# Need some pointers on building upper and mid chest



## motley482 (Jun 10, 2014)

Basically I feel as if I can improve my benching 100% but def need a lil guidance...I do chest twice a week ( start and end of week) every other part of my training seems on point but my chest is growing very slowely....ive come to the conclusion that my form and placement may be off.  So im looking for pointers on proper form for incline bench and flat....for instance keeping arms at a 90 degree angle, how far to bring the bar down, proper placement of bar when coming down things like that....also any links to videos wud def be a great help!


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## THE (Jun 10, 2014)

For me sticking to flat bench is what made my chest grow.  The meat and potato of chest workouts are the compound movements.  I would say try high volume on flat and incline bench.  10 sets of 10 with moderate weight and keep the rest time consistent.  Since you are hitting chest twice a week, do one workout barbell and the other dumbbell.


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## motley482 (Jun 10, 2014)

motley482 said:


> Basically I feel as if I can improve my benching 100% but def need a lil guidance...I do chest twice a week ( start and end of week) every other part of my training seems on point but my chest is growing very slowely....ive come to the conclusion that my form and placement may be off.  So im looking for pointers on proper form for incline bench and flat....for instance keeping arms at a 90 degree angle, how far to bring the bar down, proper placement of bar when coming down things like that....also any links to videos wud def be a great help!





THE said:


> For me sticking to flat bench is what made my chest grow.  The meat and potato of chest workouts are the compound movements.  I would say try high volume on flat and incline bench.  10 sets of 10 with moderate weight and keep the rest time consistent.  Since you are hitting chest twice a week, do one workout barbell and the other dumbbell.



Ok good advice I was gna ask if I shud stick to dumbells or barbell so that def sounds like a good idea


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## TriniJuice (Jun 10, 2014)

motley482 said:


> Ok good advice I was gna ask if I shud stick to dumbells or barbell so that def sounds like a good idea



Barbell for strength/mass
Dumbells for symmetry
...thats my opinion


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## gymrat827 (Jun 10, 2014)

upper chest - incline bench.  lots of it.  5x5 or 10x10 routines.  

Sometimes ill do 3 sets of cable fly's for upper chest to pre-exhaust, 4 sets of incline bench, than whatever i can muster up on flat bench.  3/4/5 sets or so.  

if i keep everything on the heavy side the next workout will be a lot more volume.


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## DreamChaser (Jun 10, 2014)

gymrat827 said:


> upper chest - incline bench.  lots of it.  5x5 or 10x10 routines.
> 
> Sometimes ill do 3 sets of cable fly's for upper chest to pre-exhaust, 4 sets of incline bench, than whatever i can muster up on flat bench.  3/4/5 sets or so.
> 
> if i keep everything on the heavy side the next workout will be a lot more volume.



This and proper form is key in bringing up your chest shoulders should be back and pinching your shoulderblades together it will create a natural arch and your chest is activated.Control the movements slow negs with a pause at the bottom for a good stretch and to avoid any momentum.Stop about an inch or too away from your chest or right below 90 and don't lockout.The time under tension is key and allways squeze squeze the chesticles like they owe u money your chest will come up quickly.Really just have to toy around to see what u respond to.I love short chest workouts with fairly high volume 10x10 with 5 sets off flys or cossover is my fav with a 10 sec squeze on the crossover 6-12 reps love that shit and brought my chest up quick.I hardly ever have longer than 30 sec rests on chest days I like to hit it hard and hit it quick and get out.


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## gymrat827 (Jun 10, 2014)

DreamChaser said:


> This and proper form is key in bringing up your chest shoulders should be back and pinching your shoulderblades together it will create a natural arch and your chest is activated.Control the movements slow negs with a pause at the bottom for a good stretch and to avoid any momentum.Stop about an inch or too away from your chest or right below 90 and don't lockout.The time under tension is key and allways squeze squeze the chesticles like they owe u money your chest will come up quickly.Really just have to toy around to see what u respond to.I love short chest workouts with fairly high volume 10x10 with 5 sets off flys or cossover is my fav with a 10 sec squeze on the crossover 6-12 reps love that shit and brought my chest up quick.*I hardly ever have longer than 30 sec rests on chest days* I like to hit it hard and hit it quick and get out.



for those 4 sets of incline ill have 2min rest, really really try to move as much weight as possible.  the pre exhaustion and the final flat sets are where ill pause at the bottom, squeeze at the top and so on.  THose sets are all about form and the 4 working sets on incline are my "main' working sets.


