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GST and upper chest


Alexander Egebak
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Alexander Egebak

Hi all.

 

What specific GST exercises works out upper chest?

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That's  a bodybuilding question. In general I dont think GST comparatively is the best method of developing the chest bc of the emphasis on straight arm work.  Compared to a bodybuilding physique I have begun to prefer this, GST produces relatively stronger arms, shoulders, hands and core that are able to transfer power very well from the chest and back.  

 

For overall chest development I have found dips to be the best.  The planche, static and dynamic wrecks my arms long before my chest but this is bc of my background in lifting, so it may be different for you if your chest is comparatively underdeveloped.

 

For the upper chest the most stimulation I get is from HSPU facing the wall, but I mention overall development with dips bc you will not be able to develop your upper chest without overall pectoral development.  

 

Multi-plane pressing may also work but i don't have any direct experience with this.  

 

The best exercise I have ever experienced for upper chest development is the incline dumbbell fly with light weights, if all else fails and you still want that look, bc I have found isolating a particular area with GST extremely difficult.

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Alexander Egebak

Thank you for your reply.

 

My intention was only to get to know which gymnastic exercises that included upper chest. I am not bodybuilding. You say HSPU and dips. Do dips also work out upper chest?

 

I think I have underdeveloped upper chest and strong lower chest and want to isolate it, preferably through GST if possible.

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GoldenEagle

There is no basic fundamental body weight exercise that target just the upper fibres of the pectoral major.

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Alexander Egebak

Okay, thank you, that is all I needed to know

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Jon Douglas

Maybe try ring flyes with the feet elevated above the body. 

This, but please don't jump straight into them if you are new to straight arm rings work :)

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Carlos Rodriguez

And maltese work will make your biceps grow like there's no tomorrow :)

 

In other words, have patience and you'll eventually get there, OP. Form follows function.

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Alexander Egebak

B1214N. How is planche working out upper chest? I thought it was only lower chest. And is this also the case with the early progressions?

 

Carlos, as I stated, my upper chest is lacking, and what I actually am trying to do is to fix my muscular imbalances (pronated shoulders I think it is called). And meanwhile I am taking it slowly in the other elements that I am strong at. But thank you for your concern, I am just trying to do targeted prehab since foundation currently is too expensive for me (:

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B1214N. How is planche working out upper chest? I thought it was only lower chest. And is this also the case with the early progressions?

 

Carlos, as I stated, my upper chest is lacking, and what I actually am trying to do is to fix my muscular imbalances (pronated shoulders I think it is called). And meanwhile I am taking it slowly in the other elements that I am strong at. But thank you for your concern, I am just trying to do targeted prehab since foundation currently is too expensive for me (:

OP are you trying to build up you upper chest in order to address pronated shoulders?  Pronated shoulders are usually caused by excessive pushing, a tight chest and not enough pulling.  Chest work will only make this worse.

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B1214N. How is planche working out upper chest? I thought it was only lower chest. And is this also the case with the early progressions?

 

Planche with shoulder width grip will involve the upper chest and not the lower chest. Widening the grip will recruit more and more lower chest like a maltese will involve both the upper and lower chest.

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clavicular fibers of pectoralis draw the humerus (upper arm) towards the clavicle, so HSPU (elbows in) will hit the upper chest, and of course HS press

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Alessandro Mainente

inverted cross and maltese to inverted cross involves high chest.

if you look to muscles isolation move to bbing.

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Alessandro Mainente

Planche with shoulder width grip will involve the upper chest and not the lower chest. Widening the grip will recruit more and more lower chest like a maltese will involve both the upper and lower chest.

i do not understand this. from an isolation pov if i want to increase the mass of my guys in the mass phase for the upper chest i sit them on an inclined bench and the weight is moved vertically, the shoulders angle must be increased if compared to normal benchpress until an optimal degree of 45-50°, lower then that the upper chest start to work less , same thing as you move over 55-60° on inclination.

the upper chest is involved when the weight is not orthogonal to chest but at higher degrees. there is no reason to think that the chest works differently when you use the planche variantion. the wider grip is useful to stress more the fibers near the insertion or near the origin. let's use an useful image.

 

post-1151-0-47542300-1402566410_thumb.pn

 

i asked to my father to confirm my hyopthesis from a lever POV and this is quite logic. but if i'm wrong correct me please!

read carefully I do not said maltese, i said maltese to inverted cross.

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Alessandro Mainente

I suppose Handstand Pushups with bad form work the upper chest more :).

good said! with extreme depression and retraction!

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i do not understand this. from an isolation pov if i want to increase the mass of my guys in the mass phase for the upper chest i sit them on an inclined bench and the weight is moved vertically, the shoulders angle must be increased if compared to normal benchpress until an optimal degree of 45-50°, lower then that the upper chest start to work less , same thing as you move over 55-60° on inclination.

the upper chest is involved when the weight is not orthogonal to chest but at higher degrees. there is no reason to think that the chest works differently when you use the planche variantion. the wider grip is useful to stress more the fibers near the insertion or near the origin. let's use an useful image.

 

attachicon.gifchest.png

 

i asked to my father to confirm my hyopthesis from a lever POV and this is quite logic.

read carefully I do not said maltese, i said maltese to inverted cross.

 

 

Planche is closer to a strict front raise with perfectly straight arms with a barbell bc although the top of the position appears similar to the top of a decline press there is no pressing in this direction but rather away from the hips.  The top of the chest will work in this position more or less depending on the angle, but bodybuilders will not use this as an upper chest developer bc the front delts are at a huge leverage disadvantage and will fatigue long long before the upper chest.

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Alessandro Mainente

the only reason of why a bblder does not use a declined version (declined i mean with head lower then feet) is due to pain or as you said weak shoulder. said that in 2012 were done by T.Bompa (i'm searching the study link) a study to measure the IEMGmax (integrated maximum stimulation electromyography) to measure the most motor units activation in BBding exercise.

decline dumbell bp and decline bp with bar has respectively 93% activation and 90% activation of the major and lower chest. the most activation for upper chest was with INCLINED version. the variability due to different tendons length or insertion is not significant. IEMG is far the most productive technique and i do not have reasons think different. i'm not supposing, those are scientific data set.

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i do not understand this. from an isolation pov if i want to increase the mass of my guys in the mass phase for the upper chest i sit them on an inclined bench and the weight is moved vertically, the shoulders angle must be increased if compared to normal benchpress until an optimal degree of 45-50°, lower then that the upper chest start to work less , same thing as you move over 55-60° on inclination.

the upper chest is involved when the weight is not orthogonal to chest but at higher degrees. there is no reason to think that the chest works differently when you use the planche variantion. the wider grip is useful to stress more the fibers near the insertion or near the origin. let's use an useful image.

 

attachicon.gifchest.png

 

i asked to my father to confirm my hyopthesis from a lever POV and this is quite logic. but if i'm wrong correct me please!

read carefully I do not said maltese, i said maltese to inverted cross.

The upper (clavicular head) chest is involved in shoulder flexion while the medial/lower (sternal head) chest is not involved in shoulder flexion besides transverse flexion. A shoulder width grip planche is shoulder flexion so that's why.

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