The "You can only work out your chest as a whole" argument...

[ChiefRocka]

As a theory it does seem to makes sense, ie that the pectoralis major is one large muscle and you cant increase different portions of it, just the whole thing...but, I can say that is not the case for me. After reading that theory on several sites, I pretty much agreed with it and stopped focusing so much on trying to bring out the upper/inner/outer chest but just focused on the chest as a whole. But after a few months I noticed that my chest was not looking how I wanted it to...and I was doing some serious chest workouts.

Then I got back to the exercises that focus on specific areas, the pec decs, decline etc etc...started trying to bring out the inner, outer portions of my pecs. And after a couple weeks my chest was getting back to form and a few months later my chest looked vastly different.

What are other user's thoughts on this? Anyone else had similar success in trying to bring out specific portions of the chest like I did?

[chazzy1864]

This thread has already been done:

The Great "Inner Chest" Debate.


You can read through the entire thing and see both sides of the argument. however, here are some links showing the "chest as whole" theory is null.

http://www.joseantoniophd.com/websit...cles.php?id=17
http://home.hia.no/~stephens/hypplas.htm

[Frozn]

My chest is split down the middle...

[im2manly]

My chest is split down the middle...

jesus christ are you ok?

[Frozn]

jesus christ are you ok?

Lmao, i ask myself that everyday!

[Ironlife]

Lmao, i ask myself that everyday!

Lmao

op u can train inner outer, middle upper lower IMO IMO IMO IMO and ICO last one means in chazz opinion.

[ChiefRocka]

This thread has already been done:

The Great "Inner Chest" Debate.


You can read through the entire thing and see both sides of the argument. however, here are some links showing the "chest as whole" theory is null.

http://www.joseantoniophd.com/websit...cles.php?id=17
http://home.hia.no/~stephens/hypplas.htm

Great thanks, reading those links now. Just what i wanted to hear...

From my own experience, theres no way I believe that you can NOT target specific portions of your chest anymore.

[Frozn]

From my own experience, theres no way I believe that you can NOT target specific portions of your chest anymore.

Good. That is a great perspective.. and a rightful one.

[Rasputin4]

This may be true, but specifically, I find incline press to be pretty useless because everytime I do it my shoulders get hit really hard and my upper pecs feel hit just as hard doing more sets of flat. This being said, I do find use in things like pec dec, flyes, dips, stuff like that. What I've been doing lately, which seems to be working fairly well, is hitting flat bench for the amount of sets that I used to do for flat/incline combined, doing machine flyes and weighted dips, then moving on to shoulders and hitting them directly with a ROM that mostly keeps triceps out of the equation.

[ChiefRocka]

This may be true, but specifically, I find incline press to be pretty useless because everytime I do it my shoulders get hit really hard and my upper pecs feel hit just as hard doing more sets of flat. This being said, I do find use in things like pec dec, flyes, dips, stuff like that. What I've been doing lately, which seems to be working fairly well, is hitting flat bench for the amount of sets that I used to do for flat/incline combined, doing machine flyes and weighted dips, then moving on to shoulders and hitting them directly with a ROM that mostly keeps triceps out of the equation.

Good stuff. I actually noticed my chest starting to take shape again when I emphasized cables and pec decs especially. I am not a big incline bench fan, but I do it because I am still in the process of a strength regime in that area for my chest after pec surgery.

I mean, if that theory about the chest as a whole is true, then what would be the need for anything other than flat bench press?

[chazzy1864]

I mean, if that theory about the chest as a whole is true, then what would be the need for anything other than flat bench press?

If that theory actually held water, than yeah; you would only need one chest exercise and use that exclusively.

[mjw8204]

You have to keep in mind that on BB.com your own subjective experience with training doesn't count for anything. The only thing that matters is someone else's promulgated dogma.

[turkey_server]

If that theory actually held water, than yeah; you would only need one chest exercise and use that exclusively.

And then we take a look at some powerlifters who do nothing but flat bench... and oh snap! huge chest!

[ThickAsABrick]

And then we take a look at some powerlifters who do nothing but flat bench... and oh snap! huge chest!

yeah dood. if they dieted down they would totally pwn those bodybuilders.

[turkey_server]

yeah dood. if they dieted down they would totally pwn those bodybuilders.

When Dave Tate cut down did he look like Ronnie Coleman? No, but he was still thick as ****. Now do you reckon this had more to do with his lack of interest in being perfectly symmetric and proportioned--and perhaps even more importantly the type of rep schemes he used--or was it his lack of training dat dere inner chest?

