does incline actually 'target'(or develop) upper pecs?

[edjohnson]

seems like the upper part of my pecs are lacking and was wondering if anyone can tell me for a fact that incline bench actually helps develop the upper pec moreso than flat bench.

i also was tempted to swap out flat bench completely for incline after reading the article recently posted about getting a strong overhead press.

anyone know what would happen if i swapped flat bench out for incline?
would my upper pecs develop more? does flat bench use more muscle than incline and therefore builds more muscle than incline? would i sacrafice anything at all for swapping them out? has anyone ever done this while following SS?(which is what i am doing)

[ComeAtMeBro]

seems like the upper part of my pecs are lacking and was wondering if anyone can tell me for a fact that incline bench actually helps develop the upper pec moreso than flat bench.

i also was tempted to swap out flat bench completely for incline after reading the article recently posted about getting a strong overhead press.

anyone know what would happen if i swapped flat bench out for incline?
would my upper pecs develop more? does flat bench use more muscle than incline and therefore builds more muscle than incline? would i sacrafice anything at all for swapping them out? has anyone ever done this while following SS?(which is what i am doing)

doubt you'll get the answers you're looking for, starting strength is for strength, not hypertrophy. bodybuilding.com is a good forum for that

[edjohnson]

doubt you'll get the answers you're looking for, starting strength is for strength, not hypertrophy. bodybuilding.com is a good forum for that

bodybuilding.com is full of morons. you dont think people get bigger as they follow a stength training program?

[blowdpanis]

seems like the upper part of my pecs are lacking and was wondering if anyone can tell me for a fact that incline bench actually helps develop the upper pec moreso than flat bench.

i also was tempted to swap out flat bench completely for incline after reading the article recently posted about getting a strong overhead press.

anyone know what would happen if i swapped flat bench out for incline?
would my upper pecs develop more? does flat bench use more muscle than incline and therefore builds more muscle than incline? would i sacrafice anything at all for swapping them out? has anyone ever done this while following SS?(which is what i am doing)

There is a certain logic to an incline bench emphasizing the clavicular head of pec major over a flat bench, but also a logic to a flat bench working more overall muscle than an incline, since you can simply lift heavier stuff that way.

I would say it'd make a poor substitute in SS, since the bench is alternated with the overhead press, and you'd be creating a bigger overlap with inclines in there instead of flat bench.

[beast]

How much do you flat bench? If you are not repping 315 as I thought, go and walk back to the bench and get to work.

When you flat bench the whole chest is being worked, you just need to get bigger. Most raw drug free powerlifters only bench flat and still have good upper pec development. Plus if switching to inclines on ss, don't moan when you stall or have to start microloading early. Remember more weight, more range of motion = more strength=more muscle.

Plus the overhead press and high rep chins work the upper chest too, look at any oldschool weightlifter they have a beefy upper chest from pressing.

[edjohnson]

How much do you flat bench? If you are not repping 315 as I thought, go and walk back to the bench and get to work.

When you flat bench the whole chest is being worked, you just need to get bigger. Most raw drug free powerlifters only bench flat and still have good upper pec development. Plus if switching to inclines on ss, don't moan when you stall or have to start microloading early. Remember more weight, more range of motion = more strength=more muscle.

Plus the overhead press and high rep chins work the upper chest too, look at any oldschool weightlifter they have a beefy upper chest from pressing.

i am a beginner so im not even close to 315 bench. your argument makes sense though. unless any one else chimes in i will most likely go with your advice and stick to the program.

[thersites]

seems like the upper part of my pecs are lacking and was wondering if anyone can tell me for a fact that incline bench actually helps develop the upper pec moreso than flat bench.

i also was tempted to swap out flat bench completely for incline after reading the article recently posted about getting a strong overhead press.

anyone know what would happen if i swapped flat bench out for incline?
would my upper pecs develop more? does flat bench use more muscle than incline and therefore builds more muscle than incline? would i sacrafice anything at all for swapping them out? has anyone ever done this while following SS?(which is what i am doing)

Search in Rip's Q&A section. He addresses why not to do the incline because you are getting more bang for your buck by doing flat bench press and overhead presses. Fine tuning for physique comes after you develop your size and strength from doing the main lifts for a good while.

And, yes you would sacrifice by substituting inclines for flat bench. First, ask yourself with which one can you handle more weight? Second, you are already getting plenty of work for the upper pecs with the flat bench plus the overhead press, and you are getting the benefit of stressing other muscles more using the flat bench than you would on the redundant incline bench.

[Carlos Daniel]

Rip says in SS that incline bench presses works muscles that end up being worked in the flat bench and overhead press anyways, so there is no big reason to do incline bench presses.

It is said by Rip too that novices have no business worrying about such thing, if you want to go to the (dark) side of bodybuilding you should go there when you become a intermediate.

[LimieJosh]

I have recently been working around a minor shoulder issue (from drunken tomfoolery not lifting) that has forced me to drop bench and dips. OHPs are fine and so have just used them as my core press in every training for the two or three weeks after wards. For the last two weeks though I have added in one session of inclines for every two sessions of OHP as they too are relatively pain free, it alleviates a bit of boredom of doing the same thing every time out, and I figured it might help me get back to benching quicker and/or better preserve my recently found gains in that exercise.

There are a lot of people with chronically unbenchable shoulders and they too might similarly benefit from programming inclines in like this. Maybe.

[Anthony D]

I recently switched out inclines for flats so all of my pressing is inclines-overheads-weighted pushups. Upper chest has been growing much better. I'll also mention that my overhead press is stronger than it ever has been since I made this decision.

Fuck everyone, don't try to please them because Rippetoe said something. Let them mindlessly follow advise. Try it, and see how it goes, then you can forget about the suspicion.

If your unhappy with your upper chest development and you don't do inclines because someone told you not to or because your bench level wasn't at a certain number, remember, fuck them and do your inclines.

If you have poor upper chest development then you're never going to be happy with it if you only flat bench.