Nothing to back it up but I have read somewhere that tests done ( would it be EMG) showed that decline bench press activated far more pectoral muscle fibre than any other movement.
@Prodiver could you elaborate on the cable movement please?
Does interest me this.
Also how does the dip (done Gironda style) fair in your thoughts?
Yes.
@Con: most guys don't stimulate their lower, main, pecs enough, let alone their upper!
Most guys trying to do cable crosses choose too high a weight, grab the 2 handles in the frame, struggle to get them down by their sides and then pump them up and down from their armpits to their quads.
This way they're working their lats and lower traps as much as their pecs. And dips are similar because your arms are by your side and further back.
The correct way to do strict cable crosses is to grab the handles, stand one foot behind the other for stability, and bring the handles
forward and down till your arms cross and your hands are at your nuts, so your upper arms describe a forward and down movement, mimicking the shortest contraction path of the pecs. Let the handles go up but don't let the tension off; and repeat.
You'll be surprised at how much stress this puts on the pecs and how little weight you can manage at first with good form.
With any muscle, studying its shortest contraction path and doing exercises which mimic this will give maximum stress and growth.
Do slow and controlled reps with elbows just slightly bent to protect the joints.
