Thread: chest development

You cant build those areas... The pec is ONE muscle.

You can't target specific areas of the same muscle. However, I will tell you some of my favorite chest exercises:

Decline flys
Dumbell benchpress
Barbell benchpress

A lot of people seem to like dips. Unfortunately, I don't have a dip machine at home so I'm not sure how they feel or how well they work integrated into my workout.

To do dips, you would need to lean forward more than normal as to incorporate the chest and not so much the tri.

I appreciate the input. I guess I was misled thinking that incline exercises isolated the upper chest, decline with the lower, and flat bench worked the entire chest. I thought maybe there was a way to isolate that area I'm lacking in. Thanks again.

Its genetics man. Just keep doing what your doing. The chest needs all those exercises as to be strong in all areas. However you cant shape your muscles, its pre determined.

Originally posted by mtwood923
I appreciate the input. I guess I was misled thinking that incline exercises isolated the upper chest, decline with the lower, and flat bench worked the entire chest. I thought maybe there was a way to isolate that area I'm lacking in. Thanks again.

You aren't the only one misinformed about this, there are A LOT of people who think this.

The pec is one muscle and you can't target a particular area of it. I have preached that, and agree with this advice. That said however, for the last 6 months I have focused on doing HEAVY close grip bench presses on triceps day. Lo and behold, my inner pecs have really developed in this time. Was it the close grips? Don't know for sure, but I would give that a try.

While you cant spot build, certain exercises to tend to cause different areas of the muscle to be hit harder.

Granted. But if a certain exercise hits an area of the pec harder, and that area responds, isn't that then spot building?

Like I said, I agree that the pec is one muscle and anything to stimulate it will in fact, stimulate the whole mass, not just one area. It surprised me that doing heavy close grip benchs 'seemed' to have developed my inner pecs rather nicely. It made me wonder if the concept of spot training may be possible after all. When I say heavy, this was my last CG bench workout (thumbless grip, 9-10" spacing): 135 x 10, 185 x 10, 205 x 8, 225 x 8, 245 x 5, 245 x 4.

Originally posted by JerseyDevil
Granted. But if a certain exercise hits an area of the pec harder, and that area responds, isn't that then spot building?

No. Just because you feel it in a certain area of the muscle doesn't mean that area is going to grow at a different rate than the rest of the muscle. The entire muscle grows at the same time. Your CG benches probably have very little to do with your inner chest development. You are probably just getting to a point in your training where your pecs are developing nicely and beginning to fill in the inner portion.

MTWOOD: incline bench press, incline flys, cable-cross overs, pullovers. Hit the back just as hard as the chest. Don't be suckered into thinking that you can't develop the inner and upper portions of the pectoral muscle.

Originally posted by CowPimp
No.

The way I stated the question, yes it would be. If you respond to the movement and only that area grows, then it would be spot building.

Your CG benches probably have very little to do with your inner chest development. You are probably just getting to a point in your training where your pecs are developing nicely and beginning to fill in the inner portion.

I agree however, that this is the most likely answer. It just is more obvious in the inner pec region.

[i][b]A lot of people seem to like dips. Unfortunately, I don't have a dip machine at home so I'm not sure how they feel or how well they work integrated into my workout.

I have been trying to think of how to do dips at home.

Anyone have any feasible ideas. With creative thought, we can make our own. We don't need a machine....

it puts more emphasis on that part of the muscle
They've done studies on it
decline has been shown to work all of your chest as much as flat
but incline works less lower chest

You cant spot build, put you can put more emphasis on it
and it WILL respond

Originally posted by Mr_Snafu
Anyone have any feasible ideas. With creative thought, we can make our own. We don't need a machine....

Just replicate a dip machine, nobody has to get creative.