This exercise works every muscle in your chest while expanding your rib cage. Make sure to concentrate on flexing the muscles under your pecs while doing this workout. This will isolate your upper abs, serratus muscles, and lower chest. Building these muscles will help cover the visual appearance of your Pectus Carinatum. Remember its not about how much you lift but how you lift it. For those who have Pectus Carinatum you have to really concentrate and isolate those muscles.
Author Archives: Russell Jensen
Pectus Carinatum Physiologic Effect
Pectus Carinatum can have a sever impact on the physilogic effect of many children, including myself when I was a child. For people like me, being a self conscious person, the impact of having Pectus Carinatum was life changing. In my case it has made me a better person in personality and physical shape.
As a child the thought of having to take off my shirt in public was dreaded beyond explanation. Pool parties gave me anxiety and people poking at my chest and asking question was more than embarrassing. Covering my Pectus Carinatum became an obsession from early in my childhood and my first thought was surgical correction.
Pectus Carinatum Surgery
There were a few doctors in the country that treated Pectus Carinatum. When I saw a doctor in Atlanta Georgia I learned that my condition was considered purely a cosmetic problem and insurance would not cover it. Surgery was no longer an option. In pure frustration and desperation I turned to the internet to find other people who had fixed their Pectus Carinatum without surgery. Being the mid/late 1990’s the internet was not a valuable source for information on Pectus Carinatum. I had heard that some people covered their Pectus Carinatum by lifting weights. This was the start of a new lifestyle when I enrolled in a weight training class in 10th grade.
Bodybuilding for Pectus Carinatum
From 10th grade in high school until now, and the foreseeable future, I have been what you call a “gym rat”. My obsession to cover my Pectus Carinatum has kept me in the gym consistently for the past 12 years. I have developed an addictive habit that many people dream of having, to work out and be in shape. My childhood nightmare has turned me into a fitness/bodysculpting fanatic. My life has changed for the better because of my so called weakness.
As a child I was stared at, poked, and sometimes made fun of by other kids about my chest deformity. Now, as an adult people ask me for workout advice, they ask me what my motivation is, they ask me to be their personal trainer. My life has been sculpted, metaphorically and literally by my weakness. If I had one piece of advice to other people with ANY cosmetic deformity it would be to let it strengthen you, not destroy you. Your weaknesses can become your strengths, but you have to make a decision if that is going to happen.
Pectus Carinatum Incline Dumbbell Press and Pec Fly
Pectus Carinatum Exercise Video
Targets full range of upper pecs
Abs Workout, External Oblique
Upper External Oblique Ab Workout
- Starting Position – Hanging from bar with hands spaced about shoulder width apart, toes pointed down, abs flexed and make sure you are looking up.
- Slowly raise legs up toward your left hand with legs straight and knees locked. Keep your legs straight for as long as possible. If you have trouble doing this make sure you do a lot of stretching exercises before your workout. You will slowly be able to keep your legs straight through the full motion of the workout as you become more flexible.
- After returning to the starting position from step two raise your legs in the same manner toward your right hand. Return to the starting position and repeat.
Do 4 or 5 of as many reps as you can handle.
This exercise is an advanced workout that may take months to be able to do. If this workout is impossible for you then try it with your knees bent and work up to doing it with straight legs. Never swing your body but always maintain a motionless core.
Upper Ab Isolation
– To really feel the burn in your upper abs while doing this workout, contract your abs, like your doing a crunch or sit up, when your legs are in step one or two, pointing your toes to the ceiling. Basically it’s like doing a hanging sit up while alternating sides.
Jacked 3D VS NO Explode Supplement Review
My two favorite pre-workout drinks are Jacked 3D and NO Explode. Below are the pros and cons based on my own experience with both of these supplements. When I run out of Jacked 3D I will alternate and use NO Explode the next time I buy a pre-workout drink. I do this so my body doesn’t build a tolerance to one or the other. It is always smart to cycle off of any supplements for about every month and a half. Also, I recommend not taking and pre-workout drink after 8:00PM, unless you want to stay up until 6:00AM.
When all is said and done I prefer jacked 3D over NO-Explode. But when my tolerance for jacked is high I know it is time to switch to NO-Explode or cycle off of the two all together.
Jacked 3D
Jacked 3D Review
Pros:
- Smaller servings
- Less Ingredients
- Higher intensity than NO Explode and last about 2 hours (perfect for workout)
- Mixes well in water
Cons:
- Crash after workout
- Suggested serving is not enough for someone over 200lbs
- Makes my face tingle
NO Explode
NO-Explode Review
Pros:
- Smooth, no crash after workout
- Tastes like candy
- A lot of additional recovery supplements mixed in.
Cons:
- Too sugary
- Artificial coloring
- Foams when mixed in water
- Sometimes does not seem to give me a pump, depending on the day.
- Lasts too long (about 5 hours) jacked 3D lasts about 2 hours
Conclusion
When all is said and done I prefer jacked 3D over NO-Explode. But when my tolerance for jacked is high I know it is time to switch to NO-Explode or cycle off of the two all together.
