The muscles in your chest are the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and intercostal muscles.
Chest Muscles Explained
Here’s a more detailed look at each of these muscle groups:
- Pectoralis Major:
- These are the large, fan-shaped muscles that you typically think of when you picture chest muscles.
- They extend from your armpits to the center of your breastbone (sternum).
- They are primarily responsible for moving your arm across your body and rotating your arm inward.
- Pectoralis Minor:
- Located beneath the pectoralis major, this smaller muscle helps stabilize and move your shoulder blade.
- It plays a role in movements that involve reaching and lifting.
- Intercostal Muscles:
- These are a group of muscles located between your ribs.
- They play a critical role in respiration (breathing).
- They help to expand and contract your chest cavity during inhalation and exhalation.
| Muscle | Description | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Pectoralis Major | Fan-shaped muscle from armpits to sternum | Moves arm across body, inward rotation |
| Pectoralis Minor | Located beneath pectoralis major | Stabilizes and moves shoulder blade |
| Intercostal Muscles | Muscles between ribs | Aids in respiration; expands and contracts the chest cavity during breathing. |
Understanding the function of each chest muscle is important for a variety of reasons, such as optimizing workouts, improving posture, and simply learning more about human anatomy. According to the provided reference, your chest muscles consist of the pectoralis major and minor, as well as intercostal muscles.
