Anatomy and Function:

• The pectoralis major originates on the sternum, clavicle, and costal cartilage and inserts on the humerus.
• The pectoralis major is responsible for horizontal adduction and internal rotation. The clavicular fibers flex the extended shoulder, while the sternal fibers extend the flexed shoulder.

Reasons to Treat:

• The pectoralis major is typically short and stiff due to overtraining (too much chest training) and chronic poor posture. This lack of extensibility can lead to overuse injuries and/or poor mechanics in many lifts, even those not targeting the chest (e.g. squatting, Olympic lifts).

Massage Balls to Use:

Set-up:

• Stand next to a wall and place a massage ball on the wall at chest height.
• Push your pecs into the ball to hold it in place

Actions:

• With the massage ball pinned between your pecs and the wall, roll it back and forth. It may help to work in small sections as the massage balls don’t have a large circumference.
• Roll for 30-60 seconds, and then switch sides.
• To increase the intensity, horizontally abduct and externally rotate the arm to place the pectoralis major on stretch.