Is upper chest training a myth?

[Big Chiro Flex]

This posts wins the internet, and at least, this thread today.

You can pretty much end the thread.

Chiro also rightly points out that declines are far healthier for the shoulder joint and tiny musculature surrounding it.

I've stopped inclines long ago. Love declines, or any move that approximates it.

Here's a neat-o exercise I've been doing lately. Kind of strange looking, but it works great for guys with testy shoulders.

Do your DB presses on the floor. The floor keeps the elbows from drifting too far down. But when I do them, I push my butt off the floor, so I'm in a decline position. It's easy to get into (easier than trying to do it on a decline bench), safer for shoulders, and as long as the floor isn't dirty and doesn't skank up your tap-out t-shirt, it works pretty good.

That, or the seated chest press machine where you do it one arm at a time, but you're kind of turned sideways so your arm crosses in front of your body. I talked about it in a previous post, and ChiroFlex does them too. Seriously...try them.

That last movement, seriously adding new growth to my pecs and I've been off cycle for months. I'm like "why the hell are my pecs still growing?! I have been doing 10 sets at the end of my chest days of these, sets of 15 reps with about 30 sec rest time. Kinda like FST-7 method. I have not found another exercise that can SHORTEN the muscle belly as effectively as this, therefore I am claiming it as the greatest. 

[Mawse]

This posts wins the internet, and at least, this thread today.

You can pretty much end the thread.

Chiro also rightly points out that declines are far healthier for the shoulder joint and tiny musculature surrounding it.

I've stopped inclines long ago. Love declines, or any move that approximates it.

Here's a neat-o exercise I've been doing lately. Kind of strange looking, but it works great for guys with testy shoulders.

Do your DB presses on the floor. The floor keeps the elbows from drifting too far down. But when I do them, I push my butt off the floor, so I'm in a decline position. It's easy to get into (easier than trying to do it on a decline bench), safer for shoulders, and as long as the floor isn't dirty and doesn't skank up your tap-out t-shirt, it works pretty good.

That, or the seated chest press machine where you do it one arm at a time, but you're kind of turned sideways so your arm crosses in front of your body. I talked about it in a previous post, and ChiroFlex does them too. Seriously...try them.

Try Db press on the floor one arm at a time, brace yourself with your other arm on a vertical upright to prevent flipping if you're going over 120lbs. It's awkward at first but for a variety of reasons it's far better and easier to get in and out of position.

Machine presses like that are "ok" but the fixed angle isn't great for the joint , try the brodouche magnet ala the standing cable adjustable machine and do the same motion.

[Mawse]

Try the one arm floor press too, just lie on your side and roll into position holding the db, you can set up perfectly with a solid foundation.. That, cable press and incline DBS are all I do now for pressing. Shoulders feel great unless I decide to do something stupid "just to see how strong I still am in bench"

[Hulkotron]

"Franco"'s dips-cable crossovers superset was the key to his strength.

[Hulkotron]

Anyone got EMG studies on lat fiber involvement in various exercises?

Always was curious to see which exercises involved the lower originating lat fibers, versus those fibers that originate higher up the spinal column.

I find that thunder-humping "Muscular Christianity"'s mother works the lower lats while "Bodybuilder Lex Reeves"'s mother is better for the upper lats.

[Coach is Back!]

For "upper chest" training, etc. I present to you EMG results and information here:

http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2011/07/suppversity-emg-series-musculus.html

Personally, I find that I get a much better contraction, pump and "squeeze" when I do an incline cable cross type movement than compared to simply doing barbell or DB inclines.

Amazingly, decline activated all 3 muscle portions of the chest best in the EMG results and MANY people overlook decline work thinking it targets only "lower chest" which is incorrect.



Inverse = decline

I'm going to go ahead and award myself best post of this thread and put this baby to bed.

Nothing that I saw in this article that would suggest anything about exercise selection order, loads, progressions, sets, reps, recovery or duration of a routine (weeks, months, etc). All of this makes a difference in terms of effectiveness when programming. Is the a decline going to be the only exercise then of course it's going to be the most effective exercise. But besides all that I have listed above, it come's down to genetics.

Since most bodybuilders (and it's been said MANY times on here by various individuals) that consistent programming isn't necessary, in other words, go to the gym and just pick random shit to do, this study isn't complete.  Btw, I do understand this an EMG study. This is a 14 year old study.

[kimo]

how about V DIPS . ANY GOOD . THOUGH  i never liked them . hard . i prefer parallel dips