A tutorial on how to perform the incline barbell bench press to optimise upper chest recruitment and reduce the risk of injury. How deep? Hand position? How much elbow flare? Training Programmes https://mikethurston.co.uk/. » MyProtein Supplements Use Code THURSTON for a discount on your order. https://bit.ly/2ZDgnsu Best Sellers. https://bit.ly/3jkdRyX Bars & Snacks
Build a ripped, athletic chest in 90 days here…. http://athleanx.com/x/built-and-ripped-in-90-days. The incline bench press is one of the go-to exercises for building your upper chest. That said, it is one of the most commonly misperformed chest exercises around. In this video, I show you the two most common bench press mistakes made on this exercise that are holding you back from seeing the gains in your upper chest that you would like to see.. To start, you have to understand the anatomy of the upper chest region. The front deltoid and clavicular portion of the pec major are very close together and can tend to interfere with the action of one another if you allow it. It goes without saying that the front deltoid gets a great deal of work from not just shoulder workouts and exercises but as an assistant on many chest and pushing exercises.. This causes the front delt to become almost too active, especially during exercises that we are trying to stress the upper chest. The incline bench press is a perfect example of this. In order to get the front shoulder to do less of the work and allow the pecs to do more, you have to first get the angle of the incline bench press correct when you do the exercise. This is one of the most common errors I see every time I go to the gym.. The correct angle of the incline bench should be 30 degrees from flat. This may seem like a very small angle but it is the optimal angle for placing the strain on your upper pecs and minimizing the effect on the front delts. Many people will stay much too upright when performing this chest exercise and effectively wind up hitting their shoulders much too much. If you realize that a completely vertical position (90 degrees elevated) would hit your shoulders primarily, and that a completely flat position would hit your mid chest…you understand how much room you have to lower the bench before it hits the upper pecs.. The next thing that this position does is actually place your shoulders back in a position where they can be less dominant in the press and put your pecs at the center of the action. Gravity helps to position the shoulders down and back but you do need to actively contract your shoulder blades as well to ensure that this happens. You will see in the video how much easier it is for the chest to be in a position of power and therefore increase their contribution to the incline bench press. This, over time, will lead to greater chest muscle growth particularly in the upper chest.. For a complete workout program that puts the science back in strength to help you get much more out of every workout you do, head to http://athleanx.com and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System. See how training like an athlete can not only get you better results but faster results by cutting down on your wasted time and workout mistakes.. For more chest workout videos and exercises you can do for a bigger chest (not just the bench press) be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at http://youtube.com/user/jdcav24
For 3 free tips on how to build muscle fast customized for your body type and your goals, take my free body type fitness quiz http://vshred.fit/5upperchest. What’s going on guys! In today’s video, I have 5 of the best upper chest exercises to help you get bigger pecs! For these exercises you’ll need access to a barbell, dumbbells and a cable machine.. 5 Best Upper Chest Exercises for Bigger Pecs . 2:18 1️⃣ Incline Barbell Press. 4:56 2️⃣ Incline Dumbbell Press. 7:21 3️⃣ Low to High Cable Fly. 10:30 4️⃣ Incline Cable Fly. 13:22 5️⃣ Dumbbell Close Press. Trying these exercises out? Drop a comment below and let me know what your favorite was! Don’t forget to subscribe for more videos as well! 5 Best Upper Chest Exercises for Bigger Pecs (TRY THESE!) https://youtu.be/lMyKFE82L3c. -- Check out My Supplement Stacks!. For Fat Loss: http://vshred.fit/YTFatLossStack136. For Muscle Building: http://vshred.fit/YTMuscleBuildingStack136. -- Intro Song: Always Have by Castor Troy
How to Incline Dumbbell Press The Right Way! (GROW YOUR CHEST). FREE GUIDE: How To Build A Great Chest! https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/p/How-To-Build-A-Great-Chest. Subscribe to Mind Pump TV here: http://bit.ly/mindpumptv. Learning how to Incline Dumbbell Press is imperative to making maximum chest gains and ensuring that your upper chest is developing through lifting. Watch this video and learn how to perform this staple dumbbell exercise.. For more chest workouts and videos on how to do the bench press and the best bench press for your upper chest, make sure to subscribe to Mind Pump TV for all of our awesome fitness information: https://www.youtube.com/mindpumptv. Videography by @elijahhelfman. Connect with Mind Pump:. https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/. https://www.instagram.com/mindpumpmedia/. https://www.facebook.com/mindpump. https://www.youtube.com/mindpumptv. https://twitter.com/mindpump
It’s everyone’s favorite day of the week chest day. Today we’re really focusing on upper chest, and the way we’re tackling that is by focusing on unilateral movements and eccentric training.. Eccentric training includes MANY benefits, some of which include increased anabolic signaling, increased motor unit recruitment and decreased regulation of inhibitory mechanisms.. From a more simplistic training effect standpoint, eccentric training has documented effects on strength, power, and hypertrophy. According to a recent review in The Journal of Functional Morphology & Kinesiology, The benefits of Accentuated Eccentric Loading include: Hypertrophy Moderate Potential.. Strength High Potential.. Power High Potential.. The purpose of overloaded eccentrics is to apply a greater stimulus during the lowering or “yielding” portion of the exercise. During this phase of the lift, we are generally 20-40% stronger than during the concentric or “overcoming” phase.. This is different than accentuated eccentric training, which maintains the same weight during both the eccentric and concentric phase, but places an emphasis on a slower and more controlled lower during the eccentric phase of the lift.. Both methods elicit a tremendous response, and the research is clear that an emphasis on the eccentric phase of the lift produces greater strength and hypertrophy benefits.. One concept that is often overlooked is improvements in concentric strength potential associated with increasing eccentric strength.. Essentially, the smaller the gap between eccentric strength and concentric strength, the lower and slower the potential for concentric strength gains.. The greater the gap between eccentric and concentric strength, the greater and faster the potential to drive up concentric strength.. If you enjoyed this video please feel free to leave a like or comment, and share with your friends! Subscribe for more! Receive workouts, technique tips, and exclusive discounts right here → http://bit.ly/FitCultSubscribe. FITNESS CULTURE TRAINING → http://bit.ly/2MosUqF. FOLLOW US → https://www.instagram.com/fitnessculturetraining. https://www.facebook.com/fitcultprogramming/. https://www.instagram.com/jacobhutton1/. https://www.instagram.com/stevecook/. SUBSCRIBE → http://bit.ly/FitnessCultureSubscribe
4 simple strategies to blow up your upper chest as fast as possible! Get my intermediate-advanced Push Pull Legs program: ‣ https://www.jeffnippard.com/pushpulllegs. Get my full 8-week Chest Specialization Program 25% off here: ‣ https://www.jeffnippard.com/programs/chesthypertrophyprogram. ▹ FREE sample upper chest program at 7:25. Watch my Blow Up Your Bench Press video: https://youtu.be/ptpmRrzRtWQ. -- Check out what my amazing sponsors have to offer: ▹ MASS (Monthly Research Review). ‣ https://bit.ly/jeffMASS. ‣ Only $25/month (pre-paid yearly). ▹ PEScience Supplements. ‣ https://www.PEScience.com/discount/jeff. ‣ Use discount code JEFF to save $$. ▹ RISE Training Gear and Sportwear. ‣ http://rise.ca/jeff. ‣ Use discount code JEFF to save 10%. ▹ Body-Analyser Weight and Bodyfat % Scale. ‣ https://vitagoods.com/jefffit. ‣ Use the above link to save 60% off!. -- When it comes to the upper chest, there are 4 things you can start doing right away that will have an immediate impact on your max strength.. First let’s cover basic chest prioritization first: First: hit chest earlier in the workout.. Second: Tally up roughly how many sets of chest you’re hitting per week right now. Once you’ve got the proper techniques handled, then you can start adding one or two sets per week over the next month or two as you assess your progress, working your way up through the 12-20 set “optimal zone”.. Third: Increase frequency. If you’re currently only hitting your chest once per week on Monday, start hitting it twice per week.. Step 1: Modify Your Bench Press Technique. The first modification is to use slightly lighter weights for higher reps. The second way we want to modify our bench technique is by bringing our grip slightly in. Even though you won’t be able to move