Quick question; have you ever heard the phrase, “when he turned to the side, he disappeared?” How about “the guy has the shoulder width, but the ‘front to back’ thickness just isn’t there.” When it comes to building an impressive body, width AND thickness are required. Just like cookies and milk, having one without the other ‘just ain’t right!’
Someone can be as wide as the recent and unfortunate spread of male skinny jeans across America, but if that person doesn’t have that Serena Williams caliber thickness to match, they’ll never have a truly awe-inspiring and memorable physique.
I’m talking directly to you now, so pay attention. You want an awe-inspiring physique, right? You want your body to be memorable, don’t you? I know your answers are along the lines of ‘damn right’ and ‘hell ya!’ Of course you don’t just want the milk! You want the cookies too!
If you want to get some of that upper body ‘front to back’ thickness you’re craving, read further into this article for one of the most effective thickness-inducing exercises in existence; the Incline Dumbbell Press! It’s time to build that ‘pec shelf.’
The pec shelf, as shown off by Mr. Schwarznegger, grows as the upper portion of the pec muscles grow. This growth causes the pecs to ‘pop’ off the upper body, creating a shelf. It’s rumored that Arnold placed bodybuilding trophies, family herilooms, and even groupies on his pec shelf!
The Incline Dumbbell Press is an exercise, which really allows the trainee to feel the upper chest/pec region lifting, flexing, and stretching as they work hard through every rep of every set. To execute the Incline Dumbbell Press, you’ll need only two pieces of equipment; an incline bench and a set of dumbbells.
Here are some professional tips for the Incline Dumbbell Press, as well as a video tutorial from GSTV:
1. Make sure to work through a full range of motion. I personally like to either touch the dumbbells to my outer upper pecs or get very close to touching at the bottom of each rep. By actually touching the dumbbells to my upper outer pecs, I ensure that I’m completing my reps with the fullest range of motion possible. I have a definite depth gauge, which is the feeling of the dumbbells touching down at the bottom of each rep.
2. Focus on getting as much pec stretch at the bottom of each rep as possible. Once the stretch is achieved, concentrate on flexing against that exact stretch to power up the dumbbells and complete the rep. By achieving a stretch, you are going to feel the muscles that are directly working, and you’ll have the ability to really concentrate on those same muscles as you activate them to complete each rep. In this case, focus hard on the upper pecs at all times.
3. As you reach the top of each rep, make sure you don’t allow the dumbbells to have too much space between them. If the dumbbells are too far apart at the top of the rep, they will be more likely to fall to the sides, which could result in an injury and certainly in your own embarrassment. Think ‘apart at the bottom, close together at the top.’
4. A controlled lowering of the dumbbells through the proper path will ensure well-executed lifting of the dumbbells following that same correct path. Don’t get sloppy with any portion of the lift, as it will affect the set as a whole. Stay focused!
I recommend using the Incline Dumbbell Bench Press as a first or second supplement exercise during your GST Press training. Dumbbells are great training tools, and the Incline Dumbbell Press is just one exercise you can use to incorporate them into your GST program.
I promise you, you’ll build your upper pec shelf, fill out your favorite shirt, and obtain that ‘front to back’ thickness that you’re looking for by implementing the Incline Dumbbell Incline Press into your routine.
Now that I’ve helped you learn how to build up your upper chest, what’s next? If you’d like me to design a complete and free individualized GST program for you, click the Buy Now button below to get our conversation started!
Ryan Miller
Author/Creator of Growth Stimulus Training
