12 Best Upper Chest Exercises To Fill Out Your Pecs

To construct a solid upper chest, you’ll have to work out with purpose. The perfect upper chest exercises take into consideration the movement of the arms and position of the body. If you happen to’ve had trouble constructing a whole chest, then that is an article you could read.

This post breaks down the anatomy and advantages of working the upper chest, plus suggestions and tricks that may have you achieve a chest that Superman can be jealous of. Read on for the most effective 12 upper chest exercises and tips on how to program them into your workout.

WHAT IS THE UPPER CHEST?

The upper portion of the chest muscle (pectoralis major) is named the clavicular head. The muscle fibers within the upper portion of the chest run along a special angle than the lower chest (sternocostal head). As a consequence of the structure and performance of the upper chest, you have to to perform exercises which might be tailored to stimulate it. Put simply, it would be best to perform upper chest exercises that involve a point of shoulder flexion and horizontal shoulder adduction.

CHEST ANATOMY

Many individuals often confer with the chest muscles because the “pecs,” despite the fact that three muscles make up the chest. These muscles are primarily liable for pushing exercises similar to the bench press. To properly develop a well-built chest, you’ll have to work each chest muscle in a way that can stimulate essentially the most response by way of constructing strength and muscle. Let’s take a look at the three chest muscles and their functions in order that tips on how to engage each muscle to elicit the most effective response to your training.

Pectoralis Major: This muscle is comprised of two heads; the clavicular and sternocostal head. The pectoralis major is sometimes called the “pecs.” This fan-shaped muscle is the most important and most visible within the chest region. The pec major stretches across your entire chest from the sternum (breastbone), clavicle (collarbone), ribs, and eventually connecting to the humerus (upper arm). The clavicular and sternocostal head of the pec major work in unison in lots of movements. Nevertheless, their functions have subtle differences, largely based on the angle at which the upper arm is moving. Subsequently, it’s necessary to focus on each heads of the pec major for those who need a balanced overall look.

Clavicular Head: This head is more commonly called the upper chest; it begins on the clavicle, as you might have guessed. This upper chest area makes up roughly 20-30 percent of the entire mass of the pecs. The principal functions of the upper chest are shoulder flexion and horizontal shoulder adduction. You’ll be able to consider shoulder flexion once you start together with your hands at your sides then lift them upwards. Horizontal shoulder adduction is a movement much like hugging someone. The perfect movements to hit the upper chest are when there’s a level of shoulder flexion. Exercises within the frontal and transverse planes will put the upper pecs to work. Exercises like an incline dumbbell press and chest flyes are excellent for working the clavicular head. You’ll also activate the upper chest when doing a little shoulder exercises similar to front raises.

Sternocostal Head: This muscle can be sometimes known as the sternal head, because it attaches to the sternum. The sternocostal head accounts for 70-80 percent of the entire mass of the pecs. The main functions of the sternal head are to help in horizontal adduction and extend your arms in front of you. The lower chest is stimulated higher by exercises that enhance horizontal adduction, meaning a large grip bench press is an excellent alternative to activate the lower chest. One exercise that specifically works the lower chest more are the decline press.

Pectoralis Minor: This triangular muscle is situated under the pec major within the upper chest area. This muscle is involved with many movements of body parts on the backside of the body. The pec minor normally starts on the front third to fifth ribs then attaches to the coracoid strategy of the scapula (hook-like points on the shoulder blade). The principal functions of the pec minor are the depression, stabilization, abduction, internal/downward rotation of the scapula. The pec minor will work in concert with the pec major but isn’t the first mover. Even though it’s unimaginable to specifically isolate this muscle, you possibly can do exercises like dips and decline press, where your shoulder blades are drawn down that can help to interact the pec minor.

Serratus Anterior: This muscle is found on the highest sides of the ribs; it wraps around your upper rib cage and attaches to the shoulder blades. This muscle has three parts which might be depending on the corresponding ribs they originate from. The principal function of this muscle is to tug the shoulder blades forward. The serratus anterior can be partly liable for movements similar to reaching forward or lifting your arms overhead.

