If you want a thick chest from top to bottom, you need to find a way to target the extreme upper chest.
Normally, this would be a job for high incline bench presses... and those can work...but they don't always work for everybody. Personally, I've never really felt they were all that effective. I primarily felt them in my shoulders.
Because of that, I'm always experimenting with new ways to better target the upper chest.
THIS is one of those ways.
And it LOOKS crazy...insane...and kind of stupid. I know that for a fact.
But it WORKS.
The day after doing this one, the top-most fibers of my upper chest are SORE. And that's NEVER happened.
I'll give you the full explanation while you see it in action...easier to explain that way.
The Key To Targeting The Extreme Upper Chest Is In The Setup...
To do this one, beyond the incline bench and dumbbells, you'll need either a power rack or a Smith machine (either one will be just fine) and a barbell plate. I'm using a bumper plate but a regular plate would be fine, too.
Set the barbell in the rack or Smith to about shoulder height when standing...this will vary based on your bench and how you're sitting on it. You'll have to mess around with the exact spot.
Put a plate on the other end to counterbalance the bar. Now put a plate on the "working" end and put a collar on the very end of the bar. This collar is just to keep the weight from accidentally sliding off the end of the bar - not likely going to be an issue but safety first.
Set your incline bench under the end of the bar.
The incline bench I'm using is actually an Ab Bench from Body Solid. I find it to be PERFECT for incline work becuase of the arch it puts into your pressing position (along the lines of the Parillo Arched Bench, if you're familiar with that).
That being said, any incline bench is going to work well for this because the key is in the plate push... (you'll see).
The plate should be right over top of your mouth at the start of the movement.
Use fairly light dumbbells for this (I'm using 45's) so that you can go for feel. Get a strong stretch at the bottom, elbows coming forward a little. The path of movement is going to be up and back, which is what the upper chest does.
Now press up. About 3/4 of the way up, you'll be bringing the dumbbells in contact with the front face of the plate.
Now the fun part... use the dumbbells to push the plate backwards, sliding it down the bar until it's back over your forehead. The friction of the plate on the bar is your resistance (heavier plates give you more friction).
Keep bringing the dumbbells inwards, too, until they're contacting the bar in the center.
This push instantly engages those very extreme top fibers of the upper chest. These are the fibers that are SO hard to get at with straight up and down training.
We've just introduced a whole new plane of resistance into the top part of the movement where those fibers are forced to take up the workload (along with the front delts).
You will INSTANTLY feel this right in that extreme upper chest area when you do this one.
Now we need to get the plate back into position. Turn the dumbbells into a neutral position, hook the bells around the plate, then use them to pull it forward.
Pull it back to the start position (this actually brings in the lower chest to a small extent, like a pulloverish movement).
Lower the dumbbells back down to the stretch position then you're ready for the next rep.
Perform 3-4 sets of 6+ reps of this one. Since you're not using a lot of weight, you want to go for tension with this one.
I recommend doing your heavier incline or bench pressing work first, then following up with this one.
Make sure you're getting a deep stretch at the bottom, controlling the weight on the way up, then pushing up and back on the top bit, pushing that plate backwards.
Now again...I FULLY realize how weird and potentially stupid this one looks. I actually debated even sharing it.
But today, after feeling how sore my extreme upper chest area is, I knew I couldn't keep this one a secret.
If you're willing to look like a crazy person at the gym, or if you train at home, give this one a try. I'm going to be keeping this one in the regular rotation for sure.
For a bodyweight approach to upper chest training, try Upper Chest Bench Clench Push-Ups
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Want more unique and challenging exercises to work your entire body with simple equipment? All you need is just a barbell, dumbbells and a bench. Check out The Best Home Gym Exercises You've Never Heard Of!
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