Holy Grail Body Transformation Program!
The Pigeon Chest is a pretty weird condition where the chest bones sticks out abnormally. Although you may think that this post won’t apply to you, I can guarantee that someone you know of will be suffering with this condition. You might roll your eyes at that statement, but it’s true. They’ve probably just found a way to keep it covered. Trust me, it’s not exactly the kind of thing you want to be shouting from the rooftops. And it probably affects them way more than it should.
Not because it is particularly sore, or because it is particularly unsightly. It’s because humans tend to be pretty self-conscious creatures. Simply put, it’s kinda embarrassing. Although I’m lucky that my condition was only ever cosmetically damaging, for some people this condition can be more than just an inconvenience that prevents them from taking their top off during summer. However, regardless of the severity of your pigeon chest, the information in this post can help all of us sufferers out.
So how does bodybuilding fit into all of this? I’ll be the first to admit that swinging heavy weights about might not seem like the best idea for someone with a dodgy chest. But I was desperate, and I was running out of ways to get rid of my pigeon chest. I was wearing chest braces, looking for local surgeons and even tried leaving it alone, all to no avail. Luckily for me, bodybuilding was the final piece of the puzzle. By strengthening my back, my chest and my overall body, I improved my condition a great deal. Bodybuilding essentially changed my life, made me feel more confident about myself and, crucially, helped me beat my pigeon chest.
Don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t exactly an overnight transformation. As many of you will already be well aware of, the search for strength and a good physique isn’t always as straightforward as we would hope for. Add in an awkwardly shaped chest, and you’re pretty much screwed from the word go. But there is no doubt in my mind that working out was the best thing I ever decided to do (besides putting syrup on bacon), and it was well worth the effort.
But where countless pigeon chest sufferers go wrong is that they jump straight onto the bench press and start pumping iron straight away. This is a bad idea for anyone, never mind someone who has a chest deformity. Unsurprisingly, this is exactly how I started my own bodybuilding journey. After a few demoralizing weeks lying on the sofa with a sore chest, and after more than a few ice packs, I got off my ass and ordered some resistance bands. As I began to feel my body gaining strength, my frustration turned into motivation, and I was finally ready to hit the gym again.
So what did I do differently this time? Well, I stopped trying to work out my chest muscles. I focused on my back, with the idea that having a strong foundation would benefit my chest more than attacking it head on. And I was right. My posture improved greatly, which in turn helped diminish the appearance and pain of my chest. Plus, by having a strong back, I felt more comfortable doing chest exercises, and my pigeon chest began to look even better with a bit of muscle around it.
So there is my pigeon chest story. I’m happy to say that I’m reaching the end of the road now as far as my journey is concerned. But there are still people out there doing nothing to combat their pigeon chest or, worse yet, considering pointless and expensive surgery. I was lurking on forums for years before I decided to act, and I know that many people reading this will be in the same boat I was.
Most of the stuff I read on those forums would have discouraged the majority of pigeon-chested folk from joining a gym, but I felt that it could work for me. Fortunately, I was right. All I can advise you guys to do is start slowly, build a strong back first and then gradually and carefully introduce chest exercises.
Holy Grail Body Transformation Program!
Holy Grail Body Transformation Program!
About The Author: My name is Sam and I run a blog dedicated to the pigeon chest condition - pigeonchestproblems.com