My Top 3 Upper Chest Hacks

Summary

In this fitness video, the host discusses strategies for effectively training the upper chest, emphasizing proper form on incline bench presses. They suggest using a 30° incline without arching or opting for a 45° incline with significant arching to target the upper chest. The script also advises against pressing low on the chest and recommends a vertical pressing line for better leverage and pec stretch. Lastly, it introduces the reverse grip bench press as a safer and more effective alternative for upper chest engagement.

Takeaways

• 📏 **Proper Arching**: To effectively target the upper chest during incline presses, ensure your chin is higher than your upper chest to avoid turning the exercise into a flat press.
• 🔍 **Angle Analysis**: A 30° incline bench press is ideal for upper chest development if done with a flat back and without excessive tightness.
• 💺 **Bench Convenience**: Gym-goers often default to the most convenient option, which is typically a 45° incline bench, rather than the optimal 30°.
• 📱 **Use a Leveling App**: To ensure the correct incline angle, use a leveling app to check the bench's angle because many preset stations are inaccurate.
• 🤸‍♂️ **Arching Benefits**: Arching pre-stretches the pecs, enhances stability, and standardizes form, making it a safer way to incline press.
• 🚫 **Avoid Flaring Elbows**: When pressing on an incline, avoid flaring out your elbows excessively; instead, aim to press with a more vertical line.
• 📉 **Higher Pressing**: Pressing higher up on the chest, towards the clavicle, is more beneficial for upper chest development compared to pressing low.
• 🏋️‍♂️ **Reverse Grip Variation**: The reverse grip bench press engages the upper chest more and is safer on the shoulders, making it a valuable variation.
• 🔄 **Change of Angle**: To prevent shoulder overuse, consider changing the angle of your presses, such as incorporating reverse grip for variety.
• 🏆 **Golden Era Wisdom**: The upper chest biasing technique used in incline pressing was intuitively discovered by bodybuilders of the past, emphasizing the effectiveness of this method.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The video focuses on providing strategies to effectively train the upper chest area during incline bench press exercises.

Why is it important to keep the chin higher than the upper chest during incline bench press?

Keeping the chin higher than the upper chest ensures that the exercise targets the upper chest rather than mimicking a flat bench press, which is crucial for isolating the upper chest muscles.

What is the recommended incline angle for effectively targeting the upper chest?

A 30° incline angle is recommended as it is considered the sweet spot for effectively targeting the upper chest.

Why might someone prefer a 45° incline bench press over a 30° incline?

Some people might prefer a 45° incline bench press because it might be more convenient or accessible in their gym setup, and they can compensate by arching to achieve a similar effect to a 30° incline.

What is the significance of using a leveling app when setting up the incline bench?

Using a leveling app ensures that the bench is set at the correct angle, preventing underestimation or overestimation of the incline, which can affect the effectiveness of the exercise.

How does arching during incline bench press affect the stretch and engagement of the pectoral muscles?

Arching during the incline bench press pre-stretches the pecs, allowing for better muscle engagement and a more effective stretch in the bottom part of the movement.

What is the 'Guillotine' style mentioned in the video and how does it relate to incline bench press?

The 'Guillotine' style refers to pressing the barbell higher up on the chest, closer to the clavicle, which is said to enhance the stretch and contraction of the upper chest muscles during incline bench press.

Why is the reverse grip bench press suggested as a way to increase upper chest involvement?

The reverse grip bench press forces the lifter into an external rotation, which locks the elbows in and biases the upper chest more, leading to increased activation of the pectoral muscles.

How does the reverse grip bench press affect shoulder safety?

The reverse grip bench press is considered safer for the shoulders as it reduces the strain on the rotator cuff and allows for a more secure grip, which can be beneficial for those with shoulder issues.

What is the 'RTO' mentioned in the video and how does it relate to chest training?

RTO stands for 'Reverse, Tuck, Open' and refers to a variation of dips that emphasizes the upper chest by altering the hand position and movement, providing a different angle of stimulation.

