Summary
Quickly scan the 7 best inner chest exercises for unparalleled chest gains:- Hex Press: Focusing on the inner chest, this exercise concentrates on maximum muscle engagement.
- Plate Press: Perfect for squeezing and isolating the inner pecs for better muscle contraction.
- Single Arm Chest Fly: Targeted movement that emphasizes the inner section of your chest.
- Cable Crossover: This dynamic exercise engages a broader range of your chest muscles, especially the inner area.
- Narrow Pushup: A variation of the classic pushup, it zeroes in on your inner pecs.
- Dumbbell Flys: With controlled motion, this exercise provides an effective stretch and squeeze for the inner chest.
- Low Cable Fly: Tailored for the lower and inner parts of your pecs, it ensures a deep muscle contraction.
Whether you're just starting or seeking to refine your routine, these inner chest exercises promise a chiseled chest transformation. If you’re unsure about hitting the gym just yet, you can always go for chest workouts at home to get those muscles moving.
Anatomy of the Chest
Before diving into inner chest exercises to help you sculpt a chiseled and well-carved chest, let's quickly go through the basics. Your chest has two main muscles:- Pectoralis Major: This is the large muscle you see when you flex your chest. The inner part, close to the middle of your body, is what most people refer to as the "inner chest."
- Pectoralis Minor: A smaller muscle hidden below the major, helps with shoulder movements.
When we talk about the "inner chest," we mean the center part of the complete chest muscle. Knowing this will help you pick the right workouts to make that area stand out.
For that Superman-worthy chest you've been dreaming of, it's essential to come up with a workout routine that targets your inner chest, upper chest, and lower chest – all three of them. Mixing these exercises ensures a chiseled, powerful and well-built chest.
7 Best Inner Chest Exercises for a Sculpted Pectoral Definition!
Focusing on the inner chest can sometimes be overlooked, but it's essential for achieving a full and well-rounded chest appearance. Dive into these exercises, specially curated to target and amplify your inner pecs, ensuring balanced growth and prominent definition.
Hex Press
- Targeted Muscles: Pectoralis major (inner chest), triceps, deltoids
- Sets: 3-4.
- Reps: 8 to 12.
- Rest: 45-60 seconds.
How to Perform Hex Press?
- Start by lying flat on a bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand over your chest with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
- Ensure your feet are flat on the ground for a stable base and keeping your spine in a neutral position.
- Press the dumbbells together, ensuring they maintain constant contact throughout the movement. This creates tension in the inner chest.
Plate Press
- Targeted Muscles: Pectoralis major (inner chest), triceps, anterior deltoids
- Sets: 3-4.
- Reps: 10 to 15.
- Rest: 45-60 seconds.
How to Perform Plate Press?
- Start by lying on a flat bench, ensuring your feet are firmly planted on the ground for stability.
- Hold the weight plate with both hands, keeping your palms open and facing each other. The plate should in-line with your chest.
- While maintaining a constant squeeze on the plate, lower it to your chest, controlling your motion and aligning with the center of your chest.
- Press the plate back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms without locking your elbows.
- Throughout the movement, focus on squeezing the plate and flexing your chest muscles. Keep a slow and controlled movement to fully engage the inner chest.
Single Arm Chest Fly
- Targeted Muscles: Pectoralis major (inner chest), anterior deltoids, serratus anterior
- Sets: 3-4.
- Reps: 10 to 12 per arm.
- Rest: 60 seconds.
How to Perform Single Arm Chest Fly?
- Select a light to moderate weight dumbbell. Lie down on a flat bench with feet firmly planted on the ground.
- Hold the dumbbell in one hand with your arm extended above your chest, palm facing inward.
- Keeping a slight bend in your elbow, lower the weight in an arc-like motion out to the side. Maintain a controlled pace.
- Stretch your chest and feel the contraction as you bring the dumbbell back to the starting position in the same arc motion.
- Focus on squeezing the chest muscle at the top of the movement.
- Complete the reps for one arm before switching to the other.