as much weight this way, if you’re more concerned with developing your upper chest, a closer grip will likely hit the upper fibers better.. Step 2: Add More Incline Presses. The reason I’m using dumbbells over barbells here is that you will be able to get a bit more range of motion with the extra stretch at the bottom: so the short comings of the barbell press are overcome by also including dumbbells. A cue I like to use on the incline press to drive upper chest focus is to keep the elbows moderately tucked and think about pressing the dumbbells up and back toward your face, rather than just straight up.. Step 3: Incorporate more non-traditional exercises. The reverse grip bench press, band press and banded push-ups are the three movements we can consider including. I’m personally a bit more wary of the guillotine press as it just feels too risky to me, so I’d stick with the banded push up and the banded incline press for higher reps in the 15-20 range to see if you feel them working your upper chest.. Step 4: Fill in further volume with isolation work. I like low to high cable flyes. While dumbbell flyes can be effective for really stretching out the pecs at the bottom, they lose tension at the top. When pulling the cables from low to high, you can mimic the exact orientation of the clavicular fibers, which also run low to high. You might feel this in your front delts (and that’s ok) but if you really focus on the mind-muscle connection and actively squeezing your pecs together, you should feel your upper pecs contracting the most.. -- Follow me on social media: Instagram ‣ http://instagram.com/jeffnippard. Facebook ‣ http://facebook.com/jeffnippard. Twitter ‣ http://twitter.com/jeffnippard. Podcast ‣ The Jeff Nippard Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher. -- SOURCES: Alan Aragon’s Research Review AARR August 2015 Issue: https://alanaragon.com/aarr/. https://www.strongerbyscience.com/how-to-bench/. https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:714265. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16095407. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20093960. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20512064. Filmed and edited by Rashaun R and me using Final Cut Pro X and Sony A7R3. Rashaun’s YouTube: ‣https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClnG0SHgQJm9CcZWIEgRnMw. -- About me: I’m a Canadian natural pro bodybuilder and internationally-qualified powerlifter with a BSc in biochemistry/chemistry and a passion for science. I’ve been training for 12 years drug-free. I’m 5’5 and fluctuate between 160 lbs (lean) and 180 lbs (bulked).. -- Disclaimers: Jeff Nippard is not a doctor or a medical professional. Always consult a physician before starting any exercise program. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Jeff Nippard will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness or death.
Incline Chest Press. The incline chest press is a popular bench variation that trains your chest along with your shoulders and triceps. The incline on the bench allows you to focus on the upper part of your chest and recruiting more of your shoulders into the lift. The upper chest is a lagging part on many lifters. The chest press is one of the best chest exercises for building upper body strength.
Other effective exercises include pec deck, cable crossover, and dips. The chest press targets your pectoral. Lie on an incline bench set to around 45-degrees. Hold the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
Lift your chest and pull your shoulders down and back. Plant your feet firmly on the floor and arch your lower back slightly. Unrack the bar, bend your arms and lower the bar down to your upper chest. Press the weight back up and repeat. The Bench-Press Angle That Will Maximize Your Chest Workout If you want to get the most out of your next chest workout, try a horizontal bench-press and raise the incline to a 30-degree angle.
This chest-centric series from Men’s Health Fitness Director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. forces you to really concentrate on each individual part of an incline press, giving your chest, triceps, and. The upper chest fibres run upward – They are maximally activated with exercises where the arms move upward. These include exercises involving shoulder flexion, like the incline press. The middle chest fibres run horizontally – They are best activated with exercises where the arms perform horizontally. Such as the flat bench press.
I’ve personally found the best activation with a 30 degree incline, but experiment with it and see what best activates your chest (For more exercises, check out my article on the best chest workout for mass) Exercise 2 (Horizontal Row) – Chest Supported Row. You want to move onto a horizontal rowing movement for your next upper body exercise. Then do each move in order. Complete all reps and all sets before heading to the next exercise.
Dumbbell Bench Press. Start with the most fundamental mass-builder for your chest. Do 4 sets of 8 to. The chest press—or to use the traditional term, “bench press”—has been a staple in strength programs since men started picking things up and putting them down. Here are 3 of the best chest exercises you can do that doesn’t involve the bench press: 1) Low Incline Dumbbell Press.
This is my personal favorite, mostly because it really hits the upper chest, which is an area most guys lack in. When doing the exercise, be sure to set the angle to no more than 30 degrees so that all the tension is kept on.
List of related literature:
c) Outer Chest Upper Area with exercises such as the Incline
Incline bench press Equipment: Incline bench, squat rack, spotter Movement: Using an overhand grip, slowly raise and lower the bar to the chest (both feet flat on the floor).
Start the movement with your hands just in front of your chest and press them upward (if you are using a bench press machine that requires you to lie on your back) or forward (if your bench press machine is vertical).
This video came just in the right time, as the other day there’s this newbie guy who saw my form in the incline barbell press as I was doing it not in full range of motion and started to lecture me as he knows shit about lifting like first of all I always listen to my body when it comes to lifting and how to perform the exercise since I’ve got multiple injuries in the past and learned from them but oh well I guess older people always like to give lectures to young ones huh.. btw thank you Mike Cheston for all the uploads that you post as I learned and will learn in the future.
Let me save you the trouble, if you have worked out for couple of years and followed any reasonable program and diet, what you see in the mirror is what you get your genes are 99% responsible for how much you can grow. Couple of more years and you will reach your maximum natural potential. That’s it, you can lose body fat and look more defined but that’s it, you want more steroids. That’s the nature of reality you live in. All of these channels are simply wasting your time. The entire science of body building has been completed 30 years ago and there is absolutely nothing new to be added.
Hey Vince, no offence but everytime I start your video I hear the sound of tearing tendon. I lost my teres minor tendon two years back so it kinda makes me remember that incident. Ur videos are the best in youtube especially the”what not to do” is very helpful. U r the guiding star of my life. ❤️
Is the max recoverable volume for a muscle group as a wohle or for each part of it (20 sets of all chest excercises vs 20 sets of just upper just, 20 sets of lower, etc)?
11:31 can we do this exercise using dumbells as some of the machines are not available in my gym right now. Can you demonstrate in the video how can we do those stretching exercises 8:10 to 12:00 using dumbells
Im not an expert but I know that by doing dumbells flat, incline and dicline, works your chest better and faster than barbell flat, incline, dicline. Is all I know
n=1 is never valid. In any other journal this would be thrown out before even considered for publication. This is why exercise ‘publications’ cannot be trusted entirely. Science requires scientific methods and scientific guards against loss of validity and reliability. Not a famous researcher lifting weights and inferring things then calling it research.
It seems that upper chest exercises are also great for the frond deltoids, but what about a lad lile me, who has a weak chest / strong delts by nature? I don’t even train shoulders now, because my delts are growing way faster than anything else, so how can I build this upper chest AND avoid building the front delts? Anyone has the same issue?
Interesting. For me, getting chest to grow was always very hard. I’d train it once per week, getting a bit stronger over time but my other body parts would zoom past my small chest gains. But when I went to twice a week chest training I started growing rapidly. I’d hit it hard on Friday, then a bit easier on Monday. I attribute flat bench to my upper chest gains. I’d use a weight I could get 10-15 reps with, and bust out 4 sets. While before this, when my chest was lagging, I’d be in the 6-10 rep range, adding weight each set, but this didn’t do a lot for me. Wasn’t until I upped the reps and really used the muscle, twice a week, that I started to grow.
