We enlarge the chest at home. Expanding the chest and shoulder bones: the best exercises Is it possible to increase the volume in the chest

Most qualified specialists believe that by following certain training programs you can expand your chest and shoulders. Often, chest expansion perhaps doing just 2-3 combined exercises. Similar exercises include squats with breathing techniques and various pullovers. Regular performance of a set of these exercises with a constant progression of loads helps the athlete to increase the volume of the chest.

Expanding the chest with exercises

At the beginning of the lesson, to expand the chest, it is recommended to perform squats with a barbell with special breathing techniques. There are practically no differences from classic squats in this exercise, which expands the chest. The difference is that in the middle of the repetition (at the bottom point), the athlete must take as deep breaths as possible. In addition, during the approach itself, you need to slowly inhale when moving down, and slowly exhale when going up. Over time, it will be necessary to take not just one breath during a repetition, but several, and only after that can you get up to the starting position with the barbell. To expand the chest, physical education experts advise increasing the number of repetitions in squats to 20-25 in each approach. This same method of training can be described in another way:

• Number of repetitions – from 1 to 6, at the lowest point – 1 breath
• Number of repetitions – from 7 to 14, done – 2 deep breaths
• The number of repetitions is from 15 to 20, taking 3 deep breaths.

Features of training for chest expansion

It is worth considering that while moving the torso with a barbell on the shoulders, the athlete should take one breath while moving slowly down and one exhale while slowly getting up. Holding your breath throughout the entire exercise is prohibited, as this greatly increases blood pressure. It is sometimes recommended to replace barbell squats with deadlifts.

After a set of squats with breathing technique, you should do one more exercise - a pullover with a dumbbell on a bench. Experienced athletes often call this exercise a “breathing pullover.” When performing a pullover, the same breathing technique is used as in a squat (one breath for 1-6 repetitions, etc. as described above). The execution tactics are the same as for squats - inhale and exhale while moving the dumbbell.

The number of repetitions can be reduced to 12-15. Strive to “inflate” your chest more and arch your back while lying on the bench. Often, for correct and technical execution, the support of a partner is necessary, since sometimes it is difficult to move a heavy dumbbell to the starting position above your head. In addition, the pullover can be done not only with a dumbbell, but also using a block exercise machine.

It should be remembered that maximum expansion of the chest is possible only through progressive loads.

Scheme
training session

It is not necessary to start your workout with squats; if you want, start with a pullover. For maximum chest impact, it is recommended to perform 3 sets of each exercise. It is best to conduct training of this type every week or every two weeks. This training session scheme will suit you at first.

Efficiency
training methodology

The ribs connect to the spine at the upper back, and at the front they attach to the sternum. Some experts have previously argued that stretching of the cartilage tissue in the chest is likely, since cartilage supposedly retains elasticity in adulthood. However, in fact, it was found that cartilage cannot change in size after performing any exercise. Breathing exercises and skeletal stretching also have no effect on the size of cartilage. Experts give an example that if cartilage could change in size, this would certainly lead to problems with the spine and with all bone tissue in general. In other words, if the attachment point of the ribs changes structurally, this will impair their motor abilities. As a result, the person would be limited in certain ranges of motion.

However, there is also opposing information about the beneficial effects and effectiveness of training techniques that have almost no effect on chest expansion. As it turned out, in practice the chest does not increase in volume, and the apparent expansion appears due to hypertrophy of the trunk muscles (increase in the size of the pectoral muscles, increase in the latissimus muscles).

Is it possible to train
under this program

The basis for such training programs was the book by Stuart McRobert. At the same time, the method described in the book has a sufficient number of significant disadvantages. First of all, it discusses only the theoretical part. Modern sources indicate that chest expansion has no physiological basis. Therefore, it is recommended to include in your workout the usual standard exercises that train the chest muscles, back muscles and shoulders. To increase the visible volume of the breast, aerobic sports will not be superfluous.

In addition, some people do not tolerate hyperventilation well. Frequent and intense breathing can lead to dizziness and darkness in the eyes. On top of that, pullovers, especially when using heavy dumbbells, can be dangerous in terms of injury. Often, during this exercise, the back muscles (due to significant stretching) and shoulder joints are damaged. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to train according to this training program will most likely be in the affirmative.

You can often hear from athletes and physiologists that these exercises for expanding the chest are effective only when performed before a certain age (up to 22-25 years for men and up to 19-20 for women).

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- This is a very effective technique for increasing not only the width of the chest, but also the potential for increasing the size of the pectoral muscles. It is impossible to build bulky pectoral muscles on a small bone structure, but the bone structure can be increased. There are disputes about whether it is possible to increase the width of the chest after 25 years, when the bone growth zones are already closed, scientists say no, practitioners say yes. If you are already well over 25 and you do not take growth hormone, then you most likely will not be able to increase the size of your bones, but you will be able to stretch the muscles of the chest, as well as create maximum tension on the bones, increasing their mobility, as a result of which the chest will look more massive and it will actually become a little wider. However, it makes sense for young people whose bones are still growing in length to specialize over time in expanding the chest.

