Hitting the Outer Chest?

[WinstonChurchill]

Hey All,

A quick introduction, what with this being my first post, me being a noob to the site and all that lol

I've been training about 10 years (5 seriously). I am no noob to bodybuilding but in saying that, I am having real trouble with certain body parts! One of which is my outer chest!

Has anyone got any useful tips they can share or certain exercises they’ve used to really bring this part of the pec out?

Any info would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[drsketch]

Care to post your chest routine?

Every chest day I hit:
Flat bench
incline bench
incline flies
flat flies
dips

--

Also when benching how wide do you grip the bar? I always go by wide grip = wide chest

 

[utotmeh8]

wide grip bench and wide db presses...don't hit them together. light db flyes, concentrating on the stretch of the pecs @ the bottom of the movement.

 

[WinstonChurchill]

Care to post your chest routine?

Every chest day I hit:
Flat bench
incline bench
incline flies
flat flies
dips

--

Also when benching how wide do you grip the bar? I always go by wide grip = wide chest

My Current Chest routine is:

Incline Bench - 2 x Warmup
Incline Bench Press - 4 x 8
Incline Flyes - 4 x 12 (Holding the stretch)
Decline Bench Press - 4 x 8
Pec-Dec - 4 x 12 (Holding the stretch)

I switch up my routines every 8 weeks though

My grip on the bar is slightly wider than shoulder width

 

[drsketch]

My grip on the bar is slightly wider than shoulder width

you know where that little smooth are is wider on the bar about couple centimeters in width? I always put my pinky on this line for a nice wide grip and my chest is wide bro, try this.

 

[drsketch]

Also remember genetics do play a role in how your muscle looks.

 

[Omegasox]

You just have to increase the overall size of your pectoral muscle. There is no way to "shape" it by doing different exercises. Genetics defines how your chest looks.

 

[WinstonChurchill]

^^ See thats the thing, my pecs over all dont look that bad but are clearly lacking in the outer sweep! Yet I train them all over!

 

[SaiBoT]

^^ See thats the thing, my pecs over all dont look that bad but are clearly lacking in the outer sweep! Yet I train them all over!

Want better external pecs... do wide grip dips as Vince Gironda use to do them. Google the exercise Gironda Dips.

Plus drsketch has a point by telling to do wide grip on other exercises, but take it easy at first because you might hurt the shoulders.

 

[desmond]

DB incline bench I would have thought, and developing inner front deltoid perhaps to make the outer pec more defined looking

 

[the_alcatraz]

Wide grip bench hits the outer chest very well. Weighted super-strict dips can target that area as well.

 

[lockdownd7]

Well that would be pretty amazing since the "outer chest" doesn't exist. At least not in the sense of being a separate muscle. There are the upper and lower pecs, but not inner and outer.

 

[redguru]

Ah, so we are to believe you can hit part of a muscle fiber? Humans have Clavicular and Sternal pecs, not inner and outer.

 

[the_alcatraz]

Well that would be pretty amazing since the "outer chest" doesn't exist. At least not in the sense of being a separate muscle. There are the upper and lower pecs, but not inner and outer.

you can target the inner and outer chest just as well as you can target upper and lower chest.

 

[redguru]

If so, you could make your chest look like a baboon's ass by doing flyes.

 

[the_alcatraz]

Ah, so we are to believe you can hit part of a muscle fiber? Humans have Clavicular and Sternal pecs, not inner and outer.

The ntire chest works with pretty much any chest exercise, but diff. exercises put more stress on diff parts of the chest.

Examples:

Incline presses and incline flys - upper chest

decline presses and decline flys - lower chest

flat bench - outer chest (wide grip)

narrow grip bench - inner chest (not just for triceps)

dips - puts stress on lower chest and outer chest mostly

pec dec - helps with overall chest development, especially striations in chest and inner chest

 

[redguru]

The ntire chest works with pretty much any chest exercise, but diff. exercises put more stress on diff parts of the chest.