UPPER CHEST TRAINING VARIABLES

If you desire to stimulate the upper chest, you’ll must be mindful of certain training variables. Two areas you could tweak to stimulate the upper chest more relate to your body positioning.

a) Pressing Angle:

It’s possible you’ll bear in mind that an incline bench angle will hit the upper chest greater than a flat or decline bench. This study checked out various angles of the bench press to see what muscles were activated more via EMG. The outcomes showed that the optimal angle for muscle activation within the upper chest was 30 degrees, while the flat bench activated the mid-lower chest more. As well as, the 60 degrees incline bench press led to max muscle activation of the anterior deltoid.

Here’s one other bench pressing angle study that tested different bench angles and the way they affected muscle activation. The researchers also checked out various phases of the exercises related to the concentric and eccentric portions of the movement. The outcomes showed that a flat bench effectively activated the upper and lower chest. Still, the incline angle of 30-45 degrees activated the upper chest more at certain points within the movement.

To summarize, if you desire to stimulate the upper chest more when doing pressing exercises, it is best to aim for an angle of 30-45 degrees. If you happen to use an incline angle greater than 50 degrees, then you definately’ll be transferring the emphasis out of your upper chest to your front delts.

b) Grip Width:

Your hand placement on a bar when doing bench press will affect how your muscles are recruited. The broader grip you employ when doing bench press will move the strain away out of your shoulders and upper chest to the mid-chest. When using a shoulder-width grip during this exercise, your shoulders will probably be in a greater degree of flexion, which might activate your upper chest more.

c) Sets, Reps & Load: 

When working the upper chest, that you must consider that the chest comprises around 60% fast-twitch muscle fiber and 40% slow-twitch. Because of this you have to be training the upper chest with quite a lot of rep ranges and loads. Remember your end goals and the overall guidelines of rep ranges below:

• Power: 1-3 reps 
• Strength: 4-6 reps 
• Hypertrophy: 6-12 reps 
• Endurance: 12+ reps 

Note: As a consequence of the muscle makeup of the chest, you furthermore may need to present it time to recuperate, so that you shouldn’t work the chest greater than twice every week. 

12 BEST UPPER CHEST EXERCISES

Listed below are 12 of the most effective upper chest exercises you could incorporate into your workout program. Try to make use of an assortment of them. Regularly, people plateau of their training because they persist with doing the identical exercises for months or years. You’ll also find three upper chest exercises that you can do at home if you desire to get an excellent workout refrained from going to the gym.

1. Bench Press:

Many individuals may not consider the normal bench press an exercise to work the upper chest, but indeed, it’s. Studies have shown that the flat bench will work the upper chest or clavicular head almost as much as an incline bench, apart from certain portions of the movement.

Overall, the bench press is an excellent exercise to work the upper chest because you possibly can push heavier loads than an incline which might stimulate recent muscle growth. You may as well easily incorporate it right into a home chest workout by utilizing dumbbells as a substitute of a barbell. You may also see this popular move in our back and chest workout because it gets results and targets several upper body muscles.

How To:

• Lie down in your back, then reach as much as grab the bar with each hands using an overhand grip just wider than shoulder-width apart
• Retract your shoulder blades, then un-rack
• Slowly lower the bar to mid-chest while keeping your elbows at 45-70 degrees out of your sides until the bar reaches your chest
• Press up until your arms are fully prolonged or simply before lockout to extend time under tension
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: Don’t bounce the bar off your chest. You may as well perform the exercise with dumbbells for more range of motion.

2. Incline Bench Press:

If you happen to are using an incline barbell bench, it is going to already be at a set angle when doing the incline barbell press, so you only have to give attention to form cues. This bench press variation will move among the tension from the mid-chest to the upper chest in comparison with a flat bench press. You ought to be lowering the bar to your upper chest then pressing up back towards your head.

How To:

• Get into position on the incline barbell bench press
• Reach up, grab the bar with each hands using an overhand grip barely wider than shoulder-width apart
• Retract your shoulder blades, then push as much as un-rack the bar
• Slowly lower the bar to your upper chest while keeping your elbows to your sides at a 45-70 degree angle
• Press up until your arms are fully prolonged
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: This exercise can be done with dumbbells to get a greater range of motion.

