Train Your Inner Upper Chest to Transform it from Flabby To Fabulous.
The Inner Upper Chest is the most difficult area for bodybuilders to develop. This chest area sticks out when wearing a V-neck T-shirt or unbuttoned shirt up to the mid-chest.
We have the perfect exercise to help you if this area of your pecs looks flat and deflated — low-pulley crossovers.
Stand in the middle of the cable-crossover station, one foot ahead of the next, similar to a lunge position, while holding the D handles attached to the low pulleys. Keep your elbow slightly bent as you raise your right arm diagonally.
Your right hand should be in front of your left shoulder. Hold this position as you squeeze your upper/inner fibers.
Slowly return to the beginning and repeat the exercise on the other side. Continue in this alternate fashion for as many reps as you like.
Chest Anatomy
The pectoralis is a large muscle with a fan-shaped shape in the Inner Upper Chest. The word pectus is Latin for breast.
This muscle is the largest part of your chest. The pectoralis major, the muscle beneath, is thinner and does not contribute as much to your chest size.
The pectoralis is the main focus of this article. It is a muscle with three attachment points that form a single insertion.
The clavicular head or upper head and the lower head can be separated. The abdominal head is another name for the sternal or lower head.
Clavicular Head:
- Shoulder flexion.
- Adduction horizontal.
- Internal Rotation.
The Sternal Head:
- Shoulder extension.
- Adduction horizontal.
- Internal Rotation.
The clavicular or upper pecs are more active during chest exercises on an inclined plane. The sternal or lower pecs are more active when you do decline exercises.
You must, therefore, train your pecs in multiple directions to fully develop them. Most likely not! It is important to know the basics to select the right exercise to sculpt the chest of dreams.
Form And Function
The upper pecs or clavicular muscles originate from the collar bones and sternum and join the middle and lower fibers at the tendon that connects the humerus to the clavicle.
Upper-pec fibers are used with the rest of pec muscles for horizontal adduction, or the movement of flies, and arm flexion, which raises the arm up in front and helps the front deltoid.
They can also combine these two movements when alternating low-pulley cable crossovers and presses.
How to build your Inner Upper Chest muscle
Each sarcomere will contract during each repetition of these chest exercises. You can emphasize your inner chest by using the correct exercises.
The fibers closest to your breastbone are not highlighted by barbell or dumbbell presses. Imagine hugging a large Redwood tree.) But this function is not required when you perform a bench press.
It is another key to muscle definition and growth. It means you can feel your muscles working through their full range of motion rather than just focusing on lifting heavy weights.
To target the inner pecs of your chest, perform exercises that have the arms come together or even cross the midline of your body. You shouldn’t push big numbers, either. Instead, focus on proper form and squeezing the chest.
Train the Inner Upper Chest for its benefits
- Muscle size.
- Muscle definition.
- Strengthening Your Body.
You can build strength by targeting the inner chest. You can use the types of movements you use to target the inner chest for heavy pressing exercises like bench presses. Fly-style movements help you push more weight.
The Best Inner Upper Chest Exercises
1. Dumbbell Chest Presses
Pressing exercises like the barbell bench presses are essential for any solid mid-chest workout.
Dumbbells are a better option for evenly working all your pecs’ fibers. The barbell bench press can be great for mass and power gains because it’s bilateral.
Lack of stability will increase the effectiveness and size of your middle chest exercises.
The dumbbell chest press can be safer and easier for beginners than the barbell bench press.
These are the steps to follow:
- Lay on your back with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent 90 degrees.
- Bring your hands closer together to make this a more Inner Upper Chest exercise. To make this a more inner chest exercise, bring your hands together. For a middle chest workout, keep your hands at shoulder width apart.
- As you exhale, press the dumbbell straight upwards into the air.
- As you lower the arms slowly back to your chest, inhale.
2. Incline Dumbbell Presses
This is an excellent middle-chest and inner-chest workout.
You can use any dumbbell, but hex dumbbells and urethane ones with a flat side surface are the best.
You want to be able to press the dumbbells as hard as you can throughout the entire exercise. This is because the sustained isometric contract requires squeezing your inner pecs.
The inward-directed squeeze targets your middle and inner pec fibers. This is a great exercise to add to your Inner Upper Chest exercises.
This position targets the upper chest as well as your shoulders and triceps.
How to do Inner Upper Chest exercises
- The weight bench should be adjusted so that the back of the bench is between 30deg and 45deg from the floor.
- Holding a dumbbell with each hand, using a grip underhand so that the palms of your hands are facing up toward the ceiling.
