The training of a muscle group is always derived from the anatomical direction of movement of the muscles. The chest musculature is for the: Accordingly, chest training is always a variation of one of the above-mentioned directions of movement of the shoulder joint (Articulatio humeri). In most cases the exercises are adduction movements in the shoulder joint (bench press, push-ups, butterfly).
In today’s strength training, the chest muscles are preferably trained by male studio visitors. Bench press in particular, as a sub-discipline of powerlifting, is used to determine the maximum strength for chest muscle training. It is mostly a targeted build-up of the large chest muscle, only shot-putters and powerlifters focus on the maximum strength. A knowledge of the individual aspects of muscle build-up is a prerequisite for the desired goals. – Anteversion (leading the arm forward)
- Adduction (bringing the splayed arm close to the body)
- Internal rotation (turning the shoulder inwards)
Application areas
Since pectoral muscle training hardly contains any health-promoting aspects, it is only used in the field of fitness and hypertrophy training. In recent years, targeted training of the pectoral muscles has also been used more and more frequently by women. The chest muscles should be 1.5 times stronger than the upper back muscles. If there is a muscular dysbalance, targeted training of the pectoral muscles or its antagonists can restore the balance.
From a medical point of view
The chest musculature is considered to be the antagonist (opponent) of the upper back muscles. In some strength athletes, a typical posture with slightly extended shoulders is often observed. This is due to the fact that the chest muscles from their base and origin, when shortened by too much training, reinforce the natural kyphosis of the thoracic spine. Furthermore, care should be taken not to provoke a rupture of the muscle fibres in the chest through overtraining or incorrect movements. It is therefore particularly recommended to stretch the chest muscles at regular intervals and to train their antagonists in a targeted manner.
Exercises for chest muscle training
The exercises in pectoral muscle training naturally result from the movement of the large chest muscles. The large chest muscle is responsible for adduction, anteversion and internal rotation in the shoulder joint. All exercises that can be chosen are based on at least one of these directions of movement.
From the combination with the training equipment: barbell, dumbbell, Theraband®, fixed equipment, pezzi ball and training with your own body weight, there are countless variations for chest muscle training, without considering the change of intensity. Bench press is one of the most classic exercises of chest muscle training. Bench press is a discipline from powerlifting besides knee bends and cross lifting.
The athlete lies backwards on a bench. The hands grasp the barbell bar shoulder width apart. Please note: When bench pressing, the risk of injury is particularly high in the shoulder area, not the spine.
For more detailed information about this exercise, please visit our bench press topicBench press with dumbbells is, next to the classic barbell bench press, one of the most effective exercises for training the large chest muscles. The isolated operation of the arms ensures an even strain on the chest muscles. Note: This form of chest muscle training is more demanding in terms of coordination.
For more detailed information about this exercise please visit our topic Bench Press DumbbellThe flying in pectoral muscle training can be understood as a form of butterfly lying down. The athlete lies on a bench and holds the dumbbell bars at the side of the body. For more detailed information about this exercise please visit our topic FlyingThe Butterfly is mainly performed sitting.
The athlete grasps the barbell guides with stretched or bent arms. The Butterfly is used during chest muscle training to define the chest muscles. For more detailed information about this exercise please visit our topic ButterflyThe Butterfly on the cable pulley is increasingly used by advanced athletes in chest muscle training as the coordinative requirements are higher. An even resistance, on the other hand, allows an optimal training success. For more detailed information about this exercise, please visit our topic Butterfly cable pulley
