Does incline press enough for lower chest and triceps?

Training
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I was doing a weekly volume of 9 sets for my compound pushing exercises:

  • 30º Incline Bench Press (3 sets)
  • Standing OHP (3 sets)
  • Weighted Dips (3 sets)

Lately, I started feeling some discomfort with Dips. Whenever I pushed them close to failure, I would experience sternum pain in the following days. After looking into it I found that some people, due to their anatomy, shouldn’t do Dips because they put too much stress on the sternum, makng them prone to series injuries. I assume this might be my case since my form is solid and my mobility is good. Does anyone have more insight on this or any recommendations?

If Dips aren’t an option for me, what would you suggest as a replacement?

Do I even need to add something else besides the 30º Incline Bench Press + Standing OHP? I mainly had Dips in my program for lower chest and triceps development.

If I can’t find better alternative, I’d probably go with a DB or BB Close or Medium Grip Bench Press. However, I don’t really like doing too many exercises where my scapulae are locked, so I’d rather invest that small volume into the Incline Bench Press. I’m also considering deficit Push Up after Incline pressing.

My aesthetic goal is a classic ‘‘Apollonian’’ look. I don’t want excessive chest development, but I also don’t want it to lag behind. Do you think the 30º Incline Bench Press + Standing OHP is enough or will it leave my lower chest underdeveloped?

2

You don’t have to lock your scapula on Bench. I like to depress(not retract, pulling down towards my feet, not behind me) my scapula and let it protract at the top to get a better chest contraction.

As a side note, if your dips hurt, you probably aren’t doing them right and it’s going to be very very hard to get a muscle group to be “too big”. I am not big on minimizing exercise selection, but the only answer as to if it’s “enough” Is to try it out for yourself and see if it is.

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