Chest exercise alternatives

N

need2eat

New Member
I commented in another thread about chest development, but Id like some input myself.

Here's the deal.  

My lower chest is more developed than my upper by far.

My front delts seem to be getting the brunt of it as well.

I dont do decline chest press exercises, never been a consistant part of my routine.

Dumbell butterflies seem to be the next solution but I really dont feel it in my chest doing this movement.

I havent done flat bench in almost a year.  I tried to put emphasis on 30 and 45 degree movements.  Ive also used dumbells for almost a year now, I did see some positive development in the upper chest but not enough.

Although, dumbell flies do nothing for me, Ive started to do them this cycle, to really put emphasis on the movement...Im not feeling it. I also do them on a 30 or 45 degree angle.

Any thoughts?

Only thing that comes to mind, is I keep my hands shoulder width apart, maybe I should go wider?

Along time ago, in a galaxy far far away, I remember machine flies really putting a hurt on my total chest (good thing) but I no longer have access to, or care to have access to machines. So free weight suggestions welcome.
 
you havent mentioned dips.
imo, the exer. your trying to add (as a compliment for db press) are just not going to be heavy enough to stimulate the growth your looking for. they work for some folks but youve already established that your pecs (upper mainly) respond slowly so your really going to have to put some serious load on them to grow and even then it will take a while. flyes and cables can really give you quite a burn but that doesnt always equal growth and the wgt used is insignifigant compared to dips, presses.

i dont bench anymore myself but that is due to some shoulder pain issues (old injury) that dont exist with db press. i assume you have a reason for avoiding bench and going with db press. i think both can be good exer for chest development so if db press isnt cutting it you can try bench again (unless theres a reason as i mentioned)

back to the dips. if your not doing them you should (again unless there is a problem). using good form for targeting pecs (check the web for form pointers) will over time allow you to really load up on the added wgt. once the wgt gets up there your chest will respond. again, it will take time and effort. usually once you find a bp weakness there are no quick cures or perfect exer. for immed results but dips and/or presses should be the main foundation of any pec program.

good luck
 
Yeah, dips hit my entire pectoral area very well...including upper. Also Incline Barbell presses with arms out wide hit my upper chest. Keeping your elbows out will put more emphasis on upper pecs than on front delts when incline pressing.
 
Yeah, right now Im limited to dumbells, I have plenty of weight to progress way past my abilities, for now.

Dips are a part of my routine as well, I try to lean a little forward to hit the chest and progressively add weight.

I keep my elbows straight out on all chest press lifts.

So Im at a loss right now.

Thanks
 
Dips do nothing for my upper pecs that I can see, although I'm not saying that they don't.
Flyes, as mentioned, give a neat burn but generally, if you want mass from them, you'll go heavy, and the heavier you go, the closer in you'll hold your db's. And that will continue until you're doing what works: Heavy presses.
Since you have lower pec development and are looking for upper, I'd do incline db presses with HST and flat bench if you can do them. If not, I'd do some sort of flat press, even with a machine (Omigod! he said machine !) My upper pecs have definitely grown from these.
Everyone has to learn how to load up heavy db's for inclines. Three methods:
Partner hands them to you.
You put them on the knees in a hammer grip, lean back while kicking the legs up and pulling in a hammer curl.
The above method, one leg and db at a time. This for steep inclines.
When the db's come up, be prepared to keep the arms and grip tight momentarily, so as to "park" them neatly without wobble. I've seen so many guys who dang near take off their jaw or throw the db over the shoulder. You use less energy up this way than having to try and balance them after they follow their own paths. But it's kinda funny to watch, I'll admit.  
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Ive been doing incline DB's for almost a year now HST style...I alternate between 30 and 45 degree, ever couple cycles or so...I go as heavy in the 5's as I possibly can.  

I bring the weight up as you've described, thats actually become the easy part.

I stopped doing flat for fear of making matters worse.
 
I think keeping your elbows out wide will hinder your upper pec growth. The upper pecks help to pull the arm upward and inward because they attach to the clavicle. Keeping your elbows out may take the front delt out of the movement a bit but I think you should be able to use more weight if you keep your elbows more at a 45° angle to your torso which should put more stress on the upper pecs as well as the fornt delts. Which should result in more upper pec growth. It will also be better for your shoulder joints.
 
