Building a bigger upper chest
Ive been training for years and am 24 years old. since i was 16. i want to get more definition in my chest. what can i do to get that line of separation in the mid chest
If you are looking for a “major” split around the mid pec area, like the great Franco Columbo, a large part of that is genetic. However, if you want to make sure your upper and lower pecs are well developed, thus de-emphasizing a large bulky mid pec like you see on heavy bench pressers, then try this.
1) Upper Pecs: Barbell bench press to the neck. On a flat bench, take a barbell with a should width grip and lower it to your neckline (clavicles), then drive the weight up and towards your mid chest. This exercise forces activation of the upper pecs, and reduces the power you use in the lower pecs and front deltoids. You should feel an enormous stretch when the bar is lowered to the neckline, for many this is better than dumbbells, and work towards feeling a contraction at the end of the rep (extended arms).
This is not an exercise where you show off your strength, it is one where you want to make sure the upper pecs, by the clavicles are stimulated maximally. I like to do this movement on a Smith Machine for added safety. Always emphasize the negative phase of the movement by lowering the weight slowly, and under control.
If you use 30% less weight than for “normal” bench pressing that’s about right. Remember, if you want a better body, you are using the weights and the specific exercise angle to train the target muscle, not using any muscle (s) possible to get some arbitrary amount of weight up that might impress your friends.
Vince
