Developing the Pecs. ~Question~

R

R.Lewis

1
I was wondering if anyone had some information on best exercises for developing the chest, namely the pec major/sternal head
I’m not a big fan of isolation exercises so I never do chest flyes.

My clavicular head has grown much more rapidly than my Sternal Head. In other words… My pecs have got bigger, but mainly round the outer sides and at the top under my clavicle (collar bone), basically the part of my chest nearest my upper arm.

I was wondering if I should concentrate more on decline bench press to work the sternal head. Or do chest flyes.

I was thinking that decline chest flyes may help as I’d be concentrically contracting the pecs more than with a bench press as your arms come round in front of the body more than with a bench press. I’m not sure if this would work I’m just interested in what you guys think.
 
Mano-
If you look at anatomical chart and notice the pectoralis major, it shaped like a fan (or boat propeller). It attaches into the sternum and into the upper arm. If yuo are lacking development in teh middle of the pecs, I would suggest you include incline press and stretch the pecs alot. Teh most important thing when doing any type of exericses (especially pec work) is to contract the muscle isometrically and control (the negative). Also, include some front shoulder press (DB or Military), as this tends to work the chest muscles.
 
My work out is very even for chest. I do the same work for decline as for incline. I guess its just something im gonna have to deal with and work on.

Thanks for your time.
 
It's not necessarily the angle that you hit the pecs at that will have the most impact but the force of contraction. I know this has been mentioned but try and concentate on the static contraction at the lockout and a slower eccentric.

I think some cable flyes over db flyes and 1 arm db pressing will help with what you are looking for.
 
Evo.
I used to do very slow eccentric training with explosive concentric. Untill I read Chad Waterburys "building your reps".
He saids that the eccentric phase of contraction is the most likely to cause pains and does not give great gains in size, and that it also burns up your energy very fast.

Since then I have been working still with the fast concentric phase but with a 2 second eccentric phase.

I think I'll try 2 weeks of Cable flyes and 1 arm db press like you said, and see how it feels.

Thanks for your help. I'll let you know how it goes.
 
As StandApart said, the muscle fibers of the pec major are fan shaped, with fibers coming diagnally down towards the sternum ("upper pecs"), fibers running horizontal, and fibers running diagnally up towards the sternum ("lower pecs").
The reason different fibers are worked is based on elbow placement. When you incline press, your elbows are naturally kept closer to the body and will "target" upper pecs. Decline brings the elbows farther away and will target more "lower pec" fibers.

With flies, the upper fibers are recruited when doing the exercise horizontally (arm goes towards opposite shoulder), where lower pec fibers are worked with flies pulling arm (load) down towards opposite hip (think standing cable fly/cross diagnally down towards opposite hips).

here are no fibers that run separatly along the sternum. Missing these fibers, to me, would be from a lack of full ROM, although I believe I have read some books/magazine articles claiming that flies and close grip bench will "target" the "inner" fibers, but I have not read anything conclusive. Perhaps all of these different exercises are simply taking the fibers thropug their full ROM.

Just a thought!
Wes
 
no MIke, when a motor neuron fires, all of the muscle fibers it innervates fire. Not every muscle fiber within the muscle.
 
How many fire has to do with how much calcium is release by the SR.. also with recruitment patterns..
 
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