Problem: A Wider Pectoral Mid – Seam after Muscle Growth
After a certain period of practice, the pectoral muscles have grown, but the middle seam is too wide, which affects the overall appearance of the pectoral muscles. Some people may try the dumbbell flying bird exercise, but this mainly targets the outer pectoral muscles and is not very effective for the short pectoral muscles in the middle seam. To effectively compensate for the lack of pectoral muscle training in the middle seam, it is recommended to use a gantry to do chest – clenching actions to shape the pectoral muscles in the middle seam into an ideal state.
Understanding the Gantry Chest Pinch
The advantage of the gantry chest – pinch movement is that it strengthens the pectoral mid – seam from multiple angles. In training, do not use the same large weights as in the bench press to avoid reducing the effectiveness of the workout. Keeping the body stable is crucial to maximize the stretch and squeeze of the pectoral muscles, allowing the trainer to fully feel the pectoral muscles working.
The Standard Action of Gantry Chest Clamp
Movement Preparation
Adjust the handles to be flush with the chest. Stand with legs in a lunge, slightly wider than shoulder – width apart. Bend the elbows so that both hands grasp the handles. Ensure torso stability, lift the chest, tighten the jaw, keep the back spine in a neutral position, tilt the body forward at a 45 – degree angle, slightly bend the knees, and contract and sink the shoulder blades backwards.
Movement Process
Keep the torso still, and let the chest muscles fire so that the hands grip the handles and push them forward. When the palm roots of the hands touch, contract at the top for 4 seconds to give a strong squeezing sensation in the middle seam of the pectoral muscles. Then return to the starting point and repeat the movement. Be careful not to wait for the weight to drop to the bottom to pull up. Pull up before the squeezing sensation in the pectoralis mid – seam disappears to ensure continuous tension. The training intensity is 3 – 4 sets of 10 – 15 reps each.
Training Tips
1. Keep the body stable, press the shoulder blades down and in, tighten the jaw, and ensure the chest is lifted.
2. When pulling the rope, push the handles out with both hands so that the palms follow and touch each other, not clip over the rope and touch again.
3. Focus on the top contraction and hold it longer while leaning back slightly to give maximum squeeze to the pectoral mid – seam.
Three Gantry Chest Clamps for Multi – Angle Stimulation
First Move: Gantry High Rope Chest Clamps (Lower Mid – Seam Area)
Stand with feet apart in a lunge, lift the chest, close the jaw, lean the body forward 45 degrees, slightly bend the arms, hold the handles, and move the shoulder blades inward and downward to keep the body stable. During the movement, the pectoral muscles fire, causing the arms to push forward. Hold the movement for 1 second as the palms touch, and lean back slightly to maximize the squeeze of the pectoral muscles. Then bring the weight back to the starting point and repeat the movement. It is recommended to do 4 sets of 10 – 12 reps for the exercise intensity.
Second Move: Gantry Parallel Rope Chest Pinch (Middle Part of the Mid – Seam)
Stand with feet hip – width apart, stretch the arms out to the side of the body to grasp the handles, lift the chest, tighten the jaw, and keep the body stable. The pectoral muscles fire so that the arms push the weight towards the middle, touch the roots of the palms in the middle, hold the movement for 1 second, then return to the starting point and repeat the movement. Do 5 sets of 6 – 8 reps per set for the training intensity.
Third Move: Gantry Low Rope Chest Pinch (Upper Part of the Mid – Seam)
Adjust the pulley to the very bottom, with the same body position as above. The pectoral muscles fire so that the arms push upwards to lift the weight, do a high – point hold for 1 second, return to the starting point and repeat. Do 6 sets of 4 – 6 reps per set for the training intensity.
If you are currently concerned about how to exercise the pectoral muscles in the mid – seam, you may wish to perform the above three exercises. Mastering these three training techniques is crucial for more efficient workouts and can help trainers develop perfect pectoral muscles in a short time.
