Chest Press

This exercise works the major muscles of your chest, shoulders and triceps.  Start by lying on a bench while holding weights over your chest.  Make sure your elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle.  Press your arms straight and lower back down to a starting position.

Young man exercising press-up

Pushups

Doing pushups is great because it works almost every muscle in your body.  It puts a particular emphasis on your chest and your arms.  Start with a basic pushup.  Place your hands shoulder-width apart, bend your arms and then lower down as far as you can go.  Straighten your arms and push back up, but without locking your elbows.

Chest Flies

Start by lying down on a bench with your palms facing out.  Lower your weights out to your sides.  Your elbows should be slightly bent.  Stop at shoulder level.  Bring the weights back up over your chest.

General Information About Your Chest

It’s important to pay close attention to your chest.  Inspect your breasts regularly, whether you are a man or a woman.  If your breast becomes inflamed (red and swollen), apply a fresh carrot poultice (grate a carrot into some cheesecloth and moisten it with water) on the infected area all the way up to the armpit.  Cover it with a hot water bottle and leave on for about an hour.  The fresh poultice can be applied several times throughout the day.

You can also do pushups and sit-ups to help strengthen your chest.  Speak to your doctor about or physical fitness expert about the types of exercise you should be doing to strengthen your chest.

Avoid drinking coffee if you suffer from fibrocystic breasts.  Avoid caffeine should help a lot.  You should also avoid salt when your breasts are tender and sore, which may happen with a lot of exercising.

To ease the discomfort of swollen breasts (especially before or during your period), place a chilled towel or bag of ice over your breasts for a little while.  A warm compress held against the breast can also help to relieve breast tenderness.  Pop a damp hand towel in the microwave for 10 seconds, or use an electric heating pad.

Make sure you’re wearing a breast-friendly bra.  Keeping your breasts perky means wearing the right kind of bra.  Most women are not wearing a bra which fits them properly and need to be properly fitted by an expert.  When you’re working out, wear a well-fitted sports bra that is firm and comfortable, but not binding or cutting.