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

Which part of a man’s torso best portrays a guy’s masculinity, virility and heroic nature? Would your opinion be that it is the chest? Consider Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Sylvester Stallone or cartoon heroes like Superman and Batman. It is the most easily admired area of the torso when posing in front of the mirror. You may not always realise it but the ladies do size men up, you know!

Although this article is primarily about men’s
chests, I should state that the breasts themselves can’t be enlarged by chest training due to the fact that they are composed of mainly glandular and fatty tissue, but even so it is a good idea that all ladies perform some chest work due to the fact that those stronger and toned chest muscles will give them the look of a fuller and more shapely chest.

Think of all the sports that need strong chest muscles to gain an advantage- consider team sports like Rugby and American Football, which both involve throwing, tackling and grabbing. Throwing disciplines like the Shot Putt, Discus and Javelin. Other sports like Tennis, Basketball and Volleyball. Think of Gymnastics and Swimming and the degree to which the chest is involved here.

the most obvious chest muscle is known as the Pectoralis Major and is attached to the sternum and clavicle, the insertion point being into the upper arm or humerus. 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.

Beneath the Pec. Major is the Pectoralis Minor and this helps to lower the shoulderblade.

Let’s consider some particular problems:

The top of the chest is flat or sunken…This is very clear when viewed from the side and not just on men. Women can suffer from a loss of musculature on the upper chest if they have been dieting for a period of time. It would be an excellent policy for any female who has lost musculature on this part to perform targeted exercise to assist in rebuilding muscle here. Ladies will then see an improved cleavage and guys will
improve their chest to give a fuller appearance.

Gym workouts to encourage upper pectoral improvement must be done on a bench which is inclined to an angle of between 30 and 45 degrees. Here are two programs, one for ladies and one for guys, which both use 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 narrow chest combined with hunched shoulders or appearing so…This is not uncommon and the chest here will appear to be concave. Even if your rib cage, collarbones and pec’s are not as big as most, very satisfactory gains can still be made.

The first requirement is that of good posture! Gym workouts must be performed with a complete range of movement plus chest stretches in between each type of exercise. Always do this and you will notice that your pectorals and rib cage muscles are stretched so helping in the re-building process. Here is a suggested program for men and women using moderate to heavy 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…Just fatty tissue is to blame here and is generally present on overweight individuals, being called
Pseudogynecomastia. A program of exercise, nutritional and lifestyle adjustments will achieve a lot in these cases and any good Fitness Professional will be able to advise and draw up programs in all areas. You will be doing both resistance and cardiovascular work in the gym and should aim to attend 3 to 4 times weekly to ensure that you lose chest fat plus achieve weight loss all over the body. The first task is to improve your fitness level in general and gradually bring in more specific exercises to target the chest. Make sure that the chest exercises are varied enough to give all-over symmetry.

Gynecomastia in men…a bona-fide problem where the breasts, or occasionally just one breast, display feminine-like development. There is a gradual build-up of
glandular tissue on the breast, due to an imbalance in certain hormones. This tissue is often accumulated just under the nipple or over the entire breast. There is a difference between glandular and fatty tissue and it’s important to be aware of this, although fatty tissue may appear in gynecomastia as well. This problem has to be diagnosed by a physician first of all.

Your doctor may possibly suggest hormone treatment upon diagnosis but it is certain that the 3 disciplines of exercise, diet and lifestyle will be of great benefit.

I have researched 4 excellent, drug-free, natural treatments formulated to help cure both pseudogynecomastia and gynecomastia itself which many men have used successfully.