The Best Workout for Upper Chest Development
Do you want to develop a chiselled upper chest? The right workout routine is the key. This article will provide you with a comprehensive guide to vastly improve your upper chest development.
Quick facts: Best Workout For Upper Chest
Warm Up
Warming up is essential for any workout, especially those specifically targeted for muscle growth. Before starting any upper chest workout, it is important to warm up the muscles in your chest, shoulders and arms. This will increase blood flow to the area, lubricate the joints, and prepare the muscles for the workout ahead.
Let’s discuss the best ways to warm up for upper chest development:
Dynamic stretching
Dynamic stretching is a form of stretching that helps improve flexibility and range of motion. These stretches are performed by performing a slow, controlled movement that is specific to particular exercises or sports. This type of stretching helps warm up the body as it works out, increases blood flow and oxygen delivery, increases muscle temperature, and aids in injury prevention.
When it comes to chest development, dynamic stretching gives you a better chance of activating the necessary muscles during your workout. Many people like to start their workouts with dynamic stretching as it increases the heart rate – similar to cardio – and can be used as part of your warm-up routine.
Examples of dynamic stretches include:
- Arm circles
- Leg swings
- Lateral shuffles
- Tiptoe walks
Incorporating these types of stretches into your warm-up can help you target the upper chest region for maximum growth.
Foam rolling
Foam Rolling is a form of self-myofascial release or self-massage. This type of exercise involves using a foam roller to apply pressure to tight muscles and knots in order to relax them and promote blood circulation.
Foam rolling can be used as part of a warmup routine prior to any upper chest workout, as it helps prepare the body for movement by loosening tightness in the chest muscles. Foam rolling helps to increase range of motion, reduce stiffness, improve muscle activation, and reduce injury risk. This can be done anywhere from 3-5 minutes prior to your upper chest workout. It is also beneficial after a workout as it helps reduce soreness while helping the body recover faster.
Foam rolling can be done with many different body parts such as arms, legs, and even your upper chest muscles!
Compound Movements
Compound movements are an effective way to build strength and muscle all over your upper chest. By focusing on movements such as the bench press, incline bench press, and dips, you can target multiple muscles in your upper chest and back at the same time. This type of workout will help you get the most out of your time in the gym and maximize your upper chest development.
Let’s dive in and talk about how you can use compound movements to achieve your goals.
Incline Barbell Bench Press
The incline barbell bench press is an excellent compound exercise for developing the upper chest muscles. This exercise involves lying on an incline bench while holding a loaded barbell with both hands over your chest. You should keep your feet firmly on the ground, contract your core and glutes, and keep the lower back flat. From the starting position, you will then lower the weight to nipple level in a controlled manner before pressing it back up to starting position.
The Incline Barbell Bench Press is an effective compound movement for targeting upper chest muscles due to its effective range of motion of movement, gravity resistance, and ease in loading heavy weights. This can be used as part of a full-body workout or as a specific upper chest development program. To maximize results it’s important to perform this movement with correct form and an adequate number of reps/sets. When done correctly, this exercise can help build mass in the upper chest while also strengthening supporting muscles such as your triceps and shoulders.
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Incline Dumbbell Flyes is a compound movement exercise that targets the upper chest muscles while also engaging the stabilizing muscles of the upper back and shoulders. This exercise can be done with either one or two dumbbells, and can be performed in both a seated and standing position.
The exercise begins with arms slightly bent at the elbow, and elbows slightly below shoulder height. Lowering the arms while maintaining a slight bend in the elbow brings the weights close to each other above your chest. Pushing outward to bring your hands back up completes one rep. By taking care to keep your arms slightly bent throughout this movement you are able to engage both the upper chest muscles as well as the stabilizing muscles of your upper back and shoulders for maximal muscle development.
Incline Push-Ups
Incline push-ups are a compound exercise that target the upper portion of the chest muscles. The exercise involves pushing your body upward against an elevated surface like the edge of a bench, sink or desk to create resistance. Your feet should be firmly on the ground and your arms should be straight but slightly bent at the elbows.
When you’re ready to start, slowly lower your torso downwards until your chest is almost touching the elevated surface and then press upward against it. Incline push-ups are generally easier than traditional push-ups because they don’t require as much strength or stabilization. Incline push-ups can also help you develop power and endurance in your upper chest muscles, making them perfect for those looking to increase their chest size and definition.
