What function does the pectoralis major muscle perform? Pectoral muscles. Massage of trigger points of the pectoralis minor muscle

On the front surface chest The pectoralis major muscle is located. It has a fan shape and consists of three beams muscle fibers. The clavicular bundle is attached to the medial half of the clavicle. The sternocostal bundle is attached to the cartilages of the ribs and the anterior surface of the sternum. The abdominal bundle originates from the rectus abdominis muscle. All three parts meet at the crest of the greater tuberosity of the shoulder.

Main functions: The pectoralis major muscle is responsible for bringing the arm toward the body and rotating it inward. Also large muscle The chest helps raise the ribs during inhalation and takes part in tightening the body.

Pectoralis minor muscle (m. pectorlis minor)

Beneath the pectoralis major muscle lies the pectoralis minor muscle. Its four teeth are located from 2 to 5 ribs; they rise obliquely upward and are fixed at the coracoid process of the scapula.

Main functions: The pectoralis minor muscle pulls the scapula forward, down, and inward and also helps raise the ribs. Together with other muscles, m. pectordlis minor is involved in the process of inhalation.

Serratus anterior muscle (m. serratus anterior)

The serratus anterior muscle is located on the surface of the lateral chest. Its teeth are usually attached to the nine upper ribs, the muscle fibers are directed parallel to the ribs. Each muscle bundle is clearly defined and separated from the rest. They are all connected at the medial edge of the scapula.

Main functions: The serratus anterior muscle forms a wide muscle loop, which, together with the rhomboid muscle, presses the scapula to the body.

Often, beginners and even experienced athletes do not pay enough attention to studying the anatomy of the muscles being trained. And this is a fundamentally wrong approach to training. Knowledge of the structure of your body and the location of muscles makes it possible to increase efficiency training process. Today we will discuss the anatomy of the pectoral muscles.

Anatomical structure

The chest muscle group consists of three main muscles.

Pectoralis major muscle, or m. pectoralis major – the most massive, occupies large area sternum, shaped like a fan. It originates from the clavicle (medial region), the anterior part of the sternum and the rectus abdominis muscle. Attached above to the humerus. The lateral side is adjacent to the edge of the deltas. Its main task is to turn, lift and bring the limb to the body. While climbing, it helps in pulling up the body. According to the anatomy of the structure, this muscle is the most susceptible to growth.

The pectoralis major, in turn, consists of three heads:

The clavicle is located under the collarbone and is attached to it on one side.
The sternocostal is located over the entire area of the pectoralis, originates in the anterior region, and is attached to the humerus.
The abdominal muscle is attached to the rectus abdominis muscle on one side and to the shoulder bone on the other.

Small(m. pectoralis minor) is located under the large muscle and is shaped like a triangle. It starts between 2-5 ribs, goes to the scapula and attaches to it at the site of the coracoid process. Its task is to ensure the movement of the scapula (forward, downward, inward). When fixing the scapula, the small one ensures that the rib rises when inhaling.

Anterior serratus, or m. serratus anterior is a wide muscle located on the side of the sternum. On one side it is attached to the upper ribs, on the other - on the medial edge of the scapula. The serratus muscle provides rotation of the scapula, as well as its rotation when raising the arm vertically. It plays an important role not only in breast formation, but also in improving the athlete’s physical performance.

The anatomy of the pectoral muscles also includes the following::

Subcostal– are located in the area of the lower ribs, on their inner surface.
Intercostal– internal and external – involved in breathing.
Diaphragm– the main muscle in the “inhalation-exhalation” process. According to anatomy, it is a muscle-tendon septum located between the abdominal and thoracic regions. By contracting together with the press, the diaphragm participates in increasing intra-abdominal pressure. The latter is especially important when working with heavy weights.

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Osseous-ligamentous apparatus

We have dealt with the anatomy of the pectoral muscles, but I would also like to dwell on the osseous-ligamentous apparatus. The muscles of the chest include the following:

Scapula plays an important role in basic exercises for babies. For example, during the bench press, during abduction shoulder joints, the shoulder blade provides stable support for the torso.
Brachial bone also participates in work on the major and minor pectoralis. It consists of 2 joints, forming shoulder girdle. The latter is easily injured in bench presses if there is not enough support.
Elbow joint . Its position is also important in movements for the pectoralis major and minor muscles.

Chest workout

Features of work large and small pectoral muscle the fact that they respond well to load. Therefore, to study them it is recommended to use basic techniques and heavy working weights. The pectorals cannot tolerate overload - countless sets and repetitions - otherwise their growth will be inhibited. The special anatomy of muscles requires loading from different angles. We should not forget about the correct execution technique, because a qualitative increase in target volumes depends on it.

