Is there a gap between your chest, uneven, or asymmetrical? An uneven chest is more common than you think. This may be the result of relatively uncomplicated causes that are easy to address or may be the result of a medical condition that requires surgery or treatment.
Five causes of pec gap and stenerism and best exercises to fix pec gap.
Five causes of gap between chest
Least common listed first:
#1 Cause of PEC Gap – Stenerism and Unknown Cause of PEC Gap
(00.20%) It is indeed rare and its causes are not fully known. This could be a muscle tear caused by adults taking growth hormone, steroid use, or strange growth patterns that occur for some unknown reason.
One thing that scientists find is that the simplest theory that fits the facts is usually correct, and in this case the simplest solution is that people who claim “Steinerism” are trying to cover up for their cosmetic surgery or illegal drug use.
Cause #2 of PEC gap – PEC Tears and Detachments
(0.0.40%) Muscle tear pec gap. Some pec gaps are caused by a traumatic injury such as muscle tears and a detached pec. When the PEC re-attaches, it grabs on ‘downstream’ where it opens a gap.
Who is most likely to have a pec tear? People whose muscles are stronger than tendons. Guess what, when people use steroids, their muscles get stronger a lot faster than the tendons that attaches to the bone and this increases the chances of muscle tearing.
#3 Cause of PEC Gap – Cosmetic Surgery
(0.0.40%) PEC implants cause PEC differences from both synthol or traditional inserts. There is a gap left in all the PEC implants I have seen. I believe the problem is that if they try to put two PEC implants together they become a uni-boob so they spread them apart causing them to stick together to look more like breasts instead pecs.
Cause #4 of the PEC Gap – Bad Genetics
(34.00%) Perfect PEC genetics are rare, with Arnold Schwarzenegger being the only one that comes to mind. He had perfect square pecs without any gaps. You either have perfect pec gap genetics or you don’t. If you don’t, there’s nothing you can do about it without surgery because it determines where the pec muscles attach to the sternum. They leave a gap in someone with imperfect genetics.
Pec genetics can also go worse, not just pec gap it is also not symmetrical either. This is the second leading cause of the PEC gap. Do all the “inner pec” exercises you want and it won’t make a difference.
Cause #5 of PEC Gap – Poor workout plan or impatience
(65.00%) The truth is that most people googling for “pec gap” or “best exercises for the inner pecs” have only one problem – they don’t have pecs at all. They may not be working out well enough or may not have a good workout plan to give the required years to show results. You don’t just build big pecs in months, you build them over years and decades.
Medical conditions that can cause uneven chest
There are a number of conditions that can cause an uneven chest or rib cage. These are usually present at birth or develop over time and are often treated with surgical procedures.
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Pectus excavatum
Pectus excavatum, or funnel chest, is a condition where your breastbone presses into your chest. This causes the chest to turn outwards. This condition is usually present at birth, but appears more clearly as the baby grows.
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Pectus arcuatum
This is a rare condition whereby the sternum is raised upwards and pointed forward with a lower concave sternum.
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Poland Syndrome
If you are born with a lack of muscle on one side of your body, you may have Poland syndrome. Poland syndrome can cause underdeveloped arms, hands or fingers as well as asymmetry of the chest on the affected side.
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Scoliosis
Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine as this causes rotation of some parts of your body which causes imbalance in your chest and shoulders. Physical therapy and back braces are often recommended as first-line treatments. More severe cases may require surgery.
How to fix the pec gap
5 ways to fix uneven chest muscles
Humans are not perfectly symmetrical. If there is a gap between your pecs there are ways for it to be corrected or improved and this includes:
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Exercising your weak side
If you only use one part of your body regularly in your day-to-day activities, this can cause your chest to be uneven.
Try to use your less developed side to lift things to balance the strength and muscle composition of that side. Involve your arms and shoulders on the less-dominant side in day-to-day activities as well.
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Using dumbbells
Exercising with dumbbells can help re-heal the weak part of your chest. Increasing the number of reps on your weaker side can help treat your uneven chest. Common dumbbell chest exercises include:
- Dumbbell Chest Press
2. Incline Chest Press
3. Standing chest fly
4. Lying chest fly
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Practicing yoga
A regular yoga practice allows for both exercises focused on the whole body and on particular muscle groups has also been shown to improve posture and improve the flexibility of your chest and increase muscle strength.
Creating a Balanced Chest Workout Routine
If you have a habit of going to the gym then you are one step ahead. Having a balanced chest workout can also help build even pecs. If you don’t have access to a gym, you can also work your chest at home using these exercises:
- Push Ups
- Decline Pushups
- Headstand Press
- pull ups
Working with a personal trainer to eliminate gap between chest
If you’re struggling at the gym or at home, you may need to get a personal trainer or ask for help from an experienced person.
Improper form when working out can also lead to muscle imbalance contributing to an uneven chest or a gap between your pecs. Get an experienced fitness professional to help you on your fitness journey.
With a right workout routine and hard work, your chest will usually improve.
If your problem is a medical problem — such as pectus excavatum or scoliosis — you’ll need to talk to your doctor about treatment, which may include surgery.
The solution is simple but time consuming, just follow a good workout plan, either a powerlifting style workout or a bodybuilding style workout. It doesn’t need to be modified in any way for your chest gap. As your pecs get bigger, the gap doesn’t change but it becomes much less noticeable. Who would notice that you have a pec gap, all they’ll see it’s a huge pec!