Examples:

Incline presses and incline flys - upper chest

decline presses and decline flys - lower chest

flat bench - outer chest (wide grip)

narrow grip bench - inner chest (not just for triceps)

dips - puts stress on lower chest and outer chest mostly

pec dec - helps with overall chest development, especially striations in chest and inner chest

Interesting. Do you have different anatomy than anyone else? There is no such thing as an inner and outer pectoral muscle. You can increase the cross-sectional area of a muscle fiber, and you can increase the number of muscle fibers, but you cannot change the shape of a muscle by hitting it from different angles.

Show me one single study that supports your argument. It is a gym myth.

 

[the_alcatraz]

Interesting. Do you have different anatomy than anyone else? There is no such thing as an inner and outer pectoral muscle. You can increase the cross-sectional area of a muscle fiber, and you can increase the number of muscle fibers, but you cannot change the shape of a muscle by hitting it from different angles.

Show me one single study that supports your argument. It is a gym myth.

Offcourse you can. I don't need a study. Ask any pro bodybuilder who has been working out for so long. Why do you think there are so many different variations of specific exercises.

It's like asking me to show you a study that concentration curls work on biceps peak. Some a study does not exist. But it does work.

I guess it's how your body responds to it. I used to have pretty much no outer chest 3 years ago. It was very narrow. After concentrating on wide grip flat bench, my outer chest touches the insides of my arms even when I spread wide. It looks very wide even on a front lat spread.

 

[gjohnson5]

Myth:

There is no inner or outer pec muscle....

 

[the_alcatraz]

Myth:

There is no inner or outer pec muscle....

A lot of people have been saying that being able to train diff parts of the chest and biceps is a myth. That it shuold be treated as one muscle. I find that against all the training I've done in my life.

I mean if so many bodybuilders do it, then it's gotta have some truth in it


It's not a myth IMO

 

[gjohnson5]

The ntire chest works with pretty much any chest exercise, but diff. exercises put more stress on diff parts of the chest.

Examples:

Incline presses and incline flys - upper chest

decline presses and decline flys - lower chest

flat bench - outer chest (wide grip)

narrow grip bench - inner chest (not just for triceps)

dips - puts stress on lower chest and outer chest mostly

pec dec - helps with overall chest development, especially striations in chest and inner chest

Wide grip benches don't hit the outer pec , they do however activate more anterior deltoid....

But some say that the myofibrils are like a chain link fence and some links in the chain can be strengthened. I would need more evidence of this though

 

[the_alcatraz]

Wide grip benches don't hit the outer pec , they do however activate more anterior deltoid....

But some say that the myofibrils are like a chain link fence and some links in the chain can be strengthened. I would need more evidence of this though

That is very similar to what I'm saying. Although the entire chest acts as one muscle, diff exercises stree diff parts of the muscle...and yes, after I do wide grip flat bench, and I mean wiiide grip, I get an awesome pump in what is "geographically" my outer chest....my chest looks wider, not fuller of bigger, just wider....

 

[dabuffguy]

My Current Chest routine is:

Incline Bench - 2 x Warmup
Incline Bench Press - 4 x 8
Incline Flyes - 4 x 12 (Holding the stretch)
Decline Bench Press - 4 x 8
Pec-Dec - 4 x 12 (Holding the stretch)

I switch up my routines every 8 weeks though

My grip on the bar is slightly wider than shoulder width

No flat bench? wtf?

doing flat dumbbell presses ar THE BEST for getting a fantastic full range of motion, targeting all portions of the chest pretty evenly.

For the "outer chest", it needs good stimulation using a fairly wide, (but not too wide) grip using a barbell. go heavy.


My chest has responded best the last 3 months using dumbbells though. I get to chose my range of motion. That's what I like about it. Barbell movements are very limiting and are best used for develping power. Dumbbells are better for getting nice full chest contractions and stimulatiing all aspects of the pectoral for maximum growth and fullness.

 

[the_alcatraz]

No flat bench? wtf?

doing flat dumbbell presses ar THE BEST for getting a fantastic full range of motion, targeting all portions of the chest pretty evenly.

For the "outer chest", it needs good stimulation using a fairly wide, (but not too wide) grip using a barbell. go heavy.
My chest has responded best the last 3 months using dumbbells though. I get to chose my range of motion. That's what I like about it. Barbell movements are very limiting and are best used for develping power. Dumbbells are better for getting nice full chest contractions and stimulatiing all aspects of the pectoral for maximum growth and fullness.

