Rib cage small....

[Tony2HUGE]

Hello all

Ive been working out for a few years on and off. Either I dont get enough sleep or don't eat right.

So really, I should be at another level than where I am at right now.

My question is that I have a really small bone structure and my rib cage is small! (chest is about 38") Is this mostly genetical and I cant do anything about it? Or do I just need to continue training my chest and back real hard?

[D_I]

One word: Pull-overs.



D.I.

[Tony2HUGE]

I used to them a lot, but just recently stopped.

I do them lying parallel on a bench though rather than how most people do it, being perpendicular to the bench, with just your back on the bench.

Which way is better? And should I just concentrate on my back doing the work?

[Joka]

Originally posted by Tony2HUGE
Hello all

Ive been working out for a few years on and off. Either I dont get enough sleep or don't eat right.

So really, I should be at another level than where I am at right now.

My question is that I have a really small bone structure and my rib cage is small! (chest is about 38") Is this mostly genetical and I cant do anything about it? Or do I just need to continue training my chest and back real hard?

You cant really expand your ribcage, im affraid that will be determined genetically. However you can increase the size of the muscles overlying it, such as the Pecs, would give you a larger chest.

[jay81]

You're gonna get a bunch of people say pullovers will increase the size of your ribcage & yada yada, it's just a lingering myth however.

It's anatomically impossibile to increase the size of your freakin' ribcage whether by obvious to everyone - bone - OR cartilage through pullovers or any other exercise. Anyone with a decent knowledge of human anatomy would tell you the same thing.

The ribs are specifically designed to connect, or articulate, in a certain way and at a certain angle. The length of cartilage by which the ribs are connected to the ribcage is unalterable, no stretching at any age can alter this predetermined attachment.

Even if it were possible to alter the attachment, this would mean that the manner in which the ribs articulate with the vertebrae would also have to be altered. Again, there is a pre-set limit to which the ribs can correctly and functionally articulate with the vertebrae. Changing this is not a possibility as your body would basically no longer function.

Doing pullovers & breathing squats in a misled attempt to increase ribcage size will increase the size of the musculature of the trunk however which of course will result in a thicker look and the impression that your ribcage increased in size, in reality however it would not have.

On the positive side though Tony2HUGE, you are young and still developing ... whether or not you're destined to be small-framed as an adult I have no idea ... but I do know your bones are gonna at least get a little bigger & thicker as you get older!

[whitevisionz]

Originally posted by Tony2HUGE
I used to them a lot, but just recently stopped.

I do them lying parallel on a bench though rather than how most people do it, being **perpendicular** to the bench, with just your back on the bench.

Which way is better? And should I just concentrate on my back doing the work?

Well im not sure which way is more effective but according to

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...BPullover.html

it is supposedly perpendicular.

[SWW007]

Do anything you can to build up your lats. That'l make your chest look a lot bigger with a nice v taper. Also don't forget to kill your pecs.

[Loooooooooooood]

my rib cage seems big, even without exercise
this may seem odd to you guys, but i do not really like it, just to big, need to work the arms much more becuz of that (profile isnt what i want it to be)

[jay81]

Originally posted by Loooooooooooood
my rib cage seems big, even without exercise
this may seem odd to you guys, but i do not really like it, just to big, need to work the arms much more becuz of that (profile isnt what i want it to be)

That's true. Your arms have to be bigger to look in proportion if you have a barrel chest.

[B4NE]

Originally posted by SWW007
Do anything you can to build up your lats. That'l make your chest look a lot bigger with a nice v taper. Also don't forget to kill your pecs.

Thats funny...since i got my lats bigger my chest has looked smaller. I always felt that bigger lats meant smaller looking chest. Its kinda like when your shoulders are huge your arms are gonna look smaller in comparison...i dunno

[nateakabear]

Originally posted by Tony2HUGE
Hello all

Ive been working out for a few years on and off. Either I dont get enough sleep or don't eat right.

So really, I should be at another level than where I am at right now.

My question is that I have a really small bone structure and my rib cage is small! (chest is about 38") Is this mostly genetical and I cant do anything about it? Or do I just need to continue training my chest and back real hard?

Genetics probably plays the biggest role in having a small ribcage. Also, if your young you may hit a growth spurt in the next couple years which will probably widen it. Just continue training your chest and back good. I have heard that pull-overs will help but only to a small extent, nothing really noticeable(sp?).

[porkpie]

Originally posted by Loooooooooooood
my rib cage seems big, even without exercise
this may seem odd to you guys, but i do not really like it, just to big, need to work the arms much more becuz of that (profile isnt what i want it to be)

Same here bro...

[SeanMichael]

Originally posted by jay81
It's anatomically impossibile to increase the size of your freakin' ribcage

It's not... people with COPD have larger rib cages, even if they have no muscle that makes their thorax look bigger. You can say that it all stays the same your whole life (after reaching adulthood), but the fact is barrel chest is a very real symptom to COPD. I'm not saying he should take up smoking, but it stands to reason if that can enlarge your rib cage, which happens due to an increased lung size, then you can do it by simply gaining more muscle, thereby requiring more oxygen, thereby increasing your lung size and your rib cage size. People who live for years in the high elevation of the Andes also experience enlarged rib cages, even if they moved there as adults.

Just keep growing and your body will fill out appropriately.

Your rib cage expands and contracts with each breath you take.

[breathingmurder]

Originally posted by SeanMichael
It's not... people with COPD have larger rib cages, even if they have no muscle that makes their thorax look bigger. You can say that it all stays the same your whole life (after reaching adulthood), but the fact is barrel chest is a very real symptom to COPD. I'm not saying he should take up smoking, but it stands to reason if that can enlarge your rib cage, which happens due to an increased lung size, then you can do it by simply gaining more muscle, thereby requiring more oxygen, thereby increasing your lung size and your rib cage size. People who live for years in the high elevation of the Andes also experience enlarged rib cages, even if they moved there as adults.

Just keep growing and your body will fill out appropriately.

Your rib cage expands and contracts with each breath you take.

I'd also heard of this happening to people with asthma-- same principle.

[lgp9999]

Originally posted by jay81
You're gonna get a bunch of people say pullovers will increase the size of your ribcage & yada yada, it's just a lingering myth however.

It's anatomically impossibile to increase the size of your freakin' ribcage whether by obvious to everyone - bone - OR cartilage through pullovers or any other exercise. Anyone with a decent knowledge of human anatomy would tell you the same thing.

The ribs are specifically designed to connect, or articulate, in a certain way and at a certain angle. The length of cartilage by which the ribs are connected to the ribcage is unalterable, no stretching at any age can alter this predetermined attachment.

Even if it were possible to alter the attachment, this would mean that the manner in which the ribs articulate with the vertebrae would also have to be altered. Again, there is a pre-set limit to which the ribs can correctly and functionally articulate with the vertebrae. Changing this is not a possibility as your body would basically no longer function.

Doing pullovers & breathing squats in a misled attempt to increase ribcage size will increase the size of the musculature of the trunk however which of course will result in a thicker look and the impression that your ribcage increased in size, in reality however it would not have.

On the positive side though Tony2HUGE, you are young and still developing ... whether or not you're destined to be small-framed as an adult I have no idea ... but I do know your bones are gonna at least get a little bigger & thicker as you get older!

Great post

[Rodity]

Barrel Chests look horrible. Keep your lats and arms huge.