# Inner Chest-Genetics?



## Rocco32 (Jan 18, 2004)

I'm looking at pic's of BB's and people who compete and they have a great inner chest, it almost connects. If I stuck my finger inbetween their pecs and they flexed, I'd probably loose my finger! 

Now on my chest you could probably fit a baseball bat inbetween my pecs and still have room to swing it around!  

Just wondering if it has alot to do with Genetics or do I need to get off my arse and focus inner chest more? If I do, what exercises should I prioritize for that?


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## P-funk (Jan 18, 2004)

you can't target any part of the chest.  The pectorallis major is one muscle that contracts one way.  You can not work the "inner pec" or the "upper chest" as some have been led to believe.

Yes, muscle attachments are genetic.


Best advice I can give ya:  Just keep hammering the chest and when you diet down completely you will hopefully se the defenition that you want.


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## plouffe (Jan 18, 2004)

Yeah, I'm blessed with some good cleavage


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## Flex (Jan 18, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by P-funk *_
> you can't target any part of the chest.



What??? of course you can.

for example, try doing only incline presses for a year straight. your upper pecs will blow up, and your lower pecs (the "sweep" from your armpit to your nipple) will not develop at all.

to work on inner chest, do close grip chest exercises and cable crossovers/flys


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## plouffe (Jan 18, 2004)

Yeah but he won't devolped the closer looking pec's.. He'll still have the gap.


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## plouffe (Jan 18, 2004)

Enless his chest is just flat, and undeveloped which may be the case


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## Arnold (Jan 18, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by P-funk *_
> you can't target any part of the chest.  The pectorallis major is one muscle that contracts one way.  You can not work the "inner pec" or the "upper chest" as some have been led to believe.



100% correct!


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## greekblondechic (Jan 18, 2004)

here is what i have heard: make sure you are bringing the bar all the way down when benching..  sounds logical..


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## Rocco32 (Jan 18, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by plouffe *_
> Enless his chest is just flat, and undeveloped which may be the case


Haha, lol. I'm remembering that buddy. Payback will come soon!


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## P-funk (Jan 18, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by Flex *_
> What??? of course you can.
> 
> for example, try doing only incline presses for a year straight. your upper pecs will blow up, and your lower pecs (the "sweep" from your armpit to your nipple) will not develop at all.
> ...




this statment is so mis-informed.


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## Flex (Jan 18, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by P-funk *_
> this statment is so mis-informed.



why is it misinformed? you said you can't target a specific area, so i said if you only did inclines, you're lower chest won't develop. Whats so misinformed about that?


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## P-funk (Jan 18, 2004)

because if you do inclines your hole chest will develop...not just the upper portion.  The muscle still contracts the same way.


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## Flex (Jan 18, 2004)

i agree it contracts the same way, but i do think you can "target" certain areas.


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## P-funk (Jan 18, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by Flex *_
> i agree it contracts the same way, but i do think you can "target" certain areas.




that's fine.....I am not going to argue about it.

Go PATS


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## Flex (Jan 18, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by P-funk *_
> that's fine.....I am not going to argue about it.
> 
> Go PATS



good, cuz i dont wanna argue either 

p.s. GO PATS


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## Mr.No (Jan 18, 2004)

P-funk, I'm just curious...if you can stimulate the whole chest with only one excercise, and according to you it doesn't matter which one... then what is the point of all the different excercises there are for the chest and why all the people including  profesional bodybuilders chose to do variety instead of doing only one? 
I'm not implying that you are wrong, I'm just confused now.


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## Flex (Jan 18, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by Mr.No *_
> P-funk, I'm just curious...if you can stimulate the whole chest with only one excercise, and according to you it doesn't matter which one... then what is the point of all the different excercises there are for the chest and why all the people including  profesional bodybuilders chose to do variety instead of doing only one?
> I'm not implying that you are wrong, I'm just confused now.



thats exactly what i was wondering myself.......


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## P-funk (Jan 18, 2004)

By changing the angle of the bench (ie flat, decline, incline) you are altering the plane of motion you are working in.....flat=transverse, incline=trans-frontal, decline=trans=sagital.  

By changing the plane of motion you are working in you are changing the musculature slightly and the muscles which are the prime movers.....examples would be in the flat bench the pectorallis major in the prime mover (transverse plane).   For the incline your stress is shiftes slighlty to the anterior delts (more so than in the flat bench).  Decline, becasue it is in the trans-sagital plane is recruiting more of the latisimus dorsi and teres major as your shoulder joint is moving in more of an adduction fashion.

Most bodybuilders switch around between the three becasue the THINK they are targeting certain areas.  However, most bodybuilders no very little about biomechanics.

It is however important for us to switch around and not stay with one bench becasue it is imprortant to be strong in all planes of motion to balance out the muscles around the joint and create better joint stabalization.


I hope that helped.

peace,
patrick


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## Mr.No (Jan 18, 2004)

Thx P,  sounds like a logical explanation.