Why is it suggested to avoid pressing the barbell low on the chest during incline bench press?

Pressing the barbell low on the chest during incline bench press can reduce the stretch on the pectoral muscles and create worse leverages, making it less effective for targeting the upper chest.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Optimizing Incline Bench Press for Upper Chest Development

The paragraph discusses the importance of correct form in incline bench pressing to effectively target the upper chest muscles. It emphasizes that many lifters unknowingly perform a flat press instead of an incline press due to improper arching. The narrator suggests that a 30° incline with a flat back and minimal scapular retraction is ideal for upper chest development. They also mention that if one uses a 45° incline bench, they should arch their back to simulate a lower incline. The paragraph also touches on the anthropometric considerations and the importance of using a leveling app to ensure the correct incline angle.

05:03

📏 Advanced Techniques for Incline Press Variations

This section delves into advanced techniques for incline bench press, such as retracting and protracting at the top of the lift to enhance the stretch on the pectoral muscles. It also discusses the importance of starting from a higher angle and arching downwards for dumbbell incline presses. The paragraph stresses the benefits of pressing higher up on the chest, akin to a clavicle Guillotine style, rather than low on the chest, to achieve better leverages and muscle stretch. The narrator shares personal experiences and insights from other professionals in the field to support their recommendations.

10:04

🏋️‍♂️ The Reverse Grip Bench Press for Upper Chest and Tricep Engagement

The focus of this paragraph is on the reverse grip bench press as an alternative exercise for targeting the upper chest. It argues that the reverse grip is safer and more effective for chest activation compared to the traditional grip. The narrator refutes common misconceptions about the reverse grip being hard to unrack or dangerous, explaining that it naturally leads to a safer pressing position. They also mention that this grip is beneficial for those with shoulder issues, as it is easier on the rotator cuff. The paragraph concludes by highlighting the reverse grip's potential to build upper chest and triceps mass while reducing shoulder joint overuse.

15:05

🔄 Variations and Alternatives for Upper Chest Training

The final paragraph suggests variations and alternatives for training the upper chest, such as the reverse grip bench press, which can be performed with dumbbells or rings for a different stimulus. It also mentions RTO dips as an effective exercise for the upper chest, despite dips typically targeting the lower pectoral muscles. The narrator emphasizes the importance of changing up exercises to avoid redundancy and overuse injuries, particularly for those with limited equipment or who have already performed incline presses and are looking for a different angle of muscle stimulation.

Keywords

💡Incline Bench

An incline bench is an angled bench used for performing incline bench press exercises, which targets the upper chest muscles. In the video, the importance of correct form on an incline bench is emphasized to effectively work the upper chest. The script discusses the angle of the bench and how it affects the muscle recruitment, suggesting that a 30° incline without arching is ideal for targeting the upper chest.

💡Arching

Arching refers to the act of bending one's back into a more convex shape during certain exercises, such as the bench press. The script explains that arching on an incline bench can transform the exercise into a variation that targets the upper chest more effectively. It's highlighted as a technique to pre-stretch the pectoral muscles and enhance the stretch at the bottom of the movement.

💡Tightness

Tightness in the context of the video refers to the stability and control maintained in one's form during an exercise. The script stresses the importance of maintaining tightness, especially when performing incline presses at higher angles, to ensure safety and effectiveness in targeting the upper chest.

💡Scapular Retraction

Scapular retraction is the act of pulling the shoulder blades向后拉. The video discusses allowing the scapulae to move freely during incline presses as opposed to keeping them retracted, which can alter the angle and effectiveness of the exercise. It's mentioned as part of the correct form for performing incline bench presses.

💡Anthropometry

Anthropometry is the scientific study of the measurements and proportions of the human body. The script uses this term to explain how individual differences in rib cage size and shape can affect the optimal angle for an incline bench press, which in turn influences how the upper chest is targeted.

💡EMG Data

EMG (electromyography) data measures the electrical activity of muscles to determine which muscles are being used during an exercise. The video references EMG data to support the claim that the reverse grip bench press activates the chest muscles more than a traditional grip, making it a valuable exercise for targeting the upper chest.

