4 Chest Problems-and The Best Chest Workout For Them?

If you had to pick a symbol of a man’s masculinity, virility and heroism, what would you choose? What about the chest as
a candidate? You just have to think of movie-stars such as Arnie and Sly or comic-book heroes like Superman, Batman and Spiderman. There it is, in pride of place on the body, just waiting to be admired, not least by it’s owner. Do you know it is true that females find a manly chest attractive…and they do!

Although this piece is mostly written with guys in mind, I should state that the breasts themselves can’t be enlarged by chest training because womens’ breasts are mainly fatty and glandular tissue, but nevertheless I would suggest that all ladies perform some chest exercises simply because those stronger and toned chest muscles will give them the appearance of a fuller and more shapely chest.

It cannot be doubted that the fact of having strong chest muscles will give an advantage in many sports- Team sports such as American Football and Rugby come to mind as they both include throwing, tackling and grabbing. Field events like Javelin, Discus and Shot putt all involve throwing. Other sports such as Basketball, Volleyball and Tennis involve the chest. What about Swimming and Gymnastics…think how the chest is involved in these too.

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.When you pull your arm in front of the chest, it’s the prime mover.

2.It assists you in pushing by flexing the shoulder.

3.It has to be used to lift the arm forwards.

The second main muscle is the Pectoralis Minor laying underneath the Pec. Major and it helps to lower the shoulderblade.

Let’s consider some specific problems:

There is a flat or even concave look to the upper chest…Both men and women may have this and it is plainly evident when looked at from the side. Women who have been on a diet for a period of time can lose muscle on the upper chest. Certainly it would be beneficial to these females if they were to concentrate on the upper chest to build it up. Women will then possess a better cleavage and men will
improve their chest to give a fuller appearance.

Gym workouts to encourage upper chest improvement must be done on a bench which is inclined to an angle of between 30 and 45 degrees. 3 excellent exercises are suggested as follows, with women using moderate weights and guys working with 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

Narrow chest with rounded shoulders or appearing so…Many men and some women have this problem and when looked at from the side the chest looks to be concave. Even if your rib cage, collarbones and pec’s are not as big as most, considerable gains can still be made.

First of all, adopt good posture! It is important to do each exercise with a full range of motion and do some suitable stretches after each different exercise. These two things will help to stretch the chest muscles and those on the rib cage. Listed below are 3 exercises for both sexes and, as before, women 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

Too much fatty tissue on the chest simply by being overweight…This condition ispresent in overweight men andis called

Pseudogynecomastia. You will need to make dietary and lifestyle adjustments alongside a targeted exercise program and your Fitness Professional can assist in everything. You will be doing both resistance and cardiovascular work in the gym and should aim to attend 3 to 4 times each week to ensure that you lose chest fat plus achieve weight loss all over the body. Initially your exercises should be general but gradually chest-specific ones will be brought in. Make sure that your chest program is varied enough to give you all-over symettry.

Gynecomastia in men…a bona-fide condition where the breasts, or sometimes just one breast, display female-like development. A hormonal imbalance, which can have many causes, is to blame for the build-up of glandular tissue. Glandular tissue is often accumulated underneath the nipple or all over the breast. Note the term ‘glandular’ as
opposed to adipose or fatty tissue, which distinguishes gynecomastia from pseudogynecomastia, although fatty tissue may be present in gynecomastia as well. Only a doctor can diagnose this problem, so make an appointment with yours first.

Once the condition is confirmed, treatment could well need hormone therapy but the individualwill be helped considerably by taking up an exercise program plus dietary and lifestyle adjustments.

There are proven, alternative, natural approaches designed to help cure both pseudogynecomastia and gynecomastia itself which many guys have used with great success.