Good call, Bull, as usual. I honestly don't know what to suggest if you've been doing the incline db's allready, unless you're willing to go for the 5x5 madcow. I noticed good growth in that with them. If you have access to a crossover machine with low pulleys, you can do cable crossovers pulling diagonally UP and across.
Man, I miss those crossover machines! I need to build one for the house.
 
tomorrow is DB chest press day, will see how that works out, with the 45degree arm to the body.

I actually stopped doing shoulder press the past two cycles, my damn front delts are over powering everything anyway and for some reason, my elbow doesnt like that movement anymore...so I give it a break.

Been doing lateral raises to target the center delt, rows and pullups hit the rear, and alotta weight on side raises is a sumbitch..haha
 
Post a picture of your chest...I get the feeling your upper pecs aren't lacking, rather just entire chest. How much are you pressing for dumbell bench?
 
for me, dips really hit my pecs hard. They really seem to blow them out. I am just starting my second HST cycle, and have actually come to prefer the dips to flat bench. But this time around, i am going to replace the BB with DB's for flat bench....
 
Well a little update.


I was doing some thinking and as I recall (its been a while since Ive went to a gym), at one time I took note, that people with impressive bench press's/chest development, in general, seemed to keep their elbows tighter to the body.  I even recall trying to do that myself but I dunno seems with a bar it just wasnt possible, put a weird strain on my wrists.

Best I ever gotten too with bar bench was 300 lbs arms 90degree to the body and that was admittedly many years ago, I developed these nice  boobs any woman would be proud of and stopped.  (no it wasnt from self medicating either or diet)
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 Its why my focus has been to use some sort of incline when doing bench and to keep my arms at a 90degree angle.  

Today, I tried an incline DB press with the arms 45degree to the body and I definitely noticed it required more overall chest recruitment, it was obvious when I was slinging the weight up like never before...95's on an incline just became relatively easy, thanks bulldog!  
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What Im not so sure about is how this will affect my mid to upper chest development...I guess only time will tell.  First, I tried to focus and not use weight, just feel what the muscle was doing at different positions, definitely tell there was more recruitment of the chest overall with the 45degree, with that said, the upper was active at 90........I guess as they say, if what youve been doing doesnt work, do something else to try and get the results you want and this would be it.  
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I dont really feel it in my chest when I do dips, how far apart are your hands and how far forward are you leaning?  Seems I read somewhere that dips done intentionally to involve the chest, works the lower chest?  Maybe?
 
regarding the dips. from my own exper. only, take at face value.

width..... the dip station i use is slightly flared to allow various grip widths. i use the widest grip possible, never measured it but my guess would be @ 27-28".

lean must be found...... i spent many months being limited in the wgt i could add b/c i wasnt leaning forward enough. a slight, purely accidental, "more forward" lean allowed me to find my personal groove and the wgt added has signif improved. it may take a little work but once you "find it" you will definitly know.

lower vs upper pec..... i dont know about that one. using the wide grip with slight elbow flare, concentrating on attempting to squeeze the bars together during the concentric (as opposed to trying to push up) and the addition of serious wgt added has allowed me to really feel the work my pecs are doing. ive never been able to notice any diff. btw upper/lower pec in work done or development.

hopefully others will have some input or exper of there own to add.

good luck
 
Thanks man.

I understand totally this might be an individual thing, as far as placement and results, any specific's appreciated. Might help me see what I should modify in this movement.

Im right at 26" now but I can go wider.

Thanks
 
90s are decent weight...it would be easier to give advice with pics.
Remember the pectoral major is ONE muscle with the same insertion point but two different origins. People treat it like two different muscles but they both work together since they share an insertion point on the humerus.
It sounds like you are doing everything possible, but unfortunately genetics play the main role in this. Franco Columbo had upper pecs so large they looked bigger then the sternal pecs. Of course he could bench press a ton, but his appearance was largely genetic structure unique to him.
 
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