3. Reverse Grip Dumbbell Press:

Changing your grip from overhand to underhand has a profound effect on upper chest muscle activation. By changing your grip and performing a reverse grip press, you possibly can rise up to 30% more upper chest activation. In fact, you possibly can do the reverse grip press with a barbell, but using dumbbells will allow for more freedom within the arm movement and more overall range of motion.

How To:

• Arrange a bench on an incline of 30-45 degrees
• Grab dumbbells, then get into position on the bench
• Start with palms facing you, and the dumbbell handles are to the side of your mid-chest with the dumbbells at a 45-degree angle
• Press straight up until your arms are fully prolonged
• Slowly lower to starting position
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: Don’t try to the touch the dumbbells at the highest of the movement; follow through with a full range of motion. Use your thighs to assist push dumbbells back and into starting position if using heavier weight.

4. Incline Dumbbell Around The World:

This chest exercise provides a whole range of motion that may also work the shoulders. Concentrate on the technique quite than attempting to use heavyweight. You may as well do that exercise on a flat bench, but we feel more tension on the upper chest when performing it on an incline.

How To:

• Arrange a bench at a 30-45 degree incline
• Grab dumbbells, then get into position on the bench
• Start with the dumbbells at your upper thighs together with your palms facing up
• Lift the dumbbells out to your sides while rotating at your wrists
• Keep your arms straight as you make a circular sweeping motion until your hands find yourself over your head, in keeping with your body, and your wrists have made a full 180-degree rotation
• Slowly reverse the identical motion returning to starting position
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: Use lighter dumbbells and focus on contracting your chest to determine the mind-muscle connection.

5. Cable Upper Chest Crossover:

This cable crossover is ideal for hitting the upper chest. The movement travels in the identical direction because the muscle fibers of the clavicular head of the pec major. Moving your arms at this angle optimizes the way in which your upper chest contracts to bring your arms together.

How To:

• Arrange the D-handles around hip height
• Stand in the midst of the cable machine, then grab each handles using a neutral grip
• Get right into a staggered stance, then bring your arms out to your sides
• Starting with a slight bend in your elbows, contract your chest to bring your arms together while moving them at an upward angle until they meet in the middle just above your head
• Slowly return to starting position
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: At the highest of the movement, cross your hands over to get a maximum contraction.

6. Dumbbell Incline Flys With Wrist Twist:

This version of the incline dumbbell fly is ideal for targeting the upper chest. You’ll perform this exercise as you’ll a daily incline dumbbell fly but with one extra movement. At the highest of the movement, you’ll turn your wrists inwards to provide a greater chest contraction.

How To:

• Arrange the bench with a 30-45 degree incline
• Grab dumbbells using a neutral grip the get into position on the bench
• Start with the dumbbells over your chest and your elbows barely bent
• Slowly lower the dumbbells to your sides until the weights are shoulder level
• Contract your chest to bring your arms up together to starting position. As your arms are approaching the starting position, you’ll turn your wrists inwards until your palms are facing you, squeeze at the highest of the movement
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: The one movements on this exercise are on the shoulder and wrist joints; your elbows shouldn’t move.

7. Low To High Cable Flys:

You’ll be able to do low to high flys with a cable machine, dumbbells, or resistance bands. This exercise is ideal to work the upper chest resulting from the angle of the trail your arms will travel in. Using the cables, you’ll give you the option to place constant tension on the upper chest muscle fibers throughout the range of motion.

How To:

• Arrange the D-handles at the bottom setting on the cable machine
• Stand in the midst of the cable machine, then grab the handles with each hands using an underhand grip
• Get right into a staggered stance, step forward in order that there’s tension on the cables together with your hands at your sides
• Keep core engaged, back straight, then lift the cables up and in front of your body together with your arms barely bent on the elbows
• Squeeze your chest at the highest of the movement when your hands meet
• Slowly lower to starting position
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: Hold the squeeze at the highest for 1-2 seconds. Get an additional chest contraction and add a variety of motion by crossing over your hands at the highest of the motion.

