Before and after my pectus carinatum workout program
36 thoughts on “Exercises and Workouts”
I haven’t shot the videos for my Pectus Carinatum workouts yet but I will say a little about it here now. The workout is designed to mask my Carinatum. The muscles that you want to build are ALL the muscles around your Carinatum.
For me the targeted muscles were my upper abbs, lower chest and upper chest. Surprisingly, back workouts played a significant role in correcting my Carinatum because they helped straighten my posture. I have a slight case of scoliosis associated with my Carinatum, and a lot of other people do too.
Now when I say I am doing 4 different muscle groups that does not limit me to only 4 exercises! My chest workout alone takes 45 minutes if I do it right! So, if you have Carinatum and want to join this discussion, remember that this was a hard road. Nonetheless, it was the best decision I made to spend all this time in the gym.
If you have ANY tips for others struggling with Pectus Carinatum PLEASE register for this forum and give your insight! We are all depending on each other!
I have suffered from Pectus Carinatum my entire life. Surgery was never an option because insurance companies labeled my case as a “cosmetic problem†with no health threatening issues. As a kid I was embarrassed to take off my shirt in public. The thought of going swimming with my friends terrified me so much I would get physically ill. Sometimes I would stand in the mirror and push my chest in, hoping it would stay there. It was a nightmare I thought I could never wake up from.
When I graduated high school I weighed about one hundred and fifty pounds and was 6 feet 3 inches tall. My chest stuck out enough that it was visible through my t-shirt. The only way I knew how to fix my problem was by lifting weights. So I promised myself that I would correct the deformity by building muscle around it.
Towards the end of my second year in college, I stood almost six feet five inches tall and weighed two hundred and seven pounds, with about 6 percent body fat.
My name is Russ and I’m the creator of Carinatum.com. This website is open to the public, and more specifically to those suffering from Pectus Carinatum. I will walk you through every workout, and habit, that I have formed in the process of fixing my chest. This transformation was not just a cosmetic change it was a confidence booster, personality changer and complete shift of lifestyle. My weakness has become my biggest strength and I will show YOU how to do the same for yourself!
Now that you know me PLEASE take time to introduce yourself on carinatum.com. Tell everyone about your condition and let a community of people help you through the lifestyle change it will take to fix it. If you have successfully fixed your Pectus Carinatum share that here too. Sign up with Carinatum.com and contribute to the Carinatum support community. There are thousands of people waiting to hear from you!
I read that the first option is the use of brace (dynamic compression) and then surgery is the first time proposed exercises, and if you got good results,is a test that works and thanks for wanting to share.
i hate the look of my chest and i want it to go away. i am so embarrassed i wont take ma shirt off in public as im growing up im getting more and more annoyed wiv my chest its embarrassing I am 6ft 3 in height and weight 170 pound and im 17 years old and want some answers to solve my pigeon chest.
its constantly on my mind my friends take the mick so i dont take ma t shirt off
I just found this page and after reading some of your entries I was amazed to find out that im not alone with this problem after all. You have gone through exactly what I am and have been going through since I hit puberty. My carinatum started around when I was 13 years old. Gradually with time, the protrusion got worse. I too was terrified of taking off my shirt in front of friends. Even in front of family members made me uncomfortable. Im almost 19 now and with a little bit of working out through highschool I have managed to almost conceal my chest deformity. It is still very noticeable if I take my shirt off but with clothes on not at all. Its been hell for me when I was younger. People constantly asking me why my chest sticks out or why my chest looked funny. I would always avoid hugs and pool parties were a definite no. I would envy those who were born with normal chests. Luckily over time I have grown to embrace my deformity and even joke about it. My friends nor my girlfriend think its weird at all. But it still bothers me from time to time when I look into the mirror. I laughed when I read the part where you would try to “push” it in and have it stay there because I too did the same thing! I would lay face down on the floor hoping that it would make my chest flat. Obviously none of these worked. I am now a freshman in college and my carinatum is still with me. Ive been studying alot lately and couldnt hit the gym enough recently and my protrusion is starting to show again. Thats why today I decided to google up carinatum to see if theres any news about it. And what do you know, I find this site! Im glad to see others that have gone through and are probably still going through all that I have. It makes me feel not so lonely with all this. Your story is motivational man. Keep it up and thanks for the inspiration. I will definately try to follow your gym routine when I have more time. I wont let carinatum get the best of me.
