The human body consists of many muscles, whose weight of the total mass is about 42%. Their shape depends on what kind of work function they are and where they are located on the skeleton. Through the blood vessels, nutrients enter the muscles, oxygen is delivered. Due to the ability to contract, they form the elastic tissue of the entire human body with increased elasticity.
The muscle strength of various muscle groups, the total number of which is more than 400, depends on the intensity of physical exertion. Strength exercises can change the shape and even function of muscles, contributing to their increase in volume and thickening. However, this process does not occur so quickly.
Pectoral muscle anatomy
The history of mankind has thousands of years. Throughout all time, a perfectly formed chest is considered a symbol of courage. A large amount of muscle during exercise consumes a large number of calories. Therefore, pumping up muscles, you burn excess fat.
So, to the pectoral muscles are: superficial, which go from the ribs to the shoulder and upper limbs, and deep, the location of which are the ribs. With their help, the respiratory process is carried out.
Superficial muscles:
- The pectoralis major muscle is able to rotate the shoulder inward, expand the chest and perform the function of the auxiliary muscle of the inspiration.
- The pectoralis minor muscle is responsible for pulling the scapula up and down, raising the ribs, and helps with inspiration.
- The anterior dentate muscle pulls the scapula away from the spine.
Deep muscles:
- The external intercostal spaces lift the ribs, due to which the rib cage expands. These are the main muscles of inspiration.
- Internal intercostal lowering of the ribs. These are the main muscles during exhalation.
- The diaphragm is the main respiratory muscle. Reducing, it is flattened, promotes inspiration.
To pectoral muscles, photos of which are presented in the article, look attractive, they need to be trained. There are many exercises to build muscle.
Pectoralis major muscle
It is located on the surface of the chest, in its front. It covers all the upper ribs. The function of the pectoralis major muscle is to form the front walls of the armpit. In shape, it resembles a fan, consists of muscle fibers that are collected in bundles, there are only three of them: clavicular, sternocostal and abdominal. All of them are connected on the shoulder tubercle.
The main function of the pectoralis major muscle is the ability to lead to the trunk of the shoulder and turn the arm inward, that is, to penetrate. In addition, it is an auxiliary muscle of the inspiration, thereby causing the chest to expand. The pectoralis major muscle occupies the entire space from the clavicle to the anterior surface of the sternum, originating from the crest of the large tubercle of the humerus. Arteries and the acromial process of the chest are responsible for the blood supply to the pectoralis major muscle.
The shape of the pectoralis major muscle determines the appearance of the upper body, namely its front surface. The peculiarity of the structure of this muscle is the location of the lower bundles of fibers: they are located below and behind in relation to the upper and middle bundles, are attached to the bones of the shoulder above the upper ones. Due to this structure, uniform stretching and unwinding of all muscle fiber bundles occurs. This is well expressed when a person raises his hands.
Pectoralis minor muscle
It is located under the large muscle of the chest, originates from 2-5 ribs and reaches the process of the scapula of the coracoid shape, to which it is attached. It has a fan-shaped shape and performs functions similar to the pectoralis major muscle. But its main role is to move the scapula forward and down and rotate it with the lower angle to the spine. If the scapula is fixed, the muscle will raise the ribs and contribute to the expansion of the chest cell when inhaling.
Training Features
To stimulate the growth of the pectoral muscles, it is not necessary to engage in their pumping at each training session. The fact is that if you constantly overload the pectoral muscles, good results can not be expected. For training, it is enough to allocate twice a week and perform 4-8 approaches, and for beginners 2-3 is enough. To increase the mass of the breast, 10-12 repetitions are enough. The chest gains strength if the number of repetitions is 6-8 times.
Exercises for training the muscles of the lower chest
Bench press with dumbbells lying on your back. To do the exercise, prepare dumbbells. The lower part of the pectoral muscles is well developed during the next exercise. You need to lie on the bench for a press (it has a backward inclined function). Then squeeze and simultaneously lower both dumbbells. If you are training for the first time, the equipment should be small.
The specifics of the exercise is such that the pose during the bench press seems unusual (especially for beginners), dumbbells can initially fall back. Don't let this scare you, adapt over time and work with dumbbells for sure. When doing the exercise, turn your elbows so that they are on both sides of the torso.
The lower part of the pectoral muscles is pumped up when performing the exercise on the uneven bars. Often use collapsible equipment. The frequency of classes should be at least 2-3 times a week. To complicate the exercise, you can stop the lower part of the spin for 2-3 seconds. Do 3-4 sets of 15 times each.
Upper Chest Muscle: Exercise
This is the most problematic area. For pumping up muscles, special equipment is needed, without it all efforts are in vain. But if you systematically perform one exercise, even if you do not have the opportunity to attend the training room, you can get good results. These are push-ups from the floor when the legs are above the head. Exercise can be successfully performed at home.
Very quickly, the upper part of the pectoral muscles will take on a relief shape, if the load is complicated, only gradually. This can be done using short pauses at the lowest point of the spin or using some objects. You can put two stacks of books of the same height on the floor so that the distance between them is wider than the shoulders, and slowly push up. Hands should rest in piles, and chest should touch the floor. It is necessary to perform 15-20 push-ups in 3-4 approaches.
To pump the upper part of the pectoral muscles, the so-called explosive push-ups are good when during extension of the arms you need to tear them off the floor in order to make cotton.
The most difficult is to combine the techniques of previous exercises. But first you need to master them and learn how to easily perform.
Barbell-based muscle training
Exercise on a bench with an inclination of not more than 30 degrees using a bar is considered the most effective if the goal is to work out the muscles of the chest array. You need to lie on a bench and raise your legs, focusing, but so that there is no bridge.
In this position, the back is pressed firmly against the bench. You need to take the bar with a grip wider than the shoulders. In this exercise, it is very important not to touch the chest with the bar of the bar at the bottom point, and at the top - do not straighten your arms to the end.
Breast muscle mass
Exercise can be performed at home. For this you need dumbbells. You need to lie with your back on a bench without tilting, raise the dumbbells above yourself, without bending your arms, palms to each other. Then lower the dumbbells in different directions. Try to do this as low as possible, and you will feel how your muscles are extremely stretched.
So that the joints of the elbows do not experience a large load, they can be slightly bent. Then again lift the dumbbells up with the feeling as if you want to hug someone tightly. The pectoral muscles contract.
Broad chest muscles
In the posterior part of the chest, in the lower part, there is the latissimus dorsi muscle, which completely covers it. It originates from the six pectoral lower processes, which are often called the "broad pectoral muscles."
Part of the muscle fibers originates from the angle of the scapula. In its lower part, they are collected and sent to the axillary fossa, without losing contact with the round muscle. This forms the back wall of the armpit. Then the fibers of the latissimus muscle, passing a certain path, form tendons.