Lower Chest - Toning, Building muscle - losing the fat

[signtist2004]

Im having issues building my lower chest. When i look in the mirror, i am impressed with my upper chest, and mid chest. but cannot seem to rid of this lower chest fat. It will not build like my upper and mid chest, so it looks odd. I have been concentrating on decline everything - DECLINE dumbell pressses, DECLINE flys, DECLINE barbell presses, DECLINE cable flys, - what else can i do before summer to get them in shape? I eat clean, and im at the gym 6 days a week, doing weights one day, and cardio the next, so on and so forth. Are there any other exercises i can do to shape these up fast? Thanks in advance....

also, shouldnt i be sore in the area of the muscles im working>? since i am doing decline exercises for my LOWER chest, shouldnt my lower chest be sore and not the center of my chest? I just find that odd that as much as i do to build my lower chest, it is not sore the day after workout. (and i work out til failure)

[bigtallox]

also, shouldnt i be sore in the area of the muscles im working>? since i am doing decline exercises for my LOWER chest, shouldnt my lower chest be sore and not the center of my chest?

First, soreness does not mean that you've stimulated your body to grow. Second you can't train part of a muscle, decline does not train your "lower chest" because there is no lower chest muscle.

[BillyBatts]

Have you tried Dips? I've have gotten good results with dips making sure to lean forward while performing the exercises.

[xR1pp3Rx]

Have you tried Dips? I've have gotten good results with dips making sure to lean forward while performing the exercises.

this chin to sternum^^

[signtist2004]

First, soreness does not mean that you've stimulated your body to grow. Second you can't train part of a muscle, decline does not train your "lower chest" because there is no lower chest muscle.

So, educate me; how do you get lower chest definition if you cant target that part of the chest? Why are decline exercises encouraged for lower chest region? and incline exercises for the upper chest region?

[NYkarate]

Your pecs can have their upper fibers stimulated more than lower and vice versa. That said, all chest exercises will activate your pecs. You will show more as you grow your pecs and cut. Growth is about eating excess calories and lifting hard, cutting is about eating less calories than you use and lifting hard.

[IronCharles]

The only way you will see cuts in your lower chest is to lower your overall bodyfat percentage. And the only way to do that is to eat at a caloric deficit.

You can build a foot thick pecs, but if they're still hidden behind a layer of fat, you still won't see cuts.

[MarkY]

The only way you will see cuts in your lower chest is to lower your overall bodyfat percentage.

True

And the only way to do that is to eat at a caloric deficit.

Not exactly. Depending on the individual, you can lower body fat without a caloric deficit.

[IronCharles]

Not exactly. Depending on the individual, you can lower body fat without a caloric deficit.

Eating more calories than I burn, and still lose fat? Nice! Tell me how I can do this!'

[MarkY]

Eating more calories than I burn, and still lose fat? Nice! Tell me how I can do this!'

Have you ever known someone (typically a beginner), that has started a workout program and several months down the road, they weigh the same but have less body fat?

This continuous change can't be maintained, but for a short period it is achievable. Which is why I prefaced my statement with "depending on the individual".

[IronCharles]

So you mean sedentary person starts burning calories (lifting weights) while eating the same amount of food? Sounds like a caloric deficit to me. Or did you mean the person starts lifting, increases food intake to match the new exertion, loses fat but replaces it with muscle (which weighs twice as much as fat), and weighs the same? There's still a deficit there.

I would like to meet one of these "individuals" who can lose fat while not taking in less calories than they burn. If we could discover how their metabolisms work, we could bottle it, market it, and eliminate obesity once and for all!

[DaddyR]

1. There's no such thing as spot reduction.

2. The shape of a muscle is genetically determined.


/thread.

