Scrawny, dent in Chest / Pectus Excavatum

[mrpectus]

This is a shot of my chest. I have PE and had Ravitch done when I was 15, hence the scarring.

I'm extremely skinny, I'm 5' 9 and 110 lbs (180cm/50kg). I'm a stick.

My goal's to gain a ton of weight and more importantly, fill out the chest area where it currently looks like some one punched it in?

From reading the forums, apparently pullovers and dips help, can anyone with a similar condition confirm this?

I'm currently trying to hit 3000 calories per day to gain weight before hitting the gym again.

I've previously experimented with working out 3-4 times a week with a trainer for a simultaneous 3 month period without much improvements. Eventually, frustration took over.

What should I be doing? Would appreciate guidance from people with PE and how you've worked to overcome the condition. Maybe an effective routine?

Any feedback is appreciated thanks

[MayhemMaker]

I dont have the condition and I have no experience in it, but good god 5'9" 110 lbs, go buy some weight gainer and eat as much as you can.

Don't limit yourslef to 3,000 calories a day, eat AS MUCH AS YOU CAN POSSIBLY FIND.

If there's food in front of you fuccking eat it.

6 LARGE meals a day for you.

[Antagonist388]

I dont have the condition and I have no experience in it, but good god 5'9" 110 lbs, go buy some weight gainer and eat as much as you can.

Don't limit yourslef to 3,000 calories a day, eat AS MUCH AS YOU CAN POSSIBLY FIND.

If there's food in front of you fuccking eat it.

6 LARGE meals a day for you.

agreed, and none of this "I'm waiting for...." ****, the only thing you wait for is the gym to open, then get in there. Start out slow, but still workout, there's never a good reason to be out of the gym besides serious injury

[brianphi]

Mr Pectus, I have PE, and looked much like you when I started lifting... You don't need to focus on certain movements, work your whole body, muscle everywhere will help diminish the appearance, your traps, delts, and chest will all help fill out shirts etc. Certainly dips and pull overs are good to do, but nothing is going to make the dent go away, you can however make everything else around it look good and fill out shirts to the point nobody will ever notice it. I find myself doing a whole lot of incline presses, as well as flys, dips, etc. Unfortunately I never had Nuss or Racitch, I had some other crappy surgery that simply kept it from getting worse (nuss/ravitch weren't around back then)

eat a lot, lift for every muscle group, don't focus on certain movements, it will all come together and you'll see huge improvements, before you know it you'll no longer see the collar bones through your T shirt in the middle of your chest.

[MillerTime07]

i have PE too. just eat man. you are very very skinny which will make it look worse. just lift heavy and get everything else loooking good and nobody will notice. but right now you are just skin and bones. go to pectusinfo.com forums if you need to talk to someone about it.

[K-ROD25]

any thing you do at the gym will make you sore and stronger but above all make sure you use right form specially if you are working out alone.

[gupunkitar2004]

PE!! I have it as well, your not alone

[tmertz]

I have it as well was made fun of through-out high school. Now i have the same people saying if i'm taking roids. I went from 140 to 170 , i can show pics if you're interested. PM ME

[Clarko]

Hey man, I have pectus excavatum, and I've never done pullovers nor am I big, but before I even started getting serious about weight lifting about a months ago, I've done dips forever. I've probably been doing them twice a week for two years now. My pectus excavatum is not corrected, but it is alot better. It seems to be not as far up if you get what I'm saying. It's more at the bottom of the pecks. I'm sure as you get developed it'll look alot better. I'm working on it too man you're not alone.

[BK90]

my chest is just flat. It doesnt go inwards...I've nvr heard of this.

Either way, I was in the same boat (6 foot, 130lbs) a year ago. Just start doing a good routine (like ripptoes, any starting strength 5x5 program) and eat everything..more than 3000. go for 4. You can gain 20 lbs in a couple months im sure.

[RandomBloke]

I have it to, pretty deep, Ive never cared about it though, good to know of others with it.

[Big_fuzzy]

****, this requires a diet fo epic proprotions.

Im talking kvk + fuzzy + RR300 + BM + rest of teen section's combined intake (4% of the total caloric contribution)

[joelhall]

for someone your size 3000 calories or a little over is fine. if you go overboard with such a small body youll get fat quick. contrary to popular belief, peoples metabolism raises as they get heavier - they have larger organs and more bulk to carry around and maintain and a higher turnover of oxygen. try upping our calories, and keeping a check on your waist line. when you start to get a bit of flab on back off a bit.

stick to the basics, like squats, bench presses, rows, pull ups, shoulder presses and weighted crunches to pack some meat on. remember hard work followed by enough recuperation time and good food is what creates big dense muscles, and it happens gradually, so dont panic if you dont see amazing results right away

and despite what you hear, you cant change your bodily structure by doing certain movements, only to a certain extent the connective tissues.

and just in case with p.e. its a good idea to have your pulmonary and cardiac function checked out under exertion just to be safe if you can

all the best

[NumbPain]

not me by the way, just found it.

