The chest is a quintessential part of the human body. It is the part that we carry on our front and gives a prime example of our masculinity.

But is a big chest attractive? Scientifically speaking, yes! A study of 160 women showed them pictures of men with or without strong chest muscles, and the women picked the men with the chest muscles as way more attractive. Furthermore, a big chest is important in all bodybuilding competitions and is highly sought after- nobody ever skips chest day.

• Read: Do Girls Like Big Arms?
• Read: Are Muscles Attractive on Women?
• Read: Are Abs Attractive on Women?

So, let’s cover this more in-depth, look at the study deeper, and share some exercises you can use to get that big chest!

The Importance of Chest Muscles

The chest muscles are a combination of two muscles that work together to provide different kinds of movements to the arms.

The two muscles involved are the pectoralis major (the external one) and the pectoralis minor (the internal one). These two muscles allow the movement of arms up and down and many other kinds of movements.

In the bodybuilding community, the two muscles together are also known as ‘pecs’.

Other than the biological functions, chest muscles are some of the biggest muscles in your upper body. They are helpful in a variety of everyday tasks such as opening a door, washing your hair, picking up an apple, etc.

We can consider chest muscles our go-to muscles. They help us daily throughout the day and we don’t even have to think about it.

This is one of the main reasons to have strong chest muscles. 

Is A Big Chest Attractive?

The answer is for sure. In a study that took 160 women and showed them faceless pictures of men with and without defined chest muscles- they picked the men with the strong chest muscles as more attractive.

This study was published in 2017 and is named Cues of upper body strength account for most of the variance in men’s bodily attractiveness– if you’re interested in reading more in-depth.

So, quite literally- scientifically speaking- a big chest is attractive.

But without involving all of the science, it’s important to know how sought after a big chest is in the bodybuilding world.

A Big Chest is Sought After in The Bodybuilding World

The chest forms the forefront of your body and is one of the first things noticed by a bodybuilding judge.

If you are into actual professional bodybuilding, you should not take your chest lightly. It provides strength and at the same time, it also provides that muscular oomph that is needed during a competition. Let us take some bodybuilders with perfect chests.

• Read: Top 15 Bodybuilding Poses

We will first look at Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mr. Arnold has many qualities from being California’s Governor to being a superstar actor.

But there’s another metric that we must not forget, how well developed Arnold’s chest is. The pectorals are perfectly developed from top to bottom.

His well-developed pectorals give off a classic manly look and combined with the abs make for a perfect torso. This is the power of a big chest, it enhances the beauty of other muscle groups as well. 

Next, we shall take the example of Ronnie Coleman. Ronnie has an extremely pretty and well-sculpted body. One of the best parts of his physique are his pectorals.

Large chest muscles that make your jaw drop. His chest gives his torso the heavier-bulkier looks that it gets. Combined with his well defined abs it makes for an excellent torso.

A big chest, in the bodybuilding world, is never a bad thing. In fact, the bigger the chest you have, the better your body comes out together. A bigger chest is therefore definitely attractive both for competitions and in general. 

Building a Bigger Chest

Now that we understand the importance of chest and chest muscles. A bigger chest is undoubtedly attractive and great to look at. Let us look at some simple exercises that can help you build a bigger chest:

• Barbell Bench Press:
  • The barbell bench press is considered the muscle builder in bodybuilding circles. An aggressive barbell bench press is the perfect way to work your chest muscles. One of the best ways to perform the exercise is to start with just the bar and keep the number of reps high, slowly add weights and reduce the number of reps go upto a number that tests your mettle. 
• Incline Dumbbell Press:
  • The incline dumbbell press is so good because of its incline. The incline exerts extra focus onto the chest and the pectorals. This exercise brings a certain roundness to the pecs that gives off a well defined 3-D look. For the first set take any weight you find challenging and churn the first 10 to 12 reps. For the second set bring the muscles to failure. During the whole exercise make sure that elbows never come below the shoulder level. 
• Flat Dumbbell Fly:
  • The flat dumbbell fly is another excellent exercise for the chest. The exercise is performed on a flat bench with the arms open. Flat dumbbell fly helps exert extra pressure onto the chest muscle fibers. The exercise is also known to improve mind muscle coordination. So this exercise will also help you improve neuromuscular coordination. The exercise is performed like most other chest exercises, the first set should be done with a comfortable weight with around 12 reps. The second set should be to muscle failure. The exercise is most effective when paired with other chest exercises. The fly will certainly give you incredible gains. 
• Bar Dip:
  • The bar dip often seems to be a forgotten and underrated exercise. The bar dip is performed between a pair of horizontal bars. It is a bodyweight exercise. The bar dip really hammers the chest and brings those pectorals to full work. No pectoral has passed it easily when it comes to the bar dip. One should start with a wide grip and go as low as possible. Remember to fold your legs to gain the maximum depth on your dips. Make sure to keep your chest all the way to the front. The ideal is to crash every set to muscle failure. 

Conclusion

Big chests in the bodybuilding world are a common occurrence. Are they ugly? No! Not at all. Science shows a big chest is quite attractive and it’s important in bodybuilding too.

A big chest is like a lion’s mane to a body builder. It shows his front and reveals his immediate form.

In case you don’t sport a big chest yourself, fret not. We all started somewhere right? We have provided some basic exercises to help you get started on your chest-building journey.

Remember, the bigger the chest the better it is.