Dave
Dave that awesome to hear. People like you inspire me and keep me motivated as well. Keep it up!
Hello,
I’m very happy to have found this page. I also have pectus carinatum since I am 12 years old, at the beginning I didn’t care about it, but it grew and now I am 17 years old and everyday I am upset about it every day. 2 weeks ago I was in hospital for an operation and the insurance companies would have paid the costs for the operation, but they said how the operation would work and they told me the risks and then I hesitated, but I decided not to do the operation, because you can even die in this operation. I am not sure if this was the right decision, because if I would have been operated everything could have been over and my life would be much better now. But after finding this website I have hope again to have a normal thorax. When I tense my muscles from my stomach then it looks like a normal thorax. So my question is can I train my muscles in the way that it looks like when I tense them without tensing them? My thorax looks very similar to the ‘before picture’ from this website also with two holes under my breasts. I can also make a picture of my breast and upload it so you can see it, i hope you can help me.
I am from germany so my english might be not very good, but I hope you can understand what I want to say.
alex
another question: When i have it done that my thorax looks normal do I have to make workouts after that, because I heard that the muscles dissappear after a short time.
Alex,
The shape of your chest will never change. When you workout all you are doing is building the muscle around it. My suggestion is to read a lot about working out all the muscles in your core, and your chest and then decide what will be best for you. The more muscle you build the less noticeable your Pectus will be.
And yes if you build muscle and then stop working out you will eventually lose it. Bodybuilding has to be maintained or you will lose it. Hope this helps!
I have a pigeon chest also I started to notice at the age of 11 and it gradually got worse as your body grows! I started to press ups and push ups at the beginning at 13 and then home weights till the age 17 it defo helped to what it would of looked like if I stayed skinny! But now I have also getting a press swell as keeping up with the exercises it’s made me feel better and now a brace will hopefully improve it even more. Motivation is to key to helping this deformity
Brace*
The deformity is what gives me my motivation to work out… I guess you can say we are cursed with what the entire population of this planet wants, motivation. haha.
Lol this is trippy. Dave and Russel you both are the story of my life. Im 18,6ft 1 180lbs and have had pc my whole life. Ive always been good with friends and girls and ive always played sports worked out and partied. I guess you could say im jacked but after finding this website tonight i deffinately need to focus more on your workouts and my body.My chest has always bothered me. I almost got a brace for it when i was 16 but i came to the realization that wtf am i doing this is my life and i need to stop being a bitch and deal with it. Im attending fsu this summer and hopefully everything works out great. Btw man thats really cool of you to make this website and How old are youlol
That cool like to hear stories like that. I am 28 years old. I started this website because when I was a teenager I looked all over the internet for something to help me but couldn’t find anything it sucked. So I just started working out and figuring it out on my own. Now I am sharing it with the world.
Russ,
Your story is amazing. I can relate to it, immensely. I’m 19, graduated highschool last year as 5’11” and 160lbs. I have Pectus Carinatum, and as you could image, I absolutely hate it. But if there was any bright side to it, I have the same type of PC as you (symmetrical). I’ve been doing my own chest workouts at home with dumbbells and a incline/decline bench because I refuse to workout in public with this deformity. Anyways, I have some questions.
Do you have any specific workouts that work best for the PC? (specifically with dumbbells) And, how long did it take when you started to notice a real change/ and how long did it take to become completely comfortable with your chest?
