Logan Steele
Your chest muscles, or pecs, are made up of two main muscles: the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. Together, these muscles are involved in essential functions you need throughout the day, such as pushing open a door, and provide the foundation for many moves in exercises and athletics. They are also some of the largest muscle groups in the upper body, which means you burn more calories when you work them.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of chest muscles | 2 |
| Names of chest muscles | Pectoralis major, Pectoralis minor |
| Alternative name for chest muscles | Pecs |
| Location of pectoralis major | Upper chest |
| Location of pectoralis minor | Beneath the pectoralis major |
| Shape of pectoralis major | Fan-shaped |
| Shape of pectoralis minor | Triangular |
| Function of pectoralis major | Brings arms closer to the body, moves the shoulders, rotates the arms |
| Function of pectoralis minor | Depresses and spreads apart the shoulder blades, assists with breathing |
| Muscle associated with the chest | Serratus anterior |
| Function of serratus anterior | Moves the scapula forward and upward |
| Other muscles in the chest | Intercostal muscles |
| Function of intercostal muscles | Help with breathing |
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What You'll Learn
The pectoralis major and minor
The chest muscles, or pecs, are made up of two mighty muscles on both sides of the chest: The pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is the main muscle associated with the chest and is the largest and strongest of the chest muscles. It can be seen from the outside and its main function is to bring the arms closer to the body, but it also assists with moving the shoulders and rotating the arms. The pectoralis major is composed of two heads, the sternal head and the clavicular head, which jointly attach to the upper arm. The sternal head, which makes up 80% of the pec major's total size, originates at the sternum, while the clavicular head originates at the clavicle.
The pectoralis minor is a small, triangular muscle that lies underneath the pectoralis major. It is an important chest muscle but can also be problematic. Despite sitting at the front of the body, it controls structures associated with the backside. The pectoralis minor affixes at the ribs and the coracoid process, a small, hook-shaped protrusion atop the scapula, or shoulder blade. Thanks to these attachment points, the pectoralis minor helps depress and spread apart the shoulder blades and can also assist with breathing.
The pectoralis region also contains two other muscles: the serratus anterior and the subclavius. The serratus anterior moves the scapula forward around the torso, as when throwing a punch, while the subclavius is a small muscle located directly underneath the clavicle, providing some protection to the underlying neurovascular structures.
To strengthen the chest muscles, it is recommended to work the chest twice a week, with at least 48 hours of recovery in between sessions. Different exercises can target the different heads of the pectoralis major. For example, pressing your arm forward and up will target the upper chest, while pressing forward and down will target the lower chest.
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Functions of chest muscles
The chest muscles, or pecs, are comprised of two main muscles: the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. These muscles are responsible for a variety of functions and movements, and work constantly throughout the day.
The pectoralis major is the larger and stronger of the two chest muscles. Its main function is to bring the arms closer to the body, but it also assists with moving the shoulders and rotating the arms. It is a fan-shaped muscle that spans half of the upper chest, with attachment points on the sternum, ribs, clavicle, and humerus. The pectoralis major has three parts: the clavicular part, the sternocostal part, and the abdominal part. These parts work together to facilitate the adduction and internal rotation of the arm in the shoulder joint. The clavicular part helps to flex the extended arm, while the sternocostal part pulls the arm downwards.
The pectoralis minor is a smaller, triangular muscle that lies beneath the pectoralis major. Despite sitting at the front of the body, it controls structures associated with the backside. It is attached to the ribs and the coracoid process, a small protrusion on the scapula. The pectoralis minor helps to depress and spread the shoulder blades and can also assist with breathing.
In addition to the pectoralis major and minor, there are two other muscles in the pectoral region that exert force on the upper limb: the serratus anterior and the subclavius. The serratus anterior moves the scapula forward around the torso, as when throwing a punch. It also helps to stabilise the scapula by holding it against the ribcage. The subclavius anchors and depresses the clavicle.
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Common chest injuries
The chest is a vital part of the body, housing many essential organs, and any injury to this area can be serious. Chest injuries are often the result of blunt force trauma, such as a fall or sports injury, or penetrating trauma, such as a stab wound. These injuries can range from minor to immediately life-threatening and typically affect the ribs, upper abdomen, lungs, blood vessels, heart, muscles, soft tissues, and breastbone.
One of the most common chest injuries is fractured ribs, which can lead to complications such as pneumothorax, haemothorax, or flail chest. Pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between the lungs and the chest wall, which can cause a collapsed lung. Haemothorax is when blood collects in this space, and flail chest occurs when several ribs next to each other are broken in more than one place. These injuries can cause shortness of breath, and a collapsed lung is a possible complication. Bruising, cuts, or scrapes to the chest wall are also common in chest injuries.
