Workouts are an essential aspect of any fitness routine, an inner chest workout can offer you amazing results. Inner chest workout works on your pectoral muscles, which are located in the upper portion of your chest and play an important role in keeping your shoulders healthy and injury-free.
You can benefit from including an inner chest workout in your fitness routine no matter what level of fitness you’re at. If you’re just starting out, this type of workout will help you develop strong muscles that will support the more complicated exercises you’ll be doing later on down the road.
In order to build the biggest, strongest chest possible, it’s essential to train your inner chest (the pecs between your nipples and armpits).
When most guys go to the gym, they focus exclusively on their outer chest muscles (the pecs that form the well-known pecs shape), leaving their inner chest muscles underdeveloped and weak.
But when you develop your inner chest muscles in addition to your outer pecs, you get an amazingly full chest with killer definition, as well as stronger posture and reduced risk of injury.
Anatomy of the Chest
The chest is a large, complex muscle group that incorporates many different muscles. The chest is composed of two main sections: The upper chest, which includes clavicular (collarbone) and sternal (breastbone) muscles, and the lower chest, which includes only abdominal muscles.
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In addition to these sections, there are several other muscle groups within the chest such as the pectoralis major/minor group; subclavius, levator scapulae, and rhomboids; serratus anterior; infraspinatus; teres minor; coracobrachialis; and deltoid.
These muscles work together to perform a variety of functions including flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, and rotation.
Why Doing Inner-Chest Workout is Important?
Most people understand that upper-chest workouts are good to do, but did you know there’s a set of muscles under your pecs? No matter what kind of chest workout you’re doing, it’s critical to make sure you’re also training these inner pecs.
It doesn’t mean much if you have a big upper chest, but your lower pecs don’t look that great. And overall, it just looks odd to have one set of pecs with more bulk than another. If you want your chest muscles to look symmetrical and balanced,
Related: The Best Upper Chest Workout for an Impressive Physique
then proper training means hitting both sets of muscle fibers in your chest, our inner chest workout would help you achieve a strong core; all you need to do is give it your time and effort, and do it on regular basis. The results will be rewarding I assure you!. And here are 10 ways to do that
Exercise 1: Dumbbell Flyes
I was never a big fan of flyes, mostly because I could never get them to feel right. Eventually, I learned a variation that changed everything.
To perform it;
Lie on your back on a flat bench with your feet firmly planted on the floor (or on a block). Using an underhand grip,
Extend both arms and let them hang straight down with your palms facing each other.
Press both dumbbells up until they’re directly above your pecs (your hands will be in line with your shoulders),
Then lower them under control and back down to their starting position.
It’s important not to cheat these by swinging your arms into place; only move at the shoulder joint. Do 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Exercise 2: Incline Barbell Press
This chest exercise targets both your upper and lower pectorals.
To begin;
Lie on an incline bench holding a barbell above your eyes using an overhand grip.
You can also choose to perform a neutral grip as well.
While you keep your upper arms stationary, lower the barbell out in front of you until it touches your torso just below your nipples.
From there, push it back up to complete one rep. Try not to move or rotate at all during any part of the movement- keep it strict and controlled!
Related: 10 Dumbbell Chest Workouts to Build an Impressive Chest
A wide range of sets and reps will help strengthen all areas of your chest.
Remember to always use proper form while performing these exercises. Be sure to never lock out your elbows at any point during these exercises and maintain control throughout each rep.
Remember that form is key! For best results, try doing 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions with about 60 seconds of rest between each set. If you want to mix things up,
do some variation of these exercises every other day so that you’re constantly working different parts of your chest muscle groups. The more variety you have in your workout routine, the better results you’ll see overall.
Exercise 3: Flat Bench Dumbbell Press
Dumbbells are by far one of my favorite pieces of equipment. The flat bench dumbbell press is not only a great way to get those inner chest muscles growing, but it’s also a terrific overall workout for your pecs and shoulders.
This will definitely be something you want to add to your program! 5 Sets of 8-12 Reps: Try doing 4 sets of 10 reps with at least 60 seconds of rest in between sets. Do another set but reduce your rep count to 6 or 7 and try adding 1 more set where you go up to around 12 reps or so.
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Do that same rep scheme each week, but add 2 more pounds (1 per arm) each time you do another set until you start hitting failure on either a 12 rep or 6 rep set.