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It is better to train the large and small chest muscles in a split, once a week. Do not include training on the pecs and triceps at the same time, as their work is closely related.

Push ups - best exercise to work the pectoral muscles. To better pump up target muscles, bodybuilders use push-up supports. This is a convenient mobile mini-simulator that allows you to work out the pectoral muscles, deltoids, upper back muscles, arms, and abs. Accordingly, the range of motion, the effectiveness of the load and stretching of the pectoral muscles increase. You can buy push-up supports

The chest muscles are one of the largest muscle groups in humans, located on the outer surface thoracic. Their structure is fan-shaped and consists of 3 main muscle bundles.

The chest muscles can be divided into two structures.

The first group includes muscle fibers related directly to the shoulder girdle:

- pectoralis minor muscle;

- large chest muscle;

- toothed;

- subclavian muscle.

The second belongs to the pectoral muscles themselves:

- external intercostal muscles;

- internal intercostal muscles.

They are located in the intercostal spaces and are responsible for contracting the human diaphragm.

1. Large chest muscle has a powerful muscular structure and therefore occupies 90% of the chest. The main feature is their pairing and flatness. It is this structure that predisposes to the development of maximum hypertrophy of the muscle group.

Main functional features

The pectoralis major muscle is responsible for lowering the arm from the top position directly to the body. At the same time, she makes a simultaneous rotation of the arm towards the inside of the body. The large lever allows you to make the above movement powerful, fast and strong, which is exactly what is needed for heavy chest training.

2. Pectoralis minor muscle its shape resembles a flat triangle and is located under the main muscle. It begins in the area of the ribs and is attached directly to the shoulder blade.

Main functional feature is aimed at moving the scapula and pulling it back and forth.

3. Anterior serratus located lateral to the front of the pectoral muscle, which starts from the ribs and attaches in the area of the scapula.

Subclavius muscle located directly in the collarbone area.

Main functional activity the anterior muscle is aimed at turning and moving the scapula forward. The second muscle has one function - it moves the collarbone down.

4. Intercostal muscles There are two types: internal and external. They are attached to different parts of the ribs: this is necessary to ensure the normal process of exhalation and inhalation.

Subcostal muscles are attached to the inside of the lower ribs. The main difference from the intercostal muscles is the uneven and less frequent attachment of muscle bundles.

Diaphragm- This is a muscle structure responsible for human breathing. It is movable, consisting of a septum that is located between the cavities of the chest and abdomen.

Functional features:

When the diaphragm contracts, the chest plane moves away and increases, and the abdominal plane decreases accordingly. The above action is accompanied by a person’s inhalation.

Contraction of the abdomen and diaphragm increases intra-abdominal pressure. This integral physiological characteristic is very important when working with extreme weights.

What should be noted from all of the above?

1. Firstly, the chest muscles are unique in their physiology and genetic predisposition to growth. The muscle fibers of the chest are located in different directions. That is why it is necessary to train the chest from different angles.

2. Secondly, the chest muscles are big muscle group, so they are able to work in strength mode and tolerate high-intensity training.

The chest muscles are a fairly large formation on the surface of the human body. They perform many important functions, which will be discussed in this article. So, they allow us to protect our internal organs and the chest from various injuries - and this is not all of their positive properties.

Anatomy of the chest muscles:

Superficial chest muscles:

Pectoralis major muscle

Pectoralis major muscle:

Acts as one of the strongest as well as largest muscles in the human body, and covers a large area of the chest at the front. Their shape resembles a fan, they are flat and paired. Its main functions include lowering and bringing the raised arm to the body - while it is possible to rotate it inward, it also takes part in the breathing process, since it has the property of raising the ribs with well-fixed upper limbs.

They originate from the crests of the humerus bones, or, more precisely, from their large tubercles. Blood saturation occurs through the arteries, as well as the acromion process, which is located on the chest. The pectoralis major muscle quickly begins to increase in size with systematic training, which is a definite plus for athletes, as well as for those who simply want to give their body a beautiful look.

This is a flat muscle that is located under the pectoralis major and has a triangular shape. Its teeth start from the 2nd and end on the 5th rib; the muscle itself is attached to the coracoid process of the scapula.

The main function of this muscle is to move the scapula inward, forward and downward. If the shoulder blade is in a fixed position, then the ribs are lifted.

According to its design, it is flat and quite vastus muscle, and it is located on the side of the surface of the pectoral muscles. It originates from the upper ribs and is attached with teeth to the medial edge of the scapula.

The main function of the front serratus muscle is to pull the shoulder blade forward and outward, while turning. Also, it helps to rotate the shoulder blade of the raised arm until it reaches a vertical position.

