Which part of the male body best symbolises a guy’s masculinity, virility and heroic nature? Many people would choose the chest, wouldn’t you agree? Consider Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Sylvester Stallone or cartoon heroes like Superman and Batman. It is the most commonly admired area of the torso when posing in front of the mirror. Don’t forget that the ladies do size men up, you know!

 

Notwithstanding that this article is mainly about guy’s
chests, I should state that the breasts themselves can’t be made bigger by chest training as the breasts are made up of glandular and fatty tissue, but even so I would suggest that all ladies do some chest work simply because those stronger and toned chest muscles will give them the look of a fuller and more shapely chest.

 

It cannot be doubted that the fact of having strong chest muscles will create an edge in many sports- Team sports like American Football and Rugby spring to mind as they both involve throwing, tackling and grabbing. Shot Putt, Javelin and Discus events all involve throwing. Volleyball, Tennis and Basketball all involve throwing or
hitting. Think about Gymnastics and Swimming and the degree to which the chest is used here.

 

Easily the biggest chest muscle is the Pectoralis Major which originates in the Clavicle and Sternum and inserts into the upper arm bone known as the Humerus. How is it used?

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

2.It helps flex the shoulder in order that 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.

 

Let’s consider some common conditions:

Top part of the chest is sunken or flat…Both men and women may have this and it is plainly evident when looked at from the side. Women can suffer from muscle loss in this part of the chest if they have been dieting for some time. It would be an excellent idea for any lady who has experienced muscle loss on this part to perform targeted exercise to assist in rebuilding muscle here. This creates a fuller, more rounded look in men and with females it will add to their cleavage.

 

Gym workouts to promote upper pectoral development must be done on a bench that has to be inclined to an angle of between 30 and 45 degrees. 3 excellent exercises can be used as follows, with women using moderate weights and men using 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…Quite a lot of individuals have this condition 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 collarbones and rib cage and also the pectoral muscles themselves but improvements can still be made.

 

First things first, adopt good posture! It is important to do each discipline with a full range of motion and do some suitable stretches after each type of exercise. Observing this discipline will help to stretch the pectorals and rib cage muscles. Listed below are 3 exercises for both sexes and, as before, females should use moderate weights and men 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

 

Flabby chest in men caused by carrying too much weight…This condition ispresent in overweight guys andhas the medical name of

 Pseudogynecomastia. You will need to make dietary and lifestyle changes along with a tailored exercise program and your Fitness Professional can help in all areas. Generally the gym disciplines will include both cardio-vascular and resistance work and need 3 to 4
sessions every week to lose chest fat and achieve all-over results. Chest-building exercises can be brought in gradually as the client loses weight and increases in fitness. Simply ensure that the chest exercises have variety to give all-over symmetry.

 

Gynecomastia in men…this is a condition that a considerable number of men have in which one or both breasts show feminine-looking characteristics. Glandular tissue accumulates in the breast caused by an imbalance of two hormones. This tissue is sometimes accumulated just under the nipple or all over the breast. Note the word ‘glandular’ as
distinct from adipose or fatty tissue, as this distinguishes gynecomastia from pseudogynecomastia, although gynecomastia patients could well have a fat build-up in addition. This condition must be diagnosed by a doctor in the first place.

 

Once the problem is confirmed, treatment may include hormone therapy but the patient will certainly benefit with and exercise program plus dietary and lifestyle adjustments.

 

There are proven, drug-free, natural treatments which are targeted at gynecomastia and
pseudogynecomastia which many guys have testified to have worked for them.