A possibly stupid question about chest development

[Smitty]

There is no such thing as "inner" "outer" and "lower" pecs. Ever see a picture of the muscular system? The pecs are one big muscle, the pec is shaped a lot like a fan, it is not like the back, which has a lower ( spinal erectors) Middle abd outer like the lats and upper consisting of traps.

That being said, everyone's body responds to certain exersizes differently. Some people like myself get most gains from bench while others get very little from bench and get most of their results from cable and dumbell flys.

This is true. But certain parts of the chest are more worked by different exercises. An incline or decline bench press will stress a respective part of the chest than a flat bench press.

[glockmeister]

You can work a muscle from different angles take for example dips. The will work your chest from a different angle than push ups. and Cable cross overs will work the pecs in a different way as well from say, bench presses, however, it is impossible to work different "sections" of the pecs, since the pecs are not in sections like say, the biceps which have a long head and short head or the triceps which have three different "sections" the pecs have no such sections or different areas. What he should do is go to https://www.bodybuilding.com and ask the question. They will tell him the same thing.

[Smitty]

The same could be said for the abs. But people do weighted leg lifts and crunches. They work different sections of the same muscle more specifically.

[glockmeister]

Thats because if you look at the abs, they are segmented. Not so with The pecs.

[Smitty]

Once again, forgive my ignorance on this subject. When I flex, I distinctly see a muscle division. I believe they're the pectoralis major and minor? I'm not an expert on anatomy, but isn't that sorta the same thing?

[glockmeister]

I am not sure where u see the muscle division. However u asked a question on the board and i did my best to answer you and at the same time educate you on the realities of what u are asking. For good chest developement, u should try hitting the pecs from different angles using different exersizes. When u do dips for example, your pecs get a good workout because dips allow you agreater range of motion. When u do flys, you may notice you get soreness in your chest more than when you do bench. The reason is because with flys, you are isolating the pecs. and using only them pretty much. People think when you do "wide grip" bench that the "outer pecs" are getting abetter work out and they often site the unusual amount of soreness as "proof" they never stop to think that the wider your grip on the bar, the less the triceps are involved, and by default, the more of the pecs are involved.

Did you ever wonder why most people's incline bech is less than their flat bench? It is because you are pushing weight at a 30'-45 degree angle. Something your chest and triceps often don't do normally, since muscles adapt they are more "used" to pushing up like a flat bech and not on a 35 degree angle. It's not becasue they would have weak "upper pecs"

[Smitty]

Yes, you're right, of course. I suppose I just have to work harder, actually sit back and think harder about my routine.

Thanks to everyone for their help.

By the way, if you don't mind me asking, what part of PA are you from, Glockmeister?

[glockmeister]

I am from lancaster county. Hope you didn't think I was trying to be cocky with my answers. It's just that like martial arts, there are a lot of myths surrounding weightlifting and bodybuilding..