8. Landmine Kneeling Squeeze Press:

With this exercise, as you’re pushing up from the middle of your body, you’ll activate your upper chest. Using a neutral grip, you’ll reduce the stress on the shoulder joints because there’s much less external rotation. This exercise resembles the hex press that you can also do with dumbbells on an incline bench. An additional advantage of this movement is working the inner chest.

How To:

• Arrange landmine bar
• Get onto your knees and grab the bar with each hands using a neutral grip by clasping your hands
• Bring the bar as much as your chest together with your elbows in front of you
• Keeping your back straight and core engaged, press up and away until your arms are fully prolonged
• Slowly return to starting position
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: Squeeze your chest throughout the movement while also squeezing the bar together with your hands.

9. Dumbbell Pullover:

The dumbbell pullover is a standard exercise that bodybuilders use to accumulate the chest. This exercise works the chest, lats, and serratus anterior. Many individuals might think that this exercise works the lats greater than the chest, but this study used EMG to indicate that the pullover elicits more muscle activation from the pectoralis major than the lats. One other advantage of this exercise for the upper chest is that you simply’re working through an angle different from most chest exercises.

How To:

• Place your upper back on a flat bench in order that your body is perpendicular to it
• Your head will hang over the sting of the bench. Plant your feet on the ground hip-width apart. Your hips will probably be barely lower than your shoulders
• Hold the dumbbell together with your hands in a diamond shape, so the load is resting in your palms
• Start with the load directly over your chest, keeping your elbows barely bent, slowly lower the dumbbell over your head until your arms are aligned together with your torso
• Pull the dumbbell back to starting position and emphasize the chest contraction
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: Emphasize the contraction of the chest towards the highest of the movement.

10. Resistance Band Pushup:

The resistance band pushup is solely a pushup with added resistance. That is an important exercise to work the upper chest because you possibly can do it at home and still achieve hypertrophy. As well as, you possibly can play with training variables similar to hand placement, foot placement, and resistance level to maintain the exercise fresh while targeting different muscles.

How To:

• Wrap band around your back and under your arms, then loop over your hands
• Get into position with hands barely wider than shoulder-width apart with the band anchored under your hands
• Keeping your body in a straight line, lower your chest towards the ground until you’re just a few inches from the bottom
• Press up by contracting your chest until your arms are fully prolonged
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: Place hands just out above your head to create more of an angle as you push up, which is able to mimic the motion of an incline press.

11. Decline Pushup:

The decline pushup mimics the movement of an incline bench press. This is a wonderful exercise to work the upper chest at home. The important thing point with the decline pushup is to be certain that you’re keeping your core engaged, and also you’re getting a full range of motion as you lower yourself towards the ground. The upper you set your feet, the more you’ll be transferring the strain towards your front deltoids.

How To:

• Arrange a sturdy platform (chair or bench) that can create a 30-45 degree angle between your body and the ground
• Facing away from the raised surface, put your feet on top of it, then walk your hands out until you’re in push up position together with your hands stacked under your shoulders
• Keeping your body in a straight line together with your core engaged, slowly lower your chest to the ground by bending on the elbows until your chest is just a few inches from the ground
• Press up by contracting your chest until your arms are fully prolonged
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: Don’t flare your elbows out too far; keep them inside 45-70 degrees out of your sides.

12. Pike Pushup:

The pike pushup is one other body weight upper chest exercise that may also work your shoulders and triceps. The principal differences between the pike pushup and the decline pushup are the body positioning and range of motion. With the pike push up you won’t be keeping your body in a straight line. An awesome aspect of the pike pushup is enabling you to press through a wider range of motion.

How To:

• Arrange a sturdy platform (chair or bench)
• Facing away from the raised surface, put your feet on top of it, then walk your hands out while keeping your body in a bent position
• Slowly lower your chest to the ground by bending on the elbows until your chest is just a few inches from the ground.
• Press up by contracting your chest, triceps and shoulder until your arms are fully prolonged
• Repeat for desired reps

Note: You may as well do that exercise together with your feet on the bottom, keeping your body in a pike position.

TIPS FOR UPPER CHEST WORKOUTS

To coach for optimal results, attempt to model your upper chest training around the following pointers and tricks below.