[johnthomas201]

Hi, everyone

I just came across this thread when searching on google about PE.

i have PE and just recently (about a week ago) started a routine to get fit and gain mass and musle. I've always known that I have an indent in my chest but never really looked into it and i am suprised that i am not the only person.

I havent had any surgery and i have been reading articles about PE. I have read that bodybuilding could make the your chest look worse but i am not too sure. "However body-building type exercises usually result in worsening of the cosmetic appearance due to the enhancement of the pectoral muscles."-http://www.pectus.org/non-surgical.htm

I am 21 year old male about 5ft 11 tall and weight 65kg... i know i am underweight!

brianphi said: "...it will all come together and you'll see huge improvements, before you know it you'll no longer see the collar bones through your T shirt in the middle of your chest."

it may sound weird but its thats relieving to know.

My routine is a 5 day a week workout about 1 hr a day so 5 hours a week. It involves a different part of the body everyday - its tri's, bi's, chest, shoulders, back. with abs once a week.

for my chest workout its currently:
standard barbell bench press - 4sets 12,10,8,6 reps
incline barbell bench press - 4sets 12,10,8,6 reps
decline barbell bench press - ,, ,, ,, ,, ,,
dumbell flys - same reps and sets

does anyone have any suggestions about this current chest workout, any improvements or changes? any feedback is welcome!

I do have a friend that spots me so can help me if i get into trouble!

Thanks, John

[brianphi]

brianphi said: "...it will all come together and you'll see huge improvements, before you know it you'll no longer see the collar bones through your T shirt in the middle of your chest."

Believe me, I was always a social kid, but hid my chest and guarded the secret with my life all the way into college. I didn't start lifting until I got out of college. I'd show girls before, had plenty of girlfriends, lots of sex etc... but was never comfortable in public. I wish I would have started lifting much sooner.

Additionally, at some point you just gotta say fk it, I am what I am, people will view it in the same way YOU view it.. if you act like it's a big deal, people will make it a big deal.

Here I am at Rehab in Las Vegas act like it's a red badge of courage, and others will see it as such. I ussually show them my gnarly skin graft on my leg (bones popped out!) as a nice follow up! I'll admit, I still have some insecurities, I'm sure I always will... but we have to keep moving forward.

[MillerTime07]

Hi, everyone

I just came across this thread when searching on google about PE.

i have PE and just recently (about a week ago) started a routine to get fit and gain mass and musle. I've always known that I have an indent in my chest but never really looked into it and i am suprised that i am not the only person.

I havent had any surgery and i have been reading articles about PE. I have read that bodybuilding could make the your chest look worse but i am not too sure. "However body-building type exercises usually result in worsening of the cosmetic appearance due to the enhancement of the pectoral muscles."-http://www.pectus.org/non-surgical.htm

I am 21 year old male about 5ft 11 tall and weight 65kg... i know i am underweight!

brianphi said: "...it will all come together and you'll see huge improvements, before you know it you'll no longer see the collar bones through your T shirt in the middle of your chest."

it may sound weird but its thats relieving to know.

My routine is a 5 day a week workout about 1 hr a day so 5 hours a week. It involves a different part of the body everyday - its tri's, bi's, chest, shoulders, back. with abs once a week.

for my chest workout its currently:
standard barbell bench press - 4sets 12,10,8,6 reps
incline barbell bench press - 4sets 12,10,8,6 reps
decline barbell bench press - ,, ,, ,, ,, ,,
dumbell flys - same reps and sets

does anyone have any suggestions about this current chest workout, any improvements or changes? any feedback is welcome!

I do have a friend that spots me so can help me if i get into trouble!

Thanks, John

your chest workout is fine. im not really a big fan of flies though, ive never done them. id throw in a couple sets of DB Bench Presses instead of the flies. if you have anymore questions PM me.

[brianphi]

he already has 3 presses....if anything, just for a change I'd probably add some low cable cross overs, or single arm pec dec.

[xVERITAS]

dont gain weight BEFORE you start working out. gain weight WHILE you are working out