# How do you get muscles so your ribs don't show?



## anakada (Jul 25, 2010)

I have seen some pictures of people with muscles under their chest on the sides that cover ribs.

My ribs are showing a bit and I am looking for an excercise that works on those little muscles (I am female)


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## Hoglander (Jul 25, 2010)

Are you sure they are not your serratus anterior muscles? If you have been working out a lot or are naturally muscular, fat people like to call those muscles ribs. If that's it you are a gift to all that love perfection(does not include fat people).


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## anakada (Jul 25, 2010)

I'm too skinny and my ribs are showing.
I am dieting and training at the same time.


I train chest and I train abdominals but looking at some pictures, I see there are alot of other muscles in between that stop your ribs sticking out and I want to know how to build them.


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## ceazur (Jul 26, 2010)

Eat


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## Phineas (Jul 26, 2010)

The area where the ribs show is a muscle group called serratus anterior. It's pretty easy to work it indirectly through:

-close grip barbell rows
-dumbbell unilateral bench rows
-close grip chinups
-seated rows
-close-grip lat pulldowns
-chest presses
-overhead presses

Or more directly through:

-rope pulls
-pullovers


But, anything where you're stabalizing will work all the muscles in the torso: squats, deadlifts, pullups, planks, etc.

And, of course, eating...


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## chesty4 (Jul 26, 2010)

Eat big, lift big, rest, repeat


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## ceazur (Jul 26, 2010)

Phineas said:


> The area where the ribs show is a muscle group called serratus anterior. It's pretty easy to work it indirectly through:
> 
> -close grip barbell rows
> -dumbbell unilateral bench rows
> ...


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## Phineas (Jul 26, 2010)

ceazur said:


>



Put your coffee away. 

You can't just suggest eating for all questions as the solution. What good is fat for covering the ribs? Eating is necessary, yes, but you should also train to put muscle in the desired area.

Also, this isn't some 16 year old guy looking to get ripped. It's a woman looking for some muscle around the ribs. I don't think the usual eat, eat, eat advice is exactly fitting in this case.


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## ceazur (Jul 26, 2010)

Phineas said:


> Put your coffee away.
> 
> You can't just suggest eating for all questions as the solution. What good is fat for covering the ribs? Eating is necessary, yes, but you should also train to put muscle in the desired area.
> 
> Also, this isn't some 16 year old guy looking to get ripped. It's a woman looking for some muscle around the ribs. I don't think the usual eat, eat, eat advice is exactly fitting in this case.



First off pops, I didn't realize the OP was a lady. Second of all, I was just making it clear that eating is the number 1 thing that is going to have to be done. Regardless if she does 1k of each exercise you named, if she doesn't eat it won't matter. THIRD,


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## Phineas (Jul 26, 2010)

ceazur said:


> First off pops, I didn't realize the OP was a lady. Second of all, I was just making it clear that eating is the number 1 thing that is going to have to be done. Regardless if she does 1k of each exercise you named, if she doesn't eat it won't matter. THIRD,



Which is why I said "and eating...".

However, diet is an issue for the diet section. The question was geared towards what exercises target the rib cage area. I was trying to pin down one issue first. 

And, just saying eating, eating, eating is a bit of an overstatement. Based on her question about building muscle in such a small area I'm guessing she's not a seasoned lifter who's interested in up'ing her squats and deadlifts. She's simply looking for some basic common female esthetique features. Good diet is necessary, but doesn't need to be pushed on her like we would with young male newbies.

You're getting pretty lippy lately ceazur.


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## ceazur (Jul 26, 2010)

Phineas said:


> Which is why I said "and eating...".
> 
> However, diet is an issue for the diet section. The question was geared towards what exercises target the rib cage area. I was trying to pin down one issue first.
> 
> ...



Well I wasn't trying to sound like a smart ass, although; I am a smart ass. I also didn't mean to give the OP incorrect advice, which I learned from you an others here at IM anyways. I simply felt as if you were correcting me ,and of course, who in the hell likes being corrected? All in all, it all boils down to one thing, I love you. 

I've really always been lippy, I just recently developed the time to actually sit at the computer and show it. It's one of my worse qualities my fiance says.


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## Phineas (Jul 26, 2010)

ceazur said:


> Well I wasn't trying to sound like a smart ass, although; I am a smart ass. I also didn't mean to give the OP incorrect advice, which I learned from you an others here at IM anyways. I simply felt as if you were correcting me ,and of course, who in the hell likes being corrected? All in all, it all boils down to one thing, I love you.
> 
> I've really always been lippy, I just recently developed the time to actually sit at the computer and show it. It's one of my worse qualities my fiance says.


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## anakada (Jul 26, 2010)

The area where the ribs show is a muscle group called serratus anterior.  It's pretty easy to work it indirectly through:

 -close grip barbell rows
 -dumbbell unilateral bench rows
 -close grip chinups
 -seated rows
 -close-grip lat pulldowns
 -chest presses
 -overhead presses

 Or more directly through:

 -rope pulls
 -pullovers

Thanks for listening exactly what I am looking for 

I have developed some muscle in most parts of my body except this area.
I have lost weight from high fat/low carb dieting. I'm sure when I go back to normal eating, I will put on weight. I am eating as much as I can but it's only around 1500 calories on average.

I am going to get stuck into those pullovers tomorrow .


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## Hoglander (Jul 26, 2010)

Phineas said:


> The area where the ribs show is a muscle group called serratus anterior. It's pretty easy to work it indirectly through:
> 
> -close grip barbell rows
> -dumbbell unilateral bench rows
> ...



Rethink that, starting with the first sentence.


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## THE_BROSKI (Jul 26, 2010)

ok your gonna wanna do this excercise where u get a spoon and you load it up with food, then you fastly move it into your mouth and repeat it alot 10 times a day maybe eat like ya know 3 cans of tuna 2 chicken breasts 2 protein shakes and then sometimes i eat steak and wut not, its good man DO IT
c uz i use 2 be like that too


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## Phineas (Jul 28, 2010)

Hoglander said:


> Rethink that, starting with the first sentence.



Umm, I'm lost, honestly.

If you're saying because the rips extend deeper I meant that the armpit area-ish is typically where the ribs appear most prominent.

As far as the exercises, all the of those exercises work the serratus anterior quite well. So, I'm confused as to what's wrong with my advice.


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## Hoglander (Jul 28, 2010)

Phineas said:


> Umm, I'm lost, honestly.
> 
> If you're saying because the rips extend deeper I meant that the armpit area-ish is typically where the ribs appear most prominent.
> 
> As far as the exercises, all the of those exercises work the serratus anterior quite well. So, I'm confused as to what's wrong with my advice.




She said under her chest on the sides. That makes me think of the normal area where you see ribs showing, below the serratus anterior.

Examples: 

http://images.triplem.com.au/2009/01/13/102974/WWS_Female Body Builders 600x400-6-600x400.jpg


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## Hoglander (Jul 28, 2010)

Notice the well developed serratus anterior on the first girl. They are right above the string. They look like ribs to most people.


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## Phineas (Jul 28, 2010)

Hoglander said:


> She said under her chest on the sides. That makes me think of the normal area where you see ribs showing, below the serratus anterior.
> 
> Examples:
> 
> http://images.triplem.com.au/2009/01/13/102974/WWS_Female Body Builders 600x400-6-600x400.jpg



Oh I see what you're saying. Well, I was just going by under the chest. Serratus anterior is directly under the chest. 

I guess oblique/torso work in general would be wise, too.


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