Just wanted to chip in on the upper chest discussion, it seems that elbow position and the extent of the back arch on the incline dictates how much shoulder is recruited. I’ve found that the incline squeeze press and the incline press up/fly down really stresses the upper chest.
I still have problems taking out most of the front delt involvement from it though, maybe this is why I’m relatively wide despite the lack of direct shoulder work
I have been doing low volume for chest for the last 6 months so other body parts can catch up. However, my inner-upper pecs are non existent. I have been incline focused for a couple years now and my outer pecs have filled out a lot. Obviously its time I try and fix this problem.
My last chest workout:(remember, lower volume for awhile now but I’ll switch my focus and add volume)
warm up
Incline BB - 225x8, 245x7, 265x5, 225x12 (Full ROM except an inch at the top and bottom)
Incline HS - 3x8-10 (Full ROM)
Decline Flyes - 4x10-12
Thanks for the help.
I am not too sure based on your pictures. But some good inner chest are squeeze press like Akuma mentioned, DB Presses with a squeeze at the top (pressing DBs together tightly at top of movement) and close grip bench on tricep day for extra emphasis.
Another movement I have thrown in on occasion at end of a workout is to raise a single dumbbell from mid abdomen(arms start bent) with both arms squeezing chest as I raise up.
Has anyone else read that flat db flies are bad for your shoulders?
just wondering because I was thinking about trying these instead of cable flys, because my biceps kind of take over and my rotator cuff area feels so tired and weird after em, for some reason.
akuma, i just want to ask if i should flare my elbows or not when benching? or for anyone who wants to answer. thanks
[quote]eyegainweightbig wrote:
Has anyone else read that flat db flies are bad for your shoulders?
just wondering because I was thinking about trying these instead of cable flys, because my biceps kind of take over and my rotator cuff area feels so tired and weird after em, for some reason.[/quote]
Some people dont care for Db flies as they aggravate their shoulders, some love em. To each their own. You just have to give them a shot and see how things work for you.
[quote]cook wrote:
akuma, i just want to ask if i should flare my elbows or not when benching? or for anyone who wants to answer. thanks[/quote]
I dont really flare them out, but i dont tuck them in. “Train the muscle, not the movement.” If you focus on flaring your elbows, you’ll probably get a lot more tricep involvement. Drop the weight, and test your form to where you only feel it in your chest. cvoncentrate on your chest, feel it through the entire movement. Learn that grip, and grow with it.
[quote]Akuma01 wrote:
[quote]cook wrote:
akuma, i just want to ask if i should flare my elbows or not when benching? or for anyone who wants to answer. thanks[/quote]
I dont really flare them out, but i dont tuck them in. “Train the muscle, not the movement.” If you focus on flaring your elbows, you’ll probably get a lot more tricep involvement. Drop the weight, and test your form to where you only feel it in your chest. cvoncentrate on your chest, feel it through the entire movement. Learn that grip, and grow with it.[/quote]
Really? I thought that flaring elbows puts more emphasis on the chest, which would make sense since the majority of pec tears is caused by flared elbow pressing.
[quote]WP wrote:
[quote]Akuma01 wrote:
[quote]cook wrote:
akuma, i just want to ask if i should flare my elbows or not when benching? or for anyone who wants to answer. thanks[/quote]
I dont really flare them out, but i dont tuck them in. “Train the muscle, not the movement.” If you focus on flaring your elbows, you’ll probably get a lot more tricep involvement. Drop the weight, and test your form to where you only feel it in your chest. cvoncentrate on your chest, feel it through the entire movement. Learn that grip, and grow with it.[/quote]
Really? I thought that flaring elbows puts more emphasis on the chest, which would make sense since the majority of pec tears is caused by flared elbow pressing.[/quote]
i couldnt honestly say since i dont know. I basically felt it out, sitting here in my chair. I figured with a flared chest, it seemed like thered be a bit more tricep flexion throughout the movement; but, you could very well be right.
[quote]Akuma01 wrote:
[quote]WP wrote:
[quote]Akuma01 wrote:
[quote]cook wrote:
akuma, i just want to ask if i should flare my elbows or not when benching? or for anyone who wants to answer. thanks[/quote]
I dont really flare them out, but i dont tuck them in. “Train the muscle, not the movement.” If you focus on flaring your elbows, you’ll probably get a lot more tricep involvement. Drop the weight, and test your form to where you only feel it in your chest. cvoncentrate on your chest, feel it through the entire movement. Learn that grip, and grow with it.[/quote]
Really? I thought that flaring elbows puts more emphasis on the chest, which would make sense since the majority of pec tears is caused by flared elbow pressing.[/quote]
i couldnt honestly say since i dont know. I basically felt it out, sitting here in my chair. I figured with a flared chest, it seemed like thered be a bit more tricep flexion throughout the movement; but, you could very well be right.[/quote]
To me, having flared elbows (biceps parallel to the bar) imitates the dumbbell flye movement more-so than having it in the tucked position. May just be in individual thing though.
i bench with my elbows tucked most of the time, i have read that it will make you bench bigger, together with pinching your shoulder blades into the bench. i know the latter is right but for the first one, i do not know
and another thing, i don’t really feel bench press working my chest. i do a power/hypertrophy split, layne norton’s, and so on power days its just 5x5 on chest and i don’t feel it, not even sore the day after and on hypertrophy days, my front delts is more sore than my chest and my chest is only sore near the armpit, so what gives. can you help me with these? thanks