| type="text/javascript"> | | | | time the cartilaginous growth regions of the rib cage |
| What Makes a Good Chest? Good chest | | | | have not hardened, and are amenable to stretching |
| development has three main qualities, aside from | | | | and expansion. However, through anecdotal accounts, |
| competition requirements such as striations, separation | | | | it is not impossible to achieve rib cage expansion long |
| etc. These attributes are: | | | | after the growth regions have hardened through the |
| 1) A great rib cage. | | | | use of these stretching pullover-type movements. It |
| 2) Thickly developed pectoral muscles. | | | | should be noted that the greatest effects are realised |
| 3) Harmonious development of all aspects of the | | | | using free weights, and not pullover machines. These |
| upper and lower chest in order that a pleasing effect is | | | | machines have their uses in refining the musculature |
| achieved, rather than just 'big pecs'. How are these | | | | surrounding the rib cage, rather than expanding the |
| qualities attained? A great rib cage ideally needs to be | | | | bony structure of the rib-cage itself. It should also be |
| developed in order to showcase the pectoral muscles | | | | noted that heavy leg-training, especially the squat, will |
| in the best possible way. It is not aesthetically pleasing, | | | | help to greatly expand the rib-cage over time, |
| or probably realistic, to develop large pectorals on a | | | | particularly the high-rep 'breathing-squat'. This is |
| small underdeveloped rib cage. The rib cage can be | | | | basically a high-rep squatting technique, whereby very |
| expanded by doing a lot of dumbbell and/or barbell | | | | deep breathing between each rep (two or three |
| pullovers with increasingly heavy weight, but at a | | | | breaths) is employed. The set of squats may then be |
| weight which will allow eight to twelve repetitions in | | | | followed by a set of dumbbell pullovers with a light |
| good form. The best time to really achieve rib cage | | | | weight and very deep breathing to really stretch the rib |
| expansion is during the teenage years, during which | | | | cage and surrounding structures. |