I’m glad that I found this website, and I will totally inform others about this website for those with PC. I will put my greatest effort to stick to your eating/exercising program so I can achieve the same results! It’s really cool that you did this website. Thanks for the inspiration!
Derreck
I apologize, I didn’t see the “home” page with all the videos.
Derreck,
I started lifting weights when I was 16 years old. The change I had was very gradual and I consistently gained weight over 10 years. I just kept at it all the time. I read every bodybuilding book/magazine I could get my hands on and I even watched bodybuilding documentaries. I was constantly reading. I am 28 years old now and am still not completely “comfortable” with my chest. But it is a 1000 times better than when I was 16.
If you truly want to help cover your PC you have to do ALL the workouts. Workout your entire body. When you workout your legs more testosterone is released into your body and helps you build other parts of your body. When you workout your back it help support your chest, which makes your chest stronger. Every muscle in your body works together. If you want to build muscle mass to cover your Pectus Carinatum make sure you lift heavy weights and low reps. light weight with high reps will get you toned and ripped but wont build the mass you want.
Like I said, read bodybuilding books, I like Arnolds encyclopedia of modern bodybuilding, after I read that book and did what it said I became a freak in the gym and I was very well known for how fast I gained weight. You can buy the book through me too in the link above. Yes, I do make a little money for people who buy through me but I still think the book is awesome!
Lifting weights isn’t the entire thing either. You have to eat right and sleep. 80% of your bodybuilding happens when you are asleep. If you don’t eat and sleep then you wont grow. I hope this all helps!
I really like your website. good job! I am 17 years old. i notice my PC around freshman year of high school. It didn’t bother me much because i was a rip 5’4, about 110lbs kid. Certain days my PC makes me feel ugh about myself. I don’t know what situation is suitable for me. I know I don’t want a surgery. My only option is to wear a brace or to workout. I really want to get taller.
Hey man at 17 you are going to be self conscious about everything. As you get older you will become a lot more comfortable with yourself the way you are. Just do what you can. Remember, confidence will trump any physical flaw you may have. I have learned that you are the way you think. Always think positive and realize that there are people that have it a 1000 times worse than you do. Good luck man!
Hey,
I’m 15 and I find out about my PC at the end of last summer. I noticed it more when I wrestled for the first time for my high school (helped me gain some confidence). I’m 5’6 and about 100 pounds. I only have it on one side so I don’t know what workouts to do. I eat healthy but I’m still pretty skinny. Thanks or this great website!
Hey I’m 15 and noticed I had PC this summer. I wrestled this year in high school but we didn’t do serious workouts because of too much weight gain. I’m 5’6 and 100 pounds so the PC is very noticeable. It’s only on one side so I need some help on some workouts to hide it and become physically fit
Thanks your the best
Working one side of your body more than another is something I have never done before… I couldn’t say what kind of problems you might run into with that. Do a lot of research on that and let us all know on here what you find. I’m sure there are a lot of other people with your same situation.
Hey Russell,
Thanks for putting together this website and giving people like me hope. I am 22 years old and along with pectus carinatum, I have severe scoliosis (over 85 degrees) and a heart problem. I’ve had multiple surgeries on my heart in which the doctors split my sternum.
Whenever I try to do any sort of exercise involving my chest, the next morning it feels as though my chest is going to explode. I guess I have to start small. I’m around 5’11” and weigh 105lbs.
I just wanted to thank you for putting this site together and I hope that by following your steps I can achieve the same results.
I hope the best for you with the surgeries. Please make sure you listen to your doctor though. Don’t do anything that is going to jeopardize you your health and the health of your heart. That is serious stuff.
Hey Russ.