Exercise 4: Incline Dumbbell Flyes
This incline dumbbell fly is a great way to work on your inner chest. Start by lying face down on an incline bench and grabbing a pair of dumbbells. Hold them directly above your shoulders, palms facing forward
(A). Keep your upper arms still, and lower both bells out to your sides until they’re slightly below parallel with your torso
(B). Slowly squeeze back up to start and repeat. Be sure not to let your elbows flare out as you lift—this will put unnecessary stress on them. For an added challenge, try doing these in reverse-grip style:
Turn your hands so that your palms are facing each other at the bottom of each rep.
Exercise 5: Cable Crossover Machine
The Cable Crossover Machine is a very versatile workout machine that offers one of our favorite upper chest workouts. This exercise is performed by lying down on a bench, crossing your arms in front of you, and grasping a single-handled bar attached to cables (or pulleys).
As you contract your chest muscles, pull upwards on the bar to lift it above your chest. Be sure to keep both elbows bent while performing these inner chest workouts. The next time you head to your local gym or fitness center, try incorporating the push and pull workout routine for bigger muscles into your regular upper body routine.
Exercise 6: Decline Dumbbell Press
This is one of my favorite exercises because it hits two different muscles in your chest: your upper and lower pectorals. When you’re doing a decline dumbbell press, always make sure that you’re using enough weight to really challenge yourself.
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Choose a weight that will allow you to perform around 5-6 reps before fatigue sets in. As with any chest exercise, always remember to keep your shoulder blades retracted as you lower and lift (no winging) and don’t drop them at all during reps;
engage them throughout every rep of every set. To get more tips on proper form and what weights to use, check out The Truth About Decline Dumbbell Presses!
Exercise 7: Flat Bench Cable Crossover Machine
The Flat Bench Cable Crossover Machine is a simple, yet very effective exercise. In order to get a full and rounded chest, you need to focus on not only your upper pecs but also on your inner chest.
By moving both arms back and forth at once, you can target that inner chest in ways that other exercises simply can’t duplicate.
Try it! Your flat bench cable crossover should be set at around 60% of your 1RM. You can do these again in a superset fashion with exercise 6 or any of our other suggestions as part of your workout routine. These are great if you don’t have any equipment or as part of an inner chest-focused workout routine.
Exercise 8: Close Grip Bench Press
As with most exercises, doing close grip bench presses to failure is extremely taxing. The benefit of going close grip on your chest routine is that it will help increase your peak biceps contraction as well as build inner chest and triceps strength.
In addition, performing close grip bench presses in a superset with dips (see below) will exhaust your upper body quickly and maximize your gains. A word of caution when using supersets, do not do so many reps that you compromise form in an attempt to move faster or complete more reps per set.
You should be fully rested at all times during a superset to ensure safety and quality results. Complete four sets with eight repetitions per set per exercise. Three-second negatives on each rep are ideal and add intensity while building muscle mass.
Exercise 9: Dips on Dip Machine
If you have access to a dip machine, use it to hit your pectoral muscles from all angles. The start position involves placing your hands on two bars positioned close together. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, and your body should form a straight line.
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As you bend at your elbows and lower yourself down, try to touch your chest to your thighs. Press back up with straight arms until you return to the start position. For best results, perform three sets of eight reps after each workout.
This exercise is best performed first in a workout because it will help warm up and stretch out your shoulders before working other muscles.
Exercise 10: Butterfly Pec Deck Machine
People often shy away from machines, but machines are great if you’re trying to isolate a certain muscle group. The Butterfly pec deck machine is one of my favorites because it works your chest muscles hard and helps you develop that mind-muscle connection.
Plus, it doesn’t put any additional stress on your joints because you don’t have to balance yourself as much as with free weights. With a weight bench and an adjustable pec deck machine at home, there’s no reason not to work on building your chest.
Here’s how: Stand facing the weight bench holding two dumbbells (start with a light amount). Plant both feet on either side of the end of your bench, so your entire foot is flat against it.
Conclusion on Inner Chest Workout
Well, there you have it: The most effective inner chest workouts you can do to get a well-defined and strong set of pecs. Be sure to include these exercises in your next training program and don’t be surprised when girls start paying attention to your new found swagger. Happy Training!