The subclavian muscle is located between the collarbone itself and the upper rib, which is why it got its name. This muscle is small but quite important in various rotational movements.

The main function of the subclavius muscle is to move the collarbone downward and inward, and it also helps strengthen the sternoclavicular joint. If the shoulder girdle is fixed, it is capable of raising the 1st rib.

Deep chest muscles:

External and internal intercostal muscles:

The external intercostal muscles are located on the surface in the spaces between the ribs, from the spine to the cartilaginous costal tissue. They originate from the lower edge of the ribs, and are attached to the upper edge of the underlying rib. Their main function is to raise the ribs.

The internal intercostal muscles are located under the external ones and have a different fiber structure, to be more precise, the opposite one - thus they intersect with the fibers of the external muscles at an angle. They originate at the edge of the underlying rib, and then extend upward and forward, attaching to the overlying rib, reaching the sternum and are located between the cartilages of the ribs. The main function of the internal intercostal muscles is to lower the ribs. These 2 types of muscles take part in the process of Inhalation - Exhalation.

These muscles are located - bundles on the inner surface of our lower ribs. They differ from intercostal ones in that they span over one or even two ribs at once.

The main function of the hypochondrium muscles is the process of lowering the ribs. Thus, they take part at the moment when we exhale.

They originate in the form of a tendon from the inner surface of the xiphoid process and the edge of the lower part of the sternum. They are attached to the cartilage of the inner surfaces of the ribs with 4 - 6 teeth.

Main function transverse muscles The chest consists of lowering the ribs, to be more precise, 2 - 5 ribs, they also take part in the act of Exhalation.

Exercises that will help you develop the above muscles:

Exercises for the pectoral muscles
Basic exercises in bodybuilding

Anatomy of the pectoral muscles video:

Contents:

What types of muscle groups are located in the chest area. What are they responsible for? Anatomy of the pectoralis major and minor muscles.

There are many “secrets” in bodybuilding that even professional athletes rarely realize. At the same time, many athletes do not pay due attention to the study of anatomy, namely, the structure of human muscles. It is not right. Knowing your body is an opportunity to increase the effectiveness of your training and make it more targeted. In this article, we will look at what the pectoralis major muscle is, analyze its functions, and also touch on the features of other chest muscles.

Groups and Features

The sternum of our body (in terms of muscles) is conventionally divided into 2 groups:

those relating to the upper limb and part of the shoulder. This category includes the pectoralis minor and major muscles. There are two more types here - serratus anterior and subclavian;
the second group is the own pectoral muscles, filling the areas between the ribs. This includes the diaphragm, as well as the muscle fibers of the inner and outer parts of the sternum.

Let's take a closer look at all the types of muscles in the sternum area:

Anatomical features of the large muscle

The pectoralis major muscle is distinguished by its large size. Its features are its fan-shaped shape and location on the front of the chest. Directly below it is the pectoralis minor muscle.

The anatomy of this area is simple:

the beginning of the growth of muscle fibers is located in the following areas - the medial half of the clavicular bone, the body and manubrium of the thoracic part, the cartilages of ribs 2-7, as well as the wall of the recess located on the rectus abdominis muscle;
The muscle is attached to the crest of the greater tuberosity of the shoulder bone.

Feature of the chest big muscle- presence of three parts:

clavicular The fibers originate on the inside of the collarbone;
abdominal. This part comes from the front of the recess (vagina) of the straight muscle fibers of the abdomen;
sternocostal. It starts on the front of the sternum, as well as on the cartilages of the upper six ribs (located from top to bottom).

The muscle fibers of all areas are attached and united with the crest of the tubercle of the shoulder bone. The anatomy of the blood supply is very serious in structure. Here the main functions are assumed by the internal arteries of the chest, which pass between the ribs and are located with outside, posterior arteries (also located between the ribs). The sternoacromyl artery also participates in the blood supply.

The main function of such a large muscle is to help flex the shoulder when free limb and fixing the body. If the body is fixed and the shoulder is slightly raised, then the task of the large muscle is to lower the shoulder. In the case when they are fixed in one position upper limbs, and the body is free (this is possible when pulling up), the large muscle takes on the function of lifting the body and bending the arms. In addition, the anatomy of the fibers is designed to assist in lifting the torso and bending the arms.

Results

Big and small muscle The sternum takes on the greatest load in bodybuilding. For their development it is necessary to use as much as possible heavy weights and conduct multi-joint training. Due to the design features, movements must be varied (at different angles). And most importantly, strictly adhere to correct technique. Otherwise, the training results will be less significant, and there will be a risk serious injuries increases.