Pectoralis Major & Minor - aka- Pecs!

Today we're going to talk about your Main Chest muscles - the Pectorals! I used to think only men had pecs but Yes,ladies, we have pecs too, they're just hiding under breast tissue :)

We have Pectoralis (Pec) Major and much smaller and underneath pec major is Pectoralis Minor.

 Pectoral major spans from where your collar bone and breast bone meet (sternum) down along ribs 1-7, then attaches up into your shoulder - this means that it crosses the front of your arm pit! 

This means that when Pec Major is in action it responsible for arm movement at the shoulder! It brings your arm up (flexion), brings your arm across your chest (adduction), rotates your arm in (medial rotation) and helps to extend your arm from a flexed position

Pectoralis Minor attaches to a bone on the front of your shoulder blade (looking at the front of the body, it is deep and not far below your collarbone (clavicle) – from this bone it attaches onto ribs 3-5

OPEN CHEST = HAPPY UPPER BACK & NECK

Our chest and pec muscles are often tight and shortened due

to our lifestyles.  This photo shows how to isolate stretching pec major from pec minor - simply by changing the angle of your arm from approx 90degrees to approx 45 - try both! And try it on both sides of the body. Which Pec feels more constricted - like it could use a longer stretch? Play with it! The rest of your body will thank you.

*Remember to move slowly and cautiously and of course back out if you feel discomfort.

More information here as well as 2 easy variations of a chest stretches.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSqIY0lRAvU   (this video by yours truly focuses on pec major but all you have to do is change your arm angle to access pec minor!