If you are an intermediate to advanced trainer, and you've ever wanted an amazing set of upper pectorals, the title of this article should be your goal.
The Muscle Couple has pursued this endeavor for years. We use to think it was genetics that determined whether or not you could get a chest perfectly symmetrical to the ones you've seen in magazines and flashed on TV. We were wrong. It takes hard work, dedication and specific technique to build and then sculpt the look you want. Not something you can attain over night or with a couple of years of training.
If you are a beginner, this article really isn't for you. This article is for people who have been training for 5 years + and are looking to etch some fine detail into the top of their upper chest. Discernable "cleavage" up to the clavicle/neck region. The kind of upper pectoral separation you can see in a v-neck t-shirt or hoodie. Jay has been chasing this "Holy Grail" of physique accomplishment for over 15 years now. He had a very cool and ex-college teammate (Rob Renfro) who use to say:
"My goal in life is to retire minted with an upper chest so thick I could set a beer can in between both pecs and drink out of a straw while laying on a beach overlooking the ocean"!
So how does an intermediate to advanced lifter actually accomplish this goal? You need to incorporate movements that supply a great amount of force in both the stretch and contracted positions of the ROM- specifically incline fly movements for deep upper-pectoral fiber destruction. You can’t continue to bombard your muscles and central nervous system with the same basic stressors like flat bench and DB presses in the same rep range(6-8)--for years on end. Your body will eventually no longer need to overcompensate by growing larger and stronger as a protective response to your training. You must focus on adding a variety of upper chest movements and implementing new techniques like deep fascial stretching, higher rep ranges and intensity protocols into your workouts. And most importantly, focus on working your upper chest optimally through its entire range of motion on every single rep and set.
A good start is to follow The Muscle Couple’s “Ultimate Upper Chest Workout” while stretching the fascia and fibers in the upper pectoral region in between sets. Please visit the website for videos of The Muscle Couple performing the exercises and the stretching to get a good understanding of the technique and intensity required.
"Ultimate Upper Chest Workout"
Individuals respond to different training programs/paradigms differently. So no matter your training program- one bodypart a day-a two bodypart split-or perhaps a full body program, you can still incorporate these exercises intermittently every 7 days into your own unique training protocol to develop an amazing upper chest
Give this workout program or the exercises themselves about 8 weeks and tell us what you think. If you have any questions feel free to ask below.
Good luck!
Jay Campbell - Read my other
articles
Featured author for gymtechnik.com
Co-owner of
TheMuscleCouple.com