Too much right front delt activation brought me looking for a video and im glad I found this one since he mentions it, exactly what I was looking for ill give this technique a shot next time
Natural vs enchantment athlete training are slightly different. Eating as well is different food is broken down differently. Just I think you should mention in you’re videos.
Thanks for the video. The problem I get is that none of the chest exercises that I do produce any ‘burn’ in the pecs at all. When doing the bench press, the first things that give out are my delts, and this happens long before I feel anything in my pecs. I have done extra work to try and build more endurance in them, but it hasn’t helped yet. Are there any exercises that more fully isolate the pecs that you can recommend?
I just watched a video where jeff says dont listen to people who says “study shows that” or “according to research” because what they are saying is i have no experience whatsoever, i have no idea what im talking about. And now he himself tells us acvording to research, study shows that.
Awesome Video! Can you do some CrossFit Stuff or Plyometrics? Do you have any good workouts/programs which last about 45-60min (warm-up included) because I am doing many other sports and don’t have that much time to workout.
Hi Jeff, big fan of your content, congrats dude. You are a bible to me in what physical health concerns. Could you make a video about Resistance Bands overall?
I’m sure he had a 56in chest still had mass and 22in arms and a 27in waist but I thought his legs should have been bigger. Size wise compared to todays bodybuilders doesn’t look out of place apart from the Arnold was still good obviously.
I have a question. Do these tips work for women too?? I want to sculp and “lift” my chest, but I heard that if I train certain parts/muscles on my chest, it’s going to make my breasts look flatter and make me lose fat there, instead of make them look a little bit rounder and perkier.
Can anyone help me here? It’s a serious question:c
simple way to build a huge chest: train with most heavy weights especially bench press, eat much and well, sleep long,take a whey protein+10g bcaa+5 g creatin after training and on non training day also a shake. thats it(without steroids). dont make a stupid long video and a mysterie hows it work
I DO NOT fully understand that elbow flaring or slight flaring or not flaring. I’ve always been told NOT to flare elbows when bench pressing (any bench pressing). What is the truth?
When I do cable flys, I like to do them with one arm, and use the off hand to touch my chest, this helps me make the connection to the muscle working super fast. It also allows me to get an awesome range of motion and cross over my center line easier. Less weight is used dong this though, so I still do traditional crossovers as well once I get the fly motion and muscle connection going.
What do you mean by activating the abs here? How do you activate and use the abs in this exercise, versus just uselessly tending your stomach without it contributing to the exercise?
Really great advice mike. By watching this I realised I was doing wrong. And I have to focus on doing well the exercises instead of carrying heavy weight.
Alright guys here’s the thing, ever since I got my home gym equipment together, when I’m on the incline bench.
Usually when I’m pushing 70 kg with the barbell included and when I’m around the 6th to 8th, i start to feel the joint on the outer end of my right elbow literally grinding together and yes my elbows are not flared, shoulder blades pulled back and down and the rest, the thing is its not painful but it’s still very frustrating. But anyways for now I’ve ditched the barbell press and focusing on other press variations for the upper chest and this never happened at my local gym before the lockdowns.
I have been training since I was 16 years old. Currently I am 76 years old! Your training videos are the best I have seen, especially since I am very knowledgeable due to my many years of experience.
I’ve got a rotary cuff injury on one of my shoulders, so when I incline press the dumb bells are not at 45 degrees but the are parallel to my torso, does that make a difference?
this other video i watched said that keeping your elbows at 90° was wrong They said keep them at 45° angle. It looks like youre elbows are at 90°. Not sure who is right/wrong
Outstanding video mate! I’ve been doing the incline press for some years now and looking at tweaking my technique. You have done a great job at breaking the execution down into stages I’ve never seen before in other videos…! awesome!
what about the angle elbow and shoulder… one instructor told me that elbow should be little close to ribs for better chest muscles activation… is that right?
rip shoulders and rotator cuffs. you wouldnt bench this way on the flat bench would you? tuck your ellbows in (45-75°), keep your scapular tight on the bench an go full range of motion ffs.
That shoulder push back and down part really helped me with my problem haha! Now I no longer feel all the weight on my shoulders and I started to do more reps towards chest.
Your are very articulate in describing the details of how to do this exercise.. I like stumbling upon videos like this because I always get the same exercise explained but in a different way with a slight variation and good tips on how to execute the exercise,
3rd week in applying your training method and starting to get the hang of it. What drills do you have for inbetween days. I Like your lessons,explanations and reasons for each workout. Am 66 and working to buildup bodymass slowly to stay healthy.
I only wish I found your channel long ago! The rolling the shoulders part definitely helps and it adds more volume to my chest now than what I was doing before. Thank you so much. Your videos are very inspiring!
I dont do flat bench at all…ever. I only do incline barbell at 45 degrees and incline dumbell press at 30 degrees. Fuck flat to me. I don’t compete in powerlifting so flat doesn’t matter to me. Doing only incline in presses along with other chest exercises like flies etc..will build the chest fully and will greatly lower the chances of anyone having a lagging upper chest. Only reason why a lot of gym bros like doing flat over incline is because incline is more difficult, you can press more on flat, it’s hard for them to put their little egos aside.
I’m a 61-year-old male trying to transform myself from a “beach blow over” into a beach blow out. I started watching your videos just last week. This is October 1, 2019. Again, I’ve watched and tried following along with the workouts. All of them from, chest, biceps, triceps, traps, back, shoulders and legs. So far, just in 1 week’s time, I see a noticeable difference in my arms. My sister even said it looks like I’m trying to swell up, as she puts it. I appreciate the detailed instructions both verbal and demo. I’m gonna stick with you bro, for a full 90 days and see where it takes me. I’m not sure if I can post before and after pix here but, trust me when I say, today, I’m dog gone near anorexic.
V, enjoy your videos very precise about info and placement of shoulders. I have shoulder and arm issues being 61, but still workout 5 times a week and follow your tips, thanks
I wish I found your channel years ago! You explain and demonstrates things soo well, and you are obviously free of any type of muscle enhancing drugs, but still looking great without them. So today is not only the day that I will be doing a lot of learning, but it’s also the day I SUBSCRIBE to keep learning your very helpful advice.
Anytime I do anykind of incline, my back starts to hurt right under my lats, normally just on my left side. Even if I try to squeeze at the top I feel pressure on my lower back (under lats). Any suggestions? Thanks
I’ve always hated the gym because of the uneducated people telling me to do exercises which did more damage to my body than build any muscles. After a few years of quitting, simply because I’m scared of injuries, I started working out again after watching Jeff. I know now that I’m training safely and I’m even giving advice to others at the gym! Thanks Jeff, you are amazing!
Hello Vince, I had surgery on my left should about four years ago, and my brother just mentioned to me 2 days ago that my upper chest along with the deltoid are weak still, do you have any workouts that would streghnten those muscles at the same time?
you emphasize correct form-by paying strict close attention-thats what i will work on-i think watching this vid over and over-till i get form right will help.Thanks!
Can’t wait to try these later. I’m new to chest excersises, thanks for your awesome videos!! I love the lats video and see my back getting defined already #much love from Germany
I don’t understand why NO ONE talks about extending the shoulders forward after straightening the arms in a bench or incline or standing press. It seems as THAT motion is what most directly is affected by the upper chest muscles.
Maintaining great form is the MOST IMPORTANT part of working out or else we don’t get the results we want. I am just starting out and don’t want to hurt myself either. Can’t thank you enough!!!!
