Pecs On The Decline – If You Want Overall Pec Development, Some Moves You Just Have To Do

Still don’t have that lower pec development?
“My chest looks pretty good – My upper pecs are thick, the outer portions are nicely shaped, and I have good definition down the middle. However, my lower pecs still aren’t great. I thought heavy bench pressing would create that lower ridge (because I hate declines), but it hasn’t worked. Any suggestions? (Preferably ones that don’t include the decline.)”

Some moves you just have to do
We hate to break it to you, but if you want to carve out the lower ridge of your pecs, you’ll need to perform decline movements. (You can do other exercises for the lower pecs, too; more on those in a minute.) You really should include decline barbell and dumbbell presses in your chest workouts, but you don’t need to use a steep decline; one or two clicks down from flat is sufficient for targeting the lower pecs. As for reps, stay mostly in the hypertrophy range (8-12 per set), mixing in some heavy sets of six reps.

The Dip
Another great chest move that hits the lower pecs is the dip. If you think about it, the dipping motion is similar to a decline press, except you press toward your legs more than straight up over your chest. If you really want to attack this area, try the weighted dip so you’re not always performing high-rep sets. Whether you’re doing declines or dips, make sure you always train as intensely as possible, taking every set to failure and incorporating intensity techniques such as drop sets, negatives and rest-pauses.

Cable Crossovers
Cable crossovers are great for the lower pecs, too, provided you modify your body position to specifically target the area. Many people step forward and bend at the waist when they do crossovers, but if you stay between the weight stacks and keep your torso upright, you can zero in on that lower ridge. Keep the pulleys high, and pull the cables down in front of your navel or waist, not directly out in front of your chest. Try this pimped-out pec routine and see if it doesn’t bring up those pesky lower pecs.

COPYRIGHT 2008 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning