Some Advice

[needsize]

I'm going to use this thread to play devils advocate on this issue.
Just remember this is my opinion, and is not in any way to be confused with any idea concerning pushups.
Are you guys saying that you can't target specific areas of the chest, which would mean that any incline work would be a waste of time? I have to disagree, I have seen too many guys (myself included) do only flat bench work, and have a sagging looking chest. But once incline work was added, a notable difference in the thickness of the upper chest was there. I know that a muscle works as a unit, but I do believe that causing extra stress to a given part of it can cause growth to a targetted area.

 

[gymtime]

I'm going to use this thread to play devils advocate on this issue.
Just remember this is my opinion, and is not in any way to be confused with any idea concerning pushups.
Are you guys saying that you can't target specific areas of the chest, which would mean that any incline work would be a waste of time? I have to disagree, I have seen too many guys (myself included) do only flat bench work, and have a sagging looking chest. But once incline work was added, a notable difference in the thickness of the upper chest was there. I know that a muscle works as a unit, but I do believe that causing extra stress to a given part of it can cause growth to a targetted area.

Not saying that at all. I believe in doing the full range in chest; incline, flat, and decline. None of them is a waste of time. What I'm saying is that if you were to do only decline bench for three straight months for example, you wouldn't end up with a disproportionately large lower chest and a deflated upper chest. You'd still have good, strong chest muscles. It's just that your chest as a whole wouldn't be as developed had you done all three (incline, decline, and flat). Make sense?

 

[needsize]

The only evidence I have for this is just based on my own training, but I have definitely noticed that my upper chest thickened up noticable since I started doing a lot of incline work. On the flip side, If I stop doing incline work I can see a loss of size in the upper area.

 

[DaCypher]

gymtime,

I'm a little confused on this as well. Basically, if someone does just flat bench presses he will have the same size chest if he had done all three (incline, decline, and flat), assuming all other things the same. The only difference being, if he did all three he would just have a more well defined chest than just doing the one?

 

[Belial]

Actually, even if the upper chest (clavicular pec, esp.) CAN be specifically targeted for hypertrophy (And I have a very strong suspicion that it cannot, based on EMG studies that show differential stress on various parts of the muscle while under load, examination of the factors that lead to hypertrophy [such as microtears, systemic hormonal release, donations by satellite cells, etc.,] muscle innervations that prove the upper pec cannot be preferentially contracted, etc.), the incline bench would NOT be an effective way to stimulate this region.

Thought I'd throw that in.

We now return your to your regularly scheduled programming. I'm sick of this topic.

 

[gymtime]

Actually, even if the upper chest (clavicular pec, esp.) CAN be specifically targeted for hypertrophy (And I have a very strong suspicion that it cannot, based on EMG studies that show differential stress on various parts of the muscle while under load, examination of the factors that lead to hypertrophy [such as microtears, systemic hormonal release, donations by satellite cells, etc.,] muscle innervations that prove the upper pec cannot be preferentially contracted, etc.), the incline bench would NOT be an effective way to stimulate this region. . . .

That sounds completely made up.

 

[DaCypher]

Actually, even if the upper chest (clavicular pec, esp.) CAN be specifically targeted for hypertrophy (And I have a very strong suspicion that it cannot, based on EMG studies that show differential stress on various parts of the muscle while under load, examination of the factors that lead to hypertrophy [such as microtears, systemic hormonal release, donations by satellite cells, etc.,] muscle innervations that prove the upper pec cannot be preferentially contracted, etc.), the incline bench would NOT be an effective way to stimulate this region.

Thought I'd throw that in.

We now return your to your regularly scheduled programming. I'm sick of this topic.

Can someone translate that to English please?

 

[needsize]

Can someone translate that to English please?

It means I'm right and you're all wrong.....lol
Incidently I don't think incline barbell press is any good, I only do incline dumbell presses and heavy flyes

 

[Thaibox]

I don't think the majority replies meant that you CAN"T isolate seperate parts of the pecs. Just not the center. The pecs aren't made like that. You can't cause a muscle to grow exclusively on the end of the muscle near the attachment.

 

[John G]

LoL

Thanks Guys. I will keep hammering away at the chest.