💡Guillotine Style

The guillotine style refers to a specific technique in weightlifting where the barbell is brought vertically down towards the upper chest, resembling the action of a guillotine. The video suggests that mimicking this style on an incline bench press can help to better target the upper chest.

💡Reverse Grip Bench Press

A reverse grip bench press is a variation of the bench press where the hands are gripping the barbell with the palms facing the body. The video explains that this grip forces the lifter into an external rotation, which can lead to increased chest activation and is safer for the shoulders compared to a traditional bench press.

💡Cable Crossover

Cable crossovers are a type of exercise machine or cable station exercise that isolates the chest muscles. The script mentions cable crossovers as an example of an exercise that can be performed in a way to target the upper chest, by adjusting the hand position during the exercise.

💡Lockout

Lockout in weightlifting refers to the fully extended portion of a lift, such as at the top of a bench press. The video discusses the importance of the lockout phase in an incline press and how arching can affect the ability to lock out the weight, suggesting that it can be a sign of proper form and muscle engagement.

💡Torso Dominance

Torso dominance refers to the tendency of one side of the body to be stronger or more dominant than the other, which can lead to imbalances. The video mentions that the reverse grip bench press can help correct torso dominance by evenly engaging both sides of the chest.

Highlights

The importance of proper form in incline bench press for targeting the upper chest.

Arching on an incline bench can transform the exercise into a flat bench press.

The chin should be higher than the upper chest to effectively target the upper chest.

A 30° incline can be an excellent upper chest builder with the right form.

The risk of injury with a 45° incline press can be mitigated by proper arching.

The convenience of using a 45° incline bench and the importance of form over the angle.

The significance of not arching during incline press to maximize upper chest engagement.

The recommendation to use a 30° incline bench without tightness for a safer press.

The concept of scapular human rhythm and its application in incline pressing.

The benefits of retracting and protracting at the top of an incline dumbbell press.

The importance of pressing higher up on the chest during incline press for better leverages.

The vertical line pressing form for incline barbell press for optimal upper chest stretch.

The safety and effectiveness of reverse grip bench press for upper chest activation.

EMG data showing 30% more chest activation with reverse grip bench press.

The reverse grip bench press as a safer alternative for those with shoulder issues.

The recommendation to change the way you flat bench to get more chest involvement.

The use of reverse grip bench press to correct torso dominance and build upper chest and triceps.

The suggestion to vary bench press exercises to avoid redundancy and reduce shoulder joint overuse.

