Pectoral
1 Group
Descriptiveanatomyofthepectoralmuscles:
abiomechanicalintroductiontotheprincipalmusclesinvolved
M. sternocleidomestoideus
M. trapezius
M. subclavius
M. pectoralis major M. pectoralis minor
M. deltoideus
M. subscapularis
M. coracobrachialis
M. biceps brachii
M. serratus anterior
Musclesthatinsertintothehumerus
Pectoral mayor (anterior, superficial) Coracobraquial (anterior, deep)
Origin: Clavicle (clavicular portion, from the internal half of the ante- Origin: Scapula (coracoid process)
rior face); ribs and sternal membrane (sternocostal portion, from the Insertion: Humerus (medial surface, on the prolongation of the crest
cartilage); rectus abdominus (abdominal portion, from the anterior of the lesser tubercle)
rectus sheath)
Principal functions: Anteversion of the arm and keeping the hume-
Insertion: Humerus (greater tubercular crest) ral head in the joint; assists in the adduction of the arm, depending
Principal functions: Anteversion of the arm if it is abducted; adduc- on the starting position
tion and medial rotation; the sternocostal and abdominal portions can
lower the shoulder and bring it forward; accessory muscle during ins-
piration (with the arm fixed)
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Subscapular (anterior, deep) Biceps braquial (anterior, superficial)
Origin: Scapula (subscapular fossa) See “BICEPS”
Insertion: Humerus (lesser tubercle and the proximal portion of its
crest)
Principal functions: Internal rotation of the arm
Brief comments: With just some basic knowledge, it is easy to stretch the pectoral muscles and the adjacent muscles,
but a more careful study will make us realize that taking the proper precautions is vital in this area, as well as in others
where the joint´s range of motion is significant (as is the case with the scapulo-humeral joint). Injuries involving the
pectoral muscles are not uncommon, and even in the biceps, when body movements are performed right up to their
limits. The pectoralis major is a strong muscle, but that does not mean that its fibers and tendon insertions can be
treated with a total lack of consideration.
Musclesthatdonotinsertintothehumerus
Pectoral minor (anterior, deep) Serratus anterior (anterior, deep)
Origin: Ribs (3 to 5th) Origin: Ribs (generally the first 9)
Insertion. Scapula (Coracoid process) Insertion: Scapula (the medial border, from the superior to the infe-
Principal functions: Rotation and lowering of the scapula rior angle)
Principal functions: Anteversion of the arm, adhesion of the scapula
to the thorax, depression and lateral rotation (lower portion), ele-
vation (upper portion); Secondarily, elevation of the ribs (secondary
muscle in respiration)
Brief comments: As in other cases, the “secondary” muscles adjacent to the pectorals are very difficult to isolate and
work independently. But they receive part of the stress in the stretching exercises for the other muscles.
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1 Pectoral,
individual TrunkrotationwitharmÀxed
M. pectoralis major
M. deltoideus
M. biceps brachii
M. coracobrachialis
M. subscapularis
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Musclesinvolved
Principal: Pectoralis major
Secondary: Anterior deltoid, biceps, coracobrachialis, subscapularis,
pectoralis minor
Execution
While standing beside a wall or some other form of vertical support, raise the arm laterally (abduction)
until shoulder height, with the palm of the hand facing forward so that it touches the support. The elbow
remains slightly flexed. The arm and the pectoral region are then relaxed and the torso is rotated in the
direction opposite to the raised arm.
Comments
This is a simple exercise, and it implies a whole series of muscles that are involved in the throwing
movements in some sports (for example, baseball, javelin, etc.), most of the raquet sports (tennis,
squash, etc.) as well as the hitting sports (boxing, martial arts).
If the tension on the arm makes it impossible to continue with the exercise, it can be kept slightly
bent at the elbow.
On the other hand, although the difference is not great, if we elevate our arm a little above shoulder
height, we will put a little more emphasis on the lower fibers of the pectoral muscle, whereas if we
lower the hand, we target the upper fibers a little more. Curiously, this note seems to appear on the
back of most stretching manuals, maybe due to the influence of strength-training.
The most common mistake is to put the tension in the pectoral area, as if you were attempting to
push the wall, when in actuality, the feeling should be exactly the opposite. It is also not needed to
extend the elbow completely since this is not a strecthing exercise for the arm.
Variation 1.2….WiththeelbowÁexed
The position is similar, but the elbow is bent and the
pushing is performed with the elbow rather than the
hand. This stretch also involves the pectoral muscles,
but not the flexors (for example, biceps, brachialis,
etc.). Some manuals claim that what you achieve with
this variant is more emphasis on the pectoralis minor,
which is completely mistaken, since we know that the
degree of flexion/extension of the elbow does not affect
the degree of participation of this small muscle that
runs from the ribs to the scapula, but not to the radius
or ulna, or even to the humerus.
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2 Pectoral,
individual Pushagainstacorner
M. deltoideus
M. pectoralis major
M. biceps brachii
M. coracobrachialis
M. subscapularis
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Musclesinvolved
Principal: Pectoralis major
Secondary: Anterior deltoid, biceps, coracobrachialis, subscapularis,
pectoralis minor
Execution
From a standing position in front of a corner of
the wall, raise your arms out in the shape of a
cross (90° abduction) and lean forward, bringing
the torso progressively closer to the corner.
