Tips to really focus chest movements/feel the contraction?

[Caxoo]

As title states, wondering what worked for yall who had trouble with the mind-muscle connection with the chest. Especially with incline

I already arch the back, pinch the shoulders, keep elbows kind of tucked (although it's harder with incline)

I tried starting at the bottom every rep instead of at the top (AKA long paused press) when I heard that the top movement focuses more on delts, but this made my front delts burn even more for some reason so I stopped

I also tried not going to lockout which works with lower weight, but when I'm trying for the 1-5 rep range I find it impossible not to lockout. Should I keep the weight lower and master the form for not locking out, or would that be a waste of time and I should still focus on trying to lift as heavy as possible for lower rep ranges?

[Lightwayte]

As title states, wondering what worked for yall who had trouble with the mind-muscle connection with the chest. Especially with incline

I already arch the back, pinch the shoulders, keep elbows kind of tucked (although it's harder with incline)

I tried starting at the bottom every rep instead of at the top (AKA long paused press) when I heard that the top movement focuses more on delts, but this made my front delts burn even more for some reason so I stopped

I also tried not going to lockout which works with lower weight, but when I'm trying for the 1-5 rep range I find it impossible not to lockout. Should I keep the weight lower and master the form for not locking out, or would that be a waste of time and I should still focus on trying to lift as heavy as possible for lower rep ranges?

One of the only things that give me DOMS in my chest (not that it's the only indicator of progress) is doing dumbbell flys with fairly light weight. I allow the weight to extend my arms back until I can feel them stretch then do slow reps with high volume. Don't do this with too heavy of weight.

[Caxoo]

One of the only things that give me DOMS in my chest (not that it's the only indicator of progress) is doing dumbbell flys with fairly light weight. I allow the weight to extend my arms back until I can feel them stretch then do slow reps with high volume. Don't do this with too heavy of weight.

I always get DOMS when I go high volume on the flys, but I always feel like its a "fake" DOMS that won't actually lead to progress. Like it only feels right when I get DOMS after a successful day of benching if that makes sense. Broscience? Prob

[Pumpinmirin]

2 suggestions that have worked for me recently.

1. Perform the bench press at 2,1,2 tempo and don't lock out. Keep your chest under tension even at the top of the movement.

2. Work out your 1RM and work at a percentage of that. I found training at 60 - 70% with a weight that was a little lighter than I expected and then increasing that weight by a percentage has really helped my chest come on strongly.

[Lucas7F]

Hi Caxoo,

If your're looking to increase your strength, lifting heavy with lower reps should be your goal. However, if your're looking into hypertrophy (muscle growth), then you should lift slightly lighter of 70-80% of your 1RM at about 8-12 reps.

To really improve your lift, it would be highly recommended to concentrate on the eccentric motion of your lift i.e. when the bar is moving towards your chest (or returning back to the starting position). This will make your lift stronger and make you improve your lifts faster.

On a side note, doing incline bench presses will definitely engage your front deltoids - to a certain extent. So avoid lifting heavy shoulders the following day if you did incline bench press a day before.

Also, do note that DOMs is not a good indicator for your training progress. Especially when you are used to the exercise, DOMs would not be that significant anymore.

[screamingjesus]

I already arch the back, pinch the shoulders, keep elbows kind of tucked (although it's harder with incline)

These techniques are to help lift more weight safely, they have nothing to do with targeting the chest.

[Garage Rat]

First off muscle building is about feeling what your doing with a good contraction.
When you go to heavy you loose that feeling and end up pushing how ever you can to get the weight up.
This is usually more true with heavy weight in the 1-5 range.
Not that you can't build some muscle it's just not the optimal way.
The standard hypertrophy rep scheme of 8-12 reps is a proven way to go as mentioned above^^.
Getting the mind muscle connection is not something novice bodybuilders get right off.
It takes some time.
Squeezing and contracting each rep is really important.
You should feel the target muscle worked after each set.
If your feeling other areas as much as the target area you need to adjust your technique.
Finding the right technique for you is a matter of experimentation on different exercises for each body part.
Good luck.

[Big Nes]

Look up Ben Pakulski's video on "intent" during a benchpress.

The upper pecs contract to pull the arm towards the sterno-clavicular junction. A proper incline benchpress starts with a push, and ends with the intent to bring the humerus across the body towards the SCJ.

It's not simply a push and lockout. The push serves to firmly place your shoulder in a stable position....but then you wanna cue your elbows to meet somewhere on your chin. This will ensure that you're actively contracting the upper pectorals in the proper plane.

Then at the top, spread your chest open and down, while maintaining abdominal contraction AND vacuum contraction to reduce lower back arching. It is EXTREMELY helpful to maintain this type of thoracic extension and abdominal activation so that the shoulders are kept down and back...and the torque transfer of the bar delivered properly to the pecs (as opposed to the delts and triceps).

[BJP2k14]

I felt like I could activate my mind muscle connection doing a unilateral press whether it may be a dumbbell or machine.

[Ozanguner92]

The guy asks for tips on how to feel the contraction better , and only advice is to lower weight ?

Try squeezing the chest with your elbows. Forget your hands and press from the elbows , while keeping your elbows close to your sides ( Wouldn't work if you flare them)

And for every excercise , be conscious while you do them. In almost all of the excercises, the power to lift the weight shouldnt come from your hands or wrists, it should come from the muscle you are trying to hit.

If you are trying to feel your shoulders during a Overhead Press, the hands should only HOLD the weight, while you are pressing the weight up with your shoulders.

Same concept applies to every excercise.

Good luck.