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## Premo55 (Jan 18, 2004)

P-Funk, what is your personal chest regimen? Typically I go with:

LOW REP/POWER
Flat DB Press 4x6 last set 1 dropset
Incline DB Press 4x6 last set 1 dropset
Decline DB Press 5x5 last set 1 dropset
Weighted dips 6x4  last set dropset to failure with bw

HIGH REP
Flat DB Press 8x3 last set 1 dropset
Incline DB Press 8x3 last set 1 dropset
Decline DB Press 8x3 last set 1 dropset
Weighted dips 6x4  last set dropset to failure with bw

SUPERSET
Flat DB Press 5x5 superset flat DB flyes 6x4
Incline DB Press 5x5 superset incline DB flyes 6x4
High pulley cable crossovers 6x4
Weighted dips 6x4

Peace.


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## P-funk (Jan 18, 2004)

Right now I train everyhting 2x's per week

My chest workouts switch between heavy/explosive/power days  and a light day (high reps or high velocity training..ie fast reps).  Exercises very week to week.  I have my next three weeks of training written out in my journal if you want all the specifics with regard to exercisesm rest intervals, rep ranges and intensity (precieved amount of effort in relation to 1RM).


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## cpa55 (Jan 18, 2004)

So you are saying that a pec-dec, close grip bench press or doing flyes does not target the inner pec?


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## Arnold (Jan 18, 2004)

correct, you cannot 'target' the inner pec.


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## supertech (Jan 18, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by cpa55 *_
> So you are saying that a pec-dec, close grip bench press or doing flyes does not target the inner pec?


Those are good to pre exhaust the chest.


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## WebMonkey (Jan 19, 2004)

I was under the impression if you change your width of your grip on flat bench press that it actually hits the chest on the inner part a little harder than vs. going with a wider grip.


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## P-funk (Jan 19, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by WebMonkey *_
> I was under the impression if you change your width of your grip on flat bench press that it actually hits the chest on the inner part a little harder than vs. going with a wider grip.




This is the common thought.  However, if you look at my early post on planes of motion you will find that this is not so.  Actually, taking a closer grip wil move your forearms in closer to your body, changing the angle of the humerus, thus changing the plane of motion from transverse to sagital.  Really, by taking a closer grip there is less chest involved and more tricep becasue the torque on the the elbow is increased due to the fact that the eccentric portion is putting you in more elbow flexion.


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## Tha Don (Jan 19, 2004)

they say do inclines for upper chest

declines for lower chest

flys/narrow grip for inner chest.... etc

surely it is possible to hit a certain area of the pectoral more so than the rest of the muscle? due to the strain and the directions your hitting it, the muscle would tear differently!?

if you got 2 guys with similar chest shape and experience, told 1 to do inclines for a year and 1 to do declines would their be no difference in their chest development? I don't think so!

I'm not convinced that every exercise hits your muscles in exactly the same way

peace


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## cpa55 (Jan 20, 2004)

Not trying to argue with anyone, I am just very interested in this post. If you can't target different areas of say the pec, then why do different exercises? Why not just chose the one exercise that targets that muscle group the most, i.e. with the least amount of help from other muscle groups and just do that exercise?


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## Mr.No (Jan 20, 2004)

cpa55, your question have been answered above.


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## Arnold (Jan 20, 2004)

it's simple muscle physiololgy, a muscle grows as a whole, the pec major is a single muscle and that is how it will grow.

if all you did was flat bench your entire pec major will grow & develop.


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## derekisdman (Jan 20, 2004)

I'm just curious about this as well.  But why on sites like www.exrx.net under excercises for chest they list the Pec as Sternal, Clavicular, minor etc. then have different excercises listed to work that part of the muscle?  For example under Clavicular the only exercise they have listed is Incline press.


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## Arnold (Jan 20, 2004)

sure, there is also the pec minor, but the pec major is the main visible muscle in the chest.

I am not saying that you should not hit the pecs from every angle, I believe that you should.


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## cpa55 (Jan 21, 2004)

OK, so does the incline press target the clavicular head? I understand that incline works the whole chest, but does it put more emphasis on the clavicular head?


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## P-funk (Jan 21, 2004)

no, actually the clavicular portion of pec major is active during all three bench presses (flat, incline, and decline).  On the incline you are just getting more anterior delt.  On the decline you are getting both the clavicular and sternocostal portion of pec major.


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## cpa55 (Jan 21, 2004)

p-funk, I hate to be so dense, but I would really like to build-up my upper chest and the exrx.com site shows the clavicular head being worked by doing incline press. If they are wrong, then I won't concentrate on inclines. I understand that any press movement works the pec, but they show that inclines work the muscle that I really want to target.


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## Tha Don (Jan 21, 2004)

you want a bigger upper chest do inclines

its common sense, lol


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## P-funk (Jan 21, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by cpa55 *_
> p-funk, I hate to be so dense, but I would really like to build-up my upper chest and the exrx.com site shows the clavicular head being worked by doing incline press. If they are wrong, then I won't concentrate on inclines. I understand that any press movement works the pec, but they show that inclines work the muscle that I really want to target.




man, I am not saying that the clavicular portion of pec major is not working during inclines.  It is working during any bench press so it doesn't matter you "upper chest" (clavicular portion) will grow on either exercise.  All I am saying is that the inclines will recruit a bit more anterior delt than the other benches becasue of the angle and the plane of motion you are working in (see my post on the planes of motion on the page back).


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