# Building the bottom of the pecs



## T_man (Mar 17, 2009)

One of my problem areas is the bottom of my pecs. I have alot of mass on my pecs, especially in the middle, but as you get to the bottom it sort of curves off in a very un-steep curve, rather than a sharp cliff which is what I want it to be like. Sort of like this: (|  although it should be something like this (_|. The two have different scales but imagine they were the same width, the curvature of my pec is more like the first one than the second one and it doesnt look big unless you look at me from the top. I know most of you won't get that diagram cos I am shit at explaining it but if you don't just forget the diagram I'm sure you know what I mean?

Apart from dips are there any exercises that can really work this area??


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## highpockets (Mar 17, 2009)

Oh BOY, here it comes! 

Let me give it to you gently. This question has been asked and debated here numerous times. You might find some information by searching chest exercises at this site. I believe you are going to get responses telling you that the chest muscle is one muscle and it is impossible to improve just one area of the chest. I do not profess to be an expert, but I have read numerous articles regarding this and it all comes down to genetics. You have it or you don't. Keep working the various chest exercises that have proven to be successful. And yes dips are one of them.

Hope this helps. Good luck!


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## T_man (Mar 17, 2009)

Well.
Even though I do believe the pec is one big muscle, I believe that you can develop different parts of it. You cant focus on one area but you can definately emphasise it.

My friend had a chest that stuck out about an inch on the outside, but on the inside, there was absolutely nothing, until he started doing Inner chest stuff, like close grips and flyes ONLY for a couple of months and surely now it's evened out.

Sort of the way you can have a big brachiallis or one that barely sticks out (this is not genetic as my right arm has a big brachiallis muscle but my left arm doesn't) and it's due to how you train, in my case it's my body position onf concentration curls.

And to top it off, my chest used to fall off like a cliff when i used to do stuff at home but as soon as i started developing other parts it sort of levelled off, maybe due to how i train in the gym


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## largepkg (Mar 17, 2009)

My pecs are not a real problem point for me as they grow very well. Although, my inner and upper area are lagging a bit. I've tried everything over the years to see if I could isolate or develop those areas more. 

But MY chest only gets bigger or smaller as a whole and no matter what I do to emphasize a specific area it doesn't work. 

Surely this isn't a clinical study but based on personal experience I say it grows as a whole.


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## min0 lee (Mar 17, 2009)

.


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## T_man (Mar 17, 2009)

mine grows in parts. I started doing incline recently and my upper has shot up and my lower seems to have shrunk?? probably just because of proportional differences


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## KelJu (Mar 17, 2009)

T_man said:


> Well.
> Even though I do believe the pec is one big muscle, I believe that you can develop different parts of it. You cant focus on one area but you can definately emphasise it.
> 
> My friend had a chest that stuck out about an inch on the outside, but on the inside, there was absolutely nothing, until he started doing Inner chest stuff, like close grips and flyes ONLY for a couple of months and surely now it's evened out.
> ...





Muscle shape is genetic. The only thing in your control is how big or small your muscles are depending on your diet and training variables. You can not focus on lower pecs, since there is no such thing as lower pecs as far as your body is concerned.


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## Merkaba (Mar 17, 2009)

T why don't you upload some pics.  You sure like to make drawings that only you really know what youre talking about...although they are pretty entertaining.  

Generally you can't seperate and build certain area of the pecs.  You can do a variety of exercicses to make sure youre getting maximum flex and range of motion for good development.  And of course, monitor your diet.


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## natural^ (Mar 17, 2009)

^^^ The pec is one muscle.

However, dips will help you out.


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## Built (Mar 17, 2009)

Pecs seem to respond well to iron, food, and time. 

I've noticed that a lot of older guys finally get their pecs to come in as they gain weight. 

Keep eating.


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## Gazhole (Mar 18, 2009)

*If this gets outta hand it's being closed*, this has been debated to death and feelings are frequently hurt in the process 

That said, the pecs contract as a unit. That is physiology. You can't contract a certain part of the muscle and cause one certain area of fibres to grow more than the rest.

If you change exercises to target a certain portion, its more likely that the change in exercises is resulting in more overall growth simply due to the variation of stimulus.


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## UFC rocks (Mar 18, 2009)

Gazhole said:


> *If you change exercises to target a certain portion, its more likely that the change in exercises is resulting in more overall growth simply due to the variation of stimulus.*


*

i see what gazhole is trying to say here, sometimes people start doing a different exercise because they want a certain area to grow, and when they change to another exercise it does grow. but this may not be because of that paticular exercise but just the fact that they have changed there routine and stocked the body into growing. 

AT LEAST THATS WHAT I THINK GAZHOLE MEANT, HOPE I AM RIGHT.

but i have always wondered something, if someone only every did decline benching, would there upper chest really grow.*


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## Gazhole (Mar 18, 2009)

Try it and report back your results!

And yes that is what i'm trying to say.

THE MORE YOU KNOW.