Great website! It’s reassuring to read other peoples experiences. I’ve had pc my whole life and it’s always been a massive issue for me. It’s always affected my confidence and have never been able to take my shirt off in front of friends. daily i think about how to hide it and as you said you did, i’ve spent so much time in the mirror trying to push it in. It seems most people suffering tend to be quite skinny and yet the condition makes it hard to have the confidence to go to the gym to help build muscle. I’m now 34 and though have kinda learned to live with it, i decided 7 months ago that if i could build some muscle i would maybe be a little happier with how i look. i have only recently discovered that it is actually something other people suffer from and presumed it was just my weird body shape. I’m not sure exactly what type i have but it feel it’s a mild case. nevertheless it has caused me much suffering in my head and had a knock on effect on my social life and relationships.
I’ve been seeing a personal trainer 3 times each week for the past 7 months, which for me was the only way i could start this process. going to the gym by myself was too daunting. I find it a struggle in build muscle mass, but have made some progress. it seems a very slow road to go down but the motivation to improve my confidence keeps me on track.
I just wanted to say to people reading, don’t be miserable about it for years, hoping it’ll go away. Do something positive to boost your confidence. Let it be your motivation in life. This could be the thing that helps us have a healthy, fulfilled life. when you think about, some people with completely normal bodies take it for granted and end up with no motivation to improve themselves. I’ve chosen to have a great body despite this and am already alot more confident. i imagine after another 3 years at it i’ll be pretty stoked about how i look. Just gotta stay on this path….
good luck folks!
Johnny
Johnny,
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing with us all!
This website could potentially be the determinig factor in a great change in my life. Im glad i found it and it is pleasantely surprising to see other people with the same condition trying to find a way out. Im 17, 5,7 and 125 lbs. I have a rather mild condition compared to others, id say it sticks out less than an inch. Nonetheless it still irritates the s*** out of me. Not being able to certain types of clothing because my chest sticks out is rather annoying. im afraid of going to public pools and beaches and being exposed. It f**** with my social life and personally im sick of it. Im going to try and follow a good workout routine and hopefully be able to cover it up in about 2 years. This thing has been holding me back my entire life and im ready to beat it. Hopefully you will keep us posted on new ways to improve. I just need a way to stay focused with a little bit of advice. Ill definitely be checking on here often.
Im glad I can help man! Keep reading all over the internet too. there are tons of workouts that others are doing on websites, fitness magazine and bodybuilding books. You just have to tailor a workout for yourself out of everyone elses opinions. Good luck!
Whats the best chest excersise? I need to get my lowerouter chest more muscled, any advice?
I would do some dips while leaning forward as much as you can to isolate your lower chest. Also check out youtube for lower chest cable exercises if you have access to a gym.
Thanks for all the advice. I’ve been training for almost half a year and but it seems my left pec is getting a lot larger than my right (the protusion is situated very slightly tp the right of my chest). Do you have any suggestions on how to even them out and are yours now more even after 3 years?
My best advice is to really read and study about proper posture while working out. It’s not going to fix your pecs from being asymmetrical but it will give you the best results possible. My left pec is also bigger than the right and it will probably always be that way. That is normal for most people with or without PC to some degree.
And in all honesty, your biggest critic is going to be you. Other people don’t notice your physical flaw nearly as much as you do. I think a lot of people with PC are better off than they think they are, including myself.
Hi: My kid is 13 and he just was diagnosed with PC. I assume he’s too young to start serious bodybuilding/weight lifting. What do you recommend he start with until he’s older?
Your right. Bodybuilding at 13 is not a good thing. Your bones are not fully developed as a teenager and lifting weights can actually stunt your growth (so I’ve heard anyway). My parents wouldn’t let me lift weights until I was 16 years old. But they did encourage me to be active, do pushups, pullups, or any other sort of body weight exercise I could.
I started to notice mine around 15 and now at age 16 my doc recommends the brace but I don’t like wearing it during school and at night then Its hard to sleep. He said that I could work out which would help my chest to grow faster and correct itself if I wear the brace. Your story is practically the same as mine. I’m 6’3″ and about 150 I don’t like taking my shirt off either I feel diffrent Around other guys
I never wore a brace myself. I thought about it but working out seemed to do the trick. I wouldn’t be surprised if you wore the brace and worked out a lot that you would see great results.