If you are under 20 years old, then this is simply the ideal time to work on the width of your bones. At the age of 20 to 25, it is also still worth paying attention to this particular issue. Why? Because then you will no longer be able to do this, or the effectiveness of such training will be significantly lower. You will always have time to build muscles; after all, maximum hypertrophy of muscle fibers can be achieved in 2-3 years, after which you need to start working on muscle hyperplasia , then by systemic adaptation, and only after that you can still gain 5 kilograms of muscle due to hypertrophy over the next few years. But, as a rule, it is rare that someone even reaches the development of maximum hypertrophy of muscle fibers and already looks like a “jock.” In any case, you can build up muscles, then “deflate”, build them up again, and you will have a wide chest for the rest of your life. Don't miss the opportunity - start expanding your chest!

Exercises to expand the chest

Breathing squats with pullover – this is one of the most effective exercises, or rather, it is a superset that consists of breathing squats and a pullover. You shouldn’t chase weight in these exercises; on the contrary, you need to select the weight so that you feel comfortable doing the exercises. The pullover is performed in the usual style, but for 15-20 repetitions, in order to better stretch the chest, it is also recommended to breathe with effort, but since you will first perform squats, you will still have to breathe deeply. Of course, you can simply catch your breath and breathe quickly, but this should not be done at all in any case, even if you are not engaged in expanding the chest, and in all exercises to expand the skeleton, breathing, in general, is the most important part of the training complex, so knocking down It is not allowed under any circumstances!

Breathing squats are performed with a light weight for 20-30 times, using a special breathing technique. There are quite a few variations of these squats, which are essentially variations of the same technique. For the first 5 repetitions, you take 1 deep breath and exhale between each repetition, that is, you squat while inhaling, stand up while exhaling, and between repetitions, standing with a barbell on your shoulders, take a deep breath and exhale forcefully. For the next 5 repetitions, you do the same thing, but between repetitions you inhale and exhale 2 times, the next five 3 times, then 4, then 5 and finally 6 times. You can go up to three times, increasing the number of inhalations and exhalations every tenth repetition, but the essence, as you see, does not change. After you finish a set of squats, you run to do a pullover. You cannot rest between squats and pullovers, but rest between supersets is 1 minute.

– a very important exercise for expanding the chest. It is not included in the training complex, or rather, it can be performed between approaches, it can be performed at home, in the morning, in the evening, at any time of the day. The exercise does not require any special equipment, just a wall or, even better, a corner. You rest your hands on the wall, spread your legs wider than your shoulders and move them back so that by arching your back in the lower back and moving your gluteal muscles back, you feel comfortable. You need to straighten your chest, relax your abdominal muscles, and, as if holding onto a wall or corner, stretch down, stretching your chest. The knees, of course, are slightly bent and, as you tighten your chest, you bend them a little more. In order to effectively work the chest during the raider row, it is necessary to develop muscle feeling , and this exercise can be performed not only to expand the chest bones, but also during any training complex.

Squats with a barbell on the front and holding the breath with squats in a snatch grip is a complex superset consisting of two heavy exercises. The point of the exercise is that it will make you gasp, as a result of which, as the body adapts, it will need a wider chest so that it can fit more air into the lungs. The essence of the complex is that while performing squats with a barbell on the chest, the athlete holds his breath. That is, inhale, then on one exhalation 3 repetitions, inhale again and again on one exhalation 3 repetitions. A total of 12-15 repetitions of squats must be performed. After this, you immediately do squats with a snatch grip - these are squats with a barbell overhead. The technique is not complicated, you simply hold the barbell with straight arms, due to which the chest stretches well at the lowest point. You should breathe normally, but deeply. Rest between sets for 1 minute.

"Sun" with a stick This is a chest stretching exercise. It is not necessary to perform it with a stick; you can use a bar or elastic bands. Beginners are recommended to use elastic bands, since a beginner will not be able to perform this exercise with either a bar or a stick. Technically there is nothing complicated! The athlete picks up a stick, choosing a grip width that he can handle, and then turns his hands behind his back. Inhale while twisting your arms behind your back, exhale while returning your arms to the starting position.

Breathing presses - These are exercises that are performed with breath holding in the same type that is used during front squats with a breath hold. The athlete inhales, performs 3 repetitions on one exhalation, then inhales again. If you are performing a bench press or an incline press, you should grab the bar with a wide grip to create tension in your chest. In the same way, you can perform wiring, combining it with presses. You can simply do a wide-grip bench press and then a breathing exercise. Also optional exercises are wide-grip pull-ups and standing overhead barbell presses.