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## T_man (Mar 18, 2009)

P-funk I don't have a digital camera (i'm in poverty man it sucks) n so i cant really upload photos atm 

Well if that's the case how come my upper pecs have started growing although my lower has seem to have stalled?? I don't think the lower has grown for months because I have been focusing on incline.
I know theoretically the pecs are one big muscle but I still do believe that you can emphasise on certain areas. 
How come sometimes you get muscle ache in your upper inner or just upper chest, and why is it when people start training at first (if they dont do any incline) the upper doesnt grow or the inner doesnt grow UNTIL they get smart and start training with different arm positioning and angle.

I'm not trying to cause drama n i'm sure no one here is having their feelings hurt by this haha it's just interesting to find out more about it, isnt it?


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## Built (Mar 18, 2009)

Hey, I believe in the tooth fairy. You wait for your lower pecs, I'll wait for money under my pillow.

You won't mind if I use your teeth though - mine are purdy! 

Re "different angles" - it just depends on where your strength lies. Flat or decline work emphasizes tricep strength. If your tris are strong, you'll minimize pec activation in these positions. The more of an incline you use, the less tricep and the more front-delt. 

Hmmm... <thinks out loud> maybe if your tris are strong and you don't otherwise train front delts by themselves, use a low incline and you'll build your pecs better than you will on the flat. 

Thoughts? Opinions? Would anyone like a mint?


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## highpockets (Mar 18, 2009)

"Oh BOY, here it comes!" 

I knew the proverbial lid was going to come off this can of worms!


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## T_man (Mar 18, 2009)

I'm not believing in the tooth fairy; I just believe that when I put my teeth under the pillow there will be money in the morning


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## Built (Mar 18, 2009)

T_man said:


> I'm not believing in the tooth fairy; I just believe that when I put my teeth under the pillow there will be money in the morning



The tooth fairy is your mommy.

<bursts bubble>

Maybe ask her to leave you some lower pecs?


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## largepkg (Mar 18, 2009)




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## Built (Mar 18, 2009)

I bet we won't be laughing when T_man shows up with a killer rack and a toothless grin!

Oh wait, yes, we will!


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## T_man (Mar 18, 2009)

wow built, the tooth fairy was my mommy all along??? at 19 years of age  i never thought i'd know that.............

okay i dont get your sophisticated jokes

you just wait till i'm on the cover of the next fhm magazine... then we'll see. Infact I'll build my inner chest so that it's bigger than my outer haha

jokes


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## Built (Mar 18, 2009)

ROFLMFAO! Nice!

Seriously, try different angles, varying between flat and low incline work, barbells and dumbbells, and also dips if you can do 'em. 

Keep eating. They'll grow.


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## T_man (Mar 18, 2009)




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## DiGiTaL (Mar 18, 2009)

did someone already mention eating? 

lol.


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## TheCurse (Mar 18, 2009)

the answer is mass.


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## DiGiTaL (Mar 18, 2009)

Oh wow, its TheCurse. Whats up man, your never online.

hows the training


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## TheCurse (Mar 19, 2009)

hey man, training is going slow. had surgery on a inguinal hernia 6 weeks ago so im just getting back to the gym. sucks but ive been here before. lost about 10 pounds and some strength.


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## DiGiTaL (Mar 19, 2009)

shit, sorry to hear that. 10 pounds, wow, are you going light weight or still lifting heavy?


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## TheCurse (Mar 19, 2009)

easing back in dig. i made myself stick to machines only for around a week, and now im letting myself do some freeweight movements that dont cause too much intra abdominal pressure.  still not going to be able to squat or dl or even leg press for a month or three. thats the worst part !


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## Built (Mar 19, 2009)

You will re-grow that muscle in a heartbeat - just keep eating. 

Injuries suck.


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## bbud (Mar 20, 2009)

If triceps are taking too much of the load, thereby not allowing pecs to fully kick in, try exhausting your tri's first.  If the tri's aren't engaging fully, then that puts the full load on the pecs.  Yes?


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## TheCurse (Mar 20, 2009)

Built said:


> You will re-grow that muscle in a heartbeat - just keep eating.
> 
> Injuries suck.



thanks built!


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## T_man (Mar 20, 2009)

bbud said:


> If triceps are taking too much of the load, thereby not allowing pecs to fully kick in, try exhausting your tri's first.  If the tri's aren't engaging fully, then that puts the full load on the pecs.  Yes?



my triceps are weak.
i wish you knew.
they're the one body part that looks like it belongs to someone else's body.
You know what i mean?? sort of like those macho men who have upper bodies that are as thick as a brick wall and then have a pair of chicken legs because they never train legs.
well in this case the chicken legs are my triceps


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## Ngordyn (Mar 22, 2009)

so your saying your triceps give out before your chest does on benching?

you could try pre exhausting the chest so it fails on the bench , but i wouldnt your chest will grow as a whole, id rather build the tri's up perform skull crushers or something at the end of your push day


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## T_man (Mar 22, 2009)

I do close grip bench press on the smith machine so i can really pack on the weights at the end of a push day.

I was doing bench press with dumbells the other day 65lb each arm but then my left tricep just gave up on the 6th rep even though my chest was hardly worked. I had just done my shoulders too but they could still go


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