Thread: Exercises to hit the upper inner chest?

I do chest flies on a machine, like a reverse rear deltoid (back of shoulders, I believe).

At least for me, it's not so much finding an exercise to hit that part of the body, but flexing and tightening and straining that part of the body to stimulate growth. Which is what I do, focus on form and just KILL my inner chest. It's usually the last thing I do on my chest days.

Isolating the upper, middle and lower pecs (chest)

thanks guys.

at the end of each set of flies I like to push my hands together at the top of the movement (no dumbell) and just hold it for an isometric contraction for about 10-15 seconds. I feel that in the inner chest top to bottom but I'm sure if you set the bench to an incline you'd get the upper part more involved

Regardless of what others says I still feel you can target an area more than another my 2 favourites for upper/inner chest are underhand crossovers and incline smith machine presses

Take this... (press machine)


and this... (EZ curl-cable bar)


Place it inbetween the parallel handles on the machine.
place your hands in the CLOSE GRIP position and push.

Don't worry, the grips on the machines handles will stick just fine with the bar, and it will rock your inner chest

(only works if your gym has the handles that look similar to the ones in the photo)

Muscle fibers either contract or they do not. There is no partial contraction and the muscle fibers in the "inner chest" go all the way to your shoulder. Inner chest development suggests you are growing a muscle fiber unevenly on one side, that just logically can't happen. At least in the upper lower argument the whole fiber is suppose to be growing.

incline dumbell press for the win

Originally Posted by ihateschoolmt

Muscle fibers either contract or they do not. There is no partial contraction and the muscle fibers in the "inner chest" go all the way to your shoulder. Inner chest development suggests you are growing a muscle fiber unevenly on one side, that just logically can't happen. At least in the upper lower argument the whole fiber is suppose to be growing.

This +1.

If your "upper inner" chest isn't as pronounced as you'd like you just need to put on more muscle. Your genetics have given you a certain muscle shape, theres not much you can do about it besides grow and see how your shape reveals itself!

Originally Posted by Gazhole

This +1.

If your "upper inner" chest isn't as pronounced as you'd like you just need to put on more muscle. Your genetics have given you a certain muscle shape, theres not much you can do about it besides grow and see how your shape reveals itself!

This +2.

Genetics are a bitch, but your origins and insertions don't change no matter what you lift or at what angle.

It's like when people say they want to train their inner or outer bicep. It just doesn't exist. Different angles put different types of force through a joint, which is what muscles move - but it doesn't develop any differently even if it FEELS different. That feeling is just the different type of force that your joint isn't used to (which can be a very bad thing actually).

thanks guys great info. Ill try the exercises you guys suggested and see if it helps

I have been doing some neck presses on a flat bench pointer finger around power ring and I can see a diffrence

there actually is an inner and outer bicep. That's why it's called a BIcep

Until there is concrete proof that what we say is incorrect I will continue you train based upon it.

If i bench wider my outer chest grows more, if i switch closer my middle chest grows, if i go decline my lower chest grows.

if I vary my foot position my quads grow differantly, this I know to be 100% true in my case.

Originally Posted by Hench

Originally Posted by Diesel618

there actually is an inner and outer bicep. That's why it's called a BIcep

If you mean there is one on top and one underneath, I agree. If you mean there is one closer to your body on the inside of your arm and one on the outside further away then feel free to show me an anatomy picture of said muscle with a split in the middle.

Originally Posted by Livebig14

Originally Posted by Hench

don't overanalize!!!! Just do some incline press. Incline dumbbell would be a perfect solution.

Originally Posted by zoco

don't overanalize!!!! Just do some incline press. Incline dumbbell would be a perfect solution.

I do a lot of incline work already. barbells and dumbells and a few machines

Originally Posted by ponyboy

If you mean there is one on top and one underneath, I agree. If you mean there is one closer to your body on the inside of your arm and one on the outside further away then feel free to show me an anatomy picture of said muscle with a split in the middle.

He split it down the middle. Check it out.

Originally Posted by Livebig14

I do a lot of incline work already. barbells and dumbells and a few machines

How much bodyfat do you carry? if you have less than 10-11% and still have weak upper chest, it's probably genetic.

Originally Posted by zoco

How much bodyfat do you carry? if you have less than 10-11% and still have weak upper chest, it's probably genetic.

fuck yeah im probably around 10% right now. Ill just keep pressing hopefully it will grow!

play with your elbow angle when barbell pressing. I can get a totally different feel if I let my elbows flare out a bit as opposed to keeping them tucked in powerlifting style. Just a thought. Just concentrate on the mind muscle connection, you can feel how chest is firing

It is true that genetics ultimately determine your weak points and problem areas, but to say that you cannot train a certain part of a muscle group is simply not true. Take delts for example...if I only did rear dumbell flys, do you think my anterior delts would develop as quickly as the posterior? I think not...

In the same way, to say that you cannot specifically target the upper chest to stimulate growth is ridiculous.

Originally Posted by GMO

It is true that genetics ultimately determine your weak points and problem areas, but to say that you cannot train a certain part of a muscle group is simply not true. Take delts for example...if I only did rear dumbell flys, do you think my anterior delts would develop as quickly as the posterior? I think not...

In the same way, to say that you cannot specifically target the upper chest to stimulate growth is ridiculous.

Of course not - but that's not the same thing at all. The rear delt and front delt are two different muscles with different origin and attachment points. The pec major is one muscle with no divisions.

What you just said is like saying leg curls will not target my quads. Of course they won't.

?

Originally Posted by ponyboy

Of course not - but that's not the same thing at all. The rear delt and front delt are two different muscles with different origin and attachment points. The pec major is one muscle with no divisions.

Ya, we call the deltoid one muscle but it's really three separate things. The chest is two muscles, but the "upper" chest is the same muscle as the lower chest. That's like saying I can train my outer traps. How do you increase part of a muscle without the whole thing growing?