…or clavicular region
thats always been a problem for me i think my shoulders take over from there when i do incline exercises.
i have decent shoulders and a very big upper back/yoke, so i look pretty funny
just curious thanks guys
[quote]Xen Nova wrote:
…or clavicular region
thats always been a problem for me i think my shoulders take over from there when i do incline exercises.
i have decent shoulders and a very big upper back/yoke, so i look pretty funny
just curious thanks guys[/quote]
Incline presses. When my chest was lagging, I started training chest twice a week. I would do flat presses on one day and inclines on the other. That fixed the problem completely.
If shoulders are taking over that much, it implies the incline is set too high. It shouldn’t even be as high as 45 degrees. Using dumbbells will also help.
Incline presses less than 30 degrees, bench to neck on smith with spotter. IMO its important to hit the inclines hard when youre bringing up the traps to bring up the upper chest along with them else you end up with more work later on.
Interestingly, some kids who neglect dips and lower chest work and just work inclines sometimes develop a sloping chest when it would be expected to be the other way, not sure if anyone else has noticed this.
[quote]Xen Nova wrote:
…or clavicular region
thats always been a problem for me i think my shoulders take over from there when i do incline exercises.
i have decent shoulders and a very big upper back/yoke, so i look pretty funny
just curious thanks guys[/quote]
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Xen Nova wrote:
…or clavicular region
thats always been a problem for me i think my shoulders take over from there when i do incline exercises.
i have decent shoulders and a very big upper back/yoke, so i look pretty funny
just curious thanks guys
Incline presses. When my chest was lagging, I started training chest twice a week. I would do flat presses on one day and inclines on the other. That fixed the problem completely.
If shoulders are taking over that much, it implies the incline is set too high. It shouldn’t even be as high as 45 degrees. Using dumbbells will also help.[/quote]
+2. Some people just put the bench so high where they are practically doing shoulder presses.
I like to do dec, flat, 30 deg and 45 deg with a wide and close (and DB) grip… it is going well in filling out the “flat” areas!(and 90 deg for shoulders…)
Joe
I’ve found that dumbells on incline work wonders…
Say a month of nothing but dumbells, do your chest 2x’s a week (like X reccommended) and I’d even say you could lay off the flat bar bench and just use dumbells.
I’ve noticed some good shape from the dumbells.
pullovers may or may not help. I started doing them for mid-chest work and I noticed a slight burn in my upper pec region (maybe i’m doing them wrong or different. lol).
This would be my second choice from any incline exercise.
Gerdy
Especially if you keep your elbows close to your body (i.e. not flaring out). I think it works the pec minor mostly though. Wish I’d started doing them earlier.
[quote]Dirty Gerdy wrote:
pullovers may or may not help. I started doing them for mid-chest work and I noticed a slight burn in my upper pec region (maybe i’m doing them wrong or different. lol).
This would be my second choice from any incline exercise.
Gerdy[/quote]
[quote]Xen Nova wrote:
…or clavicular region
thats always been a problem for me i think my shoulders take over from there when i do incline exercises.
i have decent shoulders and a very big upper back/yoke, so i look pretty funny
just curious thanks guys[/quote]
Ditch all presses and free weight movements.
You only need one exercise:
Lever Pec Fly
Set the seat as low it will go. This will keep your arms high over your chest when you perform the movement.
Grip the horizontal handles with an UNDERHAND grip. Bring the arms together, keeping your elbows as high as possible. Squeeze the shit out of your pecs when the handles touch, then return slowly and under control.
Because of shoulder issues I stopped doing flat BB bench. I switched to the Smith machine and started doing inclines at the lowest setting (but still about 45 degrees - can’t help it). Anyway, I have been doing a strength routine since last summer and so i’ve been progressing each week on the lift and my upper chest has gotten great results from it.
So from my experience, hit the inclines hard and focus on being able to increase the weight.
[quote]Nominal Prospect wrote:
Xen Nova wrote:
…or clavicular region
thats always been a problem for me i think my shoulders take over from there when i do incline exercises.
i have decent shoulders and a very big upper back/yoke, so i look pretty funny
just curious thanks guys
Ditch all presses and free weight movements.
You only need one exercise:
Lever Pec Fly
Set the seat as low it will go. This will keep your arms high over your chest when you perform the movement.
Grip the horizontal handles with an UNDERHAND grip. Bring the arms together, keeping your elbows as high as possible. Squeeze the shit out of your pecs when the handles touch, then return slowly and under control.[/quote]
HAHAHAHAHA
HA
[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Well I was going to suggest fyles too, but not like NPs above.
Just do the bottom portion of the range instead, to keep continuous tension on the pec. Never go further than 45 degrees with each rep. Go slow.
Have the bench set on a low incline.
I have overactive delts too, so I use this to minimise their involvement.
Really concentrate on the stretch at the bottom (but make sure your shoulders are ‘good’ for it) to stretch the facia. A tight fascia limits growth, IMO.
Bushy[/quote]
I think flyes are the greatest waste of time in the gym right next to “bosu ball push ups” and “hanging out in the men’s locker room eerily long”.
Trainer Charles Glass actually recomend a near 60 degree incline for dumbells press (elbow not flared out)
[quote]rbpowerhouse wrote:
Especially if you keep your elbows close to your body (i.e. not flaring out). I think it works the pec minor mostly though. Wish I’d started doing them earlier.
Dirty Gerdy wrote:
pullovers may or may not help. I started doing them for mid-chest work and I noticed a slight burn in my upper pec region (maybe i’m doing them wrong or different. lol).
This would be my second choice from any incline exercise.
Gerdy
[/quote]
Yes it does work the pec minor. One of the “great exercises for expanding the ribcage” as well by FLEX lol
@ the fly’s …I’m not to fond of them either, maybe I don’t dislike them as much as Prof. X but I’d prefer cable xovers instead.
Not sure how xovers or flyes will help with upper pecs tho, personally imo I don’t feel much contraction up there no matter what the angle.
Gerdy
use that incline chest press machine that brings your hands together at the end.
I personally like flies, would never use them over bench presses but usually have them in my routine. Why the not so fondness of them?
Fly movements (reverse obviously) are great for building the shoulders (in addition to seated/standing overhead presses) but as far as pec flies I’ve seen far too many youngsters performing fly after fly movement with little improvement from month to month. It has some value as a finisher or to stretch the pecs though.
The cable crossover done correctly and the hammer wide grip chest press are much better alternatives imo but horizontal pressing and dips build the most mass.
[quote]PF_88 wrote:
I personally like flies, would never use them over bench presses but usually have them in my routine. Why the not so fondness of them?[/quote]
I’ve never really felt them in my chest. I never feel like I get a good workout from them. It seems to target my shoulders a little more than my chest. Now with cables on the other hand. It hits the chest pretty well. lol
Gerdy