I haven’t shot the videos for my Pectus Carinatum workouts yet but I will say a little about it here now. The workout is designed to mask my Carinatum. The muscles that you want to build are ALL the muscles around your Carinatum.
For me the targeted muscles were my upper abbs, lower chest and upper chest. Surprisingly, back workouts played a significant role in correcting my Carinatum because they helped straighten my posture. I have a slight case of scoliosis associated with my Carinatum, and a lot of other people do too.
Now when I say I am doing 4 different muscle groups that does not limit me to only 4 exercises! My chest workout alone takes 45 minutes if I do it right! So, if you have Carinatum and want to join this discussion, remember that this was a hard road. Nonetheless, it was the best decision I made to spend all this time in the gym.
If you have ANY tips for others struggling with Pectus Carinatum PLEASE register for this forum and give your insight! We are all depending on each other!
I have suffered from Pectus Carinatum my entire life. Surgery was never an option because insurance companies labeled my case as a “cosmetic problem†with no health threatening issues. As a kid I was embarrassed to take off my shirt in public. The thought of going swimming with my friends terrified me so much I would get physically ill. Sometimes I would stand in the mirror and push my chest in, hoping it would stay there. It was a nightmare I thought I could never wake up from.
When I graduated high school I weighed about one hundred and fifty pounds and was 6 feet 3 inches tall. My chest stuck out enough that it was visible through my t-shirt. The only way I knew how to fix my problem was by lifting weights. So I promised myself that I would correct the deformity by building muscle around it.
Towards the end of my second year in college, I stood almost six feet five inches tall and weighed two hundred and seven pounds, with about 6 percent body fat.
My name is Russ and I’m the creator of Carinatum.com. This website is open to the public, and more specifically to those suffering from Pectus Carinatum. I will walk you through every workout, and habit, that I have formed in the process of fixing my chest. This transformation was not just a cosmetic change it was a confidence booster, personality changer and complete shift of lifestyle. My weakness has become my biggest strength and I will show YOU how to do the same for yourself!
Now that you know me PLEASE take time to introduce yourself on carinatum.com. Tell everyone about your condition and let a community of people help you through the lifestyle change it will take to fix it. If you have successfully fixed your Pectus Carinatum share that here too. Sign up with Carinatum.com and contribute to the Carinatum support community. There are thousands of people waiting to hear from you!
I read that the first option is the use of brace (dynamic compression) and then surgery is the first time proposed exercises, and if you got good results,is a test that works and thanks for wanting to share.
i hate the look of my chest and i want it to go away. i am so embarrassed i wont take ma shirt off in public as im growing up im getting more and more annoyed wiv my chest its embarrassing I am 6ft 3 in height and weight 170 pound and im 17 years old and want some answers to solve my pigeon chest.
its constantly on my mind my friends take the mick so i dont take ma t shirt off
I just found this page and after reading some of your entries I was amazed to find out that im not alone with this problem after all. You have gone through exactly what I am and have been going through since I hit puberty. My carinatum started around when I was 13 years old. Gradually with time, the protrusion got worse. I too was terrified of taking off my shirt in front of friends. Even in front of family members made me uncomfortable. Im almost 19 now and with a little bit of working out through highschool I have managed to almost conceal my chest deformity. It is still very noticeable if I take my shirt off but with clothes on not at all. Its been hell for me when I was younger. People constantly asking me why my chest sticks out or why my chest looked funny. I would always avoid hugs and pool parties were a definite no. I would envy those who were born with normal chests. Luckily over time I have grown to embrace my deformity and even joke about it. My friends nor my girlfriend think its weird at all. But it still bothers me from time to time when I look into the mirror. I laughed when I read the part where you would try to “push” it in and have it stay there because I too did the same thing! I would lay face down on the floor hoping that it would make my chest flat. Obviously none of these worked. I am now a freshman in college and my carinatum is still with me. Ive been studying alot lately and couldnt hit the gym enough recently and my protrusion is starting to show again. Thats why today I decided to google up carinatum to see if theres any news about it. And what do you know, I find this site! Im glad to see others that have gone through and are probably still going through all that I have. It makes me feel not so lonely with all this. Your story is motivational man. Keep it up and thanks for the inspiration. I will definately try to follow your gym routine when I have more time. I wont let carinatum get the best of me.
