Home Remedies

If you had to pick a symbol of a man’s masculinity, virility and heroism, what would it be? Would you agree with me that it is the chest? Consider Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Sylvester Stallone or comic-book heroes like Superman and Batman. It’s there, in pride of place on the body, just waiting to be admired, even by it’s owner. That is without mentioning the fair sex- and women do size men up, you know!

 

Although this article is primarily about guy’s
chests, I would point out to any female reading this that  training your chest won’t give you bigger breasts as the breasts are composed of glandular and fatty tissue, but it is still well worth doing because strong, toned chest muscles will create the appearance of a shapely and fuller chest.

 

It is certainly of great help in many sports to have strong chest muscles- consider team sports such
as Rugby and American Football, which both involve throwing, tackling and grabbing. Shot Putt, Javelin and Discus disciplines all involve throwing. Other sports such as Basketball, Volleyball and Tennis utilise the chest. Think about Gymnastics and Swimming and the degree to which the chest is used here.

 

By far the largest chest muscle is the Pectoralis Major which originates in the Collarbone and Sternum and inserts into the upper arm bone called the 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’s involved in lifting the arm forwards.

 

Underlying the Pec. Major is the Pectoralis Minor which assists in lowering the shoulderblade.

 

Let’s consider four particular problems:

The top of the chest is flat or concave…It may be present on men and women and is very clear when looked at from the side. Ladies can suffer from muscle loss in this part of the chest if they have been dieting for a period of time. Certainly it would be beneficial to these women if they were to concentrate on the upper chest to fill it out. Ladies will be proud of an enhanced cleavage and men will develop a more convex shape to the chest.

 

To develop this upper area of the chest, use a bench and
set the incline at 30 to 45 degrees. 3 excellent exercises can be used as follows, with ladies 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 hunched shoulders or appearing so…A lot of guys and some women have this problem and when looked at from the side the chest can even appear to be concave. Even if your rib cage, clavicles and pec’s are smaller than average, very satisfactory gains can still be made.

 

First things first, adopt good posture! It is important to do each exercise with a full range of movement and do some suitable stretches after each different exercise. Always perform these disciplines and they will help to stretch the chest muscles and those on the rib cage. Try these 3 exercises, with guys 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

 

Too much fatty tissue on the chest caused by being overweight…Only fatty tissue is involved here and is always present on overweight individuals, with the medical name of
Pseudogynecomastia. You will have to undertake dietary and lifestyle changes along with a tailored exercise program and your Fitness Professional can help in all areas. You will be doing both resistance and cardiovascular work in the gym and ideally should attend 3 to 4 times each week to ensure that you lose chest fat plus achieve weight loss all over the body. The first job is to improve your fitness level in general and gradually introduce more specific exercises to improve the chest. Make sure that the chest exercises are varied enough to give all-over symmetry.

 

Gynecomastia in men…this is a condition that a considerable number of males experience where one or both breasts display female-looking characteristics. An individual will experience a gradual build-up of
glandular tissue on the breast, caused by an imbalance in two hormones. This may cover all of the breast or sometimes underneath the nipples. Note the word ‘glandular’ as
distinct from adipose or fatty tissue, which distinguishes gynecomastia from pseudogynecomastia, although fat can appear in gynecomastia as well. Only a doctor can diagnose this condition, so make an appointment with yours first.

 

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

 

My research has uncovered some very good, natural, alternative systems designed to help cure both pseudogynecomastia and gynecomastia itself which lots of guys have discovered worked for them.