Chest expansion complex

To achieve the effect of such exercises, it is not enough to simply do exercises once a week to expand the chest bones. You should devote time to this complex, allocating a separate training program for it. You can do chest expansion every other day, and on rest days you can actively stretch the chest with Rader rows and “sun exercises” with a stick. But growth is a physical expression of the body's adaptation to stress, so the body needs time to recover and achieve super compensation . When it comes to the growth of muscle structures, circuit training is suitable for beginners and the body has time to recover, then the athlete moves on to a split, training each muscle once a week, that is, giving the body a rest per week to restore muscle structures. As an athlete becomes more experienced, he begins to use microperiodization to give the body enough time to recover specific muscle fibers .

In the case of chest expansion, it is even more difficult, since this adaptation requires more resources and time. That is why chest width should be developed in periods, that is, using the principle of macroperiodization. The system looks like this: the athlete spends a month expanding the chest, then rests for a month, training according to the usual scheme, after which he again moves on to expanding the skeleton, but for a month and a half, then rest again, also for one month, and finally 2 months workouts to expand the sternum, which give the greatest impact. If you are afraid of losing muscle mass during this time, then you will lose it, but it is worth it! All the advantages of the training have already been described above, and if you want to achieve maximum results in muscle growth, then you should be patient, the patience of a hunter, and prepare yourself for hunting truly big game!

Training split for chest expansion

First training
Superset (2 exercises):
Breathing squats– 7 sets of 20-30 repetitions
Pullover – 7 sets of 15-20 reps
Breathing presses
Wide grip pull-ups– 5-7 sets of maximum repetitions

Day of rest– Raider thrust and “sun”

Second training
Superset (2 exercises):
Wide grip press– 7 sets of 15 reps
Breathing wiring– 7 sets of 15 reps
Superset (2 exercises):
Squats with a barbell on the chest and holding your breath
Overhead squats– 5 sets of 12 reps
Standing overhead barbell press– 7 sets of 20 reps

Notes* During training, between sets, you can perform Rader rows, use a light weight on the bar so that you can complete the program, and progress by increasing the intensity and number of repetitions. After the second workout, you rest for one day and repeat the program from the beginning. Don't miss your chance to expand your chest!

When I was 18 years old, I did a special set of exercises (breathing squats + half-louvers) to expand the chest. I will say right away that this did not have a big effect, but due to the lack of reliable information about the timing and basic principles of such training, the effect was not as significant as it could have been. Therefore, in this story I will try to give a comprehensive look at this issue, especially since recently I have talked with several people who are currently using similar training systems.

There are two diametrically opposed opinions on this matter. Some are confident that it is possible and necessary to expand the chest (such as Vladimir Goncharov, for example), and others shout that this is IMPOSSIBLE! Where is the truth? The truth, as often happens, is somewhere in the middle. But let's take things in order.

However, there are a lot of positive reviews about the effectiveness of sternum-expanding training. What is the reason for this, if most often experiments prove the opposite? There are two main reasons:
- The positive effect of “broadening training” often occurs as a result of hypertrophy of the torso muscles. This gives the impression of a wider chest. This is relevant for men AFTER 25 YEARS!
- Positive effect of bone growth takes place, BUT only for young people under the age of 20-25 YEARS OLD! Moreover, before the age of 20, the process is much more “fun” than after 20.

Our bones, like other body tissues, change throughout our lives. Bone growth is regulated by biologically active substances, such as, for example, growth hormone secreted by the pituitary gland or artificial GH (which is injected). The greater the load on the human skeleton, the more active bone growth and renewal processes occur, and the stronger the bone substance becomes. Those. physical exercise can accelerate the growth of skeletal bones.

In humans, the chest is expanded laterally, due to upright posture, while it is compressed laterally in mammals. Moreover, when you were born, your chest was in shape closer to the shape of four-legged animals (flattened on the sides), but gradually, as they grew older, it expanded, because this form is more convenient for bipeds. This is a very important point that will explain why sternum expansion training is effective for some and not for others. It’s just that such training is effective for young people (up to 20-25 years old), while the shape of the chest is changing (adapted for upright walking) and is completely useless if you are older than this age range.

Bones Growth

The growth of bones in length is due to the division of cells of the cartilage tissue that covers the ends of the bones. BUT, as I said, this process is only possible while the shape of the chest is changing. And this happens only in childhood and adolescence. Then STOP! During childhood and adolescence, the so-called bone remains at the end of the bones. epiphyseal cartilage (“growth plate” between the body of the bone and its head) in which cells multiply (under the influence of growth hormone), depositing cartilaginous substance and ossifying over time. The bone is growing in length! The volume of the chest is expanding!