Dave
Dave that awesome to hear. People like you inspire me and keep me motivated as well. Keep it up!
Hello,
I’m very happy to have found this page. I also have pectus carinatum since I am 12 years old, at the beginning I didn’t care about it, but it grew and now I am 17 years old and everyday I am upset about it every day. 2 weeks ago I was in hospital for an operation and the insurance companies would have paid the costs for the operation, but they said how the operation would work and they told me the risks and then I hesitated, but I decided not to do the operation, because you can even die in this operation. I am not sure if this was the right decision, because if I would have been operated everything could have been over and my life would be much better now. But after finding this website I have hope again to have a normal thorax. When I tense my muscles from my stomach then it looks like a normal thorax. So my question is can I train my muscles in the way that it looks like when I tense them without tensing them? My thorax looks very similar to the ‘before picture’ from this website also with two holes under my breasts. I can also make a picture of my breast and upload it so you can see it, i hope you can help me.
I am from germany so my english might be not very good, but I hope you can understand what I want to say.
alex
another question: When i have it done that my thorax looks normal do I have to make workouts after that, because I heard that the muscles dissappear after a short time.
Alex,
The shape of your chest will never change. When you workout all you are doing is building the muscle around it. My suggestion is to read a lot about working out all the muscles in your core, and your chest and then decide what will be best for you. The more muscle you build the less noticeable your Pectus will be.
And yes if you build muscle and then stop working out you will eventually lose it. Bodybuilding has to be maintained or you will lose it. Hope this helps!
I have a pigeon chest also I started to notice at the age of 11 and it gradually got worse as your body grows! I started to press ups and push ups at the beginning at 13 and then home weights till the age 17 it defo helped to what it would of looked like if I stayed skinny! But now I have also getting a press swell as keeping up with the exercises it’s made me feel better and now a brace will hopefully improve it even more. Motivation is to key to helping this deformity
Brace*
The deformity is what gives me my motivation to work out… I guess you can say we are cursed with what the entire population of this planet wants, motivation. haha.
Lol this is trippy. Dave and Russel you both are the story of my life. Im 18,6ft 1 180lbs and have had pc my whole life. Ive always been good with friends and girls and ive always played sports worked out and partied. I guess you could say im jacked but after finding this website tonight i deffinately need to focus more on your workouts and my body.My chest has always bothered me. I almost got a brace for it when i was 16 but i came to the realization that wtf am i doing this is my life and i need to stop being a bitch and deal with it. Im attending fsu this summer and hopefully everything works out great. Btw man thats really cool of you to make this website and How old are youlol
That cool like to hear stories like that. I am 28 years old. I started this website because when I was a teenager I looked all over the internet for something to help me but couldn’t find anything it sucked. So I just started working out and figuring it out on my own. Now I am sharing it with the world.
Russ,
Your story is amazing. I can relate to it, immensely. I’m 19, graduated highschool last year as 5’11” and 160lbs. I have Pectus Carinatum, and as you could image, I absolutely hate it. But if there was any bright side to it, I have the same type of PC as you (symmetrical). I’ve been doing my own chest workouts at home with dumbbells and a incline/decline bench because I refuse to workout in public with this deformity. Anyways, I have some questions.
Do you have any specific workouts that work best for the PC? (specifically with dumbbells) And, how long did it take when you started to notice a real change/ and how long did it take to become completely comfortable with your chest?
I’m glad that I found this website, and I will totally inform others about this website for those with PC. I will put my greatest effort to stick to your eating/exercising program so I can achieve the same results! It’s really cool that you did this website. Thanks for the inspiration!
