How to Fix a Flat Chest — 5 Moves That Finally Gave Me Upper Pecs

Everyone wants an Arnold-like, thick, full, and broad chest. However, only a few achieve this objective.

As a personal trainer with over 17 years of hands-on experience, I can attest that the chest training regimen of most people primarily comprises flat bench presses and dumbbell and cable flyes.

Although these moves are great for targeting the middle and lower chest, they do little to nothing for the upper pecs, which are a lagging muscle group for many lifters. Overlooking it for an extended period can compromise your physique symmetry and overall aesthetics.

In fact, as my own training grew more intense, I unintentionally started doing more flat and decline exercises while ignoring the incline moves, as they caused shoulder discomfort. However, this was a huge mistake.

This widened the gap between my middle and upper chest. While I had a decent separation between my lower chest and abs, there was no muscle tissue or definition separating my upper chest from my shoulders.

Building a jacked upper chest is rather straightforward. You must add more incline exercise variations and angles to your training regimen. Then, tweak your rep tempos to maximize target muscle stimulation and subsequent adaptations.

In this article, I share my top 5 moves to build a beefy upper chest. I’ll also string them into a workout so you can target this stubborn muscle group in your next session. We have a lot to unpack in this article, so sit tight and read on.

Understanding the Upper Chest and Why It’s Hard to Grow

Understanding the anatomy of the chest can help you structure your training sessions and train better.

The chest comprises two main regions – the sternal head (lower chest) and clavicular head (upper chest). The latter is nestled near your collarbone and gives your chest that defined 3D look.

This muscle group is activated mostly during pressing movements at an incline or while pulling your arms across your body in an upward arc.

Neglect this region and your chest will stay flat, irrespective of how much you can bench in the conventional variation.

Why the Upper Chest is Hard To Grow

In my experience, many lifters gravitate towards the flat bench press because they consider it the holy grail for chest development. I’m sorry to break it to you, but that’s actually not the case if you are an aspiring bodybuilder.

Flat barbell or dumbbell presses hit the middle and lower chest, which are part of the sternal head. These barely touch the upper pecs.

To make matters worse, using an incorrect form on the incline movements can also leave the clavicular head undertrained. So, avoid flaring your elbows too wide during the eccentric phase, and don’t bounce the bar off your chest at the bottom of the range of motion, as it can take away the focus from your upper chest.

The Science Behind Effective Upper Chest Training

If there was just one tip that I could give you to improve your upper chest development, it would be to train at a 30-45 degree incline. This angle shifts the focus to your upper pecs, maximizing muscle fiber activation.

Avoid a steeper incline as it can lead to greater shoulder activation, whereas a flatter angle can transfer the load to the middle and lower pecs.

Mind-Muscle Connection

Training a lagging muscle group can be considered a vicious cycle.

It is generally hard to achieve a deep mind-muscle connection with a weak muscle. On the flip side, you have weak muscles because you cannot connect with them and achieve a deep stretch and contraction with each rep.

I like to visualize my upper chest while performing an incline exercise, and consciously contract my muscles as hard as possible during the lifting phase. Plus, using a slow and controlled concentric phase increases the time under tension, resulting in greater muscle stimulation.

To combat the poor mind-muscle connection, I slowed down the lowering phase while performing incline exercises, as increasing the time under tension can load the target muscles more effectively, enhancing muscle recruitment and growth. (1)

5 Moves That Transformed My Upper Pecs

The effectiveness of your workouts will ultimately come down to your programming. Performing standard exercises will lead to lackluster results, whereas doing targeted movements will maximize gains.

Also, I maintained an optimal balance of compound and isolation movements in my workouts to keep my muscles constantly guessing and out of their comfort zone.

Incline Barbell Bench Press (30-45 Degrees)

Although almost every gym has an inclined barbell bench, they are often not as busy as the flat bench during chest days. Most inclined benches are set at a 30-45 degree angle, which is optimal for upper chest activation.

Lie on the bench with your back against the pad. Get into position by retracting your shoulder blades and slightly arching your back. Flex your knees at 90 degrees and place your feet flat on the floor for stability.

Grab the barbell at shoulder-width with an overhand grip. Unrack the bar and hold it above your upper chest so that your arms are in a straight line, perpendicular to the floor. Lower the bar to your upper chest using a slow, controlled tempo by flexing your elbows.

Too much shoulder involvement is one of the most common mistakes that people make during this exercise. They’ll push their shoulders forward during the concentric phase and retract them at the bottom of the range of motion, which increases the risk of shoulder impingement and takes tension off the chest.

I am a fan of this movement as it offers maximum loading potential and the line of pull targets the upper chest optimally.

Incline Dumbbell Flyes with a Twist

If I got a dollar every time I saw someone performing dumbbell flyes with an incorrect form, I wouldn’t have to wait for my Bitcoin portfolio to make me a millionaire.

This exercise is ideal for igniting new muscle fiber activation as it stretches and isolates the upper pecs in the fully lengthened position. I took things up a notch by adding a twist at the top of my range of motion. Here is how you can do it too:

1. Lie on an incline bench with a slightly arched back.
2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and hold them at chest level with your elbows slightly flexed. Your elbows should be behind your midline in the bottom position.
3. While keeping your chest proud and movement limited to the shoulder joint, bring the dumbbells closer over your chest in an arching motion.
4. During the lifting phase, slowly externally rotate your wrists to achieve a peak contraction at the top.
5. As you gain more experience, pause at the top and bottom of the range of motion for optimal chest fiber activation.