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## DreamChaser (Jun 10, 2014)

gymrat827 said:


> for those 4 sets of incline ill have 2min rest, really really try to move as much weight as possible.  the pre exhaustion and the final flat sets are where ill pause at the bottom, squeeze at the top and so on.  THose sets are all about form and the 4 working sets on incline are my "main' working sets.



I'll have to give the pre exhaustion a run for some shock havn't done it in a couple years on 5x5 i take 1-2 mins rest to get up as heavy as I can.This post though will be my next chest workout thx gymrat


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## gymrat827 (Jun 10, 2014)

we're all here to learn bud, i took good points from what you had to say as well.


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## motley482 (Jun 11, 2014)

DreamChaser said:


> This and proper form is key in bringing up your chest shoulders should be back and pinching your shoulderblades together it will create a natural arch and your chest is activated.Control the movements slow negs with a pause at the bottom for a good stretch and to avoid any momentum.Stop about an inch or too away from your chest or right below 90 and don't lockout.The time under tension is key and allways squeze squeze the chesticles like they owe u money your chest will come up quickly.Really just have to toy around to see what u respond to.I love short chest workouts with fairly high volume 10x10 with 5 sets off flys or cossover is my fav with a 10 sec squeze on the crossover 6-12 reps love that shit and brought my chest up quick.I hardly ever have longer than 30 sec rests on chest days I like to hit it hard and hit it quick and get out.



Ya I like the sound of that


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## f.r.a.n.k. (Jun 11, 2014)

I love the hammer strength incline machine.
I have shoulder issues...barbell incline is hard for me to complete with proper form. 
I feel a nice squeeze in my upper middle chest doing close grip incline hammer presses. Down slow and 3/4 up pumping that shit for sets of 10 to 15.

At least that's what's helped me out.


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## BigGameHunter (Jun 11, 2014)

I use to have the same problem.  Honestly I thought I would never have a good chest.  Now its one of my best parts.  I got mine to grow by switching my routine.  I strictly went to dumb bells and got serious about doing dips.  Once I went back to the bar about 7 or 8 months later I was blown away at what I was pressing.

Don't forget to do decline bench as well with the bar and the bells.

I also changed who I was training with and hooked up with some guys at the gym that had more intensity than I had at the time.  They were very motivating to say the least.  It rubs off on you.


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## DarksideSix (Jun 11, 2014)

2 of the best exercises I found that help my upper/mid chest is reverse grip bench press.  You don't need a lot of weight until you get use to it but it really puts a lot of stress on the upper chest.  more than incline.  

The other excersise is what they call Champaigns or shotguns.  You can do them either flat or incline, i like the incline.  You hold a pair of DB's toghther, palms facing each other and have the DB's touching.  You lower them to your chest and when you press them up.....at the top youdip you wrists back and try and squeeze your elbows together.  it looks like you're pooring a glass...Hence the name champaigns.  If you do them right you will feel your inner peck squeeze.

Another good one to try is close grip incline press.  really focuses on the middle of the chest.


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## kindanewtothis (Jun 13, 2014)

Incline Dumbbell Flies and talk to me in 4-5 weeks...


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## LostTime (Jun 19, 2014)

Variety, variety, variety.  If you're doing the same thing over and over you will stall.  You should be using all different weights and rep-ranges.  You should be using all available angles and mediums.  Flat, incline, barbell, dumbbell, dips, flyes, etc.  You need to be activating both slow and fast twitch muscle fibers.  That means ultra low reps, 3-5, and also very high reps, 20-25.  And everything in between.  Alternate your workouts and ALWAYS make sure your intensity is there.  If you're only doing 3 reps or 15, make sure that every rep counts.  If you're stopping because you hit a predetermined number of reps, but before you've exhausted the muscle on that set, you accomplished nothing.  

Most importantly, eat!!!


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