Now, the first thing you need to know is the inner chest doesn't exist... as a separate part of the chest.
The pecs are a fan-shaped muscle and by changing the angle of the pull, it is possible to shift emphasis to different areas of the chest.
In this case, we're going to change the angle of the torso from flat to about 30 degrees so that the arm is almost coming ACROSS the chest towards the mid-line of the body.
This makes it more similar to a cable press in how it places tension on the pecs... it creates a strong peak contraction of the chest at the top of the press instead of losing tension at the top (as would normally happen).
So even if you don't believe in the inner chest, this will give you a monster contraction in the chest.
You'll need a decline bench and a dumbbell.
If you don't have a decline bench, you could feasibly elevate one end of a flat bench to achieve a similar effect. This could be done with plates under one end to get that up higher or even something like hooking the post of one end of the bench over the rail of a power rack.
In the demo, I'm using an adjustable dumbbell from Kensui. You can absolutely use a normal dumbbell for this very effectively, though.
Overall, these things are a great investment for a home gym....very well designed and built.
I've got the dumbbell offset loaded here with the heavier side towards the inside of the body. I find this orientation works best for shifting loading to the inner aspect of the chest.
The best way to start with this one is to hook one hand under the pads of the decline bench then lie so that your upper back is on the bench.
Your upper arm will be resting on the bench at the bottom, similar to a floor press. Since the peak contraction is the best part of this movement, it's not a huge deal to do it like this.
Then press directly up.
Because your shoulders are tilted at an angle, it will essentially be a cross-body press, really hitting that contraction hard.
Do 5-8 reps or so on the side then set the dumbbell down and switch to the other. I like to set it on the thigh again, then back to the floor.
Now, if you want to try a bit more of a full range of motion on this one, you can shift your body down the bench a bit and grip under the bench surface itself.
This is what you'd have to do if you were using an elevated flat bench.
In the case of the decline bench, your upper arm is off the end of the bench, giving your more range of motion at the bottom from which to start the press.
Then press directly up.
The downside to this one is that because of how you're gripping (upper arm over the side of the bench), your upper back won't be as solidly on the bench and you may have a tendency to bring your torso up a big, flattening it out.
Do your reps on one side then switch to the other.
Be sure when you're doing this one that your feet are set wide for stabilization and get a forceful contraction to the top.
Keep that pressing shoulder down and don't let your torso roll up towards the higher side of the bench as that defeats the purpose of the exercise.
For inner-chest focused training with bodyweight, try Push-In Bench 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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