Building inner pecs and overall chest regime question

[pds999]

I have been training now for a couple of years and am disappointed with my chest growth. While the mid chest is fine, my inner and outer pecs (i.e. lateral growth) is poor. Are there any specific exercises I can do to help my inner and outer chest grow? At the moment I am focusing on flat bench press, machine seated press and pec dec.

Also, I currently work my chest once a week. Would it be more sensible to split different parts of my chest over two workouts per week (i.e. one Monday and one Friday) or work every chest part just in the one workout per week?

 

[GUARDIAN]

i bring my grip in to concentrate on inner chest. i find the hammer strength machines allow for a more natural range of movement sort of like pressing together 2 db's which really fries my inner chest.

i have always used db flyes in my routine and feel that they have helped with my outer development.

 

[highlander555]

I am of the thinking that it's a myth that you can isolate your inner or outer pecs. I suscribe to the theory that the only way to change how your innner chest developes in reguard to the rest of the muscle is to change our Genetic Code. Our actual genes determine the shape of the muscle.

That being said, I seem to feel my inner chest worked well when I do close grip benching for my tri's, so maybe something like GUARDIAN suggested?

 

[enigma4dub]

if you want a bigger inner chest, you need a bigger chest.

 

[dabuffguy]

i bring my grip in to concentrate on inner chest. i find the hammer strength machines allow for a more natural range of movement sort of like pressing together 2 db's which really fries my inner chest.

i have always used db flyes in my routine and feel that they have helped with my outer development.

ever lay down on a bench with a dumbbell, use both hands to press it? Kind of like a close grip bench, but with a dumbell. it squeezes the inner pec so hard. gets great concentration on the strenum. I like doing this.

 

[GUARDIAN]

ever lay down on a bench with a dumbbell, use both hands to press it? Kind of like a close grip bench, but with a dumbell. it squeezes the inner pec so hard. gets great concentration on the strenum. I like doing this.

nope. we dont have the kind of weight in db's at my gym i would need so that i wouldnt have to do 500 reps...lol

 

[dabuffguy]

nope. we dont have the kind of weight in db's at my gym i would need so that i wouldnt have to do 500 reps...lol

umm, 50 lbs is heavy enough for me. Of course these are done after all my core lifts for chest, but a 50 lb dumbell works well when I'm tires.

I use 110lbs DB in each hand for pressing, to give you a comparison.

 

[SouthernLord]

umm, 50 lbs is heavy enough for me. Of course these are done after all my core lifts for chest, but a 50 lb dumbell works well when I'm tires.

I use 110lbs DB in each hand for pressing, to give you a comparison.

these do work. you can also use two DBs but keep them together with your palms facing one another the whole time. focus on squeezing them together the whole time. I think they are called squeeze presses lol

 

[GUARDIAN]

umm, 50 lbs is heavy enough for me. Of course these are done after all my core lifts for chest, but a 50 lb dumbell works well when I'm tires.

I use 110lbs DB in each hand for pressing, to give you a comparison.

seems an awul lot like close grip bench except with a DB. i will try it for shits and giggles next time i do chest on a weekend.

 

[gjohnson5]

Can you elaborate how you would "squeeze" an inner pec in comparison to squeezing an outer pec?

I had no idea there was a muscle called an inner pectoralis major or minor

ever lay down on a bench with a dumbbell, use both hands to press it? Kind of like a close grip bench, but with a dumbell. it squeezes the inner pec so hard. gets great concentration on the strenum. I like doing this.

 

[highlander555]

I, too, am of the belief that it's all one muscle. Not sure you really can just hit the inner or the outer.

if you want a bigger inner chest, you need a bigger chest.

I think there is some diffrence between inclines and declines in the sense that certain muscles are recruited more to assist with the lift, but it's still just the pectoral muscle that gets worked.

 

[youcancallmedaddy]

I have been training now for a couple of years and am disappointed with my chest growth. While the mid chest is fine, my inner and outer pecs (i.e. lateral growth) is poor. Are there any specific exercises I can do to help my inner and outer chest grow? At the moment I am focusing on flat bench press, machine seated press and pec dec.

Also, I currently work my chest once a week. Would it be more sensible to split different parts of my chest over two workouts per week (i.e. one Monday and one Friday) or work every chest part just in the one workout per week?

My chest routine is bench, db press, dips and flys. Of those I noticed the most difference after doing dips for a few months, my chest filled out and I did receive comments on it.

 

[dabuffguy]

Can you elaborate how you would "squeeze" an inner pec in comparison to squeezing an outer pec?

I had no idea there was a muscle called an inner pectoralis major or minor

LOL. We all know there is only 1 pec major and minor, smart ass , lol.

Allow me to rephrase:

Upon doing close grip presses, especially with dumbbells ( i have found anyway), The inner part of the pec feels like it gets a better concentration, therefore feeling as if it that part is squeezed more.



I'm not sure how to word it to make sense for everyone at the same time, but all I know is a regluar flat BB bench does not "feel" like it gets the inner pec. Doing the close grip presses definitely feels like there is much greater concentration on the inner part of the pec. The only way I get the inner part of the pectoral to pump is by doing close grips.