Upper chest needs help...

[Centaur]

Anyone have a crazy workout to develop the clavicular pecs? My chest needs a shock to the upper area. I've tried the basics ( BB inclines and DB inclines) and nothing! I'll give anything a shot.

[crankin'stein]

Incline everything.... LOL Thats what I do for upper pecs.... Incline DBs, then incline flys, then flat DBs, then change the seat on the seated chest press so you are hitting upper..... That does me in pretty good....

[xcelbeyond]

I've got "BAD" shoulders so I can definately tell what's working shoulders versus chest and ANY "incline" barbell, dumbbell or fly work hit shoulders more than chest!

Before you shoot holes in this exercise - TRY IT!

I set up a flat bench in a power rack. Place a ~5-1/2" block under the "head side" of bench to raise it to a slight incline. I've also done this in a Smith Machine but you need to compensate by adding MORE weight as the Smith really seems to make this exercise much easier.

I always bench with a "medium grip" - to emphasize triceps and chest. Wide-grip HURTS my shoulders, which makes sense from a biomechanical (leverage)-sense. I come down low on the chest - just below nipples and KEEP ELBOWS INWARD towards the body - again, less stress on shoulders, more emphasis on chest and triceps.

I've been doing a variation of this exercise that I read about on my home board via Phil Hernon. It keeps a tension on the muscle "more" than conventional movement. I roll up a towel, about 2-3 inches thick and place it on my chest.

When you come down an hit the towel, you instantly start back upwards - this keeps tension on the muscles. When you go all the way down, stop, then go back up, you "very momentarily" release tension on the muscles. I don't don't lock out at the top - just as I approach the top I'm focused on bringing it back down. The idea behind the towel isn't to give the bar a "soft landing, it's to let you know to begin raising the bar and not "rest." Comment was made by Phil and others that have seen Pros workout. Looks like they're cheating - doing partials. But fact is, they're keeping tension on the muscle!

REMEMBER - I'm jus' a little ol' guy that just went through some shoulder rehabilitation sessions (lots of INJECTIONS in the joints - prolotherapy). So I'm on my way back up. I'm training DC using rest/pause and can do as described with 275# for 15 reps.

If you don't think this slight of an angle makes any difference - I challenge you to try this. Just set up the bench as I described and do your bench the way you "normally" bench. You'll REALLY be surprised how little a weight you can do compared to flat!

xcel

[jaywooly]

Eeew, I like that excel. May give that a go.

I agree here with crank too. Incline everything. For some reason tho, I don't have any trouble with my upper pecs. My training padna does tho, and doing a shitload of inclines seems to have helped.

Tried pec injects? lol

[Kidrok (Hop)]

Prioritize man! Do Inclines 1st. I've done it that way for the last 2-3 years and think my upper chest has improved quite well.

[GetnBigr]

love me some inclined db presses

[Centaur]

Thanks for the ideas!

[SuperSport]

I get in the smith rack with a bench with a short vertical back to it...like one you would do Arnold presses with...or overhead db extentions.
I arch my back a little and bring the bar down to my mid chest and press up...it almost looks like a type of miliary press, but it fryes my upper pecs.
The key is to arch your back and to lean back slightly so you are not totally vertical/perpendicular to the floor.