Yes for the bolded part.

 

[SaiBoT]

WTF by some guys idea we are better of doing just one pec exercise and stick to it permanently... Why bother doing other anyway...

 

[the_alcatraz]

WTF by some guys idea we are better of doing just one pec exercise and stick to it permanently... Why bother doing other anyway...

exactly. Just cause the chest is works as one muscle, doesn't mena you cant hit diff angles to get diff results.

 

[dabuffguy]

I see what gjohnson and redguru are saying though.

anatomically, there is one pectoral muscle (well, 2, if you count pectoralis minor)

But, with that 1 muscle, you CAN stimulate different portions of it with more emphasis depending on the width of your grip and the angle at which you press.

a wide grip press will help stimlate the pec at the outer portion.

ever do a wide grip flat press and realize the inner portion of your pec doesn't even contract hardly at all?

how about a closer grip incline press? You ever do that and notice the upper and inner part of the chest contracts very tightly and pumps much better at this angle? the lower portion of the pec doesn't even do any work at this angle and grip.


Next time you go to the gym, put 135 lbs on the bar and watch how your pecs actual contract depending on grip width and angle. it is very different from eachother.


tergeting a different portion of the 1 muscle is a very real thing. you can't decline and think your upper pec is getting a good workout and vice versa.

 

[the_alcatraz]

I see what gjohnson and redguru are saying though.

anatomically, there is one pectoral muscle (well, 2, if you count pectoralis minor)

But, with that 1 muscle, you CAN stimulate different portions of it with more emphasis depending on the width of your grip and the angle at which you press.

a wide grip press will help stimlate the pec at the outer portion.

ever do a wide grip flat press and realize the inner portion of your pec doesn't even contract hardly at all?

how about a closer grip incline press? You ever do that and notice the upper and inner part of the chest contracts very tightly and pumps much better at this angle? the lower portion of the pec doesn't even do any work at this angle and grip.


Next time you go to the gym, put 135 lbs on the bar and watch how your pecs actual contract depending on grip width and angle. it is very different from eachother.


tergeting a different portion of the 1 muscle is a very real thing. you can't decline and think your upper pec is getting a good workout and vice versa.

Hence why I said ALTHOUGH it is really one muscle, you can stimulate and stress diff areas of the chest with diff exercises.

 

[lockdownd7]

You can switch the emphasis between muscles (i.e. pec major and minor), but an individual muscle will not hypertrophy differently based on where the stimulation is. So called examples of "regional hypertrophy" are a result of confusing a single muscle for a muscle group. You can achieve large variation in chest hypertrophy by using different exercises, but this is due to switching the emphasis between different muscles, not localized growth in a segment of a muscle.

 

[cobracock1979]

Well contrary to what you guys are saying,

Im trying omegas routine for 6 weeks - low incline DB and flat DB flyes - thats it!

That should hit the majority of the chest, im gonna try it. I like my wokouts to be faster and intense if I cam get the same results

 

[redguru]

Here's an experiment. Nail a large amount of rubberband to a board on one end. Attach the other end to a hinge that will move in two axises. Move the hinge in any direction and attempt to stretch just a portion of the length of the rubber bands. Re-post in this thread when you are able to do it.

 

[cobracock1979]

???

 

[WinstonChurchill]

I was kind of hoping we werent going to have to go down the "You can't only hit one part of a muscle" & "There is no such thing as an outer pec" route!

That was why I clearly stated tips for better hitting the outer sweep. I know you cannot ONLY hit the outer per but was asking for assistance on what may better target that area as its lagging. Same as someone does incline to better hit uppper chest.

Thanks to those of you who gave me advise and I'll definitely try those Gironda Dips

 

[redguru]

???

The point is, is that it is impossible to grow part of a muscle fiber.

 

[WinstonChurchill]

Here's an experiment. Nail a large amount of rubberband to a board on one end. Attach the other end to a hinge that will move in two axises. Move the hinge in any direction and attempt to stretch just a portion of the length of the rubber bands. Re-post in this thread when you are able to do it.

Given this analaogy, if you were to just keep moving the hinge the same way over and over and over and over again, do you not agree certain rubber bands would eventually wear faster than others? e.g. the ones having to stretch the furthest distance each time

That was my question, what exercises are there out there to better hit the other "rubber bands" and stimulate those, instead of the ones presumably being hit more now.