Transcripts

you don't have bad upper chest genetics

you just don't train it correctly in

today's video I'll share three

game-changing strategies that is

guaranteed to blow up this area starting

with the most important tightness see

you have been taught that arching on an

incline bench transforms the exercise

into a flat bench similar to how many

power lifters Arch on a flat turning it

into a decline where the chin is lower

than the chest you can't even see the

guy's face from a front angle well the

same applies to inclines if your chin is

not higher than your upper chest then

from an absolute angle perspective not

the angle of the bench

itself you're doing a flat press and

this explains why so many people are

lifting similar loads to their flat

bench put it like this if you're incline

pressing between 185 to 205 for refs

that your flat bench is only 225 ak2

plates that tells me right there there's

something off about your incline

pressing form because what I want to

emphasiz size is that 15° can be an

excellent upper chest Builder provided

that you're doing it flatback with

little scapular retraction you are

letting them move freely also there's an

anthropometry concern usually the size

and tilting of the rib cage therefore it

goes back once again to the idea of your

chin being higher than your pess and

this is why we often recommend 30° it

seems to be that sweet spot that works

for basically everyone but that

30° also means that you need to be doing

it without being overly tight because if

you try to stay tight which is a queue

that youve probably been doing all your

life you'll just Arch into 15° and so

it's still a great overall chest Builder

we can argue it's an alternative to

deficit benching but it's not the best

exercise for the upper chest unless

you're willing to do it with no ego just

laying flat and this is what the data

seems to be pointing to the fact that

when you go to a 45 to 60° incline press

disproportionately a lot more shoulders

but again this assumes that you're not

arching which is The X Factor in this

discussion just like you can Arch from a

low incline down to a flat so can you

Arch from a high incline down to a

medium optimal incline meaning you have

a choice here but you need to know

what's going on either you do that

perfect 30° incline bench

but you're not going to Arch there's

going to be no tightness you're just

going to press dummy style or you

actually use the 45° classic incline

bench but you Arch like a

[ __ ] now you might be tempted to

just say yeah I'll stick to 30 and

that's fine but let me ask you a

question if you're doing a barbell

incline bench do you even have access to

that setup or are you willing to do it

because you need to bring an adjustable

bench to a power rack and adjust it to

that angle and by the way you should be

using a leveling app on your phone to

determine what it is because I see a lot

of guys saying yeah I'm doing 30°

incline bench and they're actually doing

15 or people say yeah I'm doing 45 and

they're at freaking 30 so what I can

tell you is that the preset stations N9

out of 10 times are

45° and that's probably what you will

default to just because we tend to be

lazy as lifters we want what is

convenient if there's five incline

benching stations versus versus a power

rack and a Ben you got to drag over from

one side of the gym to the other what

are you going to default to I already

know people cannot fool me anymore they

want what it's convenient so therefore

if you're stuck using a 45 degree bench

or rather it's more convenient for you

instead of doing the 30 with no

tightness why not do 45 but Arch so hard

that it brings you down to 30 because

here's the thing about arching it

pre-stretches the pecs and allows you to

better feel them in the bottom just

think about trying to stretch your peck

on a doorway are you going to lean into

it where your shoulders roll forward or

you going to retract and really open up

so it's all about that opening up

resisting the Puppet Master chest up

towards the ceiling keeping it there

right and it maximizes tightness which

will enhance your stability plus

standardize his form so I would argue

that this is the safer way to incline

press especially if you tend to feel

your front delts way too much now am I

saying that letting your scas move

freely is bad absolutely not this what

we do in the calics world and there is

this thing called the scapular human

Rhythm you can adapt to that style of

pressing but don't do it on 45° and know

that there is a higher risk of injury

even though no position is inherently

dangerous you just have to have greater

tissue capacity to handle that so I

think powerlifters are 100% correct that

being tight having a massive strong back

that can hold that position is generally

safer and again I'm not trying to

fearmonger you into anything but this is

what the best lifters in the world are

doing and I'll continue training that

way and recommending it on average now

if you want a little hybrid you can

retract and protract at the top which

actually works quite well on incline

benching so we have a safer press that

better stretches the PCS and puts you in

the perfect angle that this is where

you're going to use anyway now if you're

doing an incline dumbbell press well I

would say this still applies see

actually learned this cue from Jared

feather ifb Pro when I train Renaissance

puz we went to that preset 45° station

and he told me straight up that it's

better to start from a high angle and

Arch the [ __ ] out of it down to a lower

angle than to start low but have no

tightness because the angle is the exact

same the upper chest biasing is

equivalent but all the other factors

that I mentioned are not and again just

for the stretching alone this is worth

considering yo I love that reaching que

it makes such a difference cool right oh

my God so you like uh arching on the

incline I [ __ ] L really eh yeah that's

why we have varying degrees right

exactly like an arch really [ __ ] hard

