If your workout routine includes exercises such as barbell presses, incline or back incline presses, and dumbbell spreads, you have the opportunity to fully engage your pectoral muscles. However, this does not mean that you will have well-developed chest muscles. If, first of all, while you are cheerful and full of energy, you perform exercises in the middle of the chest, then you have much less strength left to train the upper and lower pectoral muscles, which can ultimately cause a lag in the development of these parts. Bodybuilders who always start with a horizontal bench press tend to have deficiencies in the development of the upper and lower chest, which becomes especially noticeable over time.
And some just have genetically not very developed one or another area of the chest, which makes them redouble their efforts when training lagging zones. If you want to get big and strong chest muscles, then with the help of these 4 ways you can correctly build your workouts and eliminate deficiencies in the development of the upper chest.
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Table of Contents
Start with a basic (multi-joint) upper chest exercise
The simplest and most obvious solution for focusing on lagging zones is to make them a top priority on training day. So, instead of starting with a flat bench press, use an incline. You will definitely notice that by not putting upper chest exercises at the end of your workout, you will be able to do more reps with heavier weights.
By putting more stress on the muscle fibers than usual, you will get additional stimulus for their growth. As you get stronger, do not be afraid to increase the weight, because nothing slows down progress more than working with the same weight and the same number of repetitions, as the muscles get used and stop responding to the load. If you usually work in the range of 8-10 reps per set, then on the next workout, do (after warm-up) a set or two for 6-8 reps with a heavier weight. If you have a choice between a barbell or dumbbells, they will work equally well.
It is not recommended to use simulators, because it is the work with free weights that gives the opportunity for maximum muscle growth if you want to build your chest muscles properly I recommend you must be chose right & best flat weight bench for achieve your fitness goals.
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Change the angle of inclination
When you look closely at the incline bench, you will notice several holes and a lock with which you can adjust the incline. Usually the angle of inclination of the bench is set at 30 to 45 degrees. The higher angle redistributes the load from the top of the pectoral muscles to the deltas.
There is no hard and fast rule that one should use the same angle of inclination all the time in fact you will be able to develop the upper pectorals better if you change it a little.
An adjustable bench is best used with dumbbells or a Smith machine. Start using different incline angles from set to set or workout to workout to target muscle in different ways.
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Do the second upper pectoral exercise
One way to focus on a lagging muscle is to do more exercise on it. However, you shouldn’t use the movement you already did in the previous exercise. Suppose you have done 3 sets of incline bench press, which consisted of 8 reps, and now you are going to do the second exercise.
Which one will diversify the load on the target muscle more? Answer options: A: Press the bar in the Smith machine, with the same angle of the bench and the load identical to the first exercise; B: Press dumbbells with a lower incline of the bench in 3 sets for 10-12 reps.
The correct answer is option B. If you want to optimize the training approach when working with the target muscle, you must use different equipment (barbells, dumbbells, simulators, etc.), change the incline angles and exercise intensity. A simple second movement for the top of the chest will not be sufficient if all of these factors are not taken into account.
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Don’t Stop When Muscle Failure
If you want to really stimulate muscle growth, you don’t have to fear muscle failure. If you just finish the exercise after 10 reps, when you can do a few more, then you can assume that your work set remained unfinished. As you increase the load, which, by the way, should be cyclical and have periods of high and low intensity, more muscle fibers are destroyed, and those few reps performed after muscle failure will guarantee you more muscle growth. (Please Remember: Continuously doing extra reps can lead to overtraining.) The best option is to do 1-2 reps of this exercise after reaching muscle failure in the last or hardest set.
There are many advanced chest training techniques.
If you are training with a partner, consider these:
Forced repetitions. You do as many reps as you can, and then your partner provides the necessary assistance in moving the apparatus (barbells, dumbbells, etc.) up to do a few more;
Negative repetition. When you reach muscle failure (unable to complete the rep on your own), your partner lifts the weight, but you fully focus on the lowering phase (negative phase), which should last at least 5 seconds. This method works better with barbells and most machines than dumbbells.
If you don’t have a training partner,
Here are two ways to try:
Reception “rest – pause”. Pick a weight that you can lift 7 to 8 times, but only do 3 to 4 reps, and then put the bar back on the racks. Rest 20 seconds and do another 3 to 4. Doing 4 to 5 of these, alternating with 20 seconds of rest, will allow you to complete about 15 reps with the weight you would normally bench 7 to 8 times.
Dropsets. When muscle failure is achieved, instead of completing a set, you should reduce the weight by about 25 percent and continue the set until re-failure. This method works best with dumbbells and block machines.
Final Words
Some pre-workout shakes are great for increasing your stamina and recovery, but don’t rely on them all the time. Getting the right hours of sleep and proper nutrition are two of the most important factors in increasing your gym performance.
After all, if your upper pectorals are significantly behind in development, it would be foolish to keep doing the same and expect any change. Use these tips and you will feel the difference from the next workout!
