Power and flexibility often go hand in hand.

To maximize pectoral muscle strength techniques, it’s important to have the right level of mobility. Not only will this help you perfect new techniques, but it’s also going to help stave off injuries.

When it comes to strengthening the pectorals, these six pec stretch release techniques can unlock even more potential.

What Is Pectoral Muscle Release?

The pectoral muscle group consists of 2 muscles:  the pec major and the pec minor.

These muscles can often become tight, leading to excessively rounded shoulders, shoulder or neck pain, and breathing imbalance. Pec stretch release techniques can help alleviate these pains, restoring greater mobility and allowing the patient to focus on their pectoral muscle strength technique.

As well as helping with shoulder and neck problems, the pec stretch release techniques shown below can be effective for improving many issues.

Pec Release Techniques

When Might You Need Pectoral Muscle Release (Pec Major and Pec Minor):

Your pecs are important muscles in your body, so it’s important to maintain flexibility in this area, particularly if you’re working on pectoral muscle strength techniques.

However, there are some tell-tale signs that you might need pectoral muscle release:

  • Shoulder pain
  • Rounded shoulders
  • Neck pain
  • Referred pain down the arms
  • Imbalanced breathing or rib cage patterns

Movement is an important part of recovery, and in these cases, the right pec stretches can help alleviate pain and return mobility to the affected area.

Pec Muscle Release - Massage Therapy

The pectoralis major is the most superficial and easy to access chest muscle.  It starts at the sternum and inserts into the upper arm.  There are a variety of glides that can be used as demonstrated in the video, and even simple compression of the muscle can be used to assist with reducing tender areas.

The pectoralis minor, however, is a bit more challenging to access because it lies underneath the larger pec fibers.  It needs to be treated from the side, or side-lying position.

With treatment from an experienced professional and the right stretching routine, it is possible to release the pectorals, allowing people to get back to the workouts they love.

6 Pec Stretch Release Techniques

Stretching out the pecs is an important part of working on your pectoral muscle strength technique. The more mobility you have in this area, the better quality workouts you can do, leading to more effective and healthy muscle growth.

Pec Major Stretch - Standing Wall Stretch

One of the easiest and most familiar ways to get a pectoralis major stretch is with a doorway stretch.  Place your arm so that your elbow is slightly higher than your shoulder and step forward a bit while simultaneously turning your body away from the arm.

One thing to note, if the anterior shoulder capsule is sensitive for any number of reasons (underlying shoulder pathology) you may feel discomfort instead of the intended effect which is to stretch pectoralis major.  In this case you may need to opt for a self-massage style technique, or seek additional help to address the shoulder issue prior to doing these stretches.

Pec Stretch - Swiss Ball Stretch

The swiss ball pectoral stretch is a good alternative to the doorway stretch, especially if you have a hard time getting a good stretch.

Make sure you use a ball that is large enough, and that you allow your shoulder blades to move toward each other to simulate stepping forward through the doorway as discussed in the previous stretch.

Pec Muscle Release - Post Isometric Relaxation

Post-isometric relaxation works well for the pectoral muscles.

This is accomplished by moving toward the end of a massage table (or bench) and allow your arm to hang as if you were doing a stretch with gravity assistance.  If you are doing this by yourself, lift up your arm (using your chest muscles) just enough to activate the muscle.

Hold for 8-10 seconds, take a deep breathe in, and exhale as you attempt to relax further into the stretch.  Hold for 10 seconds, then repeat 2-3 more times or until no additional range of motion is achieved.

Pec Minor Release - Massage Therapy

Massage therapy works very well for the pec minor muscle.

Correct positioning as  well and low-moderate pressure is ideal for addressing this muscle.  You don't need to push too hard!  In addition, it's important to be cautious of nerves in the area of the pec minor.

Pec Major/Minor Muscle Release - Self Massage w Ball

Self-massage for the pectoral muscles is possible with the use of a tennis or lacrosse ball.  Place the ball into the desired area and lean into a wall or doorway.

You may wish to move your arm slightly back behind your body to lengthen the pectorals as you compress the tissues with the ball.  You can move your body to scroll through the tissues, and isolate any areas that are particularly tender.  It is fairly common to find pectoralis major trigger points that refer to the shoulder and often down the arm.  Hold those points for 10-15 seconds, then move to another area.

Continue this process until you treat the areas that you can access effectively.

Conclusion

Stretching should be an essential part of your pectoral muscle strength technique. If you’re suffering from pain in your neck and shoulders, then it’s going to hold back your workout, and it could be due to your pectorals.

With the right treatment, and some pec release techniques, you can alleviate pain and make your workouts even more effective.

Mobility is key and pectoral muscle release could be exactly what you need.