Tested 30 and 45 degree incline presses many times and I always got more DOMS in the upper chest after doing the 30 degree press. 45 degree presses always gave more DOMS in the front delts and doing the press just didn’t feel good in the shoulder joints. There aren’t any 30 degree incline barbell benches over here, only 45 degree ones. That’s why I have to do incline presses always with dumbbells. That doesn’t matter too much since EMG studies show that dumbbell presses activate more muscle fibers in pectoralis major. For a couple of years I’ve been doing only decline and incline dumbbell presses for chest and no more shoulder problems and my chest has grown more than ever.
Guillotine press With smith machine / wide grip with ur hand inline with elbows is the best for upper chest / moderate weight with 20 reps/ thank me later!!!
Great video. I have been bench pressing a lot and have noticed that I rarely feel it in my chest after each workout. I usually feel it in my shoulders (delts), which now I can see that it’s probably because of my bad form. I have tried pinching my shoulder blades and lowering my shoulders but I don’t know if I’m doing it right…but I’ll focus on that some more now. Thank you.
The other day in the gym I was doing the incline bench DB press. Bench was set at 45 but I felt a lot of strain on the front delt. Reset the bench to 30 and it made a HUGE difference!
It seems my gyms incline bench press machine is greater than 30 degrees. I avoid it do to the slight shoulder discomfort when performing a press. I believe the 30 degree angle will help, at least it looks like it will. Can’t wait to try it when I get back to the gym (recovering from a torn main triceps tendon). Seems common sense when watching your vid. Thanks for all your great and professional advice.
Good breakdown and the marker is very helpful. I’ve used the 45 degree angle for years (I’m 60) and am happy to learn that I can drop the bench down a little and get better results. Probably will be easier on my shoulders too. Thanks!
@ 3:07 you mention upper pec activation w/ front raise. This caused me to wonder about the pullover technique in the earlier days of bodybuilding. When they did the barbell pullover it seems that they would typically go in a full arc. Wouldn’t that method also be effective in working the upper pec? I experimented with it this morning and it was an interesting feeling. I only did the lower half with dumbbells on a flat bench. Not to perpendicular, however. I didn’t try an incline but I will next workout. It would be a slight incline to see if I get more tension. I’m going to use it for a few weeks and see what I find.
When I keep my shoulders back to properly activate my chest it hurts my back in between my shoulders blades. Any idea what this is and how to prevent it?
Helpful as always, thank you. Have you done any vids on muscle recovery time? I’m an old guy trying to get back what I’ve lost after 10 years out of the gym. I’ve noticed my recovery times are much longer now than when I was in my 40’s. Is there anything I can do to speed that up both physically and nutritionally?
can i do 3 sets of the chest press machine and do also 3 sets of the incline barbell bench press in the same chest workout? or is that overkill on the upper chest?
i will try the shoulder thing trick tomorow and see the difference.i always knew something was off as i couldnt feel much at the chest and always felt at the shoulders when i bench pressed.
Jeff I’ve benching for years and I carry a lot of chest fat even during my leanest years…and have seen massive gains or shaping in the chest are. I’ve recently just heard about shoulder packing when benching? What is this and does it help with developing the chest. video would great or let me know how I can get in touch for some personal advice
This makes me happy, because I have “accidentally” adjusted for this “on my own” (but I have learned a lot from this channel, so hence quotation marks). I’ve found that whether I am on the bench, or using cables, sort of pushing my chest forward and shoulders backwards before the lift, puts a better and more isolated amount of stress on my chest. Glad to hear to science behind why! Thanks.
I found that doing the basics like Arnold Ferrigno Haney Yates and Coleman did….. heavyweight for 10-12 reps and High Volume…work sets 4-5 works best for pec growth…there is too much scientific focus and machines used today…. IMHO
You are amazing! When I have questions about my lifts, more often than not, I can find an answer from ATHLEAN-X that is always technical and informative!
Alright so I’m looking for answers, here’s the thing, ever since I got my home gym equipment together, when I’m on the incline bench.
Usually when I’m pushing 70 kg with the barbell included and when I’m around the 6th to 8th, i start to feel the joint on the outer end of my right elbow literally grinding together and yes my elbows are not flared, shoulder blades pulled back and down and the rest, the thing is its not painful but it’s still very frustrating. But anyways for now I’ve ditched the barbell press and focusing on other press variations for the upper chest and this never happened at my local gym before the lockdowns. Thanks
I allways go 30degree with dumbbells, incline bench fixed 45 is way too much on shoulders, really hard to imitate a 30degree during and keep it throughout the set u eventually fall out, im amazed we still dont have option to set the fixed incline bench to our preference Damn manufacturers
What brand of bench was that? Looking for a bench where the uprights move out of the way when you lift off the barbell.
Been doing the IBP for the longest time. But my bench isn’t built for it. Putting the barbell too far behind my head. So I put my bench facing the other way. Having to grab the barbell in a military press position and then walk the barbell out and back in. End up doing a front squat between sets.:)
The upper pecs are not fully activated cannot fully contract until the upper arms cross the mid line (sternum) of the upper body. The exercise you are demonstrating here is something out of the stone age of bodybuilding and next to worthless for upper pec development.
I like all your videos man, but have to disagree with the flared elbows on this one. I dont think its ever a good idea on ANY variation of chest presses. I just dont see the risk to reward on flaring the elbows vs not flaring the elbows regardless of the weight you’re using. Just my 2 cents.
I never arch on the IBP, But I do depress the shoulders. Angle is about 30 degrees. No j curve. I don’t use legs for any of it. Pinkies on the rings. Upper chest noticeably improved after only 2 weeks. All that pl stance stuff unnecessary for typical lifter. I don’t do flat bench anymore after discovering incline.
Yes, I did scrub back to 4:10 after reading that comment.
omarrr if you read this. Why did you say a shorter person would want the seat higher, and taller person wants it lower?? was this a mistake or did you mean this
I already arch my Incline Bench an still fucking hate it, all i get ist Shoulder pain and sorenes in the pec minor
The only things i can do for chest without getting Shoulder pain is flat Barbell Bench (also the Floor Press obviously) and decline Barbell Bench Press
Dumbbells, incline and flys (Cable, Machine Dumbbell all of them) always fuck up my shoulders
i mastered this with the barbell but how should i do it with the dumbells performing the incline bench press? retract my shoulders blades before laying down, as i am laying down or when i lay down try to retract them?
Hi. Would you recommend using a Smith machine for the incline press? I train alone and am more confident to lift heavier and do more reps on the Smith machine. Thanks
The most common myth is that adding more and more volume will stimulate more growth and this notion is completely false you must do enough volume to fully warm up but then do only one heavy set done perfectly to failure and beyond with a few rest pause reps is more than enough to achieve full muscular stimulation which is all a workout can achieve as growth only can happen in the time period that elapsed in the time period between the workouts. Again volume in and if itself does not stimulate muscular hypertrophy.
I’ve been working out and didn’t see much growth in my chest. Mike, you showed videos on different things to do, and you ALSO advise what Not to do!! I saw results quicker and a bigger chest now. Thank you for all the tips and info!!!! ❤️
I know this really doesn’t have anything to do with the video but a couple months back I pulled a really bad muscle right under my right pec, anyways ever since I pulled it it feels very awkward/discomfort, it hurt a lot when I pulled it, not to mention other areas of my back that I have discomfort in, how do I heal my muscle, should I go to the doctor?
My shoulder is fucked from incline bench, I have been bringing it right down and have no spot so failed once and had to force it into the rack, been painful ever since whenever performing chest exercises, so I will try it out, cheers mate.