Derreck
I apologize, I didn’t see the “home” page with all the videos.
Derreck,
I started lifting weights when I was 16 years old. The change I had was very gradual and I consistently gained weight over 10 years. I just kept at it all the time. I read every bodybuilding book/magazine I could get my hands on and I even watched bodybuilding documentaries. I was constantly reading. I am 28 years old now and am still not completely “comfortable” with my chest. But it is a 1000 times better than when I was 16.
If you truly want to help cover your PC you have to do ALL the workouts. Workout your entire body. When you workout your legs more testosterone is released into your body and helps you build other parts of your body. When you workout your back it help support your chest, which makes your chest stronger. Every muscle in your body works together. If you want to build muscle mass to cover your Pectus Carinatum make sure you lift heavy weights and low reps. light weight with high reps will get you toned and ripped but wont build the mass you want.
Like I said, read bodybuilding books, I like Arnolds encyclopedia of modern bodybuilding, after I read that book and did what it said I became a freak in the gym and I was very well known for how fast I gained weight. You can buy the book through me too in the link above. Yes, I do make a little money for people who buy through me but I still think the book is awesome!
Lifting weights isn’t the entire thing either. You have to eat right and sleep. 80% of your bodybuilding happens when you are asleep. If you don’t eat and sleep then you wont grow. I hope this all helps!
I really like your website. good job! I am 17 years old. i notice my PC around freshman year of high school. It didn’t bother me much because i was a rip 5’4, about 110lbs kid. Certain days my PC makes me feel ugh about myself. I don’t know what situation is suitable for me. I know I don’t want a surgery. My only option is to wear a brace or to workout. I really want to get taller.
Hey man at 17 you are going to be self conscious about everything. As you get older you will become a lot more comfortable with yourself the way you are. Just do what you can. Remember, confidence will trump any physical flaw you may have. I have learned that you are the way you think. Always think positive and realize that there are people that have it a 1000 times worse than you do. Good luck man!
Hey,
I’m 15 and I find out about my PC at the end of last summer. I noticed it more when I wrestled for the first time for my high school (helped me gain some confidence). I’m 5’6 and about 100 pounds. I only have it on one side so I don’t know what workouts to do. I eat healthy but I’m still pretty skinny. Thanks or this great website!
Hey I’m 15 and noticed I had PC this summer. I wrestled this year in high school but we didn’t do serious workouts because of too much weight gain. I’m 5’6 and 100 pounds so the PC is very noticeable. It’s only on one side so I need some help on some workouts to hide it and become physically fit
Thanks your the best
Working one side of your body more than another is something I have never done before… I couldn’t say what kind of problems you might run into with that. Do a lot of research on that and let us all know on here what you find. I’m sure there are a lot of other people with your same situation.
Hey Russell,
Thanks for putting together this website and giving people like me hope. I am 22 years old and along with pectus carinatum, I have severe scoliosis (over 85 degrees) and a heart problem. I’ve had multiple surgeries on my heart in which the doctors split my sternum.
Whenever I try to do any sort of exercise involving my chest, the next morning it feels as though my chest is going to explode. I guess I have to start small. I’m around 5’11” and weigh 105lbs.
I just wanted to thank you for putting this site together and I hope that by following your steps I can achieve the same results.
I hope the best for you with the surgeries. Please make sure you listen to your doctor though. Don’t do anything that is going to jeopardize you your health and the health of your heart. That is serious stuff.
Hey Russ.
Great website! It’s reassuring to read other peoples experiences. I’ve had pc my whole life and it’s always been a massive issue for me. It’s always affected my confidence and have never been able to take my shirt off in front of friends. daily i think about how to hide it and as you said you did, i’ve spent so much time in the mirror trying to push it in. It seems most people suffering tend to be quite skinny and yet the condition makes it hard to have the confidence to go to the gym to help build muscle. I’m now 34 and though have kinda learned to live with it, i decided 7 months ago that if i could build some muscle i would maybe be a little happier with how i look. i have only recently discovered that it is actually something other people suffer from and presumed it was just my weird body shape. I’m not sure exactly what type i have but it feel it’s a mild case. nevertheless it has caused me much suffering in my head and had a knock on effect on my social life and relationships.