on a high incline and put the degrees

change a little bit but the stretch is

just so much better for the PS exactly

so it's better to do a higher incline

and Arch to an angle lower 100% than

just keeping it low but you're not

Tight cuz the arch sets up your chest it

sets up your scap it does everything to

align you it also collapses you down so

that there's no movement possible cuz if

you start with a flat back and then as

you press you start arching more it's

going to change the [ __ ] while you're

doing it exactly and that's kind ofir we

like to lock into the technique once

we're locked in we stay

in beautiful man beautiful so that is

your choice and in my opinion 15°

incline benching is the riskiest option

of all it's a great accessory to the

flat bench but I don't think it's best

for upper chest now for those who say oh

it's awkward to lock out at the top of a

higher incline when you're tied I would

say that it's not and you could protract

like I said earlier but if you don't

want to if you want to stay tight the

whole time well why not just do length

and partials they they might actually be

superior if H pery so you can literally

just do bottom up Reps don't lock out at

the top problem solved it's not like the

converging aspect matters much anyway

when we're talking about the barbell

version so you do whatever you want but

that's the key analyzing the absolute

angle of the exercise not the angle of

the bench so 30° is best but that means

you need to be at 30° your chin needs to

be higher than your upper chest you yes

it goes back to you so as long as you're

honest with yourself you should be all

set for any incline press moving forward

now my second tip relates to how you

perform the incline barbell press which

is going to look different from a

traditional flat bench especially if you

Ed to powerlifting form see you do not

want to be pressing low on the

chest or resembling a traditional J

curve where it's low and then high but

not too far back no you actually want to

mimic more so of a vertical

line AKA high up on the upper chest the

clavicle Guillotine style or at least

closer to it please do not be bringing

the barbell down to your nipple line

because this will actually make your

leverages worse and doesn't stretch the

pecs to the same extent because on an

incline bench if you bring the barbell

low the sternum angle is more pronounced

by comparison what I mean is if you're

laying on a flat bench whether you bring

it a little bit lower or higher you're

not affecting the stretching portion

that much it's just having worse

leverages but here you're taking away

from the range of motion and it's not

the best way to press off an incline and

I would actually argue the same thing

for a 60° press or even 75° you do not

want to be pressing the bar away from

you and this is something I learned as

someone who has hypermobile elbows the

Smith machine of all things was

instrumental in teaching me how to press

correctly which is not necessarily

flaring out out your elbows but at least

bringing the bar higher up that is the

most important thing I could tell you

and again I'm going to give credit to P

cerion for really opening up my eyes on

this one because for years I was trying

to incline bench like a powerlifter and

it was not the best by perge Fe I had

horrible lockout issues and the stretch

on the upper chest was not to the same

level and if we know that the bottom

portion is most important on this

exercise then just bring it up no you

will not destroy your shoulders heck you

can eventually work up to flaring out to

the sides regardless I just want to

encourage you to sue more so of a

vertical line kind of pressing form

doesn't have to be perfect but you

actually do want to be pressing further

back you're going to have a lot less

mlfts and you might get way more reps

this way like I was shocked when I

started bringing the bar towards my face

like literally all the way back what you

were taught not to do on a flat bench

you want to do this on incline press it

it's the exception and again it's no

coincidence that all the Golden Era

bodybuilders did their incline pressing

this way they weren't doing machine

training or even had much understanding

of bi mechanics at all but they

intuitively figured out that this is the

way to do it higher up and you press

back which leads to a superior lockout

and a greater stretch try it I'm telling

you you will never go back to Incline

pressing low as if you're doing a power

lifter style bench they are not the same

exercise stopped treating it that way I

made that mistake for years and I always

wondered why the exercise didn't feel

right for me well now I know why oh and

for those who are going to criticize the

fact that the upper chest fibers run at

a 45° angle and therefore bringing the

bar higher up doesn't align you the best

for one this goes back to the converging

effect which is not why you're doing the

inclin press and

also when you rotate the humoris the

upper chest fibers become more

horizontal so this is a non-issue

I mean you have a choice and I would say

this is more applicable to the dumbbell

version but with a barbell it doesn't

[ __ ] matter so with dumbbells you can

do at 45 and then converge upwards but

again you still want to press back but

with a barbell where the bottom portion

matters most well since you're taking

away stretch by bringing it low down you

want to raise it higher up and again

you're not going to be completely

internally rotated like this either so

the alignment is really not much of an

issue I'm not saying this doesn't matter

but it more so applies to Cable

exercises or machines that need to be

designed a certain way and again whether

you're pressing high or low it doesn't

mean the upper arm angle must

accommodate that perfectly you can still

have that cork screw effect going on and

it'll still be in the same spot you guys

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description now my third and final tip