In short, as a person grows older, the percentage of inorganic substances in the bone tissue increases and the growing bones become increasingly hard.

From 1 to 7 years bone growth is accelerated in length due to the epiphyseal cartilage located between the body of the bone and its head, and in thickness due to the thickening of the bone substance from the periosteum.

After 11 years Once again, the bones of the skeleton begin to grow rapidly and take on their final shape. When growth ends - and this happens approximately by 20-25 years old,- cartilage is completely replaced by bone tissue (growth zones are closed). Bone growth in thickness occurs through the application of new masses of bone substance from the periosteum.

Important takeaway:

Now do you understand why many experiments have shown the uselessness of chest-expanding training? It’s just that such a load ONLY works on young people! The older a person is, the less chance he has of expanding his BONE.

Expansion of the skeleton

Hormonal background (Presence of growth hormone)
- Physical stretching of bones

We can organize both of these moments through specific strength training, which will provide a stretching effect on the bones on the one hand, and which will cause the release of somatotropin (growth hormone) on the other hand.

If you decide to inject artificial growth hormone, the process of expanding your chest and shoulder width in general will go even faster. This hormone is often prescribed to children with growth retardation. I repeat once again, the process of such growth is very effective until the growth zones are closed and completely stops after 25 years.

Now about the physical stretching of the bones. The easiest way to achieve an expanding effect on the chest is through intense breathing during BREATHING SQUATS. When you take moderate weights and do high reps with forced hyperventilation. Your chest is “expanded” from the inside and thus there is a stretching effect on the growth zones (cartilage tissue) of the bones.

A variation of the half-over to expand the sternum is the RAIDER PULL. The meaning of the exercise is very similar to the half-over, only it is performed while standing. Grab an object or corner that is slightly higher than the top of your head (you can experiment with the height), so that there is no more than 8 cm between your hands. Then step back. Take a deep breath and at the same time pull your arms down and inward. Piri Rader emphasizes that it is very important not to tense the abdominal muscles. They should be relaxed.

The next important exercises for expanding your core are the WIDE GRIP PULL-UPS and WIDE GRIP BENCH PRESS. Both of these exercises (but especially pull-ups) will put tensile stress on your bones and cause them to grow in length. In addition to these exercises, barbell overhead presses while standing and dumbbell flyes while lying on a bench will give a good effect.

Load volume

There should be 6-10 approaches to the exercise.
Reps (Squats and Half-overs) 15-30
Reps (other exercises) 10-15

The purpose of squats and half-overs– achieve internal stretching of the skeleton through intense breathing (therefore, more repetitions). The goal of all other exercises is a direct tensile load on the bones (therefore, slightly fewer repetitions, otherwise the weight load will be too small).

Breathing squats

Joe Weider

Vladimir Goncharov

Denis Borisov (hehe...I did that)

After a set of breathing squats, lying half-overs with a barbell or dumbbell will work very well for additional stretching of the pectoral cartilage.

Polluver

Raider Traction

Presses, Pull-ups, Fly-ups

Training complex

Breathing squats 6-10 approaches X 15-30 reps + Halfover 6-10 sets X 15-30 reps

Pull-ups 6-10 sets X max. repetitions+ Bench press 6-10 sets X 10-15 reps

Cycle

Another option is to do squats + half-overs in large quantities on Mon, Wed, and Fri, and do pull-ups + barbell presses on Tues, Thursdays, Sat.

The second option is slightly better than the first, BUT it will require twice as much training.

This kind of chest-expanding training is usually done in THREE CYCLES! With a break of 1 month between each cycle.

Approximate duration of the cycles themselves:
1 CYCLE = 4 weeks
2 CYCLE = 6 weeks
CYCLE 3 = 8 weeks

Efficiency

Second point– this is a hormonal background. Namely, the amount of growth hormone in the blood. The more there is, the more fun the growth is. In this regard, physical exercise is a very good help, because it forces the production of GH in larger quantities.

Third point– this is the training itself. It is important to feel how to “stretch” the bones correctly. It’s not stupid to do the exercise, but try to “catch the wave” of the best load, not for the muscles, but for the bone tissue.

Fourth point– food and rest. During sleep, growth hormone is released, and nutrition is important for obtaining calcium and other nutrients important for the formation of new cartilage and bone tissue.

Typically, young people manage to gain about 4-6 cm in shoulder width in three cycles. This does not mean the volume of the chest (which increases much more), but rather the span of the shoulders (the backbone itself is measured along the edge of the shoulder blade). This is very, very much, IMHO. Those young people who do this at the age of 17 can show significantly higher numbers, but it is no longer clear what is happening due to training and what is due to natural growth.

In general, if you are young, then chest expansion training is what you need. Often green guys are chasing muscle mass, missing out on a unique opportunity to change for the better what will stay with them forever, even if they quit training.

