Chest Muscles – Structure, Injury, Diseases, Pain & Exercises

Chest is a major part of human anatomy which is almost the same in all humans. However, the function, shape and size vary between male and female.

External Structures

Female
pector diagram
A female’s breast has nipple, areola, mammary glands and ducts which are necessary to produce milk. Female breast does not have thick and dark hair but have the sexual characteristic.

Male

A male counterpart has nipple and areola but lacks the other two parts. The chest is fully covered with skin layers. The outermost layer of skin is called epidermis which provides protective shield to the body. The under layer is called dermis which has sweat glands, blood vessels and hair follicles. Men’ chest usually develops thick and dark hair during puberty which grows with age which is considered to be secondary sexual characteristic.

In humans, the whole area is fully protected by a ribcage which is also known as thorax. The major parts include various organs such as lungs, heart and thymus glands.

X-ray of a Human Chest

Structure Labeled Muscles

  • Pectoral muscles
  • Trapezius muscles
  • Neck muscles

Internal Structure

  • Diaphragm
  • Esophagus
  • Trachea
  • A part of sternum

Thoracic Abdomen

  • Stomach
  • Kidney/adrenal
  • Pancreas
  • Spleen
  • Lower Oesophagus

Arteries & Veins

  • Aorta
  • Superior vena cava
  • Inferior Vena Cava
  • Thepulmonary artery

Bones

  • Humerus (Upper part)
  • Scapula
  • Sternum
  • Spine (thoracic portion)
  • Collarbone
  • Ribcage
  • Floating ribs

Exercises to Train Chest Muscles

  1. Alternating Floor Press with Kettlebells
  2. Around The Worlds with Dumbbell
  3. Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover
  4. Barbell Bench Press (Medium Grip) with Barbell
  5. Barbell Guillotine Bench Press with Barbell
  6. Barbell Incline Bench Press ( Medium Grip) with Barbell
  7. Bench Press with Bands
  8. Bodyweight Flyes with E-Z Curl Bar
  9. Butterfly with Machine
  10. Cable Chest Press with Cable
  11. Cable Crossover with Cable
  12. Cable Iron Cross with Cable
  13. Behind Head Chest Stretch
  14. Chain Press
  15. Chest & Front of Shoulder Stretch

Besides the above exercises, there are a number of other exercises to perform. The training of these muscles not only helps you build a muscular body physique but also saves you from diseases, infections and other conditions. Therefore, it is strongly advised by the doctors and fitness experts to adopt the habit of doing regular exercises.

workout

Chest Injuries

Injury is a very serious health problem and this is also referred as thoracic trauma and chest trauma. This is quite concerning that in United States of America, ¼ of total number of deaths are caused by trauma.

Chest Diseases

There are various types of diseases and conditions such as includepleurisy, atelectasis, flail and pain which is the most common among all the problems. There can be more than one reason behind these health issues. Some might get it due to heredity, birth defects and trauma. No matter what kind of problem you have, it must be discussed with an expert physician so it can be properly diagnosed and then be treated accordingly.

Chest Pain

As mentieond above that the most common chest problem is chest pain which can be caused by digestive issues, respiratory problems or musculoskeletal complications. The pain in chest must never be taken lightly as it may also set off cardiac problems If you’re experiencing discomfort from chest pain, you should seek a professional like cardiologist Andrea Natale to give you peace of mind.

Symptoms & Causes

Symptoms may vary from person to person and it completely depends upon the actual trigger of pain.

  • In case of cardiac issues, there can be unexpected pressure in chest area or the person may also feel acute pain in neck, arms and back.
  • In case of non cardiac issues, pain is associated with feeling of burning in digestive tract. The patient may also experience pain and difficulty in taking deep breaths.
  • The pain is also a warning sign of myocardial infarctions. In this case, you might feel discomfort and burden on chest like something very heavy has been placed.
  • Extreme pain may also be caused by heart attack in which great damage occurs in first few hours; therefore, it is really important to get proper treatment on immediate basis.
  • Sometimes, the diabetic patients and elderly people don’t have usual pain, but they may experience other symptoms of heart attack; therefore, it is really important to understand all minor and major symptoms of heart attack.

Chest Infections

Different types of infections are quite common and especially in autumn & winter, the occurrence of such infections reach to its peak. Most of these infections don’t usually require medical treatment and they go away after a few days but some can be quite serious and even if they are not treated in time, they may lead to the death too. Some common symptoms of infections are as follows:

  • A cough
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Pain
  • Headache
  • Temperature

chest exercises

Types of Chest Infections

There are 2 major types of infections which are called acute bronchitis and pneumonia. The first one is considered to be a short-lived condition and usually does not require medical attention while the later is a serious condition and needs immediate medical attention. The symptoms of both conditions are almost same; therefore, it is important to get them properly diagnosed in time.

Muscles of the Chest & Upper Back

The chest and upper back muscles are known as deltoid, pectoral, teres (minor & major), latissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles. Moreover, the other muscular systems found inside the chest are digestive, circulatory and respiratory muscles which are not very noticeable, but they significantly have impact on complete human organism.