PECTORAL GAP 

Causes:-

 • Impatience/poor or inconsistent workout plan(main cause) 

• Traumatic injury eg. pec detachment

 • Unusual growth patterns due to taking growth hormone 

• Muscle tears due to steroid use – muscles develop much faster than tendons, increasing risk of tears 

• Pec implants 

• Genetics – determined by where the pecs attach to the sternum, there may also be assymmetry

 • Unknown cause 

Treatment:-

 - Be patient, large pecs take years rather than months, as pecs increase in size the gap will appear less noticeable

 - Be consistent in your workouts

 - Use a well balanced workout plan which works the chest from all angles ie.neutral, incline and decline. This will build mass in the inner, mid and outer pecs.

 - Don’t modify your workout by adding sets which will result in overuse, which halts growth and increases the risk of injury 

How to target the inner pecs:-

 While you can do exercises which help work both the upper and lower pecs, the same doesn’t apply to inner and outer pecs. 

The pec muscles attach to the upper arm and the collarbone (upper pec) or sternum(lower pec). 

The following incline exercises will work the upper pecs, which attach at the collarbone, and will therefore not help with developing the inner muscle:-

 -incline dumbbell press

 -incline fly

 -incline barbell press

 -military press 

-dumbbell shoulder press(using backrest)

 -low cables

 -pushups with feet raised 

The mid and lower pecs attach at the sternum, where the inner pec lies, and are developed by exercises at a neutral/decline :- 

Mid pec

 -flat dumbbell fly

 -flat dumbbell press

 -flat bench press

 -mid height cables

 -pushups

 Lower pecs:-

-decline press

 -decline flys

 -high cables 

While these exercises don’t specifically target the inner pec, they will help develop it alongside the middle and outer pec. 

By crossing the midline during strengthening exercises the centre line of the chest will be more well defined and muscle separation will appear less noticeable. If this is done following exercises that target the whole chest the inner pec muscles will have to work harder to combat muscle fatigue. Eg cable crossovers 

Cross body cable presses 

While massage of the pectoralis muscle will not directly assist with pectoral separation, it will help to strengthen the muscle and improve posture.