I’ve been seeing a personal trainer 3 times each week for the past 7 months, which for me was the only way i could start this process. going to the gym by myself was too daunting. I find it a struggle in build muscle mass, but have made some progress. it seems a very slow road to go down but the motivation to improve my confidence keeps me on track.
I just wanted to say to people reading, don’t be miserable about it for years, hoping it’ll go away. Do something positive to boost your confidence. Let it be your motivation in life. This could be the thing that helps us have a healthy, fulfilled life. when you think about, some people with completely normal bodies take it for granted and end up with no motivation to improve themselves. I’ve chosen to have a great body despite this and am already alot more confident. i imagine after another 3 years at it i’ll be pretty stoked about how i look. Just gotta stay on this path….
good luck folks!
Johnny
Johnny,
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing with us all!
This website could potentially be the determinig factor in a great change in my life. Im glad i found it and it is pleasantely surprising to see other people with the same condition trying to find a way out. Im 17, 5,7 and 125 lbs. I have a rather mild condition compared to others, id say it sticks out less than an inch. Nonetheless it still irritates the s*** out of me. Not being able to certain types of clothing because my chest sticks out is rather annoying. im afraid of going to public pools and beaches and being exposed. It f**** with my social life and personally im sick of it. Im going to try and follow a good workout routine and hopefully be able to cover it up in about 2 years. This thing has been holding me back my entire life and im ready to beat it. Hopefully you will keep us posted on new ways to improve. I just need a way to stay focused with a little bit of advice. Ill definitely be checking on here often.
Im glad I can help man! Keep reading all over the internet too. there are tons of workouts that others are doing on websites, fitness magazine and bodybuilding books. You just have to tailor a workout for yourself out of everyone elses opinions. Good luck!
Whats the best chest excersise? I need to get my lowerouter chest more muscled, any advice?
I would do some dips while leaning forward as much as you can to isolate your lower chest. Also check out youtube for lower chest cable exercises if you have access to a gym.
Thanks for all the advice. I’ve been training for almost half a year and but it seems my left pec is getting a lot larger than my right (the protusion is situated very slightly tp the right of my chest). Do you have any suggestions on how to even them out and are yours now more even after 3 years?
My best advice is to really read and study about proper posture while working out. It’s not going to fix your pecs from being asymmetrical but it will give you the best results possible. My left pec is also bigger than the right and it will probably always be that way. That is normal for most people with or without PC to some degree.
And in all honesty, your biggest critic is going to be you. Other people don’t notice your physical flaw nearly as much as you do. I think a lot of people with PC are better off than they think they are, including myself.
Hi: My kid is 13 and he just was diagnosed with PC. I assume he’s too young to start serious bodybuilding/weight lifting. What do you recommend he start with until he’s older?
Your right. Bodybuilding at 13 is not a good thing. Your bones are not fully developed as a teenager and lifting weights can actually stunt your growth (so I’ve heard anyway). My parents wouldn’t let me lift weights until I was 16 years old. But they did encourage me to be active, do pushups, pullups, or any other sort of body weight exercise I could.
I started to notice mine around 15 and now at age 16 my doc recommends the brace but I don’t like wearing it during school and at night then Its hard to sleep. He said that I could work out which would help my chest to grow faster and correct itself if I wear the brace. Your story is practically the same as mine. I’m 6’3″ and about 150 I don’t like taking my shirt off either I feel diffrent Around other guys
I never wore a brace myself. I thought about it but working out seemed to do the trick. I wouldn’t be surprised if you wore the brace and worked out a lot that you would see great results.