If your chest day has felt stale lately, it’s time to freshen things up. Enter Eric Janki—bodybuilder, biomechanics wizard, and all-around chest-day sorcerer. With a towering frame and the pecs to match, Eric shares three next-level chest exercises designed to maximize stretch, minimize joint stress, and blow up your upper body in the best way possible.
TL;DR
- Decline Dumbbell Fly: Deepest stretch with minimal shoulder stress.
- Mid-to-Upper Cable Fly: Locked-in stability and extreme pec activation.
- Deficit Push-Up: Bodyweight-based upper chest killer with minimal equipment.
1. Decline Dumbbell Fly (With a Twist)
Forget your usual flat-bench flies. Eric recommends a slight decline (around 20–30°) to create space for scapular retraction and a massive, safe stretch through the chest. This setup allows for an intense contraction with lighter weight, reducing joint strain while maximizing stimulus. Bonus: this angle also spares your front delts and wrists.
Pro tip: keep your range controlled, pause at the deepest stretch, and focus on pushing through your chest—not just swinging the dumbbells back up.
2. Mid-to-Upper Cable Fly (Bench-Supported)
Set the cables just below shoulder height and use a flat bench for support. This variation enhances stability, allowing you to zone in on the pecs without fighting for balance. Keep a slight elbow bend, retract the scapula, and drive the hands forward and slightly up. A small hand rotation toward the ceiling at the stretch point adds even more tension where it counts.
Eric emphasizes the importance of controlling the eccentric phase from start to finish. No bouncing, no dropping the stack. Stay locked in for real gains.
3. Deficit Push-Up (Upper Chest Focus)
When equipment is limited or the gym’s packed, this underrated bodyweight move steps in. Elevate your hands using dumbbells or platforms, and raise your feet for a pseudo-incline angle. Tuck the pelvis, keep elbows at 45°, and lower into a deep stretch before pushing up and back with intent. Add an extra push forward at the bottom for even more chest tension.
This move is RP-approved, travel-friendly, and brutally effective. Perfect for sneaking in an upper chest pump when benches are taken—or as a finisher at home.
Bonus Tip: The Yoga Block Stretch Hack
For the seriously advanced, Eric uses a yoga block between the shoulder blades to deepen chest fly stretches. This adds even more ROM to standard pressing movements and mimics loaded stretching. The result? Better mobility, enhanced posing, and hypertrophy with longevity in mind.
Conclusion: Train Smarter, Not Just Harder
These chest exercises aren’t about reinventing the wheel—they’re about making the wheel spin better. Small changes in angle, range, and focus can take your chest from flat to fierce. If hypertrophy, longevity, and joint health matter to you, give these a try and feel the difference.