Interesting, I just finished my upper chest workout today. I started out light to feel my upper fibers activate. From there I added more weights doing supersets and I definitely felt the burn more when I restricted my motion the heavier it got. Keep at it folks.
thank you mate for being an inspiration for me i hope i wil be posting my before and after body transformation on the social media very soon, i’m just watching your vids over and over and following all ur instructions, today i’m celebrating my fourth day in the gym i’m soo proud of my self thanks to you!
I disagree with flairing the elbows for the sake of more gains. No exercise is worth risking injury. Would much rather do incline with tucked elbows even if it uses more delt/ tricep but is done properly
So a guy with a flat weak looking upper chest is telling us how to build our upper chest? And by the way arching your back on incline bench makes it more of a flat bench movement.
Omar, I have been doing research about the upper chest anatomy. And the exercises on other videos never help them to grow. Until your tutorial shows up how to do it, the right way. Thank you for uploading this video, and never stop learning fitness.
Unfortunately I’m one of those guys that gets little to no activation with incline bench. All front delt and rear delt activation. Even with slow solid form its just not a upper chest move that helps me out at all. Hahah. I need science. Anybody have the same problem? I wonder what our condition is called!
Mike, I’m 52 and your videos have certain addictive authenticity in regards your presentation that made me get off my ass and back to the gym and encouraged me to look at nutrition as a way of life.
Good job guys I agree with everything said In your demonstration, in my opinion 2 inches above the chest and not pushing the weight all the way up locking the elbows because it takes the resistance away, the right way is like these guys in the video control the weight and do it slowly, you can make a light weight feel like a heavy weight and avoid injuries, leave your who outside of the Gym and focus on form not on lifting heavy and shitty form.
Avoid bench press if you really wanna hit the chest. Bench uses multiple muscles including shoulders and triceps. Stick to dumbell press which focuses primarily on the pecs and you can really squeeze it.
When you overly arch your back of a flat bench, you are effectively turning it into a near decline bench and when you overly arch your back in the incline, you are effectively turning it into a near flat bench. This is fine and dandy for full power pressing but kinda defeats the purpose for training. Keep your back arch low on both the flat and incline, drop the weight a little and you will get better activation where you should. We all want to be big booby benchers and push hard to do so but if your ego gets in the way, it will slow down your progress. Don’t over work the chest. When you finish your heavy sets, drop the weight and do a couple sets of reverse grip flat bench. Then finish the triceps off with a couple sets of heavy close grip bench press. If you have anything left, do a couple sets of cable crossovers or butterfly machine but with half reps working on the upper end squeeze where it needs it the most. The stronger part of the bench is at the bottom when the muscle is in full stretched. The weaker part of the bench is when the muscle is near full contraction. Work those half sets to improve strength on the near full contraction phase. This will improve your bench max. Working the triceps with close grip bench press will strengthen the triceps in the manner needed to increase your benching max.
Cheers Mike I went from 10 stone to 12 stone in 7 months with splitting my food from 4 big meals a day to 8 smaller meals to beat my matabolism plus your videos have changed the way I work out and I look and feel amazing have a merry Xmas and new year
You truly understand that not everyone can jump around do high impact, your workouts are well put together,short & get results but more importantly sustainable. Iam very surprised you haven’t got more subscribers tbh. I will recommend you to my friends in need. Thank you you are awesome #workout #motivation #fitness #music #goodluck
I am beginner, just started gym 2 weeks ago, my shape is not that bad, currently 93kg, just got some belly fat to burn, i follow a diet too, but my question to you Mike is, if machines are good, for the whole body in general, because they focus on particular muscles or parts of the body, which might be good for beginners, but then in the future free weights will be the better option, do you use machines at all, because i see a lot if youtubers with high following saying machines are bad, not necessarily bad, but avoiding them and they say, they mostly use free weights and how do I get a hold of your programme?
The NEW millenials way of weight training AND IN LIFE…. DO EVERYTHING HALF ASS…. PATHETIC… the greatest era of the 80s is where you will find the pure non sippy cup lifters…
Are you gonna be doing a video on unbalanced shoulders? i.e. where one sits higher than the other. Been having this problem for a while now, where I feel a better stretch in one pec (the side that sits lower) and it is difficult to stay symmetrical
Just tried out this technique, I had to drop massively of weight than im used to when incline bench pressing. Althrough I felt alot in my shoulders in the final reps of the last set. Guess I’ve must’ve raised my shoulders
Hi, thank you for your infos… my problem on my chest is that they are not at the same line. Left one looks higher than right one while their sizes are almost same… do you have any suggestion about my problem?
Damm, I’ve been doing it wrong all this time. Definitely taking your advice on this one. I think it will be better for my shoulder as well. I’ve messed that up before.
I had originally planned to do this video on “the fastest way to blow up your squat” BUT I rolled my ankle playing basketball (or was it doing bosu-ball-curls? hmmm…) so I had to delay all lower body stuff on account of me being forced to skip leg day. I’m back to hitting full body workouts now, so will definitely be rolling out the Full Body Science Applied Series (and the new program) next month! I’m also going to extend this series and cover specific techniques for “blowing up your [everything interesting]”. Let me know if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see. Hope you guys are having a great weekend and enjoy the video! Peace!
these men giving that face, as if they are struggling to lift weightless shit… nigga please, you explain it good but the white boy gives us a face as if he struggles? he looks like he’s 6.8 ripped and 290lbs
This video came just in the right time, as the other day there’s this newbie guy who saw my form in the incline barbell press as I was doing it not in full range of motion and started to lecture me as he knows shit about lifting like first of all I always listen to my body when it comes to lifting and how to perform the exercise since I’ve got multiple injuries in the past and learned from them but oh well I guess older people always like to give lectures to young ones huh.. btw thank you Mike Cheston for all the uploads that you post as I learned and will learn in the future.
Hi, V. Well thanks. These all are my favorite upper chest exercises and these exercises very helped me. Thanks a lot for these tips againe.
I mean you can just watch mr.olympia contestants that talk chest work outs… this shits more crap just go lift a shit ton incline
Let me save you the trouble, if you have worked out for couple of years and followed any reasonable program and diet, what you see in the mirror is what you get your genes are 99% responsible for how much you can grow. Couple of more years and you will reach your maximum natural potential. That’s it, you can lose body fat and look more defined but that’s it, you want more steroids. That’s the nature of reality you live in. All of these channels are simply wasting your time. The entire science of body building has been completed 30 years ago and there is absolutely nothing new to be added.
Hey Vince, no offence but everytime I start your video I hear the sound of tearing tendon. I lost my teres minor tendon two years back so it kinda makes me remember that incident. Ur videos are the best in youtube especially the”what not to do” is very helpful. U r the guiding star of my life. ❤️
Is the max recoverable volume for a muscle group as a wohle or for each part of it (20 sets of all chest excercises vs 20 sets of just upper just, 20 sets of lower, etc)?
Used to do more incline bench for 4 months but failed to develop good pecs I started slow rep heavy bench press m chest is monstrous and in shape
11:31 can we do this exercise using dumbells as some of the machines are not available in my gym right now.
Can you demonstrate in the video how can we do those stretching exercises 8:10 to 12:00 using dumbells
Im not an expert but I know that by doing dumbells flat, incline and dicline, works your chest better and faster than barbell flat, incline, dicline. Is all I know
n=1 is never valid. In any other journal this would be thrown out before even considered for publication. This is why exercise ‘publications’ cannot be trusted entirely. Science requires scientific methods and scientific guards against loss of validity and reliability. Not a famous researcher lifting weights and inferring things then calling it research.
study… this guy wrote… that guy wrote… theories over theories…
to be honest…arnold didn’t make it that complicated and had more muscles
It seems that upper chest exercises are also great for the frond deltoids, but what about a lad lile me, who has a weak chest / strong delts by nature? I don’t even train shoulders now, because my delts are growing way faster than anything else, so how can I build this upper chest AND avoid building the front delts? Anyone has the same issue?
