Are you also vigorously training your lower chest? Stop and read this article first.
Open any "chest training tutorial" video, and you'll almost always see a fixed routine: after introducing the bench press, they'll then add a few "incline dumbbell presses" or "incline flyes," telling you that this is how you develop a complete lower chest line.
Sounds reasonable, right? The pectoral muscles are divided into upper, middle, and lower parts, and each part needs to be trained. Isn't this the most basic training logic?
But Coach Kai wants to tell you directly: for most people, specially arranging lower chest exercises is not only unnecessary, but it's actually counterproductive.
This isn't a sensational statement, but a position supported by solid training logic. This article will help you fully understand why, and how your chest training routine should be adjusted.
First, understand: Why is the lower chest naturally more developed than the upper chest?
Before discussing "whether or not to train the lower chest," we must first understand a basic anatomical fact: the lower chest is naturally easier to develop than the upper chest.
The muscle fibers of the pectoralis major are arranged in a fan shape from top to bottom. When we perform any pushing movement, especially a standard flat bench press, the muscle fiber recruitment pattern naturally causes the lower chest to bear more training stimulus. This is determined purely by physiological structure, not by how hard you work.
In addition, the muscle sensation in the lower chest is often more noticeable than in the upper chest – after a set of bench presses, most of the "chest pump" you feel comes from the lower chest. This leads many people to mistakenly believe that "the part you feel is the part that needs strengthening," so they continue to heavily train the lower chest.
However, strong sensation means that this area has a high level of involvement and is already sufficiently stimulated, not that it needs more training volume.
The core misconception: Flat presses have already trained your lower chest well.
Coach Kai's position is very clear: the lower chest does not need to be trained separately, because in most flat pressing movements, the lower chest's involvement is already very high.
To name a few of the most common chest training exercises:
- Barbell Bench Press: High lower chest involvement
- Dumbbell Bench Press: High lower chest involvement
- Machine Chest Press: High lower chest involvement
These three exercises are almost standard in every serious trainee's chest workout routine. As long as your routine includes any flat pressing movement, your lower chest is actually in a "passively trained" state, and there's no need for you to specifically add extra training for it.
In other words, your lower chest has already been trained. The problem has never been insufficient lower chest training, but rather insufficient upper chest training.
The real consequence of continuing to train the lower chest: making your chest shape worse.
If you're already doing flat presses and continue to specifically add decline bench presses, decline flyes, and other lower chest exercises, what will happen?
Your lower chest will become more prominent, but your upper chest will remain flat.
This isn't progress; it's widening the visual gap between your upper and lower chest. Visually, the "center of gravity" of your pectoral muscles will shift further downwards, making them appear saggy and loose overall – even if your chest muscles are actually very strong.
Coach Kai specifically points out that many people, when they notice their chest shape isn't ideal, instinctively react by continuing to train all parts of the chest evenly, or even adding more lower chest exercises. However, doing so will only worsen the problem; it won't improve the chest shape.
One reason this misconception is so common is the erroneous logical chain: "strong lower chest pump → feels like it's being worked → should continue training it." A high level of sensation doesn't equate to needing more volume. This concept is worth re-examining for everyone who trains seriously.
So how exactly should I train my chest?
The answer is direct: reduce (or even remove) isolated lower chest exercises, and significantly increase the proportion of upper chest training.
When a person's upper and lower chest are out of proportion – meaning the lower chest is overdeveloped and the upper chest is weak – the only correct approach is to strengthen the upper chest to achieve a more balanced visual proportion between the upper and lower chest.
Recommended Upper Chest Strengthening Exercises
Coach Kai recommends the following three types of exercises, all of which prioritize recruiting upper chest muscle fibers by increasing the training angle (incline):
- Incline Barbell Press: Stable movement, controllable weight, suitable as a primary upper chest exercise.
- Incline Dumbbell Press: Greater range of motion, more thoroughly stimulates the stretch of the upper chest.
- Incline Machine Chest Press: Kinder to the joints, suitable for those with high training volume or who need to be mindful of joint conditions.
You can choose and combine these three types of exercises based on your personal equipment and preferences; you don't need to do all three. One or two as your main upper chest exercises will suffice.
Should lower chest exercises be completely avoided?
Let's clarify something here: it's not that the lower chest "cannot be touched at all," but rather that there's no need to specifically arrange isolated lower chest exercises.
The flat presses in your routine already provide ample stimulation to the lower chest. By continuing to include compound movements like barbell presses and dumbbell presses, your lower chest will naturally maintain a good training state. Your adjustment should be to actively incorporate incline pressing movements on this foundation, allowing your previously neglected upper chest to receive more stimulation.
The only exception where special lower chest training is recommended is for individuals with a naturally very developed upper chest but an unusually weak lower chest – but this is a rare case, not something the average trainee needs to worry about.
Back to the essence of training: strong sensation ≠ needing more volume.
This misconception about the lower chest actually reflects a more widespread problem in training philosophy: we are too easily misled by "sensations" and overlook actual training logic.
Strong lower chest pump, so keep training the lower chest – this is a sensation-driven decision.
The correct approach is to ask yourself: "How much training volume is this area actually receiving in my current routine? What is the current state of my overall chest proportion? Which part do I need to strengthen?"
This is a logic-driven decision.
The long-term results from these two approaches will be vastly different. The hardcore training spirit that AROAK has always emphasized is not about training to exhaustion every time, but about ensuring that every training decision is based on clear logic and goals, without blindly following "everyone does it this way" trends online.
After debunking the myth, your chest workout routine should look like this.
Here's a concrete example of an adjustment:
Before adjustment (common incorrect version)
- Barbell Bench Press 4 sets
- Decline Dumbbell Press 3 sets (specifically for lower chest)
- Dumbbell Flyes 3 sets
After adjustment (logical version)
- Barbell Bench Press 4 sets (retained, flat press continues to give ample stimulation to the lower chest)
- Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets (focus on upper chest)
- Incline Machine Chest Press 3 sets (strengthen upper chest, improve overall proportion)
This version does not include a separate lower chest exercise, but the lower chest still receives good stimulation through the barbell bench press. At the same time, the upper chest receives a greater proportion of the training, and the overall chest shape will gradually improve over time.
Of course, the actual workout plan needs to be adjusted according to individual training level, recovery capacity, and weekly training schedule. This provides a conceptual direction, not a universal, one-size-fits-all plan.
Summary: Stop training your lower chest, start seriously training your upper chest.
Here are the core arguments of this article summarized into a few key points:
- The lower chest naturally has high involvement, and flat pressing movements already provide sufficient stimulation; there's no need for additional dedicated lower chest training.
- Continuing to vigorously train the lower chest will only further imbalance the upper and lower chest proportions, making the chest shape appear more saggy.
- The solution to disproportion is not to train each part evenly, but to strengthen the weaker upper chest.
- Recommended upper chest exercises: Incline Barbell Press, Incline Dumbbell Press, Incline Machine Chest Press.
- Exceptions: Only those with an exceptionally weak lower chest despite a naturally very developed upper chest need special lower chest training; this is a rare case.
If you've been training your lower chest in the past, stop now. Re-evaluate your chest proportions, and then reallocate your training resources to your upper chest. Give yourself three months, and you'll see a noticeable change in your chest shape.
This is training thinking that returns to basics.
The content of this article is excerpted from Coach Kai's YouTube channel video. Training advice is for reference only. If you have any discomfort or pain, please consult a professional doctor or physical therapist.
