plates to your chest. Extend upwards like an incline press angle, then back to chest, then straight out, back to chest, then a downward angle. Bring it back to your chest and do the whole thing again. If you want to do extra incline movements go for it.

Awesome workout, go slow, and don't cheat. Basically it stresses the pec the entire time because you have to push in the whole time to keep the middle plate from falling. If this is too heavy, go with 5's instead, if its too light, add an extra 10 etc.

MD

Originally Posted by Motorcycled00d

Take three 10 pound plates and stand them up together on the floor. Put one hand on each side of the plates standing up and push together, so you pick up all 3 plates. DO NOT WRAP YOUR FINGERS AROUND THE EDGES OR HOLES INSIDE. Just push them together. Stand up, and bring the plates to your chest. Extend upwards like an incline press angle, then back to chest, then straight out, back to chest, then a downward angle. Bring it back to your chest and do the whole thing again. If you want to do extra incline movements go for it.

Awesome workout, go slow, and don't cheat. Basically it stresses the pec the entire time because you have to push in the whole time to keep the middle plate from falling. If this is too heavy, go with 5's instead, if its too light, add an extra 10 etc.

MD

LOL...what?!?!

Originally Posted by Phineas

LOL...what?!?!

I've done something like that and it really does contract the pec muscle, a bit like cable crossovers done properly, but the effectiveness in growth is something I'd like to know about.

The upper pece/lower pec argument will stand until the end of time.

I knew it when I read the title. Here we go with the upper, mid and lower chest shit again...hold on I gotta get my drink!

What's funny Phineas?

Its a great workout to do especially if you use periodization and have a highrep/superset week.

Originally Posted by Motorcycled00d

What's funny Phineas?

Its a great workout to do especially if you use periodization and have a highrep/superset week.

I just didn't understand the description.

So, if I'm not mistaken, you take some plates and hold them together with your hand and then press them from your chest???

Let's not forget that the chest is also involved in vertical pushes -- albeit to a lesser degree -- but, it's part of it, nonetheless.

Originally Posted by Phineas

Let's not forget that the chest is also involved in vertical pushes -- albeit to a lesser degree -- but, it's part of it, nonetheless.

Can definately feel it on military press

Originally Posted by T_man

Can definately feel it on military press

My thoughts, exactly!

I just started doing these again after a year of not, and am I ever loving them. It's an intense feeling pushing weight above your head while standing and not cheating. Talk about a REAL core workout.

Yeah, thats the movement. Straight out, incline movement, and decline movement. You don't wrap your fingers around the edges because you want the contraction of your chest to be keeping the plates together, not your grip. Give it a shot

MD

Cheers for all the responses. Currently finding low incline DB press is working things well.

DB presses usually give a greater range of motion so they're good at working the chest muscles.

I have a hard time working the Upper part of my chest I will call it. I dont feel I've really worked a muscle unless it is sore as hell the next day. I do incline bench, but I also put my legs up on the bench and do push ups, Slowly and I hold them. It works decent. I have to say that this area is one of the hardest for me to really work and get sore.

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

It's always worth noting that there is no such thing as the "upper pec."

Yes there is, you just can't isolate it. It's also not an accurate term, but there is a clavicular head of the pectoralis major. However, just because you can't isolate it doesn't mean you can't use it substantially more than the other head, sort of like putting the long head of the triceps into active insufficiency or not.

Although their insertions are approximately the same, their origins are not. Therefore, there is potential to have one of the muscles in a position of greater mechanical efficiency and stretch compared to the other one, and this will vary depending on what part of the ROM you are currently in.

Again, you can't isolate one over the other, but I do think you can shift emphasis between them to some extent. There is, however, zero anatomical basis for an inner/outer chest. Pure bullshit. In fact, it is biomechanically impossible for such a contraction to take place.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Yes there is, you just can't isolate it. It's also not an accurate term, but there is a clavicular head of the pectoralis major. However, just because you can't isolate it doesn't mean you can't use it substantially more than the other head, sort of like putting the long head of the triceps into active insufficiency or not.

Although their insertions are approximately the same, their origins are not. Therefore, there is potential to have one of the muscles in a position of greater mechanical efficiency and stretch compared to the other one, and this will vary depending on what part of the ROM you are currently in.

Again, you can't isolate one over the other, but I do think you can shift emphasis between them to some extent. There is, however, zero anatomical basis for an inner/outer chest. Pure bullshit. In fact, it is biomechanically impossible for such a contraction to take place.

Finally someone who can explain the upper chest thingamajig! I've always believed in there being an upper chest. Can't isolate it but can emphasise it. Kinda like shoulders, different parts of quads, triceps back/traps etc

call me crazy, but I believe that the decline press is a better choice than incline press. I just feel that the incline press regardless of the angle works the front delts primarily, and the chest (upper portion if you will) secondary.

I've never believed that the decline press works the "lower pecs", i feel it works the entire chest muscle, and with the decline I think you get slightly less shoulder involvement, so you get more of a pure chest exercise, compared at least to flat and incline.

So basically, since you are getting more overall chest involvement from the decline press, in turn, you get the illusion of a larger upper chest, when in fact it is just your entire chest muscle getting larger.

someone feel free to correct me if my logic is bullshit, but I've always felt this way.

Excellent info. As long as I can do exercise to work both of these I don't care what everyone else calls them...

Pectoralis minor muscle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and
Pectoralis major muscle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Over the years, I have had issues with my shoulders. I can go heavy on flat bench, but my only option on incline is to superset dumbbell press and flies using different incline angles.

Originally Posted by T_man

Finally someone who can explain the upper chest thingamajig! I've always believed in there being an upper chest. Can't isolate it but can emphasise it. Kinda like shoulders, different parts of quads, triceps back/traps etc

Pectoralis Major (Clavicular Head)