• Set an incline bench at 30-50 degrees when doing exercises similar to the bench press, dumbbell press, or flys
• If doing chest using a cable machine, attempt to do low to high cable flys
• Employ quite a lot of movements using different equipment similar to barbells, dumbbells, cables. If working chest twice every week in a PPL program or upper/lower split, you possibly can do heavier free weights one session and more machine isolation exercises the opposite session.
• Don’t overtrain; shoot for 1-2 chest training sessions weekly.
• Try to make use of different training methods similar to rest-pause sets, drop sets, or supersets
• Use quite a lot of reps, sets, and loads, including lower reps/heavy loads and better reps/lower loads
• To keep up a robust upper chest without equipment, perform elevated pushups where your feet are on a raised platform of the identical 30-50 degrees. To construct upper chest muscles at home or on the road, use resistance bands.
• Train with an assortment of exercises which have a component of shoulder flexion and/or horizontal shoulder adduction
• Select exercises that follow the angle of the fibers within the upper chest
• Shoot for 12-20 sets of chest exercises weekly
• Start with the chest initially of your workout when your muscles are fresh for those who’re on a push/pull/legs split

BEST WORKOUT FOR UPPER CHEST WITH WEIGHTS

We put together an upper chest workout that provides you with an insane pump. Remember to change up the sets and reps every 1-2 mesocycles. Try to do that workout once per week.

Notes:

• 1.5-2 minute rests between sets.
• 2-3 minutes of dynamic chest stretches before workout, plus warmup sets as needed (see chest stretches below).
• 2-3 minutes of static chest stretches after workout.

BEST UPPER CHEST WORKOUT AT HOME

Here’s the proper upper chest workout you could do from home.

Note:

• 1-2 minute rest between sets.
• 2-3 minute dynamic chest stretches before workout.
• 2-3 minute static chest stretches after workout.

UPPER CHEST STRETCHES

Listed below are two easy yet effective stretches for the upper chest. Dynamic stretches are for before your upper chest workouts and static stretches are for after your workout. 

Warm Up: Dynamic Chest Opener

Before you begin doing any upper chest exercises or workouts, it is best to warm up the pecs through dynamic stretches like this and by doing just a few warmup sets with lightweight. Taking just a few minutes to finish some dynamic stretches will help get the blood flowing to the muscle you’re working on, thus reducing the probabilities you injure yourself. This is a straightforward chest opener you could do before doing all your first warmup sets.

How To:

• Get up straight
• Bring your arms up in front of you at chest level with palms together
• Open your arms to your sides way back to you possibly can, then return to starting position
• Repeat three sets of 10-20 reps

Cool Down: Static Chest Stretch

Do that static chest stretch after your upper chest workout to open up the pecs. You may speed up your recovery time a bit by performing static stretches like this after an intense workout. Static stretching will help to maintain your fatigued muscles loose.

How To:

• Get up straight together with your hands to your sides and your feet hip-width apart
• Place palms in your hips together with your thumbs facing down while your elbows are flared out
• Lean back, lift the chest and ward off through your elbows to stretch the pecs
• Hold for 10-20 seconds
• Repeat 2-3 times

BENEFITS OF TRAINING UPPER CHEST

Listed below are just just a few advantages of repeatedly doing upper chest exercises.

• Improved Functionality: Many each day activities involve motions that the upper chest is directly liable for. Whether you’re pushing open a door or giving a loved one an enormous ole hug, you will probably be using your pecs. Keeping your chest strong and mobile permits you to perform higher in daily life.
• Look Higher: Upper chest exercises will help to make your chest look fuller. It’s necessary to create an excellent balance within the chest. Increase the clavicular head or upper chest may have you looking higher out and in of clothing; this goes for each men and ladies. For girls, targeting the upper chest and incorporating breast lifting exercises will help create firmer, perkier breasts. For men, working on the upper chest will help when attempting to lose chest fat. Strong pecs also help to enhance posture as they assist to stabilize the shoulder joint.
• Enhance Pressing Power: Adding more upper chest exercises into your workouts will aid in moving heavier loads during pushing/pressing movements. Not only will you give you the option to bench press more, but you’ll also give you the option to lift heavier loads when doing an overhead press. Boosting your pressing power ability can improve your athletic performance and prepare you to execute each day activities with ease.
• Breathe Easier: Since the pecs are attached to the ribs, strengthening and stretching them through exercise can enhance your respiration.

