When we think of the best inner chest workout, most people imagine toning those pec muscles, right? Making an inner chest line is like giving the finishing touch to a masterpiece.
Your inner chest line is the area that is often challenging to build. Those muscles that lie beside the inner chest area are smaller, and it is also harder to isolate the target effectively compared to other chest areas.
However, some research studies show that some targeted exercise can significantly help to enhance those chest muscle areas. and the fitness experts also agree that a proper workout routine can help to deepen and sculpt your inner chest line.
Well, if you think a little differently, what if your chest does not have the inner line and it looks flat? How does it feel? It feels like missing a few pieces from a puzzle. Focusing on the inner chest line is much more important for our overall chest development.
In today’s article, we are going to learn about the best six exercises that will help you hit your inner chest line properly and create a beautifully structured chest.
How to Grow the Inner Chest?
Before we get started, we need to understand some basics. If you think I’m going to tell you about any exercise that targets your inner chest muscles, you’re wrong. Because we don’t have any special or separated muscles in our inner chest. Which we can target directly through an exercise.
Rather, your inner chest line depends primarily on your pectoral muscles. When you do any exercise to create your desired inner chest line, focus on creating tension and contraction in the middle portion of your chest. It can be any exercise you do on the bench, on the cable machine, or using the dumbbell or with the barbell. The most important thing you need to do to grow your inner chest line is to get blood and oxygen flowing there.
But an important point is if you have a medical condition such as pectus excavatum. That will be a huge obstacle to growing your inner chest line. If you have any problems, it is advisable to consult a medical professional. They will provide you with the right guidance based on your specific condition.
Top 6 Effective Inner Chest Workout
1. Close-Grip Dumbbell Pushup
- Come to a push-up position and place your hands on the dumbbell instead of on the ground.
- Keep your hands together with palms facing each other.
- Then lower your elbows to the ground.
- When you get down, try to keep your elbows close to your chest. Which will effectively target your inner chest muscle.
- Push yourself back to the previous position and try to focus on the inner chest. to squish.
- Your number of sets should be 2-3 and try 20-25 reps.
Benefits
This close-grip dumbbell push-up is a compound exercise that primarily targets the chest but it is also helpful for the shoulder and triceps. And for your stabilization, it also engages the core muscles.
Pitfalls
When you’re lowering your body, avoid outward pushing the elbows. Because there is a possibility of getting an unwanted strain on your solder and there is a possibility of you getting injured.
2. Dumbbell chest fly
- First, take a flat bench and lie on it with two dumbbells in both hands. Weight will be according to your strength.
- Make an arch in the back.
- Bend your elbows a little bit and place your hands on your chest with your palms facing in the same direction.
- Then slowly lower the dumbbells in a wide arc.
When you get the weights down completely, try to stretch your chest full and feel that stretch.
- Then put your dumbbells back together and squeeze into your inner chest.
- Aim for 12-15 reps with 3 sets.
Benefits
This is one of the best inner chest workout to strengthen the middle part of your pack muscles. It is an isolation movement that helps in strengthening your chest as well as targets your front delts and triceps.
Pitfalls
Don’t go for ego-lifting and choose the weight that you can handle, so you can perform with fully controlled motion. Choosing right is because, if you look at the movement, you see this exercise is performed in a very cowardly position, arms are going far outward from the chest, and shoulders are also involved here. So, if you go heavy, then chances are high you might injure your shoulder.
3. Inner Chest Workout: Dumbbell Hammer Hex Press
- Lie down on a flat bench with two dumbbells in your hands.
- Press the dumbbells together in the middle of your chest.
- Then raise your arms straight up, squeeze your inner chest muscles, and breathe out.
- Now slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position and inhale.
- Your number of sets should be 3-4 with 8 to 12 reps
Benefits
This exercise generally targets the inner chest and triceps muscles. Because of the neutral grip of this exercise (palms facing each other) it doesn’t have the possibility of strain on the wrist like the traditional bench press grip has.
Pitfalls
Grip the dumbbell tightly so that there’s no chance of it slipping from your hand. Sometimes people object that the pressure sifted to their triceps. It happens because of the elbow position, to avoid this unnecessary pressure maintain a slight gap between your chest and elbow.
