Incline bench presses are lauded for their ability to target the upper chest but if you want to add some mass to the middle area between each pectoral, some simple tweaks could seriously build muscle above your sternum.

Petar Klančir has built a huge chest thanks to his understanding of how to hit each area of the pec, and in a recent Instagram post shared how to bridge the gap above his sternum in an informative video for his one million followers. By utilizing close grip dumbbell presses on an incline bench, the Croatian crusher is able to find an angle that exhausts the fibers of his inner pectoralis major.

How To Do The Close Grip Dumbbell Press for a Bigger Inner Chest

To get set up, begin by laying down on a slightly inclined bench, with a dumbbell in each hand, and then extend your arms vertically so that they are above the chest. “Bring the dumbbells close together,” explained Klančir as he rotated his hands in order to put the dumbbells in a parallel position. “Tuck in your elbows,” he advised.

Working with a closer grip than a standard press increases tension in the inner area of the pectoralis major for greater muscle activation and growth where desired. To execute this exercise, the big man lowered his arms while flexing his elbows. “Lower the weight towards your sternum,” he explained, making a controlled motion and keeping the dumbbells at a slight incline. The eagle-eyed will have notice that the near end of the dumbbells are lower than the far end.

“Once you reach the bottom of the movement, press the dumbbells up, focusing on contracting your inner chest,” he advised, squeezing his pecs together. The coach was quick to point out that the inner section of the chest is not a separate muscle from the pecs, “but you can utilize certain exercises and techniques to emphasize the chest fibers near the sternum.” If you want to add mass to your inner chest, give it a go for yourself by completing 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps and aiming for failure.

To follow Petar Klančir on Instagram, click here.