is to actually change the way you flat

bench to get more pess

involvement which you might think is

doing the guillotine style but no I'm

not going to recommend that for today

instead do the opposite the reverse grip

bench press now before you click off

because you FAL believe it's dangerous

no no no it's logically safer than a

regular bench press and I can prove it

to you with pure facts with the reverse

grip you are forced into external

rotation you can not flare your elbows

out even if you wanted to you're locked

in and it's very easy to get tight

similar to a Yates row you know when

you're rowing low down and you feel the

lats it's the same thing here you're

bringing the bar inwards with the

perfect elbow tuck and then either

pressing straight out or slightly back

the bar will never come directly towards

your face actually you can't do that

because your mouth is aligned with the

bar during the unrack that's how you get

it out of the rack so that's another lie

exposed people saying that it's

impossible to take out no you're just

not laying down correctly then the other

thing is if you use the talon grip rib

so I'm not suggesting that you have to

do a full underhand no if you just stick

it in between these two fingers like

this and then you grab okay you're going

to be at a very slight angle semi

supinated which solves the wrist issue

and makes the unrack just as easy as a

flat bench or comparable enough and it's

very secure it is not falling out of

your hands and even if it did fall out

of your hands which it won't I've done

365 on this

exercise if your bench with the safeties

and the stations do have this now you

don't even have to go to Power rack

anymore it lands on your chest you

deflate come out clean no worries so

that's my little rant about safety if

you made it this far I'm just tired of

guys being soft for an exercise that is

objectively safer physiologically

speaking it's so much easier on the

shoulders to the point where guys who

had rotator cuff injuries who can no

longer bench heavy the normal way can

still press heavy in Reverse we've seen

this time in and time again I'm not

going to repeat myself please watch this

full guide on the Ben press that I made

a couple months ago all this to say from

a muscular biasing standpoint according

to EMG data there's 30% more chest

activation and yes this logic can be

applied to any press doesn't just have

to be with a barbell you can do it with

dumbbells provide your not in the way

and you can do it with rings actually

RTO dips are one of the few dips that

allow you to get upper chest think about

this dips are known to build the lower

PEC yet the RTO will also build the

upper insanity but the point is you get

a much better contraction in your pess

which is what the EMG data is actually

showing because in the lengthen position

that's not where it's going to be more

active right so it's more so to the

midpoint where you feel it kicking in

and this is exactly what happens when we

do a similar exercise in an isolation

sense known as the low to high cable

crossover if I told you to squeeze your

upper chest or to isolate what would you

do you would have your hand low down

here and you would Flex it up right you

feel that contraction I'm not doing an

incline press I I don't have to be up

here right I don't I don't have to be

pressing High just being leveled with

the upper chest is enough to feel that

contraction so that's another way to hit

the area without having to do inclines

and it's especially useful for home gym

guys who only have a flat bench or maybe

you've done a lot of inclines already

you don't want to hit that angle again

because maybe it's too much front Del at

this point you're fatigued

but you still crave that biasing effect

well let's say you did incline dumbbell

bench then incline barbell press right

your third exercise can be a reverse

grid bench you're still going to build a

ton of mass everywhere it's equally as

good as a normal flat bench but he gets

slightly more upper chest seems like a

good deal to me plus it corrects torso

dominance because by having the arms

that locked

in it also biases the triceps so what

you have is an upper chest and triceps

Builder

actually for me I feel it even more my

tries than my upper chest but I still

believe it's a good Mass builder for the

Shelf that's a good alternative to the

incline closer bench press I would say

that's the most comparable variation we

have but you know just to blend up your

system to avoid redundancy this is

another great variation and again it

lowers overuse of the shoulder joints

that cannot be stressed enough so for

that reason alone it's worth changing up

the way you bench press with that that

said I'm done for it today there's

obviously a lot more upper chest tips I

can share I made all the mistakes over

the years and if you want a part two let

me know but in the meantime these cues

got you

set