Interesting. For me, getting chest to grow was always very hard. I’d train it once per week, getting a bit stronger over time but my other body parts would zoom past my small chest gains. But when I went to twice a week chest training I started growing rapidly. I’d hit it hard on Friday, then a bit easier on Monday. I attribute flat bench to my upper chest gains. I’d use a weight I could get 10-15 reps with, and bust out 4 sets. While before this, when my chest was lagging, I’d be in the 6-10 rep range, adding weight each set, but this didn’t do a lot for me. Wasn’t until I upped the reps and really used the muscle, twice a week, that I started to grow.
Too much right front delt activation brought me looking for a video and im glad I found this one since he mentions it, exactly what I was looking for ill give this technique a shot next time
Alright I gave the sample chest workout a go. I noticed it is significantly more difficult to rack and unrack any tips on how to do this safely?
Natural vs enchantment athlete training are slightly different. Eating as well is different food is broken down differently. Just I think you should mention in you’re videos.
literally hit the like button 2 sec in.. because it’s jeff nippard and I’ve been looking for a good vid covering this for a while now.
Thanks for the video. The problem I get is that none of the chest exercises that I do produce any ‘burn’ in the pecs at all. When doing the bench press, the first things that give out are my delts, and this happens long before I feel anything in my pecs. I have done extra work to try and build more endurance in them, but it hasn’t helped yet. Are there any exercises that more fully isolate the pecs that you can recommend?
I just watched a video where jeff says dont listen to people who says “study shows that” or “according to research” because what they are saying is i have no experience whatsoever, i have no idea what im talking about. And now he himself tells us acvording to research, study shows that.
Awesome Video! Can you do some CrossFit Stuff or Plyometrics? Do you have any good workouts/programs which last about 45-60min (warm-up included) because I am doing many other sports and don’t have that much time to workout.
Hi Jeff, big fan of your content, congrats dude. You are a bible to me in what physical health concerns.
Could you make a video about Resistance Bands overall?
I’m sure he had a 56in chest still had mass and 22in arms and a 27in waist but I thought his legs should have been bigger. Size wise compared to todays bodybuilders doesn’t look out of place apart from the Arnold was still good obviously.
Hey Jeff, do you ever give any promos for your programs. I’m really interested in your pushpulllegs programs. I love your channel bruh. I support.
The easiest way to get balanced pec development is to do reverse-grip bench press. Do that and you won’t need to do incline bench work.
I have a question. Do these tips work for women too?? I want to sculp and “lift” my chest, but I heard that if I train certain parts/muscles on my chest, it’s going to make my breasts look flatter and make me lose fat there, instead of make them look a little bit rounder and perkier.
Can anyone help me here? It’s a serious question:c
simple way to build a huge chest: train with most heavy weights especially bench press, eat much and well, sleep long,take a whey protein+10g bcaa+5 g creatin after training and on non training day also a shake. thats it(without steroids). dont make a stupid long video and a mysterie hows it work
I DO NOT fully understand that elbow flaring or slight flaring or not flaring. I’ve always been told NOT to flare elbows when bench pressing (any bench pressing). What is the truth?
The guy knows his stuff such a great channel…… Great video we are posting daily videos on staying fit and will during this time as well….Stay well..
When I do cable flys, I like to do them with one arm, and use the off hand to touch my chest, this helps me make the connection to the muscle working super fast. It also allows me to get an awesome range of motion and cross over my center line easier. Less weight is used dong this though, so I still do traditional crossovers as well once I get the fly motion and muscle connection going.
What do you mean by activating the abs here? How do you activate and use the abs in this exercise, versus just uselessly tending your stomach without it contributing to the exercise?
Really great advice mike. By watching this I realised I was doing wrong. And I have to focus on doing well the exercises instead of carrying heavy weight.
Alright guys here’s the thing, ever since I got my home gym equipment together, when I’m on the incline bench.
Usually when I’m pushing 70 kg with the barbell included and when I’m around the 6th to 8th, i start to feel the joint on the outer end of my right elbow literally grinding together and yes my elbows are not flared, shoulder blades pulled back and down and the rest, the thing is its not painful but it’s still very frustrating. But anyways for now I’ve ditched the barbell press and focusing on other press variations for the upper chest and this never happened at my local gym before the lockdowns.
I have been training since I was 16 years old. Currently I am 76 years old! Your training videos are the best I have seen, especially since I am very knowledgeable due to my many years of experience.
I’ve got a rotary cuff injury on one of my shoulders, so when I incline press the dumb bells are not at 45 degrees but the are parallel to my torso, does that make a difference?
this other video i watched said that keeping your elbows at 90° was wrong They said keep them at 45° angle. It looks like youre elbows are at 90°. Not sure who is right/wrong
Outstanding video mate! I’ve been doing the incline press for some years now and looking at tweaking my technique. You have done a great job at breaking the execution down into stages I’ve never seen before in other videos…! awesome!
what about the angle elbow and shoulder… one instructor told me that elbow should be little close to ribs for better chest muscles activation… is that right?
Hes a theif he steals ideas from real professionals he doesn’t even know the name of some of those exercises like the last one is a hex press.
rip shoulders and rotator cuffs. you wouldnt bench this way on the flat bench would you?
tuck your ellbows in (45-75°), keep your scapular tight on the bench an go full range of motion ffs.
That shoulder push back and down part really helped me with my problem haha! Now I no longer feel all the weight on my shoulders and I started to do more reps towards chest.
Your are very articulate in describing the details of how to do this exercise.. I like stumbling upon videos like this because I always get the same exercise explained but in a different way with a slight variation and good tips on how to execute the exercise,
3rd week in applying your training method and starting to get the hang of it. What drills do you have for inbetween days. I Like your lessons,explanations and reasons for each workout. Am 66 and working to buildup bodymass slowly to stay healthy.
I only wish I found your channel long ago! The rolling the shoulders part definitely helps and it adds more volume to my chest now than what I was doing before. Thank you so much. Your videos are very inspiring!
I dont do flat bench at all…ever. I only do incline barbell at 45 degrees and incline dumbell press at 30 degrees. Fuck flat to me. I don’t compete in powerlifting so flat doesn’t matter to me. Doing only incline in presses along with other chest exercises like flies etc..will build the chest fully and will greatly lower the chances of anyone having a lagging upper chest. Only reason why a lot of gym bros like doing flat over incline is because incline is more difficult, you can press more on flat, it’s hard for them to put their little egos aside.
I’m a 61-year-old male trying to transform myself from a “beach blow over” into a beach blow out. I started watching your videos just last week. This is October 1, 2019. Again, I’ve watched and tried following along with the workouts. All of them from, chest, biceps, triceps, traps, back, shoulders and legs. So far, just in 1 week’s time, I see a noticeable difference in my arms. My sister even said it looks like I’m trying to swell up, as she puts it. I appreciate the detailed instructions both verbal and demo. I’m gonna stick with you bro, for a full 90 days and see where it takes me. I’m not sure if I can post before and after pix here but, trust me when I say, today, I’m dog gone near anorexic.
V, enjoy your videos very precise about info and placement of shoulders. I have shoulder and arm issues being 61, but still workout 5 times a week and follow your tips, thanks
Finally!! Someone to show me the proper way of lifting to maximize gains while protecting me from screwing myself up-safe movements .
I wish I found your channel years ago! You explain and demonstrates things soo well, and you are obviously free of any type of muscle enhancing drugs, but still looking great without them. So today is not only the day that I will be doing a lot of learning, but it’s also the day I SUBSCRIBE to keep learning your very helpful advice.
