Chest Anatomy: What the Muscles Are and What They Do

Sturdy, developed chest muscle tissue (a.ok.a. pecs) are the centerpiece of a match physique.

Not solely do they appear spectacular, they make life out and in of the health club simpler — whether or not you’re swinging opening a heavy door, urgent a loaded barbell, or corralling your squirmy children.

Learn on to find out how your chest muscle tissue operate, and — extra importantly — how one can do ’em justice within the health club.

Muscular tissues of the Chest and Their Features

You’ve two mighty muscle tissue on each side of your chest: The pectoralis main and the pectoralis minor, identified collectively as your pecs.

Right here, we break down the anatomy of your chest muscle tissue. Plus, how one can goal every to make them greater and stronger.

Pectoralis main

Of the 2 chest muscle tissue, the pectoralis main (a.ok.a. the pec main) is the one which instructions essentially the most actual property. You’ve considered one of these massive, fan-shaped slabs on both aspect of your chest.

Each spans half of the higher chest, and has attachment factors on the sternum (breastbone), ribs, clavicle (collarbone), and humerus (lengthy bone of your higher arm).

The pec main itself is comprised of two heads, which collectively connect to your higher arm. Each heads have overlapping obligations, but in addition distinct features relying on the angle of higher arm movement.

Sternocostal head: Originating on the sternum, the sternal head accounts for 80 percent of the pec main’s whole dimension.

As such, it powers the majority of the muscle’s actions: bringing your arms towards your physique’s midline (adduction), and rotating your humerus internally.

Clavicular head: The higher portion of the pec main originates on the clavicle, and helps with the above actions, but in addition works to flex the humerus (elevating your arm ahead).

Tips on how to work the pec main: Completely different workouts can goal a particular head.

Hit the sternocostal head with strikes just like the dip, bench press, dumbbell fly, and decline bench press; and emphasize the clavicular head with the incline press and fly, says Jennifer Novak, M.S., C.S.C.S., efficiency restoration coach and founding father of PEAK Symmetry Performance Strategies.

Pectoralis minor

The pec minor is a small, triangular muscle that lies beneath the pec main and, regardless of sitting in your entrance, really controls constructions related together with your bottom.

Along with its attachment to the ribs, the pec minor affixes on the coracoid course of, which is a small, hook-shaped protrusion atop the shoulder blade.

Thanks to those attachment factors, the pec minor helps depress (pull down) and unfold aside the shoulder blades, and may help with respiration.

Tips on how to work the pec minor: The pec minor just about works each time your pecs work, so isolating it within the health club is not any small process. “Concentrating on a small muscle just like the pectoralis minor could also be troublesome, because it doesn’t appear to be a chief mover,” Novak says.

That mentioned, you’ll get your pec minor concerned for those who do higher physique workouts wherein your physique leans ahead and your shoulder blades draw downward, she provides.

Suppose: the dip, decline chest press, and straight-arm pulldown.

To maximise progress, work your chest twice per week, permitting a minimum of 48 hours for restoration in between periods.

Be sure you incorporate quite a lot of chest workouts into your weekly routine to make sure you hit each inch of your pecs, thereby maximizing your power and dimension positive aspects.