Do you want to get a bigger chest? Your secondary muscles on chest workouts can help you get a bigger chest. With the increased awareness and the extensive use of the internet and social media, we heard from people daily, “help! My chest is too small.” What should I do to get a bigger chest?
If you are also one of them, then don’t worry. You are at the right place. We will tell you a secret to get a bigger chest. However, to achieve your dream, you need to understand chest workouts and anatomy in detail.
Apart from training your primary chest muscles, you should know the secondary muscles in the chest.
Types of secondary muscles for chest exercises
Muscles in the chest region are termed as push muscles. Push muscles are the muscles that contract when weight is pushed away from the body. To support the pectoral (chest) region’s primary muscles, a group of secondary muscles, whose main purpose is to help primary chest muscles perform their function smoothly.
The main secondary muscles of the chest are of two types; deltoids and triceps.
1. Deltoids:
Present in the uppermost part of the arm, the deltoid is a triangular muscle. Its name comes from the Greek word ‘delta,’ which is similar to the equilateral triangle. It originates from three regions: the clavicle (collar bone), acromion of scapula (shoulder blade), and spine of the scapula, whereas it is inserted in the humerus (upper arm bone).
Function: Deltoid performs three distinct functions corresponding to the three bands of the fibers. The anterior fiber of the deltoid acts along with a pectoralis major to flex the arm’s flexion in running or walking motion.
On the other hand, the deltoid’s posterior fiber helps extend the arm during ambulation and latissimus dorsi. Moreover, it also helps with the external rotation of the humerus. It helps to strengthen muscles and offset the shoulder’s tendency to rotate internally due to poor posture.
2. Triceps:
The second set of secondary muscles that help the primary muscles of the chest is the triceps. These are present in the upper part of the arm. They run along the humerus between the shoulder and elbow. It has three separate bony origins and then comes together to a common insertion point.
Its long head originates from the scapula, the medial head originates from the inferior of the radial groove, and the lateral head originates from the superior of the radial groove. The triceps is the primary extensor of the forearm.
Functions: The primary purpose of the triceps is to help the forearm with the extension or movement. Moreover, they act as an antagonist of the biceps and brachialis. They help to keep the head of the humerus in the correct position to stabilize the shoulder.
How secondary muscles affect chest exercises:
We concluded that without secondary muscles, primary muscles would not be able to perform their function. Thus, when you are trying to have a bigger chest and planning your lifts, you should not ignore secondary muscles.
Building and strengthening secondary muscles is as important as building primary muscles in the chest. So, you must also include lifts that can build these secondary muscles. In this way, you will be able to get a bigger chest faster. Because now secondary muscles allow you to perform lifts in a better way.
Some of the best lifts for the secondary muscles are:
- Dips
- Barbell upright row
- Battling ropes
- Dumbbell front raise
- Pushups
- 45-degree incline row
Anatomy of the chest
The chest or pectoral region lies between the neck and abdomen. When one looks at the chest’s anatomy, you will notice it is divided into three parts. The upper part is called clavicular, the middle region is called sternocostal, and the lowered part is known as the abdominal head.
However, when it comes to muscles, they are usually categorized into two categories; upper muscles make up the clavicular head, and the lower muscles constitute the sternocostal and abdominal head.
The primary function of the muscles in the chest region is to help the upper body in movement.
Exercises to build chest muscles
Lifts are an excellent way to strengthen and develop chest muscles. Not only can they help you reach your goal quickly, but they also have a long-lasting and robust impact. The key to choosing lifts to build chest muscles is choosing those lifts specifically designed for the upper body.
You can choose lifts based on your goal and personal requirement. Some of the best lifts to build chest muscles include:
- Incline bench press
- Pec-deck machine
- Dumbbells flat bench press
- Barbell bench press
Primary muscles of the chest
After the abdomen region, the chest or pectoral region has the most massive muscles in the body. When you look at the chest’s primary muscles, you will know four main muscles in the chest region.
Pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, and subclavius. Among these four, the pectoralis major is the most massive muscle present in the chest’s upper part. These four primary muscles help shoulder blades and arms move forward, backward, or move in any direction.
Workout programs
Once you make up your mind to build chest muscles and are entirely into bodybuilding, the most crucial step toward your goal is to develop a good workout program.
It is always better to take help from some professional while planning your workout routine. Besides, you can also follow our workout plan, or if you want to amend it according to your individual needs, you are free to do so.
The primary purpose of any chest workouts is to build muscles in the chest region. Go for any of these popular programs to build chest muscles. These includes:
- German volume training
- Pre-exhaustion training
- Post-exhaustion training
- HIIT
Final words
Secondary muscles are essential as they allow primary muscles to perform their task or function smoothly. There are two sets of secondary muscles in the chest, deltoids, and triceps; both are important for building the chest’s primary muscles.
Thus, it is essential to learn chest workouts and anatomy before planning your workout routine.