[acwild]

Im having issues building my lower chest. When i look in the mirror, i am impressed with my upper chest, and mid chest. but cannot seem to rid of this lower chest fat. It will not build like my upper and mid chest, so it looks odd. I have been concentrating on decline everything - DECLINE dumbell pressses, DECLINE flys, DECLINE barbell presses, DECLINE cable flys, - what else can i do before summer to get them in shape? I eat clean, and im at the gym 6 days a week, doing weights one day, and cardio the next, so on and so forth. Are there any other exercises i can do to shape these up fast? Thanks in advance....

also, shouldnt i be sore in the area of the muscles im working>? since i am doing decline exercises for my LOWER chest, shouldnt my lower chest be sore and not the center of my chest? I just find that odd that as much as i do to build my lower chest, it is not sore the day after workout. (and i work out til failure)

Only your doctor can tell you this for sure but, if it's a fatty lower chest issue and not swelling of the nipple, it may be a typo of Gynecomastia that can be removed with liposuction alone. Typically Gynecomastia involves cutting around the lower nipple and removing glandular tissue. The other operation is called lipomastia where the surgeon removes the stubborn excess fat and sculpts your chest using only a small 1/8 inch incision in the arm pit and liposuction.

Most guys can loose it with a stricter diet and putting in more effort in the gym so really hammer that home before you even consider go under the knife. However, at some point, if you just keep busting your ass in the gym, you're bench keeps increasing, you keep buying smaller pants but the gyno just won't go away, it might be time to speak to your doctor.

[theKurp]

Only your doctor can tell you this for sure but, if it's a fatty lower chest issue and not swelling of the nipple, it may be a typo of Gynecomastia that can be removed with liposuction alone. Typically Gynecomastia involves cutting around the lower nipple and removing glandular tissue. The other operation is called lipomastia where the surgeon removes the stubborn excess fat and sculpts your chest using only a small 1/8 inch incision in the arm pit and liposuction.

Did you look at the OPs avatar? Despite his satisfaction with what he calls his upper and middle chest, his problem is he doesn't have enough development in his pectoralis major to even begin thinking about sculpting around it. Gyno isn't his problem, lack of hypertrophy is.

Decline anything as it relates to chest development is a waste of time and energy. Stick primarily to flat bench and supplement with incline work to develop the entire chest. Then, as others have mentioned, cut the bodyfat to expose the muscles.

[acwild]

Did you look at the OPs avatar? Despite his satisfaction with what he calls his upper and middle chest, his problem is he doesn't have enough development in his pectoralis major to even begin thinking about sculpting around it. Gyno isn't his problem, lack of hypertrophy is.

Decline anything as it relates to chest development is a waste of time and energy. Stick primarily to flat bench and supplement with incline work to develop the entire chest. Then, as others have mentioned, cut the bodyfat to expose the muscles.

I did look at his avatar and saw nothing unusual however, since his quote was "but cannot seem to rid of this lower chest fat" I presumed he has a problem that's not visible in the image. Photos can be touched up or lit straight on or shot with flash to de-accentuate a trouble spot. Perhaps a different angle would have shown off a problem. I was responding to his statement "but cannot seem to rid of this lower chest fat".

Also, and you are of course entitled to your opinion... no problem bro with that but... Dorian Yates was a huge advocate of the decline press for chest, he speaks and demonstrates it in his two videos along with the incline press as well. He actually doesn't like the flat bench press at all, personally I perform all three so, I guess to each-his-own.

[theKurp]

Also, and you are of course entitled to your opinion... no problem bro with that but... Dorian Yates was a huge advocate of the decline press for chest, he speaks and demonstrates it in his two videos along with the incline press as well. He actually doesn't like the flat bench press at all, personally I perform all three so, I guess to each-his-own.

