Upper Chest Issue - Hitting Delts

I’m trying to bring up my upper chest to balance out my chest. However, I’m having problems because whenever I try to work my upper chest I end up feeling it in my anterior delts. I do HS Incline Press, incline db flyes, and incline db presses. I try to squeeze my chest on each rep but I still am only getting sore in the shoulders? Anyone else have this problem or have a solution? Thanks

try using a more shallow incline, even just a few inches above flat.

and consider using inclines on shoulder day. if they are workign your delts hard, you may be able to use them to advantage.

In the warmup, I really contract my upper chest a lot. I mean to the point where my delts leave the bench(kinda kyphotic).

This activates them rather well imho, and since it is with a lighter set, no harm done. So when the work sets roll around, I feel it in my chest.

i use to have a ‘similar’ problem, my shoulder’s use to hurt like a bitch from incline benching. i’ve found the best thing for me to do to not aggravate my shoulders at all and get a nice pump in my upper chest is hammer grip incline DB press, but at a very low incline, just 1 notch on an adjustable bench. might want to give that a try

[quote]datta wrote:
In the warmup, I really contract my upper chest a lot. I mean to the point where my delts leave the bench(kinda kyphotic).[/quote]

Wow, thats bad advice. If your shoulders are rolling forward into kyphotic posture you will be preferentially activating your anterior delts. Shoulders should still be retracted and depressed with chest elevated to maximally contract the pecs. You say you feel it in your chest, so perhaps you just described it wrong because your description fits the typical problem with chest training position.

To the op, check your posture as described above. Also, try hitting movements that emphasize the stretch like incline dumbell presses (full rom) and flyes. I always found that chest training, like lat training was very much a feel thing. This may be a funky thing I do but try throwing in medium weight sets of machine rows or another exercise between your upper chest sets.

I find that it helps maintain the correct scapular depressed and retracted posture on chest sets when your upper back has a pump in it and is tight. Plus it throws in extra volume for your upper back which is likely weak and contributing towards your shoulders taking over chest movements. Oh yeah, and hit some chest stratching movements in a doorway after your workout.

[quote]BlackSabbath wrote:
datta wrote:
In the warmup, I really contract my upper chest a lot. I mean to the point where my delts leave the bench(kinda kyphotic).

Wow, thats bad advice. If your shoulders are rolling forward into kyphotic posture you will be preferentially activating your anterior delts. Shoulders should still be retracted and depressed with chest elevated to maximally contract the pecs. You say you feel it in your chest, so perhaps you just described it wrong because your description fits the typical problem with chest training position.

[/quote]

Yeah, it isnt true kyphosis, and it is with light weight. The focus is on contracting strongly the upper chest fibres, for activation. When you do that, your shoulders must come forward a little.

When I do the actual work sets with heavy weight, then I feel it more in my chest as opposed to delts.

I second the shallow incline. Inclines more than a 45 degree angle are most delts, and I like about a 20 degree angle to keep the majority of the emphasis on the pecs.

Start and end your workouts with cable cross over’s. Do them to target the upper chest so that it is almost a press or flye with the cables.

Also add in there incline press with a pause at the bottom. Use a light enough weight to make sure you are contracting your pec to move the weight instead of shoulders.

I find that this part of the muscle is the hardest to train because it relies on a mind muscle connection to move the weight instead of move the heaviest weight possible like other exercises.

If you do those exercises and make sure to focus on squeezing/using your upper pecs to move the weight I guarantee they will grow.

DG

pre-exhaust

I’ve noticed my upper chest has grown lately, and all I’ve changed is adding incline DB flys, and lowering the incline for incline BB Bench Press.

I was feeling the incline flys in my shoulders too, but if you have a mind muscle connection you can find the point where your pecs are doing the work.

This is pretty much exactly whats been said above anyway.

CHarles Glass’s toolbox?

[quote]r4ge wrote:
i use to have a ‘similar’ problem, my shoulder’s use to hurt like a bitch from incline benching. i’ve found the best thing for me to do to not aggravate my shoulders at all and get a nice pump in my upper chest is hammer grip incline DB press, but at a very low incline, just 1 notch on an adjustable bench. might want to give that a try[/quote]