 

[dabuffguy]

The point is, is that it is impossible to grow part of a muscle fiber.

true, but how many muscle fibers are there in the pec?

100's of millions?


if you decline press, some fibers in the upper region don't even contract, therefore are doing little to no work and are recieveing little stimulation, which in turn gives them no reason to grow and strengthen. so, you do an incline press to give it what it needs.

 

[redguru]

Given this analaogy, if you were to just keep moving the hinge the same way over and over and over and over again, do you not agree certain rubber bands would eventually wear faster than others? e.g. the ones having to stretch the furthest distance each time

That was my question, what exercises are there out there to better hit the other "rubber bands" and stimulate those, instead of the ones presumably being hit more now.

That analogy is true and your supposition is true. The problem is the axis that the pec fibers move in is lateral, so you could wear specific fibers out but you can't wear the left or right sides of them out.

 

[dabuffguy]

That analogy is true and your supposition is true. The problem is the axis that the pec fibers move in is lateral, so you could wear specific fibers out but you can't wear the left or right sides of them out.

totally true. If a fiber contracts, it contracts as a whole. However, you can stimulate 1 complete fiber while not stimulating another that is "on the other side of the world" so to speak, ie upper and lower, inner and outer portions.

in feeling my chest as i do a pressing motion, i do feel the pec contracting as a whole no matter the angle, but the amount of contraction at one angle as opposed to another is either more or less involved in certain regions.

 

[WinstonChurchill]

true, but how many muscle fibers are there in the pec?

100's of millions?


if you decline press, some fibers in the upper region don't even contract, therefore are doing little to no work and are recieveing little stimulation, which in turn gives them no reason to grow and strengthen. so, you do an incline press to give it what it needs.

THIS is my point! In asking my original question, I am not looking for an exercise that ONLY hits my outer pecs, just better targets them ... forcing them to grow more than they currently are.

 

[redguru]

true, but how many muscle fibers are there in the pec?

100's of millions?


if you decline press, some fibers in the upper region don't even contract, therefore are doing little to no work and are recieveing little stimulation, which in turn gives them no reason to grow and strengthen. so, you do an incline press to give it what it needs.

Those fibers are all moving laterally from conne ctive tissue to connective tissue. You cannot hypertropy a portion of a fiber. What you are saying is true for the axis opposite the motion. for example, the upper or lower portion of the pectoral muscles, but because they are connected in the lateral axis you cannot strengthen or hypertrophy parts of a fiber, i.e., inner and outer. If you were able to do this, you could do flyes only and make your chest look like it has J-Lo's butt on it.

 

[lockdownd7]

totally true. If a fiber contracts, it contracts as a whole. However, you can stimulate 1 complete fiber while not stimulating another that is "on the other side of the world" so to speak, ie upper and lower, inner and outer portions.

in feeling my chest as i do a pressing motion, i do feel the pec contracting as a whole no matter the angle, but the amount of contraction at one angle as opposed to another is either more or less involved in certain regions.

The point is that the upper and lower pecs are separate muscles. You can use various exercise techniques to hypertrophy those in a given way to achieve a particular look, but you can't hypertrophy something that doesn't exist - the "inner" or "outer" pecs. You also can't hypertrophy a portion of a muscle in isolation, i.e. the outer portion of the upper pec.

 

[SaiBoT]

I was kind of hoping we werent going to have to go down the "You can't only hit one part of a muscle" & "There is no such thing as an outer pec" route!

That was why I clearly stated tips for better hitting the outer sweep. I know you cannot ONLY hit the outer per but was asking for assistance on what may better target that area as its lagging. Same as someone does incline to better hit uppper chest.

Thanks to those of you who gave me advise and I'll definitely try those Gironda Dips

They will do the trick. U r welcome.

 

[the_alcatraz]

The point is, is that it is impossible to grow part of a muscle fiber.

no one is saying that.

All we're saying is that the entire chest grows but you can stress parts of each using diff. exercises. Yes, it will all grow regardles sof the exercise, but diff exercises stress and develop sdiff parts of the chest in a diff ways.