Is it possible to expand the rib cage??

[muscles03]

is it possible to expand the rib cage for a fuller bigger chest?? ive read some research and it said it could be possible. i want to know from you guys if any of you all have experience. is it possible??

[velvetlion]

I have heard that it is possible and I have heard that it is just a myth. I do pullovers laying with my feet on the ground, butt down and back pressed against the side of the bench. Use a dumbell almost like a skull crusher except that you are keeping your arms more extended and lower the dumbell back behind your head and pull it back over using your chest. Pull it all the way over till it is straight over your chest. Breathe in on the way down and breath out on the way back over. Some say this is the best way to expand your ribcage. I do it, and it is hard to say whether it is actually working at expanding the cage or not, but it doesn't hurt to try.

[niXon)(]

sure is. simple core movements ie. flat BB, squat, DL, rows, standing military press, overhead 2 arm DB for tris, forget what its called but anyways, yeah its possible.

[Myka]

THis should be in lifting technique or workout questions...

[Montgomery]

in my opinion, velvet is correct and nixon is not. The exercises nixon is talking about make your whole trunk look more massive, but the pullover exercise, which I find very effective, keeps your waist tapering from the lats and expands your rip cage only. The day after I do them, my intercostals hurt from being stretched and worked, and sometimes during the repition I can feel air being forced in and out of my lungs; if that isn't changing the volume of the chest cavity, I don't know what is.

Montgomery

[simster1]

It is possible to epand your rib cage useing the pullover exercise but Ive read it only works when you are young like under 21 cuz your body is still growing once your body stops growing expanding the rib cage is not possible

[madflabby]

I've always heard that doing heavy squats really deep help expand your ribcage, think about all the effort it takes to do a heavy squat, you've got the weight on the back of your neck, your ass toward the ground, you're getting crushed by the weight, and what do you do? You TAKE A DEEP BREATH, and push the weight back up.

[taiboxa]

ANY HEAVY MOVEMENT that involves FLARING rib cage can stretch/widen it.. but as u get OLDER this becomes very difficult .. its easy to do between 18-22 but after that its very difficult and the best way to do it is DB PULL OVERS after a heavy chest day which has pre'exhausted your serratus and other core muscles .. the extreme stretching from DB Povers will really help your growth and hurt your ribs

or even better i use ez bar now days and hold it shoulder width apart and do a type of pull over motion while lying across a flat bench so that its in the middle of my back w/ my ass close to the ground.

[niXon)(]

DB pull over, why didnt i think of that instead of overhead 2 arm DB for tris LOL.

[Bossman]

It is possible to epand your rib cage useing the pullover exercise but Ive read it only works when you are young like under 21 cuz your body is still growing once your body stops growing expanding the rib cage is not possible

Yep, I've also read (I believe in pumping Iron?) that if you don't expand your ribcage when your young, it won't be possible after the rib cage matures. I dont remember the exact jargon, hardening cartiledge or something. I did lots of pullovers as a teenager to expand my rib cage.

[Turd_Ferguson]

do it on the decline bench and inhale when you lower the weight and count to two when fully extended hold breath whole way through do not bend elbows much and look at nips when pulling it over exhale confidently when complete....worked for me. made shoulder spread out also