- Ensure that your opposite arm is stable on the bench throughout the movement for support.
Cable Crossover
- Targeted Muscles: Pectoralis major (inner chest), pectoralis minor, anterior deltoids
- Sets: 3-4.
- Reps: 10 to 12.
- Rest: 60-90 seconds.
How to Perform Cable Crossover?
- Start by positioning yourself in the center of the cable crossover machine. Stand with a staggered stance for stability. Slightly bend your torso forward.
- Select an appropriate resistance level. Hold the cable handles with your palms facing forward.
- Extend your arms slightly below shoulder level, maintaining a soft bend in the elbows.
- Engage your chest and pull the cables towards the center, creating an arc with your arms.
- Once the handles nearly touch in front of your chest, pause and squeeze your chest muscles for maximum contraction.
- Slowly release the cables back to the starting position in a controlled manner, feeling a stretch in your chest muscles.
- Focus on maintaining a smooth motion throughout the exercise.
- Avoid any jerking movements.
Narrow Pushup
- Targeted Muscles: Pectoralis major (inner chest), triceps, anterior deltoids
- Sets: 3-4.
- Reps: 10 to 15.
- Rest: 60 seconds.
How to Perform Narrow Pushups?
- Start with the standard pushup position, but keep your hands closer together—directly below the shoulders.
- Engage your core and ensure your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
- With a controlled motion, bend your elbows. Keep them close to your body, and lower your chest towards the ground. Focus on squeezing the inner chest as you descend.
- Push through your palms, contracting your chest and triceps, to return to the starting position.
- Your body should maintain a straight alignment throughout the movement. Avoid sagging or arching your butt.
Dumbbell Flys
- Targeted Muscles: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids
- Sets: 3-4.
- Reps: 10 to 12.
- Rest: 60-90 seconds.
How to Perform Dumbbell Flys?
- Lie flat on a bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand, with palms facing each other and arms extended above your chest.
- With a slight bend in your elbows, lower the weights out to the side in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest. Your hands should be parallel to the ground during this motion.
- Using the strength of your chest muscles, bring the dumbbells back together above your chest – as if you’re hugging a tree. Keep a controlled movement.
- Make sure to keep the motion smooth, without any jerks, and focus on contracting the chest muscles at the peak of the movement.
Low Cable Fly
- Targeted Muscles: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, serratus anterior
- Sets: 3-4.
- Reps: 10 to 12.
- Rest: 60-90 seconds.
How to Perform Low Cable Fly?
- Stand in the middle of a cable machine, with pulleys set to the lowest position and a handle attached to each.
- Hold the handles with palms facing upwards, arms extended outwards, and hands slightly behind your hips.
- With a slight bend in your elbows, pull the cables in an upward arc towards the center of your chest.
- Keep the motion fluid and controlled, ensuring the ends of the handles remain close together throughout the movement.
- Focus on contracting your chest muscles, especially the inner pecs, at the peak of the motion for optimal results.
Importance of Focusing on the Inner Chest
Focusing on the inner chest isn't just about aesthetics - it's about achieving a balanced and well-rounded chest development. Isolated and targeted inner chest exercises ensure that you're laying a solid foundation for strength and stability.
This is especially important because the outer pecs often steal the limelight. This balanced approach, integrating workouts for inner chest areas, results in a complete chest transformation.
Benefits of Working Your Chest
Some of the benefits of having ripped inner chest muscles include:Boosted Upper Body Strength
Working out your chest isn't just about looking good in a t-shirt. Hitting those inner chest exercises makes you way stronger overall, helping with everyday stuff like lifting groceries or pushing open heavy doors.Look Better, Feel Better
Let's face it – a solid chest looks great. By mixing up workouts for the upper chest, middle and lower chest, you're going to feel confident and stand out in any crowd.Better Posture & Shoulder Movement
Consistent chest workouts, especially those focused on the inner chest, help straighten up your posture. No more hunchback or slouching! In addition, your shoulder movement becomes smoother, making every motion feel more natural. This is why, women should also focus on building a sculpted their pecs with chest exercises.Stay Injury-Free
The more you work on your chest, the less likely you are to get hurt. It's like adding an extra layer of protection, keeping those annoying strains at bay.Key Tips for Maximizing Your Inner Chest Workout
All these exercises are designed in a way to emphasize the impact on your inner pectoral muscles. Here are some tips that could help you really hit those muscles and bring you better results.Perfecting Your Form for Effective Results
When it comes to getting the most out of your inner chest workout, your form is everything. Bad form not only limits your gains but also causes injuries. Always keep a neutral spine and avoid arching your back excessively.