Broad men's shoulders are always in fashion. However, the broad shoulders looked ridiculous against the background of the narrow chest. This is why every athlete sooner or later thinks about the possibility of expanding the skeleton of the shoulders and chest. Is it possible to widen the shoulder girdle and make it more massive? If yes, how to do it?

There are two opposing points of view on this matter. Some people believe that it is possible to expand the bones of the shoulders and chest. Others claim that this is impossible. Who is right? As you know, the truth is always somewhere in the middle. Let's go in order.

First you need to understand the anatomy of the chest. At the back of the torso, our ribs connect to the spine. In front, with the help of cartilage, the ribs are attached to the sternum. So, many people believe that to expand the chest, you need to “stretch” this cartilage. Many experiments have been conducted that have proven that stretching and deep inhalations and exhalations cannot affect the cartilaginous structure of the thoracic region, because even if it were possible to stretch the cartilaginous bridges of the ribs, this would inevitably lead to a change in their functional-anatomical connection with the spine. In other words, if the angle of attachment of the ribs to the spine changes, then all motor function will be disrupted.

However, there are many good reviews about the effectiveness of sternum expansion training. How can this be if most experiments prove the ineffectiveness of such training? There are two main reasons for this:

1. The positive effects of “broader training” most often result from hypertrophy of the torso muscles, which creates the appearance of broader shoulders and chest. This is true for men over 25 years old.

2. The positive effect of bone growth in length is present, but only for people under 20-25 years of age. Moreover, before the age of 20, the chances of expanding the chest and shoulder bones are much higher.

Just like other tissues of the body, our bones change throughout a person's life. Bone growth is regulated by biologically active substances, such as growth hormone, which is secreted by the pituitary gland. The greater the load on the bones, the more actively they grow and update processes. Thus, the inert substance becomes much stronger. That is, physical exercise accelerates the growth of skeletal bones.

In humans, the chest is expanded laterally, due to upright posture, while it is compressed laterally in mammals. Moreover, when you were born, your chest was in shape closer to the shape of four-legged animals (flattened on the sides), but gradually, as you grew older, it expanded, because this shape is more convenient for us. This is a very important point and explains why sternum expansion training is effective for some and not for others. It’s just that such training is effective for young people (up to 20-25 years old), while the shape of the chest is changing (adapted for upright walking) and is completely useless if you are older than this age range.

The growth of bones in thickness occurs due to the division of cells on the inner surface of the periosteum. This leads to the formation of new layers of cells and intercellular substance between them on the surface of the bone. The bone becomes THICKER! This process directly depends on strength training. It is worth noting that VAll strength athletes have much thicker bones than ordinary people who do not regularly perform strength exercises with heavy weights.

The growth of bones in length is due to the division of cells of the cartilage tissue that covers the ends of the bones. But, as mentioned above, this process is only possible while the shape of the chest is changing. And this happens only in childhood and adolescence. Then STOP! During childhood and adolescence, the so-called epiphyseal cartilage (“growth plate” between the body of the bone and its head) is preserved at the end of the bones, in which cells multiply (under the influence of growth hormone), depositing cartilaginous substance and eventually ossifying. The bone is growing in length! The chest is expanding!

In short, as a person grows older, the percentage of inorganic substances in the bone tissue increases and the growing bones become increasingly hard.

From 1 to 7 years, bone growth accelerates in length due to the epiphyseal cartilage located between the body of the bone and its head, and in thickness due to the thickening of the bone substance from the periosteum.

After 11 years, the bones of the skeleton again begin to grow rapidly and take on their final shape. When growth ends - and this happens around the age of 20-25 - the cartilage is completely replaced by bone tissue (growth zones close). Bone growth in thickness occurs through the application of new masses of bone substance from the periosteum.

Now do you understand why many experiments have shown the uselessness of chest-expanding training? It’s just that such a load ONLY works on young people! The older a person is, the less chance he has of expanding his BONE.

Expansion of the skeleton

In order to become wider due to the bones, we need to first of all take care of increasing the length of the bones. What determines the rate at which our bones grow in length?

We can organize both of these moments through specific strength training, which will provide a stretching effect on the bones on the one hand, and which will cause the release of somatotropin (growth hormone) on the other hand.

If you decide to inject artificial growth hormone, the process of expanding your chest and shoulder width in general will go even faster. This hormone is often prescribed to children with growth retardation. I repeat once again, the process of such growth is very effective until the growth zones are closed and completely stops after 25 years.

Bone growth

Now about the physical stretching of the bones. The easiest way to achieve an expanding effect on the chest is through intense breathing during BREATHING SQUATS. When you take moderate weights and do high reps with forced hyperventilation. Your chest is “expanded” from the inside and thus there is a stretching effect on the growth zones (cartilage tissue) of the bones.