Isolation Movements
Isolation exercises are a great way to target specific muscle groups and are essential for developing upper chest muscles. Isolation exercises use only one muscle at a time to focus on the bigger, primary muscle. These isolation movements can be used to create a symmetrical and balanced finishing look in the upper chest.
Let’s discuss the best isolation movements for upper chest development:
Cable Crossovers
Cable Crossovers are an isolation movement that focus on the chest muscles. This exercise targets the upper chest muscles which, when developed properly, can help improve posture and create an aesthetically pleasing upper body look.
This exercise is performed by standing between two cable machines, with each pulley set just above shoulder level. Using one arm at a time, pull the cable from one side to other and return to starting position. Keep your arms straight throughout the entire range of motion and repeat for desired amount of reps. Make sure to keep your core engaged throughout the movement so as not to overextend your lower back.
For best results include this exercise in your workout routine at least twice a week as part of a full body workout routine or on its own as an isolation day. Incorporate different angles, grips, and/or weight in order to target different fibers within the chest muscles for maximum growth potential:
- Different angles
- Different grips
- Different weights
Decline Push-Ups
Decline Push-Ups are a great exercise for targeting the upper chest. They involve making a triangle shape with your body by raising your feet on an elevated object such as a box or bench, and performing push-ups from this downward angle. This allows the upper chest muscles to get more of the work load and helps increase overall strength and explosive power.
To perform Decline Push-Ups, begin in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart and your feet raised at an angle against an elevated surface. Lower your body slowly until your chest touches the ground, then push back up with strong force until you reach the starting position. It should take two to three seconds to lower yourself, and one to two seconds to lift back up into the starting position.
Dumbbell Pullovers
Dumbbell pullovers are one of the best isolation movements for targeting the upper chest and shoulders. This exercise is done by lying on a flat bench, with a dumbbell held directly above you. You then slowly lower the weight in an arc-like motion, allowing your arms to travel behind your head in the range of motion while keeping your elbows slightly bent.
As you lift the weight back up to its starting position, try and focus on squeezing your chest muscles together before you lower the weight again. This repetition should be done slowly, focusing on maximally contracting your muscles at each repetition’s peak position.
When performing this exercise, use light to moderate weights as it can put strain on our lower back if too heavy of a weight is used. It’s important to keep proper form when performing this exercise so as not to cause any injuries or improper development of certain muscle groups!
Cool Down
After an intense upper chest workout, it’s important to properly cool down in order to reduce soreness and fatigue. Cooling down will also help to speed up your recovery time and prevent injury.
There are a few cool-down exercises that can help you go from an intense upper chest workout to resting and recovering quickly:
Static stretching
Static stretching is a type of stretching that involves holding stretches for a period of time. It is important to note that static stretching is best done after warming up the body and after exercise, rather than before. When static stretching, one should hold each stretch for 30 seconds or longer to maximize benefits.
Static stretching is especially beneficial for upper chest development as it helps to lengthen the chest muscles—and any other strained muscles in the body—creating more length among the muscle fibers, making them more flexible and resilient. Additionally, static stretching can help improve range of motion in the shoulders and neck area, as well as increase circulation throughout the entire body.
It’s also worth noting that proper breathing plays an important role in static stretch exercises: Inhale through your nose deeply, then exhale through your mouth slowly and fully as you hold each stretch.
Foam rolling
Foam rolling is an effective cool down technique for upper chest development following a workout. Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release that helps to increase mobility and flexibility in muscles and joints. It involves gently rolling the body over a foam roller, with the use of your own body weight. As you roll, you should focus on areas that are tender and tight, which will help to release the tension in these areas.
Foam rolling helps to reduce soreness after a workout, while also helping to improve your range of motion so that you can perform at your highest level during future workouts. It also helps to improve circulation in muscles and connective tissues which can help speed up recovery time.
Foam rolling is an ideal cool down tool for upper chest development as it helps reduce tension, increase mobility, and improve circulation – all important elements during any post-workout recovery routine.
FAQs about: Best Workout For Upper Chest
Q1: What is the best exercise for building upper chest muscles?
A1: The best exercise for building upper chest muscles is the bench press. This exercise is performed by lying flat on a bench and pushing a weight up from your chest.
Q2: How many sets of bench press should I do to build my upper chest?
A2: It is recommended that you do 3-4 sets of the bench press with 8-12 repetitions in each set.
Q3: Is there an alternative exercise that I can do to build my upper chest?
A3: Yes, the incline bench press is a great alternative exercise to build your upper chest. This exercise is performed by lying on an inclined bench and pushing a weight up from your chest.
