This chest area can be one of the most stubborn to grow and has been the source of frustration for many advanced bodybuilders and novices alike
So how can you target your upper pecs with perfect precision and maximum effectiveness? Check out these 6 upper chest-sculpting tips and incorporate them into your workout ASAP
Use Dumbbells
Don’t be one of those guys that seem to be glued to the barbell, as those are usually the same guys who end up stuck at training plateaus for months
While barbells allow you to hit the chest with some seriously heavyweight, dumbbells provide an opportunity to work each side separately and fix any existing muscle imbalances (which are often painfully and ridiculously visible) as well as train crucial stabilizing muscles. If you’re looking for unstoppable progress, alternate between dumbbells and barbells week-to-week
Hit the Upper Pecs First
You should always hit your weakest body area first, while you’re still fresh and FULL of energyt. If upper pecs are giving you the headache, make them a priority in your routine and train them as hard as you can
Some people believe that you should save the weakest link for the end of the workout because by then the surrounding muscles will already be fatigued thus leaving room for proper exhaustion of the target muscle, but this is not how things really work. In practice, by the time you get to focus on your upper pecs, you’ll be less than able to give them all the love they need
Avoid Lock Out
When you lock out, the triceps are called into play and the tension on the upper chest is diminished. If you don’t want this to happen, whenever you press a weight up, stop right before lock out to keep that muscle-building tension right where you want it to be. When you do the mind-muscle connection, you should be able to notice the moment when your tri’s get activated, ‘stealing’ the work from the upper pecs, which is your cue to start slowly lowering the weight back down. In time, you’ll figure out the optimal length of the movement and this will help you maximize your upper chest gains
Do Incline Cable Flies
incline cable flies are awesome for chest development and might be exactly the chest-expanding move you’ve been looking for so long. The use of cables gives you the great advantage of better isolating the target muscle (due to the fixed path of travel) and keeping it under constant tension. Since more tension equals to more muscle damage, this will ultimately push your upper pecs to grow bigger and meaner
Play With Angles
Adjustable benches are the holy grail of chest training, as they allow you to work on your chest from multiple angles on every session. Critics of the standard incline bench often complain that the high angle leads to unwanted delt involvement, and they are right about that. With the adjustable benches, however, you are able to lower the incline bench without going flat, and use this low angle to better target your upper pecs while minimizing the assistance from the front delts. Incorporate different angles on both your dumbbell and barbell work and you’ll be more than pleased with the results
Feet Up
Only while you do push-ups, though. As you push yourself up, make sure to also raise your feet, as this will increase the challenge by shifting the bodyweight and emphasizing upper body involvement. Even better, introduce the growth-promoting magic of elevated push-ups into your routine: just place your feet on a bench or a box and push away
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