Fitness enthusiasts and gym goers mainly focus on the flat bench press. No doubt, it builds the overall chest because it allows one to lift heavy. But for a well-developed and polished chest, one must not ignore the upper pecs.

The German IFBB professional bodybuilder, Gunter Schlierkamp, believes in a balanced training approach. He shared some of his tried-and-tested tips for upper-chest hypertrophy. 

Begin with inclines 

According to Muscle&Fitness, Gunter said, “If your upper pecs are really lagging, the best way to bring them out is to always start with incline moves.” For this, he advised beginning the routine with some incline movements because muscles are relaxed and can support lifting more weight, leading to hypertrophy.  

One can use either dumbbells, a barbell, or a Smith machine. After performing some incline exercise, one can shift to flat or decline presses. 

Use dumbbells

Schlierkamp, who favours the use of dumbbells, said, “Using dumbbells will give you a completely different kind of tension and range of motion than a barbell”, because dumbbells assist in stretching and squeezing the chest fully.

He advised not depending solely on the barbell for incline presses. Swapping the tools will challenge the muscles in a newer way and promote hypertrophy. 

Power pressing

Power pressing assists in building strength from a dead stop. The German bodybuilder explains that, “Using a Smith machine or power rack, set the safeties to a point that only allows for a partial range of motion.”

Lower the bar, and let it rest completely. Start pressing hard to the top. This draws out the momentum and puts pressure on one’s muscles to work hard. As one gets stronger, drag down the safety pins to maximise the range of motion. 

Flyes modification

Gunter supported the use of incline dumbbell flyes for upper pecs. He prefers to keep his palms in a pronated position throughout the movement. 

He said small changes like “Facing the palm forward, it gives you even better tension in your upper chest and it stretches the upper pecs,” lead to big differences.

End with stretching 

The IFBB pro bodybuilder recommended that post-workout stretching is crucial for recovery and muscle development. If the upper pecs are undertrained, then stretching will assist in creating the right environment for muscle hypertrophy and development.

So, are you giving enough attention to your upper pecs development? And follow Bodybuilding Bros for all things fitness!

Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Joyita Das