Need help, working the chest

[TzuChan]

Hey guys, so I figured out how to work the upper pecks, thanks to you guys, with nice results so far, so I just do push ups with my feet up high. BUT now you see, I have this 'problem' again, let's take a look at my rib cage, you know, the thing above your plexus, in which your heart rests etc.. well, let's put our hands on the plexus spot, then move up a bit, you now feel bone structure right ? Well, I have NO muscles there whatsoever, is this normal ? I mean I can just feel skin and bone there, I'd like to feel some muscles there too =) How do you target those muscles ?

Thanks =)

[Robinf]

Your best bet to learning all about where muscles are is to pick up Strength Training Anatomy - it's a book for about $18.95. Well worth every penny.

Robin

[TzuChan]

how about a good old fashioned help, that's worth 1000 $, and costs me nothing ?

[Golden Arms]

your muscles attach near there, but there is not a muscle group that I know of that covers that area at all.

[Mr. Bao]

the problem is your genetics. I am sorry if you weren't born with shorter tendon in your chest area. No matter what you do, you can fill that up like me with my biceps, it is not going to get larger like someone with longer belly muscles.

[IronFist]

well, let's put our hands on the plexus spot, then move up a bit, you now feel bone structure right

Are you talking about your collar bone? No one has muscle there.

IronFist

[TzuChan]

I'm guessing nobody has muscles there, and I'm guessing I'm talking about the colar bone =) I found out that if I do push ups, with my hands overlapping eachother (or just beside eachoter in the middle) that it works my shoulders and my pecks in the middle, wondering what result that's gonne give =)

[rubthebuddha]

it's going to injure your wrist, most likely.

[TzuChan]

lmao ? :D
How's that ? Thanks for warning me lol, but why exactly ? I do it in my garden, so the ground is pretty soft, I do feel a lot of pressure on that uh 'ball' of my hand, but I'm guessing if I only do this twice a week it won't be all that bad ? Please tell me more about it ! =)

[Guile]

Originally posted by TzuChan
lmao ? :D
How's that ? Thanks for warning me lol, but why exactly ? I do it in my garden, so the ground is pretty soft, I do feel a lot of pressure on that uh 'ball' of my hand, but I'm guessing if I only do this twice a week it won't be all that bad ? Please tell me more about it ! =)

Hi,
I believe that it puts excessive pressure on the wrists because of the angle? Right Rub?

[TzuChan]

true true, it does put alot of pressure on it, it even burns when you do it on a carpet, ****, didn't think it would actually damage my wrist, just thought of it as a weakness. ****, and it works my pecks good darned =( Any way to avoid that damage yet still work the muscles in that way ? Do a set of 50 of them, you'll know what muscles I'm talking about, you really feel you worked the ends of the muscles near the center of your chest. Keep the information coming !

[fa_jing]

You are talking about diamond pushups, which are mostly a triceps exercise, but word on the street is that they target your "inner" pecs. However, most people on this board think that the bulk of the pecs are a single muscle and that you can't isolate any particular part of the muscle, rather you work the whole muscle as a unit. I have nothing more to offer personally.

BTW, I think he means his sternum, not the collar bone.

[TzuChan]

there was a thread from ironFist that showed detail information about how there were different areas on the pecks, that's how I learned that doing pushups with my feet up high, works the upper part of it. And those diamon pushups indeed do a lot on your triceps, but do at least as much to those inner pecks if you ask me. Seriously, try it out, it could be that it means nothing, but after having done some sets of it, I feel my triceps really tired, and the center of my pecks, and no it's not the colar bone, I looked it up, it's the thing bone plate stuff right above your plexus. Could be what you call it. but will it really hurt my palms doing these pushups ? i don't wanne damage my body by doing stuff that I do for making my body better and stronger ;)

Thanks

[IronFist]

You can work upper or lower pecs because they are two different muscles. This is like how you can work your quads or your calves because they are different muscles.

You can't do inner or outer because then you're talking about different parts of the same muscle. This is like trying to work the left or right part of your biceps; you can't because it's one muscle.

That being said, diamond pushups are awesome. I think the reason people think it might hit your "inner pecs" is because your arm position is squeezing your pecs together? I dunno.

IronFist

[TzuChan]

Ok, thanks for clearing this up.
But it's normal that there is alot of pressure on my hands ? It wont injure me ?

Thanks again :)

[fa_jing]

I read an article once that the diamond pushup did put alot of pressure on the hands, so the author recommended switching to regular close-grip pushups - the same but don't angle your hands in

[Former castleva]

Investing in weights,end of the trouble.
And pecs can be trained great.

As to your original question,it sounds you are talking about the end of your sternum where there is only a fragile piece of cartilage attached (as in normal anatomy)
As if someone was interested,weak bone of sternum (breastbone) finishes it´s development at 25.

[TzuChan]

So basically I touch my thumbs, but don't turn my hands inward (so not touching my point two index fingers) and allign my hands in the direction of my body ? I'll give it a shot tonight, thanks dudes =)

[Cyborg]

Hmm, question. Did you say you were trying to build the muscle or just get stronger/more endurance? 'Cuz if you're trying to build it 50 pushups is too many IMO. Stick with sets between 10-15 reps for growth. Of course 50 pushups is great if you just want more endurance.

[ElPietro]

Originally posted by IronFist
You can work upper or lower pecs because they are two different muscles. This is like how you can work your quads or your calves because they are different muscles.


How do you isolate one or the other, considering they share the same point of attachment? And perform the same function?

[TzuChan]

Originally posted by Cyborg
Hmm, question. Did you say you were trying to build the muscle or just get stronger/more endurance? 'Cuz if you're trying to build it 50 pushups is too many IMO. Stick with sets between 10-15 reps for growth. Of course 50 pushups is great if you just want more endurance.

Hello ? Wow ? This is new for me, I'm kinda gowing for growth atm, holy cow, it's bad to do sets of 50 ? I'm going straight to 100 usually, in anything.. So what do I do then ? 10 pushups, wait a minute, do another 10 etc etc etc.. ?

Please tell me more ! My WT teacher told me it's best to tire your muscle to the bone, so that it would improve (for chainpunches, we did 500 to make muscles extremely worn out etc..) So I thought that was the way to go ? Maybe that's just for increasing speed and endurnace as you say ?

I'm definatelly going for growth atm ! Darn the hell :D

Thanks, and pls reply !

[TzuChan]

Originally posted by ElPietro


How do you isolate one or the other, considering they share the same point of attachment? And perform the same function?
do a search for the thread, it really showed they were two different muscles, and to practice the big ones so the lower ones, regular pushups work ok I believe, and if you want that upper muscle, just lift up your feet very high (at least that's what I'm doing atm) and do puships :)

[TzuChan]

But of course you wotn be able to totally isolate focus them with this exercise (or any other I guess)

[fa_jing]

No, try to get your girlfriend or your little brother to sit cross-legged on your back/shoulders, so you can increase the weight and decrease the reps. You should still go to or near to the maximum amount of reps possible, just increase the weight until you can only do 12 or less.

[Cyborg]

You don't want to isolate. Under normal conditions that the body works isolation is unnatural. You want to strengthen everything proportionately. That means work the traps as well as the pecs. For growth the thing to do is cause hypertrophy and eat lots of protein with plenty of rest. Two good books on this subject are "Super Squats" and "Power to the People". I'm sure there's more but those are the only two I have. Run a search on this site, I know growth vs. strength vs. endurance has been discussed exhaustively.