Excessive chest work, esp flys, contribute to kyphosis?

[Merrida]

Any thoughts? I can appreciate the benefit of cable flys and cable crossovers, but as I play this out long term, I can see them shortening the pecs, stretching the upper back muscles, and tightening up the internal rotator cuff muscles.

Short term, maybe it's not an issue, but if you don't compensate-train with appropriate stretching and strengthening,....play it out, like chess, with me, and can anyone else see the problems that may arise? Continually shortening and tightening those pecs must, as time goes by ayway, also create some degree of concavity and collapse (in a deep, structural sense, even if the external muscles are developed).

Anyone have any thoughts on this in either direction to help me out?

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When I decided to give the Oly lifts a try, the person "coaching" me suggested that I not do (or minimize bench press work) as it has a tendency to compromise shoulder flexibility. Not only have I followed that advice (not that I have ever been a bench press person) but I also substantially curtailed pushups and other pec pumping stuff. I had always tried to maintain a balance between pushing and pulling in my training and if anything did more pulling.

My shoulder flexibility is the best it has ever been, thanks to doing shoulder dislocates on a regular basis, but I believe because of the other changes I have made as well.

It feels really good to have flexibility shoulders.

[chris m]

To the original poster, you are almost completely wrong.

As Pierini stated, about the only thing such movements MIGHT do is impair shoulder flexibility.

Training cannot change the origin or insertion of your musculature, therefore the concept of "shortening" the muscle is a myth.

There is also no way that such training could possibly make your chest "cave-in" or the like.

[LiftGirl]

Originally Posted by chris m

There is also no way that such training could possibly make your chest "cave-in" or the like.

Maybe not, but I imagine this person isn't training back nearly as hard as chest. Training one muscle but not it's opposing muscle creates muscle imbalances that are a recipe for eventual injury.

[chris m]

Originally Posted by LiftGirl

Maybe not, but I imagine this person isn't training back nearly as hard as chest. Training one muscle but not it's opposing muscle creates muscle imbalances that are a recipe for eventual injury.

I agree.

[bodyshop20]

Merrida i can see your point and i think it has some validatity.
But i will only add the cable x overs are more of a shaping movement not a mass growth exercise.
I like the way you think though, even if wrong i ask silly stuff it livens up the forum

[Merrida]

Originally Posted by chris m

To the original poster, you are almost completely wrong.

As Pierini stated, about the only thing such movements MIGHT do is impair shoulder flexibility.

Training cannot change the origin or insertion of your musculature, therefore the concept of "shortening" the muscle is a myth.

There is also no way that such training could possibly make your chest "cave-in" or the like.

Of course muscles can change shape. That is what bodybuilding is all about. While one cannot change the insertion or origin (d'oh!), the muscle itself absolutely can shorten and lengthen.

Also, if you look at "bodybuilding" like playing a game of chess, -- across the years, doing work that continually pulls the chest inwards, has to have an impact on the antagonistic muscle group. Watch a kyphotic senior as they move and you'll notice they heavily rely on the chest, their head is jutted forward to attempt a sense of balance and the back muscles are elongated and weak.

One's posture absolutely can be affected by how the muscles are trained, including collapsing of the chest wall to creave the concavity associated with the fellow relationship of the back's convex posture.