I only have opinions on topics that leave room for debate. Otherwise, I pretty much stick to whatever the available science tells me. http://www.daveywaveyfitness.com/wp-...er-Muscles.pdf

[mavrick77]

Im having issues building my lower chest. When i look in the mirror, i am impressed with my upper chest, and mid chest. but cannot seem to rid of this lower chest fat. It will not build like my upper and mid chest, so it looks odd. I have been concentrating on decline everything - DECLINE dumbell pressses, DECLINE flys, DECLINE barbell presses, DECLINE cable flys, - what else can i do before summer to get them in shape? I eat clean, and im at the gym 6 days a week, doing weights one day, and cardio the next, so on and so forth. Are there any other exercises i can do to shape these up fast? Thanks in advance....

also, shouldnt i be sore in the area of the muscles im working>? since i am doing decline exercises for my LOWER chest, shouldnt my lower chest be sore and not the center of my chest? I just find that odd that as much as i do to build my lower chest, it is not sore the day after workout. (and i work out til failure)

IMO... declines suck. to much shoulder and tricep, to little chest. people training for a few months to a few years always try to show me this "ekg" they found that shows how decline effects the chest, etc.. BS... ask serious bodybuilders who have been working out for years and years, 99% will never do a decline to build chest. Chest is only made up of two muscles major and minor. you can hit this muscle hard doing nothing but inclines and flats.

having the cuts in your lower chest is simply a bodyfat issue, get it off you.

Arnold had one of the best chest in the world right? never did declines, used to always say "why do i want a saggy chest"

[ToddG93]

OP the key to lose the fat on the lower part of your pecs is to shave your arm pits.... its scientifically proven!

But for real... Get on a 5x5 from what i can tell you still have some beginner gains to be made on your chest and overall frame. This will give you what you want pard!
There are some great 5X5s under the programs page.

[Electricheadd]

The only way you will see cuts in your lower chest is to lower your overall bodyfat percentage. And the only way to do that is to eat at a caloric deficit.

You can build a foot thick pecs, but if they're still hidden behind a layer of fat, you still won't see cuts.

^^ This

You can't spot reduce no matter how hard you train the area!

[jett69]

i also had this issue, hard on the upper chest, very soft in the lower chest and fat on my side chest. It sucked.

I did a search on this issue on BB.com and everyone recommended to lower bf. I also did heavy incline db, cable and db flies, and weighed dips. Got my bf down and 5 months later, i finally got the separation on my upper chest, less fat on my side chest and I could feel the muscle on my lower chest. It's looking goooood. Still needs work but I'm just gonna keep working hard and force my chest to grow!

Dont be discouraged, just keep pounding the weights.

[ashitroy21]

Im having issues building my lower chest. When i look in the mirror, i am impressed with my upper chest, and mid chest. but cannot seem to rid of this lower chest fat. It will not build like my upper and mid chest, so it looks odd. I have been concentrating on decline everything - DECLINE dumbell pressses, DECLINE flys, DECLINE barbell presses, DECLINE cable flys, - what else can i do before summer to get them in shape? I eat clean, and im at the gym 6 days a week, doing weights one day, and cardio the next, so on and so forth. Are there any other exercises i can do to shape these up fast? Thanks in advance....

also, shouldnt i be sore in the area of the muscles im working>? since i am doing decline exercises for my LOWER chest, shouldnt my lower chest be sore and not the center of my chest? I just find that odd that as much as i do to build my lower chest, it is not sore the day after workout. (and i work out til failure)

Listen man you dont have fully developed pecs, so i say you just keep doing your bench press and try to increase the bench press each week.

[bpowa]

lipo suction or reduce body weight.. some guys are just genetically enhanced even with a bit more bodyfat. I wish I was one of them.

[birdiefu]

Did you look at the OPs avatar? Despite his satisfaction with what he calls his upper and middle chest, his problem is he doesn't have enough development in his pectoralis major to even begin thinking about sculpting around it. Gyno isn't his problem, lack of hypertrophy is.

^ This. OP, looking at your pics you aren't at a point where you can nitpick about the nuances of your muscular development - you just need to develop more muscle, period. Unless you have more current ones that indicate otherwise.

[AmirWins]

First, soreness does not mean that you've stimulated your body to grow. Second you can't train part of a muscle, decline does not train your "lower chest" because there is no lower chest muscle.

Yes there is a "lower chest muscle" Google chest muscles and you'll see

[tkdnj]

looking at OP's pictures in his profile, yes he can stand to add muscle to his chest, but I don't see a whole of fat around his lower pecs. Doesn't seem to be an issue in my eyes. Am I missing something?