Chest Press..I seem to be doing it wrong. Please help.

Ok my chest press technique must be wrong as when my arms are at my sides my pecs are quite thick near my armpit and nipple, then leading away from my nipple towards middle, upper basically everywhere else is just flat. What's the deal here? 

I decided to switch up my chest excercises to just incline but I'm not seeing anything at all. What am I doing wrong?? It's as if my chest isn't doing most of the work  just like the sides or something. It's frustrating me a lot.

your probably doing nothing wrong, when you gain more muscle tissue it will start looking like how you expect it should

My 5x5s as of November 2nd 2008.
Bench 150
Squat 150
Deadlift 175
Connelly's 5x5s as November 2nd 2008
Bench 115
Squat 145
Deadlift 165
BodybuildingNovice's 5x5 as November 2nd 2008
Squat 155lbs
Bench 155lbs
Deadlift 155l

I dunno. it just seems to be like tapering thicker toward my nipples. Was thinking of doing dumbell pullovers. Thoughts?

<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i34.tinypic.com/2qv84yx.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> If you look at the image of me you'll notice the light hitting the sides near my armpits then it gets darker in the middle.

Hope that works better

Anyone?!

You can't work the outer and inner chest seperately, if the chest is working, then the chest is working. Cable crossovers are supposed to be a good exercise for getting that groove between your pecs though, so try incoporating that into your routine.

Yea that's what confuses me as the chest is split horizontally, upper and lower. So I must not be utilising my chest properly. Any tips on knowing if the chest is working, i mean doing the majority of the work? I read that tensing the chest throughout the motion helps...

I found this..Does this ring true?

'Now, none of them work unless you make the chest work.  I have had big muscle bound guys hire me for this same issue.  Lower the weights you exercise with and try this exercise.  With the Bar loaded, flat bench, you pull the bar off the rack and don't bend your arms yet.  Flex the chest.  release and then flex again.  Then as you lower the weight keep the flex going and release at the bottom.  Flex and push it slowly up.

You can also try this on the pec dec.  You have got to "employ" the muscle.  Your mind has to demand the muscle work or the body will just do the exercise with any muscle it can.  Look at your other exercises you do.   With the back, do yoou begin to move the weights with no follow through from the arms.  Try a seated row with just a pull in traps and rhomboids and rear delts -- as if you are squeezing a pencil between your shoulder blades.  That will really make the back work.  Do you stay focused?  Do you think -- I mean hard -- about the movement and keep the muscle in isolation so it really gets hit hard?'

I tried it whilst sitting at the computer, keeping the flex going down seems really hard?

i've heard about doing that with your biceps and I heard that your muscles need to get to feel what its like to be bigger to get bigger so I guess thats where flexing comes in. But I have no evidence or reasoning for this I've just heard it before.

"Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated."
"The only thing you are guaranteed at birth is death. You have a right to that. The rest is earned."

Try having a wider grip on the bar, you might want to try benching with dumbbells so you get used to how the stretch should feel, then try the bar again. Also try flies so you can really know what stretch feels like.

Its impossible to flex on the way down because chest flexxing brings the muscles together in the middle, as you go down-the muscles are stretching outwards, so its no surprise youre finding it difficult having a full flex on the lowering of the bar.

I have the same problem as you, its called genetics.

Shape of a muscle is genetic, that includes the shape of the chest, just deal with it, better than having cancer or something.

Fair enough..ha ha. 

_Virtuoso_ I've switched to dumbbells about 3 weeks ago mainly due to this. Incorporating flies too. So guess it's just my genetics. Nothing seems to be working for me the way i want. Damn

youll be able to increase the size which will help, but the shape in that your chest seems to spread apart from each other triangularly will always remain the same-jut be bigger.

Underneath your pec is like a pointy W, others have a rounded W, others have that square chizeled W

Genetics im afraid

/yeah that does seem to be the case, the triangular bit is getting bigger, so I guess that's the way it goes. Maybe I'll get implants..Start a new trend ha ha!

I agree with the mind/muscle connection but I think you just need more time. As your chest gets stronger and bigger it will fill out the way you want it to.

Shut up and lift