They also have a good stretching effect on the sternum. HALF-VERS lying on a bench. Take a small weight (about 10 kg) and do it immediately after squats. The goal is to stretch the chest. Don't tense your abdominal muscles. Perhaps for this it will be more convenient for you to do a similar half-over lying not across, but along the bench.

A variant of the half-over to expand the sternum is RAIDER traction. The meaning of the exercise is very similar to the half-over, only it is performed while standing. Grab an object or corner that is slightly higher than the top of your head (you can experiment with the height), so that there is no more than 8 cm between your hands. Then step back. Take a deep breath and at the same time pull your arms down and inward. Piri Rader emphasizes that it is very important not to tense the abdominal muscles. They should be relaxed.

The next important exercises to expand your core are: WIDE GRIP PULL-UPS And WIDE GRIP BENCHMARK PRESS. Both of these exercises (but especially pull-ups) will put tensile stress on your bones and cause them to grow in length. In addition to these exercises, they will give a good effect standing overhead barbell presses And dumbbell flyes lying on a bench.

Load volume

For core-widening training, the weight of the working weights is of very little importance. But what really matters is the total number of repetitions per workout. KPSh (number of rods lifted) should be large. The higher it is, the greater the tensile load on the skeleton.

The goal of squats and half-overs is to achieve internal stretching of the skeleton through intense breathing (therefore, more repetitions). The goal of all other exercises is a direct tensile load on the bones (therefore, slightly fewer repetitions, otherwise the weight load will be too small).

Breathing squats

So, we take a moderate weight on our shoulders and do technically normal squats. Only the number of repetitions and the breathing algorithm change. After each repetition, you take a certain number of inhalations and exhalations. There are a lot of schemes. By the way, in my first article I gave an option with a large number of inhalations and exhalations. But there are many more such options. I will now give three options for breathing patterns.

Option 1

5 reps - 1 inhale-exhale

5-10 repetitions - 2 inhalations and exhalations

10-15 — 3 breaths

15-20 - 4 inhalations and exhalations

20-25 - 5 breaths

Option 2

1-7 repetitions - 1 inhale-exhale

8-13 repetitions - 2 inhalations and exhalations

14-20 repetitions - 3 inhalations and exhalations

Option 3

1-10 repetitions - 3 inhalations and exhalations

10-15 - 5-6 breaths

15-20 - up to 10 inhalations and exhalations.

Personally, I used the third option, according to which after each repetition you need to take 3 deep breaths, then inhale again and, holding your breath, slowly lower to parallel with the floor, then, without a pause at the lowest point of the amplitude, rise as quickly as possible, doing while exhaling powerfully. And again, 3 deep inhalations and exhalations... This option requires a long-term static load on the stabilizer muscles, thereby increasing the body's need for oxygen. Thus, after 10-12 repetitions you will be forced to take 5-6 deep breaths, and after 15 - about 10. Of course, the weight of the bar should be large. Already from 12-15 repetitions you should feel a strong burning sensation in the muscles and you will want to immediately complete this approach. This is where the biggest difficulties arise. Gather your will and do all 20 repetitions. Then you will feel what pain is! Of course, the body will respond to this severe stress by releasing large amounts of growth hormone and other anabolic hormones into the blood. This way, you will not only get the opportunity to expand your chest, but also seriously increase your muscle mass!

Pullover

We do not strain the abdominal cavity. We lie down along or across the bench - the task is to feel the tensile tension at the lowest point. To do this, fill the chest with air so that it inflates from the inside and slowly lower the dumbbell (barbell) behind the head. We pause at the lowest possible point for a second (we forcefully stretch the cartilage), then, as we exhale, we return our arms back. Try not to deflate your chest throughout the exercise. You can breathe without lowering your ribs. We do 15-30 repetitions per set.

Raider Traction

Raider rows can be done many times throughout the day. No equipment is needed for this exercise - just find any corner or door frame to stretch your sternum. The exercise works very well. It happens that you feel some discomfort in the area of ​​the pectoral cartilage when they grow rapidly. And sometimes the Raider pull is the only way to “put them back in place” by stretching them. You can often hear a distinct internal click at this point.

Presses, Pull-ups, Fly-ups

In accompanying exercises, the weight should be less than in regular strength training. You should master 10-15 repetitions, because your task is a large KPS for the workout. Try to choose a comfortable, wide grip for maximum tensile load on the bones.

Training complex

There is also a “fashion” for training complexes. There are options with alternating several types of training on days. I will describe to you the simplest one, without such alternation.