Comments
This simple stretching exercise involves both pectoralis majors, as well as the anterior portion of the
deltoids and the arms.
As with the previous exercise, if the elbows are flexed and the push is done through the elbows, then the
arm flexors will not undergo any stretching.
The most common mistake when performing this exercise is to remain with the feet stationary and letting
the torso fall forward. The correct way to do this is to move forward slowly with small steps, bringing the
entire body closer to the corner with the arms raised, otherwise you would be forcing the pectoralis muscles
to contract in order to maintain the posture, when what we are aiming to do is relax them so they may be
properly stretched.
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3 Pectoral,
individual Tractionwithbacktobar
M. deltoideus
M. pectoralis major
M. biceps brachii
M. subscapularis
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Musclesinvolved
Principal: Pectoralis major and subscapularis
Secondary: Anterior deltoid, biceps brachii, coracobrachialis
Execution
From a standing position, hold the bar behind you with a pronated grip (palms facing backward). Slowly let
the body fall forward and downward.
Comments
The pronated grip allows us to avoid having the movement hindered by the elbow flexors, such as the biceps
brachii. If you held the bar with a supine grip, then these muscles would also be stretched, something that
must be done with special caution.
The position and the movement mean that the deltoids and other small muscles of the shoulder are also
worked, particularly in the anterior region of the shoulder.
If the bar is placed too low, then the movement of the torso needs to be accompanied by a progressive
bending of the knees, which allows for a greater extension of the arms.
Variation 3.2…Withapartner
You can perform this stretching exercise
with a partner who, standing back
to back, holds either the bar or your
hands. Then both partners simply allow
their bodies to lean forward. Since with
this variation there is a certain degree
of unrest to maintain the commitment
between stretching and balance, it is
not as effective as the original variation
described, performed individually.
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4 Pectoral,
individual Hyperextensionoftheshoulders
M. deltoideus
M. pectoralis major
M. coracobrachialis
M. biceps brachii
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Musclesinvolved
Principal: Pectoralis major and subscapularis
Secondary: Anterior deltoid, biceps brachii, coracobrachialis
Execution
From a standing position, hold a wooden bar behind the body with a pronated grip (palms facing backward).
Progressively elevate the arms in extension until you are able to feel the stretch in the pectoral region.
Comments
As with other exercises, using a pronated grip prevents the movement from being slowed by the elbow
flexors, something that would happen more intensely if we held the bar with a supinated grip.
This exercise is similar to the previous one, but now it is the movement of our own muscles, rather than
gravity, which creates the traction of the arms. Likewise, the position and the movement also make the
shoulder work, especially the anterior portion of the deltoid. As with many other stretching exercises,
the person performing this stretch must refrain from bouncing in an attempt to reach further limits.
Unfortunately, without the help of a partner, it is hard to reach the limits necessary for improvement. The
force of gravity and the tension to which the different muscles are exposed make this an exercise that may
be useful for warming up or getting the stiffness out, but somewhat limited in terms of the results that can
be obtained regarding increased range of motion.
There are those who are unsure about whether they should stretch cold or after warming up. The
answer is simple, in general terms warming up before stretching is safer from the point of view of injury
prevention. The argument for stretching before warming up is more practical since it is our tendency
to do so in every day life, but it lacks validity, given that physical exercises are outside of the scope of
“everyday life,” since progress requires us to go beyond our normal limits.
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5 Pectoral,
individual Flexionofthetrunkoverasupport
M. teres major
M. latissimus dorsi
M. pectoralis major
M. biceps femoris
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Musclesinvolved
Principal: Latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major
Secondary: Teres major (ischiotibial muscles)
Execution
Stand up and face a table or some other type of support that is approximately waist height. Place both
hands on top of the table or support a little wider than shoulder-width apart, and then flex the torso down
and progressively to the rear.
Comments
Although this exercise stretches different muscle groups, for the purpose of stretching the pectoral
muscles, it is important to separate the arms well, otherwise, the latissimus dorsi and other muscles will
be doing most of the work.
A slight variation, in which you lean on the table with the elbows flexed instead of with the hands, would
not really affect the stretching of the pectoralis and latissimus dorsi, since both of these muscles insert
into the upper arm and not the forearm. However, it may shift more of the stress toward the latissimus
dorsi, as a result of having to keep the arms closer together.
Another variant, which is also effective and perhaps even slightly better, is to place yourself between
two tables or supports of equal height, rest your arms on top of them and then perform the stretching
exercise in the manner described above. This way, the latissimus dorsi receives less of the stretch and
you are able to focus more of the effort upon the pectoralis major.
Variation 5.2…Withapartner
If you happen to be outdoors and there is
no support available, you may still be able
to perform this stretching exercise with the
help of a partner. Place your hands on each
other´s shoulders and perform the stretching
exercise simultaneously. Ideally, your partner
should have a wingspan similar to yours.
Otherwise, if the difference is too great, then
you will have to take turns, performing the
exercise one after the other, with the resting
partner just serving as support.
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