4. Smith Machine Hex Press
- Lie down on a flat bench under the bar of the Smith machine.
- Place the bar in the middle of a double D handle. Keep your hands close, with the palm facing away from you.
- Then slowly lower the bar to your chest. Keep your elbows close to your body and breathe in.
- Push the bar back up, focus on squeezing your inner chest muscles, and breathe out.
- Try 8 to 12 reps with 2-3 sets.
Benefits
Much like the bench press in the Smith machine, it is a traditional exercise. But it is very effective because here you can control the movement pattern very nicely. It targets the inner portion of your chest very effectively. It also provides stability and support to your shoulder and triceps muscles.
Pitfall
Be careful when performing the exercise because the bar is fixed to the machine, and its mobility may not be suitable for everyone. And try to avoid the Smith machine as much as possible during the chest exercise. Because the free weight provides you with better stabilization and activation support.
5. Svend press
- Stand up straight, and hold a weight plate with both hands at your chest level with your arms extended.
- Pull the plates away from your body by straightening the hand and squeezing your inner chest.
- Then slowly bring the plate back to your inner test, don’t lose the tension from your chest.
- Aim for 12 to 15 reps with 3 sets.
Benefits
The Svend press is a unique exercise. It targets the muscles around your inner chest very well and helps to maximize the squeeze, which is really helpful for supplying more blood flow and oxygen to that area. Also, it is very useful for your front delts and triceps.
Pitfalls
Try to avoid using the momentum while pressing the weight plate. Because momentum will reduce the tension and effectiveness of the exercise. Just focus on squeezing the chest and keeping the tension throughout the movement.
6. Cross-body cable Press
- Stand in front of a cable machine. Now attach a D handle, which will be at your chest level with the cable machine.
- Hold it with one hand and pull it across your body.
- Straighten your arm by moving the handle away from your body and squeeze your inner chest.
- Bring the handle slowly back to the starting position. And maintain your innermost tension throughout the exercise.
- Aim for 12 to 15 raps with 2 to 3 sets
Benefits
This cross-body cable press from Traditional Pressing Movement allows you to get a greater range of motion. It’s an isolation movement that primarily targets your chest, plus it’s also beneficial for your front delts and triceps.
Pitfalls
Don’t move your body too much while performing. Try to perform the exercise with the help of chest muscles and concentrate during the exercise so that your core is stable and the pressure on your chest muscles is maintained throughout the exercise.
7. Dips
- Support your body weight by extending your arms.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows. And keep your torso right.
- Lower your body until you feel the stretch on your lower chest but do not band more than 90 degrees.
- Then push yourself to get back up and focus on squeezing your inner chest muscles when you are at the top.
- Aim for 12-15 reps with 2 to 3 sets.
BenefitsDips are a compound movement that is excellent and effective for your upper body strength building. And it usually targets the chest shoulders and triceps.
Pitfalls
Don’t shrug your shoulders and try to avoid flaring your elbows outwards. Try to focus on the proper form. Use the chest and triceps muscles throughout the movement.
Additional Tips to Maximize Your Inner Chest Workout Results
A deeper inner chest line means developing the inner fibers of your pectorals. These are some points to keep in mind while doing the exercise,
- Progressive overload
- Proper mind-muscle connection
- Full range of motion
- Slow the eccentric part
These are some key points to consider and there is another thing that is to improve your shoulder blade position. This means keeping your scapula retracted (pull your shoulder back and down) all the time while performing the exercise. This ensures and increases the proper stretch. Also helps in maximizing the contraction.
The Bottom Line
Whenever you start focusing on any specific muscle or part you must keep patience at least for 3 months. Because it takes some time to determine whether the routine you’re following is truly effective or not.
No matter which exercise you start, you won’t know if it really works until you give it a trial for 8-12 weeks. That’s why sticking to the routine is important. This article presents six of the best exercises for your inner line growth. Follow them, optimize your diet, maintain an ideal body fat percentage (around 15%), and stay consistent with your training program to bring the best output. Â