1. Breathing squats 6-10x15-30 reps

2. Breathing pullovers 6-10x15-30 reps

3. Wide grip pull-ups 6-10 sets to failure

4. Wide grip bench press 6-10x10-15 reps

Cycle

Most often, such training is carried out every other day (for example, Mon, Wed, Fri), on other days you can intensively do raider rows.

Another option is to do it in Mon, Wed, Fri squats + half-overs in large quantities, and Tue, Thu, Sat do pull-ups + barbell presses.

The second option is slightly better than the first, BUT it will require twice as much training.

This kind of chest-expanding training is usually done in THREE CYCLES! With a break of 1 month between each cycle. Approximate duration of the cycles themselves:

1 CYCLE = 4 weeks

2 CYCLE = 6 weeks

CYCLE 3 = 8 weeks

Efficiency

The issue of effectiveness depends on a lot of factors. First of all this AGE. You already know that the maximum benefit in terms of bone growth occurs before the age of 20, moderate at the age of 20-25 and completely zero after 25...

The second point is hormonal background. Namely, the amount of growth hormone in the blood. The more there is, the more fun the growth is. In this regard, physical exercise is a very good help, because it forces the production of GH in larger quantities.

The third point is the training itself. It is important to feel how to “stretch” the bones correctly. It’s not stupid to do the exercise, but try to “catch the wave” of the best load, not for the muscles, but for the bone tissue.

Fourth point - food and rest. During sleep, growth hormone is released, and nutrition is important for obtaining calcium and other nutrients important for the formation of new cartilage and bone tissue.

Typically, young people manage to gain about 4-6 cm in shoulder width in three cycles. This does not mean the volume of the chest (which increases much more), but rather the span of the shoulders (the backbone itself is measured along the edge of the shoulder blade). This is very, very much, IMHO. Those young people who do this at the age of 17 can show significantly higher numbers, but it is no longer clear what is happening due to training and what is due to natural growth.

In general, if you are young, then chest expansion training is what you need. Often green guys are chasing muscle mass, missing out on a unique opportunity to change for the better what will stay with them forever, even if they quit training.

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Many men dream of a sporty figure: broad shoulders, toned abs, strong legs. But massive shoulders look ugly on a narrow chest. Before training, future athletes should learn how to expand their chest. The upper shoulder girdle increases not only due to muscle mass, but also due to cartilage and bone tissue.

The process is effective at a young age. Mature men can also have their breasts enlarged, but they will have to spend more time and effort.

What does anatomy say?

The rib cage includes the ribs and costal cartilages. They are connected to the sternum. The muscles of the torso are attached to the chest. Cartilage is elastic and can stretch. They are able to increase the length of the arch of the ribs and expand the chest. In guys, cartilage finally ossifies when young people turn twenty-five.

Between the ribs are the intercostal muscles. Increasing in size, they significantly expand the upper shoulder girdle. You can rock them even after 25 years. Often, adult men enlarge their breasts by swaying the intercostal muscles.

How to use equipment

Exercises that expand the chest are limited to a few types. To perform them, special equipment is required. Classes take place in the gym, but they can also be done at home if you have the necessary equipment.

1. The main exercise - or dumbbells. Stand up straight, grab a barbell or dumbbells, but don't chase the scales. Select such a mass that you can comfortably do the exercise. Squat down while inhaling, rise up while exhaling. Between each squat, take one deep breath and exhale forcefully. Repeat 5 times. Take two deep breaths between five squats. Then 3 breaths, 4, 5 and 6 breaths for every five squats. Having finished this exercise, you need to immediately proceed to the next one.
2. The second important exercise is called. It helps stretch the chest. Lie down on a bench or lean your shoulder blades on it. Lift dumbbells (choose light weights) and place them behind your head. Lower the dumbbells slowly, while inhaling, hold for a few seconds. Then exhale sharply and lift the dumbbells from the bottom point with a sharp jerk.
3. . The exercise is done while lying on a bench. In your hands is a barbell, taken with a wide grip (20 centimeters wider than shoulder level). Inhaling, lower the equipment until you touch the bar to your chest. Stay in this position for a couple of seconds, and while exhaling, return to the starting position.
4. – grab the horizontal bar so that the distance is 20–30 centimeters wider than shoulder level. Hang on the horizontal bar for a couple of seconds, inhale and slowly pull yourself up. Elbows should remain at the same level. Pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar. Lower yourself as you exhale.
5. . Stand straight with your feet scissored as if you were preparing to squat with a barbell. Take the barbell from the trapeze, step back a little, scissor your legs again. Push the inventory up sharply. Smoothly lower the barbell behind your head to ear level. At this time, inhale the air. Then push the barbell out again while exhaling forcefully.
6. . Squat under the barbell, stand with it (the equipment should be located on the deltoid muscle). Make sure your back is arched and your head is raised up. The toes of the feet are parallel, and the center of gravity is on the heels. Sit down slowly, then stand up with a sharp push.