Focus on squeezing your pecs during contractions, and ensure a full range of motion with each rep. If you're unsure about your form, don't hesitate to ask a trainer or check out reliable videos online. You can also consider hiring a personal trainer.
Remember, it's quality over quantity: a few reps done right are better than many done wrong.
Implementing Progressive Overload
To see consistent growth in your inner chest, it's essential to up the ante over time. Progressive overload is all about gradually increasing the resistance with resistance band chest workout or weight in your workouts.
As your chest muscles adapt to the current weight, it's time to challenge them a bit more. This doesn't mean going super heavy right away. Instead, focus on small increments.
For instance, if you're comfortably lifting 20-pound dumbbells for chest flies, try moving up to 25 pounds. Listen to your body and only increase resistance that maintains your form.
Integrating Stretching and Recovery
After pushing your inner chest in the gym, giving it some TLC is crucial. Stretching helps with muscle flexibility and aids in faster recovery. Take a few minutes post-workout to stretch out your chest: door frame stretches or arm swings are great options.
You can also try some cool down stretches after your workout. You need to give your chest ample time to recover between workouts. Muscles grow during rest, so don't neglect this part of the process. You can even integrate foam rolling or occasional massages to boost your muscle recovery. Remember, it's the balance of hard work and smart recovery that brings out the best results.
You can also check out some tips for building bigger and stronger upper chest muscles to get that ripped look.
Key Takeaways
Diving into an inner chest workout is about sculpting strength and balance in your upper body. Prioritize exercises that emphasize the inner chest, maintain good form, and steadily increase your resistance. And don't overlook the basics – gear up with the right gym attire, like a comfy gym stringer or a gym t-shirt, for optimal performance. Stay consistent, and watch your chest game elevate!FAQs
How can I shape my lower chest?
To shape your lower chest, you need to create a routine with exercises that hone in on the sternal head of the pectoralis major muscle. An effective inner chest workout routine includes: chest dips, seated machine flys, cable crossovers, decline dumbbell press, dumbbell pull-overs, decline bench press, seated chest press and decline dumbbell flys. You can find out more about each of these exercises in our complete guide on lower chest workouts. For an effective inner chest workout, understanding your chest's anatomy, wearing appropriate workout attire like tanks or stringers, and considering at-home exercise alternatives are important.
Why is my inner chest not growing?
Your inner chest might not be growing due to several reasons. First, your workouts might lack specific inner chest exercises. It's crucial to target this area for growth. Next, if you're not gradually increasing weights (known as progressive overload), your muscles won't be challenged enough to grow. Inconsistent workout routines, not giving enough recovery time, and improper exercise form also limit your inner chest’s development. Moreover, nutrition plays a pivotal role: without the right fuel and recovery nutrients, your muscles won't repair and grow effectively. A balanced diet, combined with a targeted inner chest workout, will set you on the right path for growth.
How do you get the inner chest line?
To carve out a distinct inner chest line, it's important to combine targeted workouts with sound nutrition. Start by integrating exercises like chest dips, cable crossovers, and seated machine flys. Emphasize and squeeze the inner pecs. Remember, simply increasing your weights over time, known as progressive overload, can accentuate that inner definition. Pairing your inner chest workout with a nutritious diet aids muscle growth, while shedding body fat enhances the visibility of that inner line. So, focus on both exercises and what you eat to truly make that inner chest line pop.
