What is the most potent symbol of a man’s heroism, masculinity and virility? How about the chest as
a candidate? Think of all the superheroes such as Superman, Batman and Spiderman plus real people like Arnie and Sly. It is the most easily admired area of the torso when looking into the mirror. Wouldn’t it be great to know that the fairer sex find a good chest attractive…and they do!
Notwithstanding that this article is mainly about guy’s
chests, it is worth mentioning to any woman reading this that chest training won’t give you bigger breasts due to the fact that they are made up of mainly glandular and fatty tissue, but such training is nevertheless well worth doing as strong, toned chest muscles will create the appearance of a shapely and fuller chest.
It is certainly of great help in many sports to possess strong chest muscles- consider team sports such
as Rugby and American Football, both of which include throwing, tackling and grabbing. Field events such as Javelin, Discus and Shot putt all use throwing. Other sports like Basketball, Volleyball and Tennis involve the chest. Think about Gymnastics and Swimming and the degree to which the chest is used here.
The biggest chest muscle is the Pectoralis Major and it originates from the sternum and clavicle with the insertion point being in the Humerus or upper arm bone. What is it’s function?
1.It’s the main muscle involved when you pull your arm in front of your chest.
2.It flexes the shoulder so you can push.
3.It’s involved in lifting the arm forwards.
Underlying the Pec. Major is the Pectoralis Minor which assists in lowering the shoulderblade.
Here are four specific problems:
The upper chest is flat or sunken…This is very clear when looked at from the side and on both men and women. Ladies can experience a loss of muscle tissue on the top of the chest if they have been dieting for a period of time. It obviously makes sense that exercises to target the upper chest are required to enhance it. This creates a fuller, more rounded look in guys and with women it will add to their cleavage.
Gym workouts to promote upper chest development must be done on a bench that has to be inclined to an angle of between 30 and 45 degrees. Listed below are two workouts, one for ladies and one for men, in both cases using moderate to heavy weights:
Women- Incline bench press…2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions per set
Incline dumb-bell press…same
Incline dumb-bell flye…same
Men- Incline bench press…3-4 sets of 6-10 repetitions per set
Incline dumb-bell press…same
Incline dumb-bell flye…same
A chest which is narrow and actual or apparent rounded shoulders…Quite a lot of individuals have this problem and if the chest is looked at from the side it will appear concave. Even if your rib cage, collarbones and pec’s are smaller than average, considerable gains can still be made.
First of all, adopt good posture! Always perform each exercise with a full range of motion and perform some suitable stretches after each type of exercise. Always perform these disciplines and they will assist in stretching the pectoral muscles and those on the rib cage. Here are 3 exercises for both sexes and, as previously, females should use moderate weights and guys heavier weights:
Women-Barbell or dumb-bell bench press with a wide grip…2-3 sets of 10-12 rep’s per set
Incline barbell or dumb-bell press…same
Dumb-bell flye or cable crossover…same
Men- Barbell or dumb-bell bench press with a wide grip…3-4 sets of 6-10 rep’s per set
Incline barbell or dumb-bell press…same
Dumb-bell flye or cable crossover…same
A build-up of fatty tissue on the chest simply by being overweight…This condition ispresent in overweight men andis called
Pseudogynecomastia. A discipline of exercise, nutritional and lifestyle adjustments will achieve a lot here and any good Fitness Professional can advise and draw up programs in all areas. Be prepared to do resistance and cardiovascular exercises and also to get to the gym 3 to 4 times weekly to burn chest fat and help achieve the pec’s that you
want. Initially your exercises should be general but gradually chest-specific ones will be introduced. Simply ensure that the chest exercises have variety to build all-over symmetry.
Gynecomastia in men…a genuine problem where the breasts, or sometimes just one breast, display female-like characteristics. Glandular tissue accumulates in the breast caused by an imbalance of two hormones. This may cover all of the breast or sometimes underneath the nipples. Glandular tissue is different to fat and the two must not be confused, although fat may be present in gynecomastia as well. This problem must be diagnosed by a physician in the first place.
As soon as the problem is diagnosed, treatment may need hormone therapy but it is certain that the 3 essentials of exercise, diet and lifestyle will be of great benefit.
There are proven, alternative, natural approaches designed to helping with both gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia which many guys have testified to be very good.