Suppose you had to select a symbol of a man's masculinity, virility and heroism, what would you choose? Would you agree with me that it is the chest? Consider Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Sylvester Stallone or comic-book heroes like Superman and Batman. There it is, in pride of place on the torso, just waiting to be admired, even by it's owner. Do you know it is true that females find a manly chest attractive...and they do!
Although this article is primarily about men's chests, I would point out that women's breasts themselves can't be made bigger by chest training due to the fact that they are made up of mainly glandular and fatty tissue, but women should still do it because chest muscles which are toned and strong will make it look as though they have a shapely and fuller chest.
Think of all the sports that require strong chest muscles to gain an advantage- Team sports such as American Football and Rugby come to mind as they both involve throwing, tackling and grabbing. Shot Putt, Javelin and Discus events all involve throwing. Volleyball, Tennis and Basketball all include throwing or hitting. Think also how the chest is heavily involved in Swimming and Gymnastics.
the most obvious chest muscle is called the Pectoralis Major and is attached to the sternum and collarbone, the insertion point being into the upper arm or humerus. How is it used?
1.It's the main muscle involved when you pull your arm in front of your chest.
2.It helps flex the shoulder in order that you can push.
3.It has to be used to lift the arm forwards.
The other main muscle is the Pectoralis Minor which lays beneath the Pec. Major and it assists in lowering the shoulderblade.
Let's look at 4 common conditions:
[1]The top of the chest is flat or sunken...It is obvious when looked at from the side and on both men and women. Women can suffer from decreased musculature in this area if they have been dieting for a period of time. It obviously makes sense that exercises to aim at the upper chest are essential to fill it out and enhance it. This creates a fuller, convex look in men and with females it will enhance their cleavage.
To target the upper part of the chest, set the gym bench at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees. From my teaching, I have found the following workouts to be very good for the upper chest with females using moderate weights and guys heavier ones:
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
[2]A chest that is narrow and actual or apparent hunched shoulders...A considerable number of individuals have this problem and if the chest is viewed from the side it will appear concave. The size of the chest only to an extent depends on the size of the clavicles and rib cage as well as the pectoral muscles themselves but gains can still be achieved.
The initial requirement is to ensure that your posture is always good! Gym exercises must be performed with a complete range of movement and also incorporating chest stretches in between each type of exercise. These two things will assist in stretching the pectoral muscles and those on the rib cage. Use these 3 exercises, with men working with heavier weights and ladies moderate ones:
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
[3]Too much fatty tissue on the chest simply by being overweight...This condition ispresent in overweight men andhas the medical name of . Any good Fitness Professional can help you change your diet and lifestyle together with installing a suitable exercise program. Be prepared to perform resistance and cardiovascular exercises and also to go to the gym 3 to 4 times weekly to burn chest fat and help achieve the pec's that you want. The first task is to improve your fitness level generally and gradually bring in more specific exercises to target the chest. All-over symmetry will best be achieved by making sure that your chest exercises are varied.
[4]Gynecomastia in men...this is a problem that quite a lot of men experience where one or both breasts display female-looking development. Glandular tissue builds up in the breast caused by a hormonal imbalance. With some men it's underlying the nipple but with others it covers the whole breast. Glandular tissue is different to fatty tissue and it's important to understand this, although a man with gynecomastia may have both glandular and fatty tissue build-up. This condition has to be diagnosed by a physician in the first place.
Once it is certain that the problem is gynecomastia, then treatment may or may not need hormone therapy but the patient will certainly benefit from focussed exercise plus dietary and lifestyle adjustments.
There are proven, natural, alternative systems that help with both gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia which many men have found to have worked for them so please see what you think.
Author Resource:
Charles Churchill, 68 years young Fitness Instructor.
In addition to being a Fitness Professional, I have been a gym user for over 40 years. During this time I have inspired and trained many men to achieve vastly improved Cardio-vascular fitness and, more importantly to them, a stronger and more toned body. Lots of these men had chest issues either with a narrow chest, a concave chest or with the dreaded 'man boobs'. The latter were, as I now know, due to either gynecomastia or pseudogynecomastia, so all of this puts me in a unique position when helping men with all chest problems and giving advice on Lifestyle, Diet, Exercise and the ability to properly evaluate products designed to help with them.
Visit my website by clicking on the link below and discover much more information on how to reduce man boobs and build a proper chest.
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