4 Common Chest Problems...

 And What to Do About them

 

If you had to choose a symbol of male masculinity, virility and heroism, what would you choose? How about the chest as a selection? Consider those superheroes such as Superman, Batman and Spiderman plus movie-stars like Arnie and Sly. It is the most commonly admired area of the body when looking into the mirror. Not to mention the fair sex- and ladies do size men up, you know!

Notwithstanding that this article is primarily about guys' chests, Ladies should realise that their breasts themselves can't be enlarged by chest training as the breasts are made up of glandular and fatty tissue, but nevertheless it is a good idea that all ladies perform some chest exercises due to the fact that those stronger and toned chest muscles will create the appearance of a fuller and more shapely chest.

It is certainly of great help in many sports to have strong chest muscles- consider American Football and Rugby which both involve grabbing, tackling and throwing. Throwing events like the Shot Putt, Discus and Javelin. Sports such as Tennis, Basketball and Volleyball. What about Swimming and Gymnastics...think how the chest is important in these too.

The biggest chest muscle is the Pectoralis Major and it has it's origin in the sternum and collarbone with the insertion point lying 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 lifts the arm forwards.

The Pectoralis Minor is situated underneath the main muscle and assists in the lowering of the shoulderblade.

Let's consider some particular problems:

The upper chest is flat or concave...It is obvious when looked at from the side and on both men and women. Women can experience a decrease in musculature on the top of the chest if they have been dieting for a period of time. It would be a good policy for any lady who has experienced muscle loss in this area to use particular exercises to help re-build muscle here. This gives a fuller, more rounded look in men and with women it will enhance their cleavage.

To transform this upper part of the chest, use a bench and select an incline of 30 to 45 degrees. From my teaching, I have found the following exercises 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

A chest that is narrow and actual or apparent hunched shoulders...Many guys and some females have this problem and when viewed from the side the chest looks to be concave. To some degree it is correct that the size of the collarbones and the rib cage and the pec's themselves dictates to an extent the size of the chest, improvements can still be effected.

The initial requirement is to ensure that your posture is always good! The second requirement is to perform every exercise with a complete range of movement and also performing chest stretches after each exercise type. Observing this discipline will assist in stretching the chest and rib cage muscles. 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

A build-up of fatty tissue on the chest simply by being overweight...This condition is evident in overweight guys andhas the medical name of
Pseudogynecomastia. Generally the gym work will incorporate both cardio-vascular and resistance work and demand 3 to 4 sessions each week to lose chest fat and achieve all-over results. In the beginning your exercises may be general but gradually chest-specific ones will be brought in. All-over symmetry will best be achieved by ensuring that your chest workouts are varied.

Gynecomastia in men...this is a condition that quite a lot of males experience in which one or both breasts show female-looking development. Glandular tissue builds up in the breast caused by a hormonal imbalance. This may cover all of the breast or sometimes just under the nipples. Note the word 'glandular' [as
opposed to adipose or fatty tissue], which is present in gynecomastia but not pseudogynecomastia, although fatty tissue can appear in gynecomastia as well. Only a doctor can diagnose this condition, so make an appointment with yours first.

As soon as the condition is diagnosed, treatment could well include hormone therapy but the patient will certainly benefit from focussed exercise plus dietary and lifestyle changes~it is certain that the 3 disciplines of exercise, diet and lifestyle will be beneficial~the patientwill be helped immeasurably by taking up an exercise program plus dietary and lifestyle adjustments}.

I have researched 4 excellent, drug-free, natural treatmentsthat help with both gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia which many men have discovered worked for them so feel free to have a look.