- As if you were trying to fuse the dumbbells into one barbell, squeeze your pecs and press them together. Continue to apply pressure for the entire duration of the workout.
- Press the dumbbells explosively straight up and upwards from your chest, then lower them slowly back down.
3. T-Bench Fly
The fly takes that essential movement we’ve highlighted- adduction- and adds resistance. While the dumbbell chest fly exercise is a good option, you’ll see it listed below.
However, the exercise has some downsides. This variation will help to eliminate those issues while allowing you to safely use heavier weights.
How To Do It:
- Holding a pair of dumbbells, rest your shoulders on the pad of a flat bench to form a “T” shape.
- Squeeze your glutes and then your abs to lift your torso. You should have your body in a straight line, from shoulders to the knees. Your feet should be flat on the floor. The dumbbells should be raised straight up and then shifted to neutral (palms together).
- You can lower the weight by opening your elbows. This will take 3 to 4 seconds. On the bench, you can briefly pause.
- As you squeeze your chest, the weights return to their original position.
4. Cable Fly
It’s the most popular chest exercise after the bench press. This method is a great way to train the adduction necessary for developing the inner chest muscles. This exercise requires a tall cable or double resistance bands.
How To Do It:
- Set the cables just above your shoulders. Set up your feet facing forward, slightly staggered. Grab the handles of the cables with the base of your hand. Squeeze your glutes and abs, and bring your hips up.
- To position the cables, squeeze your shoulders.
- Squeeze your chest and close your elbows as if hugging a branch. Pause with your hands in front of your body. As your hands approach your midline, rotate them slightly upward so that your pinky finger is close to parallel.
- Focus on the chest squeeze. After a count backward, the movement while maintaining control of the cables.
5. Deep Weighted Push-Ups
Push-ups are a great exercise for the inner chest and middle chest. This classic bodyweight press exercise targets the pecs, triceps, upper back, shoulders, and core.
Increase the resistance and range of motion of the Bodyweight Exercise to increase its effectiveness.
Wearing a weighted vest, you can perform push-ups while holding onto a yoga block, push-up handle, or hex dumbbells to go deeper into the exercise.
This chest-strengthening exercise is easy to do
- Grab the handles of the hex dumbbells or the handles of the push-ups, and place them on the floor with your palms facing each other.
- You can sink lower if you bend your elbows and raise your chest above the floor.
- You can also use your hands to lift your body up so that your elbows are not fully locked but still extended.
- Complete as many repetitions as you can.
6. Plate Presses
The exercise can be performed with a dumbbell or a single-weight plate.
This is the exercise you should do:
- Standing upright, with your core and glutes engaged and in good posture.
- Hold a dumbbell horizontally with your hands stacked on the handle.
- Start with your weight at your sternum, then press straight forward. Hold the position of the end with your elbows out for several seconds before slowly bending the elbows to return to the beginning position.
- Keep the weight parallel to the floor. Don’t let your arms dip down because of the weight.
7. Squeeze press
The squeeze press is very similar to the dumbbell bench press, with one small difference: both dumbbells must be in constant contact.
The Hex Press is sometimes called this because it’s easier to do with hex dumbbells. Squeeze both dumbbells as hard as possible during each rep.
How To Do It:
- Lay back on the bench as you would if you were doing a dumbbell press.
- Squeeze them together. It’s best to use hex-styled weights, as mentioned above.
- As you continue to squeeze, press the weight up straight.
- Back to the beginning
8. Hex Presses
The hex press is similar to the incline press, where you squeeze the dumbbells as you push upward. It uses a pressing motion and an isometric stretch throughout the movement.
It is one of the most effective exercises to build Inner Upper Chest muscles and gain mass.
You’ll want to use hex dumbbells for this inner chest workout because you’ll press them along their long edges rather than end-to-end. The flat surface of a hex-shaped dumbbell makes it easier to squeeze the weights together.
This is how to do the Inner Upper Chest exercise
- Lay flat on the bench and hold a hex dumbbell with each hand.
- Rotate your hands to face one another and align the dumbbells with the flat sides of their end caps.
- Keep the dumbbells pressed together isometrically for the entire exercise.
- Press explosively up to straighten your arms until they are above your chest.
Conclusion:
Training your Inner Upper Chest to improve your shape and develop a muscular appearance is important. With these tips and workouts, you can control your body and turn that flabby upper chest into something amazing!
Focus on your form, not the weight. Progress slowly and challenge yourself. You can achieve your fitness goals with consistency and dedication.