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The chest is home to a group of muscles known as the pectoral muscles, or 'pecs'. These muscles connect the front of the human chest with the bones of the upper arm and shoulder. There are four muscles in the pectoral region: the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior and subclavius. The pectoralis major is the largest muscle of the chest.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of muscles | 4 |
| Main muscle | Pectoralis major |
| Second muscle | Pectoralis minor |
| Third muscle | Serratus anterior |
| Fourth muscle | Subclavius |
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Pectoralis major
The pectoralis major is the largest muscle in the chest. It is a thick, fan-shaped or triangular convergent muscle, which makes up the bulk of the chest muscle. It lies under the breast and is the most superficial muscle in the pectoral region. The pectoralis major is composed of a sternal head and a clavicular head. The sternal head originates from the anterior surface of the medial clavicle.
The pectoralis major is the main muscle associated with the chest. Its main action is to bring the arms closer to the body, but it also assists with moving the shoulders and rotating the arms. It is the biggest and strongest of the chest muscles, and therefore the most important.
The pectoralis major is one of four muscles in the pectoral region, along with the pectoralis minor, serratus anterior and subclavius. These muscles are responsible for moving the upper limbs in a wide range of motions, including flexion, adduction, and internal rotation of the humerus, stabilization of the scapula, as well as elevating and depressing the bones of the thorax.
The pectoralis major is a skeletal muscle, which means it is attached to the bones by tendons. These are voluntary muscles, which we control, as opposed to smooth muscles, which are involuntary, and cardiac muscles, which are specific to the heart.
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Pectoralis minor
The chest contains four muscles: the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior and subclavius. The pectoralis minor is a thin, triangular muscle located beneath the pectoralis major. It attaches to the ribs and serves to stabilise the scapula, the large bone of the shoulder. It is an important chest muscle, but also a problematic one. It is integral to shoulder movement, especially shoulder rotation. Situated in a sensitive area near the rib cage, the pectoralis minor is prone to painful tightness, which can disrupt posture.
The pectoralis minor is the smallest of the four chest muscles. It is a thin, flat muscle that lies deep beneath the pectoralis major. It originates on the third, fourth and fifth ribs and inserts on the coracoid process of the scapula. The pectoralis minor is responsible for stabilising the scapula and assisting in shoulder movements, particularly rotation.
The pectoralis minor is a synergist of the pectoralis major, which means it works together with the pectoralis major to produce a specific movement or action. In this case, the pectoralis minor assists the pectoralis major in bringing the arms across the body and rotating the shoulders. This muscle also helps to stabilise the scapula, preventing it from winging or protruding excessively during movement.
The pectoralis minor is a muscle that is often overlooked in training and exercise programmes. However, it is important to strengthen and stretch this muscle to maintain shoulder health and prevent injuries. Exercises that target the pectoralis minor include chest stretches, shoulder rolls, and exercises that focus on internal and external rotation of the shoulder.
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Serratus anterior
The chest contains four muscles: pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior and subclavius. The serratus anterior is a fan-shaped muscle that originates on the superolateral surfaces of the first to eighth or ninth ribs at the lateral wall of the thorax and inserts along the superior angle, medial border, and inferior angle of the scapula. The main part of the serratus anterior lies deep under the scapula and the pectoral muscles. It is generally divided into three distinct parts according to the points of insertion: serratus anterior superior, serratus anterior intermediate, and serratus anterior inferior.
The serratus anterior is occasionally called the "big swing muscle" or "boxer's muscle" because it is largely responsible for the protraction of the scapula, or the pulling of the scapula forward and around the rib cage that occurs when someone throws a punch. It acts in concert with the upper and lower fibres of the trapezius muscle to sustain upward rotation of the scapula, which allows for overhead lifting.
The serratus anterior is one of the most important and clinically relevant muscles of the shoulder complex. A weakened or inhibited serratus anterior muscle negatively affects the natural fluidity and ease of movement and the posture across the shoulder complex. Understanding the anatomy, kinesiology, and pathokinesiology of this muscle can help develop exercises to specifically target it for strengthening and improved control and function.
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Subclavius
The chest contains four muscles: the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior and subclavius. The subclavius is one of the smaller muscles of the chest, located in the pectoral region. It is a thin, triangular muscle, situated beneath the pectoralis major and minor muscles. The subclavius muscle originates from the anterior surface of the medial clavicle and attaches to the ribs. Its main function is to stabilise the scapula, the large bone of the shoulder.
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Skeletal muscles
The chest contains a group of skeletal muscles, known as the pectoral muscles, which connect the upper extremities to the anterior and lateral thoracic walls. There are four muscles in the pectoral region: the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior and subclavius.
The pectoralis major is the largest muscle of the chest and makes up the bulk of the chest muscle. It is a thick, fan-shaped or triangular convergent muscle, which lies under the breast. Its main action is to bring the arms closer to the body, but it also assists with moving the shoulders and rotating the arms.
The pectoralis minor is a thin, triangular muscle located beneath the pectoralis major. It attaches to the ribs and serves to stabilise the scapula, the large bone of the shoulder. It is integral to shoulder movement, especially shoulder rotation, but its location near the rib cage makes it prone to painful tightness, which can disrupt posture.
The serratus anterior and subclavius muscles also play a role in exerting force on the upper limbs, including the flexion, adduction, and internal rotation of the humerus, the long bone of the upper arm.
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Frequently asked questions
There are four muscles in the chest: the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior and subclavius.
The pectoralis major is the largest muscle in the chest. It is also the most important, as it makes up the bulk of the chest muscle and is the only one that can be seen from the outside.
The pectoralis major brings the arms closer to the body, assists with moving the shoulders and rotating the arms.
The pectoralis minor is situated beneath the pectoralis major and assists in key functions. It is integral to shoulder movement, especially shoulder rotation.