Warming Up
Proper warm up will affect your entire workout. I live in a cold climate and the warm up process for me starts with making sure I don’t get cold while traveling to the gym. If my body is cold then my muscles won’t preform. It’s like warming up your car before using it. If you step on the gas before your car is heated up then it will damage the engine. If your blood isn’t moving through your muscles when you lift heavy weight you may tear that muscle.
If you take pre-workout drinks like NO-Explode or Jacked 3D, your muscles have to have bloodflow. If your heart rate is resting the supplements won’t travel through your system efficiently. Even if your not using the pre-workout drinks your muscles still need sufficient blood flow before heavy lifting.
Those that don’t warm up will often complain that their supplements don’t do anything and they don’t feel the effect. This is because it is just sitting in their system. If you don’t start doing something it will eventually digest. And it will give you gas if not utilized. Same goes for protein shakes.
If you are lifting heavy I suggest jogging a half mile then doing about 15-25 reps of the muscle group that you will be lifting heavy with that day. If your have pre-workout supplement in your system you will start to feel them kick in during your reps.
If you skip the warm up process you will miss out on the “pump” sensation that you get in your muscles when you lift. Your skin gets tight around your muscles and it feels fantastic. Arnold states it the best in this video:
If this video doesn’t motivate you to workout then nothing will.
Asymmetric Posture
Pectus Carinatum is often associated with scoliosis. I have a slight case of both. When lifting weights I pay close attention to my posture. Have you ever noticed when you lift, the weight tilts to one side more than the other? Don’t let this happen! If you have scoliosis this incorrect posture will make it worse, consequently it will exaggerate your uneven pecs! By keeping correct posture in the gym you can help correct your asymmetric pectus carinatum.
To keep correct posture on bench I make sure that:
1. Hands are spaced evenly apart
2. Wrists are strait (no bend)
3. Open grip,thumbs are on the same side of the bar as the other fingers. This can be dangerous so use light weight and have a spotter with his hands under the bar.
4. Another trick I use is to line the entire bench press up with the square ceiling tiles. I then use the ceiling as a guide to keep the bar straight. Pay close attention exert equal pressure with both your arms.
Practice posture techniques with just the bar and add weight as you develop better technique. Proper technique will make you stronger and your pecs will start to even out. The last thing I want is someone dropping a weight on their face because they were trying to be Mr. Universe. It doesn’t matter how much you lift, it matters HOW you lift.
As you practice using correct posture in the gym you will feel your back crack like you are at a chiropractor. Use the mirrors in the gym and make sure every workout you do is symmetrical.
Monday Workout Schedule
Monday’s Workout
Chest
Flat Bench
1st set – 15 reps
2nd set – 10 reps
3rd set – 8 reps
4th set – 6 reps
5th set – 4 reps
6th set – 25 reps
Incline Bench 1st set – 15 reps
2nd set – 10 reps
3rd set – 8 reps
4th set – 6 reps
5th set – 4 reps
6th set – 25 reps
Incline Dumbell Fly 4-5 sets of 8 reps
Pull-Overs 4-5 sets of 8 reps
Chest and Triceps
Dips 3 sets of 15 or do each set until you cant do anymore (burnout)
Triceps
Skull Crusher 4-5 sets of 8 reps
Core
Hanging Leg Raises 4-5 sets of 8 reps
Cable Pull-Downs 4-5 sets of 8 reps
Oblique Workout for Pectus Carinatum
The internal and external obliques are overlooked by most people who work out. In my case they are pertinent to my Pectus Carinatum workout. Most people can do sit ups and make their abs look good. For someone with Carinatum, doing sit ups alone will exaggerate the “V” shape of your chest. You want to increase your oblique workout to build the muscles under your pecs. Working out for Carinatum is an art and you must focus on building muscle where there is a void or depression in your body. In my case there are two sunken areas below my pecs.
Any twisting motion while you do sit-ups will work your obliques. This is the same for hanging leg raises with any twisting, side-to-side motion. There are literally dozens of different motions that will work these muscles. Get creative and or look up some oblique workouts on the internet. Let us all know what you figure out here on Carinatum.com. Every person has a unique case of Carinatum and they must taylor to their own needs. As you experiment you will see results. Check out more ab workouts here.
Pectus Carinatum Workout Routine
I haven’t shot the videos for my Pectus Carinatum workouts yet but I will say a little about it here now. The workouts are designed to mask my Carinatum. The muscles that you want to build are all the muscles around your pectus carinatum.
For me the targeted muscles were my upper abbs, lower chest and upper chest. Surprisingly, back workout played a significant role in correcting my Pectus Carinatum because it helped straighten my posture. I have a slight case of scoliosis associated with my Pectus Carinatum, and a lot of other people do too.
Now when I say I am doing 4 different muscle groups that does not limit me to only 4 exercises! My chest workout alone takes me 45 minutes if I do it right! So, if you have pectus and want to join this discussion remember that this was a hard road. Nonetheless, it was the best decision I made to spend all this time in the gym.