Avoid using too much weight during this exercise, as it can compromise your form, taking the tension off your chest and putting it on the shoulder rotator cuffs, which are more prone to injury.

Adding a fly exercise to your arsenal is extremely important for developing a defined chest because it targets the inner pecs, which deliver the coveted separation and striations. This will also give your upper pecs an illusion of depth.

Low-to-High Cable Crossovers

Cables are an excellent training tool as they keep constant tension on the target muscles throughout the range of motion. The high-to-low crossovers are the most popular cable variation, but they aren’t the best choice for people like me who are aiming to add size and thickness to the upper chest.

Use this guide to maximize this exercise’s upper pecs-building effectiveness:

• Set up: Set the cable pulleys in the bottom position and fasten a D-handle bar on each side.
• Starting Position: Grab each handle with a supinated grip. Step forward so the cables are engaged in the bottom position, the handles are behind your hips, and there is tension on your chest. Assume a staggered stance, as this ensures better stability.
• Execution: Brace your core and bring your hands towards each other at chest level while maintaining a slight elbow flexion and keeping your core upright. Go one step ahead and cross your hands to achieve a peak contraction.

Incline Hammer Strength Chest Press

I am a fan of machines as they offer a fixed line of pull, giving you the freedom to focus only on your form and contracting the target muscles without having to worry about balancing the weight.

You can use a Smith machine for this exercise if you don’t have access to a Hammer Strength machine at your gym. Just make sure that the bench is set at a 30-45 degree angle for optimal upper chest engagement.

Since this exercise has a controlled range of motion, I focus all my energy on pressing with a chest focus. For instance, I try to push my chest out during the eccentric phase for a deeper stretch at the bottom. While some people advise against locking out your elbows at the top, this helps me achieve a better contraction.

As you gain more experience, you must stop giving in to gym dogma and figure out which exercise variation works the best for you. Then, tweak it according to your unique body mechanics.

Incline Dumbbell Press with Pause

I specifically like to add a pause exercise in my workouts as it forces me to slow down and feel the stretch with every rep. Pausing at the bottom of the range of motion not only increases the time under tension but also eliminates the use of momentum, ensuring optimal target muscle recruitment.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and get into position on an incline bench.
2. Your dumbbells should be at chest level in the starting position with your elbows fully flexed.
3. Brace your core and drive the dumbbells towards the ceiling, fully extending your elbows at the top.
4. Slowly return to the starting position and pause at the bottom to achieve a deep upper chest stretch.

I started with a 2-second hold on this exercise and gradually increased the time to five seconds, as I got more comfortable with the movement mechanics.

Monitor your form throughout the exercise to ensure you are not leaving any gains on the table. I realized that I was using a small bouncing movement in the bottom position to get out of the sticking points. However, this limits chest activation as it transfers tension to secondary muscle groups.

Onboard a coach to help you with your training form, or record yourself, but be very honest while critiquing your technique.

Sample Upper Chest Workout

Progressive overload is the name of the game when it comes to making consistent gains in the gym. It involves gradually increasing the demands on your muscles to maximize stimulation. I added a bunch of advanced training techniques, like supersets, dropsets, and intraset stretching, to keep my muscles out of their comfort zone.

Try this workout if you want to overcome a weak upper chest:

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Incline Barbell Bench Press (30-45 Degrees)	4	6-8	90-120 seconds
Incline Dumbbell Flyes with a Twist	3	10-12	60-90 seconds
Low-to-High Cable Crossovers	3	12-15	60-90 seconds
Incline Hammer Strength Chest Press	4	8-10	90-120 seconds
Incline Dumbbell Press with Pause	3	8-10	90-120 seconds

Things To Consider

Like with everything else in bodybuilding, genetics has a huge role to play when it comes to developing your upper chest. The shape and insertion points of your pectoralis major can vary and affect how your chest responds to training stimulus.

Some lifters have a naturally thicker clavicular head, while others (like me) have an uphill battle to fight. However, don’t use genetics as an excuse to go easy in your workouts, or avoid training the lagging muscle groups altogether.

If your pecs aren’t responding well to your workout, tweak your approach by adjusting the angles, tempo, and exercise selection until you find what works best for you.

Conclusion

The five exercises listed in this article, including the incline barbell bench press, dumbbell flyes, low-to-high cable crossovers, incline Hammer Strength chest press, and incline dumbbell press with a pause, helped me break through the overhead ceiling and build the upper chest shelf that I had always wanted within 12 weeks.

Consistency, patience, and discipline are the most important factors when it comes to making noticeable improvements in your physique. Start small and gradually increase the training intensity, volume, and frequency to make uninterrupted gains.

References:

1. Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, Little JP, Cochran AJ, Hector AJ, Cashaback JG, Gibala MJ, Potvin JR, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012 Jan 15;590(2):351-62. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200. Epub 2011 Nov 21. PMID: 22106173; PMCID: PMC3285070.
2. Wolf M, Androulakis Korakakis P, Piñero A, Mohan AE, Hermann T, Augustin F, Sapuppo M, Lin B, Coleman M, Burke R, Nippard J, Swinton PA, Schoenfeld BJ. Lengthened partial repetitions elicit similar muscular adaptations as full range of motion repetitions during resistance training in trained individuals. PeerJ. 2025 Feb 12;13:e18904. doi: 10.7717/peerj.18904. PMID: 39959841; PMCID: PMC11829627.

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