UPPER CHEST WORKOUT FAQs:

Listed below are among the commonest questions we get about upper chest training.

Why is my upper chest not growing?

The dearth of upper chest growth likely stems from either improper bench press form or inadequate nutrition. When the bench press is executed incorrectly, it hinders proper chest activation, resulting in stagnated muscle development. In essence, ensuring correct form is crucial for optimal upper chest growth – it’s as straightforward as that.

Why is the upper chest so hard to construct?

The fibers within the upper chest are connected to the clavicle (collarbone), making their activation quite difficult. Typical pressing exercises mainly goal the center and lower regions of the chest, often neglecting the upper part. To provide yourself higher growth within the upper chest, make sure you give attention to the exercises on this post, similar to incline bench press and low to high cable flys. Also, do upper chest in the beginning of your workout when your energy is highest.

How one can goal the upper chest without working the shoulders?

You’ll be able to’t completely isolate the upper chest from the shoulders because the muscles are so closely connected and work together during pressing movements. The perfect thing you possibly can do is to give attention to mind-muscle connection and use good form and a weight load that permits you to exhaust your upper pecs, not only your anterior deltoids. 

Is one exercise for upper chest enough?

While one exercise specifically targeting the upper chest could be helpful, it is usually more practical to incorporate quite a lot of exercises to totally develop and strengthen the upper chest muscles. Relying solely on a single exercise may limit the general stimulation and potential growth of the upper chest. Aim for at the least 2 upper chest exercises per week, and in case your upper chest is actually lagging, make sure you do those in the beginning of your workouts.

How often must you hit your upper chest?

In case your aim is muscle size quite than simply strength gains, addressing training volume becomes crucial, even when it doesn’t necessarily result in more strength improvement than less frequent training. By targeting the upper chest at the least twice per week, you possibly can accumulate significant training volume while ensuring ample time for muscle recovery between workouts. This approach is important for maximizing muscle growth and achieving your size-related goals effectively.

How do you get a chiseled upper chest?

Achieving a chiseled upper chest involves a mix of targeted exercises, proper nutrition, and consistency in your workout routine. Once you’ve gotten the muscle built, then it really comes all the way down to achieving a lower body fat percentage to get that chiseled upper chest look.

Do dips goal upper chest?

Dips primarily goal the chest muscles, however the extent to which they give attention to the upper chest is determined by the way you perform the exercise. When done with a forward lean and the torso barely inclined, dips can indeed place more emphasis on the upper chest.

Which chest muscle makes you look greater?

When aiming for a well-developed chest, it’s crucial to focus on constructing strong upper pectoral muscles. These muscles are highly noticeable and contribute significantly to achieving the specified appearance related to exercising and going to the gym.

WHICH PUSHUPS WORK UPPER CHEST?

The perfect pushups to work your upper chest are decline pushups where your feet are elevated on a raised platform of 30-50 degrees. Your hand placement must be shoulder-width apart or barely wider. Beginners can construct upper chest muscle at home by doing pushups, but well-trained people may have to make use of an external load similar to resistance bands.

HOW TO TARGET UPPER CHEST AT HOME?

To focus on your upper chest at home, it is best to get right into a body position that barely mimics the incline bench press. Two of the exercises we covered above, the decline pushup and pike pushup, are great body weight exercises you could do at home to work the upper chest. You can also do resistance band pushups at home to assist with progressive overload if body weight pushups turn into too easy.

Related: Best Body weight Chest Exercises

FINAL NOTE ON UPPER CHEST EXERCISES:

The upper chest needs a bit of more thought in the way you go about exercising it. If you desire to construct pecs of steel, then that you must start incorporating some upper chest exercises into your workout. The important thing takeaways that it is best to remember are:

• Use quite a lot of upper chest exercises to totally develop the clavicular head of the pecs.
• Stay inside a 30-50 degree incline when doing presses or flys
• Work through a variety of sets, reps, and loads to spice up your ability to achieve muscle and strength.
• Perform upper chest exercises in your workouts 1-2 times weekly and aim for 12-20 total sets.

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