Anytime I do anykind of incline, my back starts to hurt right under my lats, normally just on my left side. Even if I try to squeeze at the top I feel pressure on my lower back (under lats). Any suggestions?
Thanks
I’ve always hated the gym because of the uneducated people telling me to do exercises which did more damage to my body than build any muscles. After a few years of quitting, simply because I’m scared of injuries, I started working out again after watching Jeff. I know now that I’m training safely and I’m even giving advice to others at the gym! Thanks Jeff, you are amazing!
Hello Vince, I had surgery on my left should about four years ago, and my brother just mentioned to me 2 days ago that my upper chest along with the deltoid are weak still, do you have any workouts that would streghnten those muscles at the same time?
you emphasize correct form-by paying strict close attention-thats what i will work on-i think watching this vid over and over-till i get form right will help.Thanks!
Can’t wait to try these later. I’m new to chest excersises, thanks for your awesome videos!! I love the lats video and see my back getting defined already #much love from Germany
I don’t understand why NO ONE talks about extending the shoulders forward after straightening the arms in a bench or incline or standing press. It seems as THAT motion is what most directly is affected by the upper chest muscles.
Maintaining great form is the MOST IMPORTANT part of working out
or else we don’t get the results we want.
I am just starting out and don’t want to hurt myself either.
Can’t thank you enough!!!!
Tested 30 and 45 degree incline presses many times and I always got more DOMS in the upper chest after doing the 30 degree press. 45 degree presses always gave more DOMS in the front delts and doing the press just didn’t feel good in the shoulder joints. There aren’t any 30 degree incline barbell benches over here, only 45 degree ones. That’s why I have to do incline presses always with dumbbells. That doesn’t matter too much since EMG studies show that dumbbell presses activate more muscle fibers in pectoralis major. For a couple of years I’ve been doing only decline and incline dumbbell presses for chest and no more shoulder problems and my chest has grown more than ever.
Guillotine press With smith machine / wide grip with ur hand inline with elbows is the best for upper chest / moderate weight with 20 reps/ thank me later!!!
Great video. I have been bench pressing a lot and have noticed that I rarely feel it in my chest after each workout. I usually feel it in my shoulders (delts), which now I can see that it’s probably because of my bad form. I have tried pinching my shoulder blades and lowering my shoulders but I don’t know if I’m doing it right…but I’ll focus on that some more now. Thank you.
The other day in the gym I was doing the incline bench DB press. Bench was set at 45 but I felt a lot of strain on the front delt. Reset the bench to 30 and it made a HUGE difference!
It seems my gyms incline bench press machine is greater than 30 degrees. I avoid it do to the slight shoulder discomfort when performing a press. I believe the 30 degree angle will help, at least it looks like it will. Can’t wait to try it when I get back to the gym (recovering from a torn main triceps tendon). Seems common sense when watching your vid. Thanks for all your great and professional advice.
Good breakdown and the marker is very helpful. I’ve used the 45 degree angle for years (I’m 60) and am happy to learn that I can drop the bench down a little and get better results. Probably will be easier on my shoulders too. Thanks!
@ 3:07 you mention upper pec activation w/ front raise. This caused me to wonder about the pullover technique in the earlier days of bodybuilding. When they did the barbell pullover it seems that they would typically go in a full arc. Wouldn’t that method also be effective in working the upper pec? I experimented with it this morning and it was an interesting feeling. I only did the lower half with dumbbells on a flat bench. Not to perpendicular, however. I didn’t try an incline but I will next workout. It would be a slight incline to see if I get more tension. I’m going to use it for a few weeks and see what I find.
When I keep my shoulders back to properly activate my chest it hurts my back in between my shoulders blades. Any idea what this is and how to prevent it?
Helpful as always, thank you. Have you done any vids on muscle recovery time? I’m an old guy trying to get back what I’ve lost after 10 years out of the gym. I’ve noticed my recovery times are much longer now than when I was in my 40’s. Is there anything I can do to speed that up both physically and nutritionally?
can i do 3 sets of the chest press machine and do also 3 sets of the incline barbell bench press in the same chest workout? or is that overkill on the upper chest?
i will try the shoulder thing trick tomorow and see the difference.i always knew something was off as i couldnt feel much at the chest and always felt at the shoulders when i bench pressed.
I Love The Detailed Breakdowns! I Love The Markers. I learn so much more about what muscles I am targeting and where they are and what they do. Thanks
Jeff I’ve benching for years and I carry a lot of chest fat even during my leanest years…and have seen massive gains or shaping in the chest are. I’ve recently just heard about shoulder packing when benching? What is this and does it help with developing the chest. video would great or let me know how I can get in touch for some personal advice
This makes me happy, because I have “accidentally” adjusted for this “on my own” (but I have learned a lot from this channel, so hence quotation marks). I’ve found that whether I am on the bench, or using cables, sort of pushing my chest forward and shoulders backwards before the lift, puts a better and more isolated amount of stress on my chest. Glad to hear to science behind why! Thanks.
I found that doing the basics like Arnold Ferrigno Haney Yates and Coleman did….. heavyweight for 10-12 reps and High Volume…work sets 4-5 works best for pec growth…there is too much scientific focus and machines used today…. IMHO
You are amazing! When I have questions about my lifts, more often than not, I can find an answer from ATHLEAN-X that is always technical and informative!
Alright so I’m looking for answers, here’s the thing, ever since I got my home gym equipment together, when I’m on the incline bench.
Usually when I’m pushing 70 kg with the barbell included and when I’m around the 6th to 8th, i start to feel the joint on the outer end of my right elbow literally grinding together and yes my elbows are not flared, shoulder blades pulled back and down and the rest, the thing is its not painful but it’s still very frustrating. But anyways for now I’ve ditched the barbell press and focusing on other press variations for the upper chest and this never happened at my local gym before the lockdowns.
Thanks
Very core info…. though less sorted by others….. thanks sir….. this gonna be helpful….. plz provide other informative info like this….
5 years program, I’m just wonder how Hollywood actors can build their muscles in short period. What kind of program they follow.
I allways go 30degree with dumbbells, incline bench fixed 45 is way too much on shoulders, really hard to imitate a 30degree during and keep it throughout the set u eventually fall out, im amazed we still dont have option to set the fixed incline bench to our preference
Damn manufacturers
What brand of bench was that? Looking for a bench where the uprights move out of the way when you lift off the barbell.
Been doing the IBP for the longest time. But my bench isn’t built for it. Putting the barbell too far behind my head. So I put my bench facing the other way. Having to grab the barbell in a military press position and then walk the barbell out and back in. End up doing a front squat between sets.:)
I luv doing wide grip incline BB press at 35° to 40° angle only for me inclines really develope the clavicular N the medial portion off the chest
The upper pecs are not fully activated cannot fully contract until the upper arms cross the mid line (sternum) of the upper body. The exercise you are demonstrating here is something out of the stone age of bodybuilding and next to worthless for upper pec development.
I like all your videos man, but have to disagree with the flared elbows on this one. I dont think its ever a good idea on ANY variation of chest presses. I just dont see the risk to reward on flaring the elbows vs not flaring the elbows regardless of the weight you’re using. Just my 2 cents.
Sorry Omar I couldn’t understand a word u said, that’s my fault but you have two fine asses in the back ground that took all my attention ✌️✌️
I never arch on the IBP, But I do depress the shoulders. Angle is about 30 degrees. No j curve. I don’t use legs for any of it. Pinkies on the rings. Upper chest noticeably improved after only 2 weeks. All that pl stance stuff unnecessary for typical lifter. I don’t do flat bench anymore after discovering incline.