Another common injury is a broken collar bone or sternum (breastbone). Damage to the lungs can also occur, including bruising (pulmonary contusions) or lacerations, and a collapsed lung is a potential complication of these injuries as well. In rare cases, injuries to the oesophagus (food pipe), trachea (windpipe), or diaphragm can occur.
Chest injuries can also cause damage to the heart or major blood vessels, including the aorta, which delivers blood to the body. This can lead to shock, characterised by low blood pressure and a racing heart.
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Exercises for the chest
The chest muscles, or pecs, are made up of two main muscles: the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is the larger and stronger of the two and is responsible for bringing the arms closer to the body, as well as assisting with shoulder movement and arm rotation. The pectoralis minor lies beneath the pectoralis major and helps to depress and spread the shoulder blades, as well as assisting with breathing.
To effectively train your chest, it is recommended to work your chest twice a week, leaving at least 48 hours for recovery between sessions. Incorporating a variety of exercises and techniques will help to maximise strength gains and muscle growth.
Bench Press
The bench press is a standard exercise for building chest strength. It can be performed with a barbell or dumbbells, and on a flat, incline, or decline bench. To perform a barbell bench press, lie on your back on a bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Grasp the barbell with your thumbs wrapped around it and palms facing your feet. Press your arms straight up to lift the weight off the rack and position the weight above your collarbone. Slowly lower the weight down to your chest and then press it back up to the starting position.
Dumbbell Press
The dumbbell press is similar to the bench press but uses dumbbells instead of a barbell. This allows for a greater range of motion and can be performed on the floor if you don't have access to a bench. To perform a dumbbell press, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Grip a pair of dumbbells tightly and drive with your heels and squeeze your glutes. Lift the dumbbells up, squeezing the handles tightly, and then slowly lower them to your chest before pressing them back up.
Push-ups
Push-ups are a bodyweight exercise that can help increase chest strength. To perform a push-up, get into a high plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet close together. Keep your spine straight and your gaze down to maintain a neutral neck position. Lower your chest down to the floor, keeping your elbows close to your torso, and then push back up to the starting position.
Incline Cable Chest Press
This is a beginner-level exercise that uses cables and dumbbells to target the chest.
Band Chest Fly
This exercise is similar to the cable fly or dumbbell fly but uses exercise bands, making it more accessible and potentially less stressful on the shoulder joints.
In addition to these exercises, you can also try the dumbbell twist fly, push-up with knee drive, and lying cable pullover. For muscle growth, it is important to consume adequate protein and manage your diet. A dynamic warm-up before training can also help to prevent injury.
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The importance of chest muscles
The chest, or pectoral, muscles are essential to many of the body's functions and movements. They are some of the largest muscle groups in the upper body and are used all day long, even when performing simple tasks such as pushing open a door, washing one's hair, or getting up and down from the floor.
The chest muscles are made up of two main muscles: the pectoralis major and, underneath that, the pectoralis minor. Together, they are often referred to as the
The primary function of the chest muscles is to adduct the arms, or pull them towards the midline of the body from various angles. The pectoralis major also assists with moving the shoulders and rotating the arms. The pectoralis minor helps depress and spread apart the shoulder blades and can assist with breathing.
It is important to keep the chest muscles strong for many daily activities, such as lifting and pushing. Strong chest muscles can also make athletic activities easier and improve one's physique. Additionally, the chest muscles can handle more weight, which allows one to burn more calories when exercising them. Working the chest muscles can also serve as a great warm-up for smaller muscle groups.
To maximize growth, it is recommended to work the chest twice a week, with at least 48 hours of recovery in between sessions. It is also important to incorporate a variety of chest exercises to ensure all parts of the chest are targeted.
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Frequently asked questions
The chest muscles are skeletal muscles that connect the upper extremities to the anterior and lateral thoracic walls. They are responsible for moving the arms across the body, up and down, and towards the body's midline.
The chest or pectoral region contains four muscles: the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, and subclavius. The pectoralis major is the largest and strongest of these muscles and is responsible for bringing the arms closer to the body. The pectoralis minor lies underneath the pectoralis major and assists in moving the shoulders and rotating the arms.
To strengthen your chest muscles, or pecs, you can do various exercises such as pressing your arms forward and up to target the upper chest, or forward and down for the lower chest. It is recommended to work your chest twice a week, with at least 48 hours of recovery in between sessions.
