About this workout
A full upper chest is what gives the pecs that square, powerful shelf instead of a flat, droopy look. Most people bench flat and wonder why their upper chest lags; the fix is to make the incline your priority. This 8 week plan puts incline pressing and low-to-high fly work first, three days a week, to build the upper chest specifically. Keep some flat and lower work for balance, but the emphasis is up high, where most chests need it most.
Who This Program Is For
- Your upper chest lags and you want a fuller, squarer pec.
- You can train chest three days a week.
- You have access to adjustable benches, dumbbells and cables.
- You already train chest and want to specialize.
Who this is NOT for: beginners, who should build the whole chest first, and anyone with shoulder issues that incline pressing aggravates; use a comfortable angle and range.
What You'll Need
- An adjustable bench, barbells, dumbbells and cables.
- A slightly lower incline than you think; 30 degrees hits the upper chest well without turning it into a shoulder press.
- A log to progress the incline work.
The Program
Three chest days, each led by incline pressing and low-to-high fly work to bias the upper chest, with some flat and machine work for balance. Feel the stretch at the bottom and squeeze the upper pec at the top of every rep.
| Day 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Press Focus | |||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 6-8 | 2 min |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 10 | 90 sec |
| Low Cable Cross | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Incline Push Ups | 3 | To failure | 60 sec |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 10-12 | 75 sec |
| Day 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Fly Focus | |||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Reverse Grip Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 | 90 sec |
| Incline Dumbbell Flys | 3 | 12 | 60 sec |
| Incline Cable Fly | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Cable Crossover | 3 | 15 | 45 sec |
| Push Ups | 3 | To failure | 60 sec |
| Day 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Volume | |||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8 | 90 sec |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 10-12 | 75 sec |
| Low Cable Cross | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Pec Dec Butterfly | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Incline Push Ups | 3 | To failure | 45 sec |
How to Progress
Eight weeks of building the upper chest.
Weeks 1 to 3. Set your incline pressing weights and focus on feeling the upper chest, not the shoulders. Keep the incline moderate.
Weeks 4 to 6. Add weight to the incline presses and push the fly work harder. The upper pec should be filling out.
Weeks 7 to 8. Peak the loads with full range and a hard squeeze up top. After eight weeks your upper chest shelf should be noticeably fuller.
Warm-Up and Recovery Notes
Warm up the shoulders and chest with band work and light presses before loading the incline. Pressing on cold shoulders is asking for trouble.
Keep the incline angle where you feel the upper chest, not the front delts, and never press into shoulder pain. Sleep and eat to grow.
Nutrition and Supplementation
Building muscle needs protein and enough food. Aim for about one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and eat at maintenance or a slight surplus.
Support: protein powder for protein, creatine monohydrate at 5 grams a day, and a daily multivitamin.
FAQ
Why does my upper chest lag? Because most pressing is done flat, which favors the mid and lower chest. Prioritizing the incline, as this plan does, fixes the imbalance.
What incline angle is best? Around 30 degrees hits the upper chest well. Too steep and it becomes a shoulder press; find the angle where you feel the upper pec working.
Should I still do flat pressing? A little, for balance, which is included here. But if your goal is the upper chest, the incline has to lead.
Questions and results
Ask a coach
Running this program? Tell us what week you are on and how the progression is going. A coach answers every question here.