Yes, I did scrub back to 4:10 after reading that comment.
omarrr if you read this. Why did you say a shorter person would want the seat higher, and taller person wants it lower?? was this a mistake or did you mean this
I already arch my Incline Bench an still fucking hate it, all i get ist Shoulder pain and sorenes in the pec minor
The only things i can do for chest without getting Shoulder pain is flat Barbell Bench (also the Floor Press obviously) and decline Barbell Bench Press
Dumbbells, incline and flys (Cable, Machine Dumbbell all of them) always fuck up my shoulders
If you’re going to arch your back like that to change the angle of shoulder flexion, then you’re not making much of a change from a flat bench…
i mastered this with the barbell but how should i do it with the dumbells performing the incline bench press? retract my shoulders blades before laying down, as i am laying down or when i lay down try to retract them?
Hi. Would you recommend using a Smith machine for the incline press? I train alone and am more confident to lift heavier and do more reps on the Smith machine. Thanks
The most common myth is that adding more and more volume will stimulate more growth and this notion is completely false you must do enough volume to fully warm up but then do only one heavy set done perfectly to failure and beyond with a few rest pause reps is more than enough to achieve full muscular stimulation which is all a workout can achieve as growth only can happen in the time period that elapsed in the time period between the workouts. Again volume in and if itself does not stimulate muscular hypertrophy.
I’ve been working out and didn’t see much growth in my chest. Mike, you showed videos on different things to do, and you ALSO advise what Not to do!! I saw results quicker and a bigger chest now. Thank you for all the tips and info!!!! ❤️
I know this really doesn’t have anything to do with the video but a couple months back I pulled a really bad muscle right under my right pec, anyways ever since I pulled it it feels very awkward/discomfort, it hurt a lot when I pulled it, not to mention other areas of my back that I have discomfort in, how do I heal my muscle, should I go to the doctor?
My shoulder is fucked from incline bench, I have been bringing it right down and have no spot so failed once and had to force it into the rack, been painful ever since whenever performing chest exercises, so I will try it out, cheers mate.
Interesting, I just finished my upper chest workout today. I started out light to feel my upper fibers activate. From there I added more weights doing supersets and I definitely felt the burn more when I restricted my motion the heavier it got. Keep at it folks.
I like how people will still comment about half reps and other BS when everybody can quite clearly see the results of his hard work.
thank you mate for being an inspiration for me i hope i wil be posting my before and after body transformation on the social media very soon, i’m just watching your vids over and over and following all ur instructions, today i’m celebrating my fourth day in the gym i’m soo proud of my self thanks to you!
I disagree with flairing the elbows for the sake of more gains. No exercise is worth risking injury. Would much rather do incline with tucked elbows even if it uses more delt/ tricep but is done properly
So a guy with a flat weak looking upper chest is telling us how to build our upper chest? And by the way arching your back on incline bench makes it more of a flat bench movement.
Omar, I have been doing research about the upper chest anatomy. And the exercises on other videos never help them to grow. Until your tutorial shows up how to do it, the right way. Thank you for uploading this video, and never stop learning fitness.
Unfortunately I’m one of those guys that gets little to no activation with incline bench. All front delt and rear delt activation. Even with slow solid form its just not a upper chest move that helps me out at all. Hahah.
I need science. Anybody have the same problem? I wonder what our condition is called!
Mike, I’m 52 and your videos have certain addictive authenticity in regards your presentation that made me get off my ass and back to the gym and encouraged me to look at nutrition as a way of life.
Good job guys I agree with everything said In your demonstration, in my opinion 2 inches above the chest and not pushing the weight all the way up locking the elbows because it takes the resistance away, the right way is like these guys in the video control the weight and do it slowly, you can make a light weight feel like a heavy weight and avoid injuries, leave your who outside of the Gym and focus on form not on lifting heavy and shitty form.
Avoid bench press if you really wanna hit the chest. Bench uses multiple muscles including shoulders and triceps. Stick to dumbell press which focuses primarily on the pecs and you can really squeeze it.
When you overly arch your back of a flat bench, you are effectively turning it into a near decline bench and when you overly arch your back in the incline, you are effectively turning it into a near flat bench. This is fine and dandy for full power pressing but kinda defeats the purpose for training. Keep your back arch low on both the flat and incline, drop the weight a little and you will get better activation where you should. We all want to be big booby benchers and push hard to do so but if your ego gets in the way, it will slow down your progress. Don’t over work the chest. When you finish your heavy sets, drop the weight and do a couple sets of reverse grip flat bench. Then finish the triceps off with a couple sets of heavy close grip bench press. If you have anything left, do a couple sets of cable crossovers or butterfly machine but with half reps working on the upper end squeeze where it needs it the most. The stronger part of the bench is at the bottom when the muscle is in full stretched. The weaker part of the bench is when the muscle is near full contraction. Work those half sets to improve strength on the near full contraction phase. This will improve your bench max. Working the triceps with close grip bench press will strengthen the triceps in the manner needed to increase your benching max.
Cheers Mike I went from 10 stone to 12 stone in 7 months with splitting my food from 4 big meals a day to 8 smaller meals to beat my matabolism plus your videos have changed the way I work out and I look and feel amazing have a merry Xmas and new year
Hey Mike and follower, i have uploaded my 10 years fitness transformation on my channel, it would be nice if you can give me some feedback.
mike thanks for showing us old guys why we ruined our rotator cuff. wish you were around 30 years ago. proper position is so important.
You truly understand that not everyone can jump around do high impact, your workouts are well put together,short & get results but more importantly sustainable.
Iam very surprised you haven’t got more subscribers tbh.
I will recommend you to my friends in need. Thank you you are awesome #workout #motivation #fitness #music #goodluck
I am beginner, just started gym 2 weeks ago, my shape is not that bad, currently 93kg, just got some belly fat to burn, i follow a diet too, but my question to you Mike is, if machines are good, for the whole body in general, because they focus on particular muscles or parts of the body, which might be good for beginners, but then in the future free weights will be the better option, do you use machines at all, because i see a lot if youtubers with high following saying machines are bad, not necessarily bad, but avoiding them and they say, they mostly use free weights and how do I get a hold of your programme?
The NEW millenials way of weight training AND IN LIFE…. DO EVERYTHING HALF ASS…. PATHETIC… the greatest era of the 80s is where you will find the pure non sippy cup lifters…
Are you gonna be doing a video on unbalanced shoulders? i.e. where one sits higher than the other. Been having this problem for a while now, where I feel a better stretch in one pec (the side that sits lower) and it is difficult to stay symmetrical
Just tried out this technique, I had to drop massively of weight than im used to when incline bench pressing. Althrough I felt alot in my shoulders in the final reps of the last set. Guess I’ve must’ve raised my shoulders
Hi, thank you for your infos… my problem on my chest is that they are not at the same line. Left one looks higher than right one while their sizes are almost same… do you have any suggestion about my problem?
Damm, I’ve been doing it wrong all this time. Definitely taking your advice on this one. I think it will be better for my shoulder as well. I’ve messed that up before.
I had originally planned to do this video on “the fastest way to blow up your squat” BUT I rolled my ankle playing basketball (or was it doing bosu-ball-curls? hmmm…) so I had to delay all lower body stuff on account of me being forced to skip leg day. I’m back to hitting full body workouts now, so will definitely be rolling out the Full Body Science Applied Series (and the new program) next month! I’m also going to extend this series and cover specific techniques for “blowing up your [everything interesting]”. Let me know if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see. Hope you guys are having a great weekend and enjoy the video! Peace!
I agree. Dangerous. I prefer Smith machine for this and all the way to the collar bone. Heaviest I go is 45’s and 25’s on each side.
these men giving that face, as if they are struggling to lift weightless shit… nigga please, you explain it good but the white boy gives us a face as if he struggles? he looks like he’s 6.8 ripped and 290lbs