Exercises at home

There are two exercises that do not require special equipment. They are done at home, between strength training sessions. They are designed to stretch the chest.

1. - This is a unique type of pullover, but it is performed while standing. The exercise is done at home, since no equipment is needed. Go to the corner of the wall, lean your palms on it, placing them above your head. Stand so that your back is arched in the lumbar region, and move your buttocks back. Then relax your abs, straightening your chest. Reach down, stretching the pectoral cartilage. Ryder's exercise is included in chest stretching sets and other training complexes.
2. The sun is an exercise for stretching the pectoral muscles. It is done using sticks, bars or ordinary rubber bands. Take the equipment with a wide grip. Lift it above your head, twist your arms behind your back. Inhale while scrolling, and exhale while returning to the starting position.
3. Breath holding - exercise is done for a long time every morning. The optimal period is three months. Stand straight, clasp your hands at waist level and inhale as deeply as possible. Hold your breath and at this time raise your clasped hands, stopping them at chest level. Try to move your arms to the sides, at this time you should feel the resistance of your hands. Hold this position for a few seconds, exhale and return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 15 times.

How to make a complex

Training sets should be performed every other day. While resting, do Sun and Rider rows. They can be performed both in the morning and in the evening. Repeat three training cycles (4,6 and 8 weeks), the break between them is 1 month.

An example set looks like this:

• squats with deep breathing;
• pullover;
• wide grip pull-ups;
• wide grip barbell press.

Pull-ups and wide-grip barbell presses can be replaced with front squats or standing barbell presses.

All exercises should be done 15 to 30 times. Repeat 6 – 10 approaches.

The narrow chest in men will gradually expand. But this is a long process, even among young men. Trainers advise taking breaks between cycles, during this period of time you should pay attention to standard exercises, then return to pumping the chest and stretching the cartilage.

This algorithm is the most efficient. Sometimes, as a result of changing training, there is a low percentage of muscle loss, but the final result is worth it.

Many people want to expand their breasts. The main reasons are attractive appearance and maintaining athletic shape. In addition, regular exercise improves health.

• Start and carefully record the exercises you perform. This will increase self-control. The key to success is systematic and regular training.
• Be sure to monitor your breathing during the exercise. Proper breathing is an important condition for any workout. During relaxation, inhale, and at maximum load, exhale.
• Don't forget about rest. In the early stages, it is best to train every other day to allow your muscles to relax.

Nutrition rules

For intensive breast growth, you need to eat right. Young people should eat healthy foods that are “building” materials.

• Include foods rich in carbohydrates in your diet. But we are talking about complex carbohydrates (cereals, durum pasta, legumes). , baked goods, sugar will not help.
• Include fats in your menu - vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, etc.
• The main building material is proteins. Every day you should consume at least 400 grams of protein foods: meat, seafood, fish, eggs. It is also worth including fermented milk products in your diet.

Don't forget about fresh vegetables and fruits. The fruits are rich in vitamins and mineral elements. They will help support the body during heavy strength loads.

How to expand breasts at a young age

The effectiveness of young people’s training is proven by their photos before and after regular exercise:

Expansion of the skeleton occurs easily in adolescents. Ages up to 18 years are the best time for bone growth and skeletal development. In subsequent years, bone growth slows down. If you perform the whole set of exercises, the effect will be, but not so pronounced. Young people can also build muscle. Fiber hypertrophy occurs within two years. But the muscles deflate in the absence of training, and the width of the bones remains forever.

A teenager should perform a set of exercises to expand the chest, but select light weight dumbbells or barbells. Initially, it is recommended to choose a weight of 5 kilograms, then increase it to 10 kilograms. During training, pay close attention to your breathing technique and fully follow the trainer's recommendations. Over three complete cycles, young people under 20 years of age can expand their shoulders by 4–6 centimeters.

What to do after 25 years

It is believed that cartilage tissue hardens with age. The optimal period during which the chest expands easily is up to 20 years. From twenty to twenty-five years old the process becomes more difficult. But after a quarter of a century, it is no longer possible to pump up the chest by stretching the cartilage tissue. But it is possible to build up the intercostal muscles and shoulders. Due to the volume of muscles, the width of the chest will increase.

Men are recommended to choose a set of exercises that will help build muscle mass. It is advisable to seek help from a trainer; he will select a suitable set, guide breathing and tell you about the intricacies. You can choose the complex yourself, focusing on the expected results.

Conclusion

A wide chest and pumped shoulders are the dream of many men. It is better to start training at a young age. Up to the age of 20, you can easily expand your breasts. After 3 full cycles, the volumes increase to 6 centimeters. From 20 to 25 years of age, growth processes slow down. At a later age, cartilage hardens and cannot be stretched. You can expand your chest by building muscle mass.

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