[chazzy1864]

When Dave Tate cut down did he look like Ronnie Coleman? No, but he was still thick as ****. Now do you reckon this had more to do with his lack of interest in being perfectly symmetric and proportioned--and perhaps even more importantly the type of rep schemes he used--or was it his lack of training dat dere inner chest?

Sooo......are you saying if you want symmetry then you would benefit from *gasp* various chest exercises?

[ThickAsABrick]

When Dave Tate cut down did he look like Ronnie Coleman? No, but he was still thick as ****. Now do you reckon this had more to do with his lack of interest in being perfectly symmetric and proportioned--and perhaps even more importantly the type of rep schemes he used--or was it his lack of training dat dere inner chest?

not sure what you're arguing against here or what your point is

[400Lb Gorilla]

not sure what you're arguing against here or what your point is

he isnt either

[darinaldi]

When Dave Tate cut down did he look like Ronnie Coleman? No, but he was still thick as ****. Now do you reckon this had more to do with his lack of interest in being perfectly symmetric and proportioned--and perhaps even more importantly the type of rep schemes he used--or was it his lack of training dat dere inner chest?

You do realize that Dave Tate has been training with a bodypart split for years now?

[EoR]

I am still going to *facepalm* when someone asks for a routine that has exercises for the inner and outer chest.

[Mr._Happy]

When Dave Tate cut down did he look like Ronnie Coleman? No, but he was still thick as ****. Now do you reckon this had more to do with his lack of interest in being perfectly symmetric and proportioned--and perhaps even more importantly the type of rep schemes he used--or was it his lack of training dat dere inner chest?

It should be noted that Tate used much more than flat bench before and during his cutting cycle.


A better example is Matt Kroczaleski, who actually won the heavyweight division of an amatuer show recently. His chest training leading up to the show involved much more than flat bench.


I do believe that someone who uses heavy flat bench for a majority of their chest work can build a massive chest, but more is needed if bodybuilding is the goal.

[mjw8204]

LOL @ people thinking the use of facts and logic will accomplish anything on this forum.

[EoR]

It should be noted that Tate used much more than flat bench before and during his cutting cycle.


A better example is Matt Kroczaleski, who actually won the heavyweight division of an amatuer show recently. His chest training leading up to the show involved much more than flat bench.


I do believe that someone who uses heavy flat bench for a majority of their chest work can build a massive chest, but more is needed if bodybuilding is the goal.

Problem is most of the people asking for inner//outer chest exercises are under the impression exercises dictate the shape of which the muscle will grow. They want some massive uniform chest. A lot of these people just end up wasting their time when they should be just making sure they picking efficient chest exercises.

[darinaldi]

Problem is most of the people asking for inner//outer chest exercises are under the impression exercises dictate the shape of which the muscle will grow. They want some massive uniform chest. A lot of these people just end up wasting their time when they should be just making sure they picking efficient chest exercises.

The problem is that 95% of the posters on this site are absolute idiots.

[VegaSinclair]

I think from my own experience and it seems from the experience of others that you notice more burn in certain areas of your chest doing different types of sets. I usually mix it up and change things up every month, so I don't get bored and notice slight improvements in different areas of my chest depending on what routines I'm doing.

[ThickAsABrick]

The problem is that 95% of the posters on this site are absolute idiots.

Hmm...95 seems low to me.

[ZoranM]

I usually mix it up and change things up every month, so I don't get bored

Try doing the SAME well picked exercises for more then 6 months,aim to have a double digit increase on those lifts for the same number of reps during that time.
Might come to a revelation.

[Ironlife]

Hmm...95 seems low to me.

Thank God we just scraped through into the top 5 %..

[im2manly]

Thank God we just scraped through into the top 5 %..

It's a struggle everyday.

[sircharles032]

This may be true, but specifically, I find incline press to be pretty useless because everytime I do it my shoulders get hit really hard and my upper pecs feel hit just as hard doing more sets of flat. This being said, I do find use in things like pec dec, flyes, dips, stuff like that. What I've been doing lately, which seems to be working fairly well, is hitting flat bench for the amount of sets that I used to do for flat/incline combined, doing machine flyes and weighted dips, then moving on to shoulders and hitting them directly with a ROM that mostly keeps triceps out of the equation.

I remember seeing on this forum (a while back) that reverse grip bench press actually activated the upper portion of the chest pretty well (as an alternative to incline). Granted your tri's take the load on that lift that your shoulders would otherwise but then again, this information may have come from a broscientist for all I know.