If  you are an intermediate to advanced trainer, and you’ve ever wanted an amazing set of pectorals, the title of this article should be your goal.

The Muscle Couple has pursued this endeavor for years.  We use to think it was genetics that determined whether or not you could get a chest perfectly symmetrical to the ones you’ve seen in magazines and flashed on TV.  We were wrong. It takes hard work, dedication and specific technique to build and then sculpt the look you want.  It’s clearly not something you can attain over night or with a couple of years of training.

Notice the Upper Pec Separation Up to the Clavicle/Neck Line

If you are a beginner, this article really isn’t for you.  This article is for people who have been training for 5 years + and are looking to etch some fine detail into the top of their upper chest. Discernable “cleavage” up to the clavicle/neck region.  The kind of upper pectoral separation you can see in a v-neck t-shirt or hoodie.   Jay has been chasing this “Holy Grail” of physique accomplishment for over 15 years now and feels like he is almost there.

Where did this desire originate?   From the images of cartoon characters from his early childhood and the various bodybuilders in the muscle magazines he viewed in his late teens and early 20′s.  He had a very cool and ex-college teammate (Rob Renfro) who use to say:

“My goal in life is to retire minted with an upper chest so thick I could set a beer can in between both pecs and drink out of a straw while laying on a beach overlooking the ocean”!

So how does an intermediate to advanced lifter actually accomplish this goal? You need to incorporate movements that supply a great amount of force in both the stretch and contracted positions of the ROM- specifically incline fly movements for deep upper-pectoral fiber destruction. You can’t continue to bombard your muscles and central nervous system with the same basic stressors like flat bench and DB presses in the same rep range(6-8)--for years on end.  You must focus on adding a variety of upper chest movements and implementing new techniques like deep fascial stretching, higher rep ranges and intensity protocols into your workouts. And most importantly, focus on working your upper chest optimally through its entire range of motion on every single rep and set.

A good start is to follow The Muscle Couple Upper Chest Training Program while stretching the fascia and fibers in the upper pectoral region in between sets.   Please view the videos of The Muscle Couple performing the exercises  to get a good understanding of the technique and intensity required.

“Ultimate Upper Chest Workout”

• Hammer Inclines x2 10 Reps each

• One Arm Sets(3rd Set is One Arm Unilateral til failure-Drop Weight a bit)

• Incline DB Presses-Turn and Rotate and Contract x2 sets 12-15Reps each

• Standing Cable Palms Up Incline Flyes with Squeeze x3 sets-12-15 Reps

• Wide Grip Pec Machine x3 til absolute failure.

Individuals respond to different training programs/paradigms differently.  So no matter your training program- one bodypart a day-a two bodypart split-or perhaps a Full Body Program, you can still incorporate these exercises intermittently every 7 days into your own unique training protocol to develop an amazing upper chest.

Give this workout program or the exercises themselves about 8 weeks and tell us what you think.

Good luck!

MIHWCS