What Exercise Works the Upper Chest and Neck?

Your upper chest and neck comprises the pecs, sternocleidomastoids and traps. Exercising the upper chest and neck muscles has its advantages. Besides lifting women's breast tissue and ridding men of excess chest tissue, you can see a drop in back and neck pain. Whether you're working out in a gym or at home, the following exercises are adaptable to fit your needs. Check with your doctor before starting a new routine.

  1. Stretching

    • Pre-workout stretching creates a flexibility buffer that helps guard against injury. And stretching your pecs, traps and sternocleidomastoids before doing strength or aerobic exercises can boost their effectiveness too. Limber the sternocleidomastoids with neck rotations, the traps with trap and rotator cuff stretches, and the pecs with a dynamic chest stretch. Start with one set of 10 reps for each stretch and add more reps if needed. Pause between each neck rotation, and stop if any stretch feels uncomfortable.

    Strength

    • Pushups and other strength exercises are often associated with working the upper chest and neck. But that's because strength exercises are ideal for toning large muscles, like the pecs and traps, and smaller ones, like the sternocleidomastoids. Pushups are a basic go-to for toning the upper body, and you can adjust them to fit your fitness level. Do two to three sets of 10 pushups, or until your pecs fatigue. Gradually add more sets as the pushups get easier. Add three sets of eight dumbbell shrugs using a weight that fatigues your traps by the last set.

    Aerobics

    • Excess chest and neck fat may cover your hard-earned muscles, and only aerobic exercise can help with that. Fortunately, there are exercises that engage the upper chest and neck muscles while providing a heart-pumping cardio workout. Swimming is ideal because the water provides gentle resistance for strengthening muscles. But not all swimming is created equal. For an upper-chest and neck workout, you'll need to swim the breaststroke and butterfly strokes. You'll feel the breaststroke more so in your arms, but the pecs are doing their fair share of the work. Start with two laps of each stroke and swim until your pecs feel fatigued.

    Safety and Considerations

    • Always follow an exercise with a five-minute cool-down period. Casually swim if you're in pool doing aerobic upper chest and neck strokes. Allow your body to relax and your heart rate to settle before hitting the changing room. Find your ideal dumbbell or hand weight strength before working out. Slightly increase the weight strength as your body adjusts, and take at least 24 hours off between strength sessions. Squeeze your aerobic workouts in between strength workouts for variety. Make 20 minutes of strength training, three times a week, and 150 minutes of cardio a week an overall fitness goal.