A defined chest and rippling back muscles are common goals for male gym-goers. While that might sound superficial, there are plenty of good reasons to work on your upper body – and looking toned is only one of them.
We use these muscles all day long: for pushing open a door, for lifting our children (or grandchildren) off the floor; and for breathing. Now, a new study has revealed a surprising new reason to train your torso: it could reduce your risk of a heart attack.
The study, published in the journal Radiology, looked at heart scans of 1,722 people, who were mostly in their 50s and had chest pain. The researchers discovered that people with greater muscle density in their chest and back were less likely to have a heart attack or die in the decade after having the scan.
The new study grouped people based on how their muscle appeared in scan images, and investigated rates of heart attacks and early deaths using their health records.
For every 10-point increase in scan brightness, indicating better-quality muscle with less fat in it, a person was calculated to be 31 per cent less likely to have a heart attack. They were also 39 per cent less likely to die in the 10 years after having the scan.
Prof Bryan Williams, the chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, says: “Every time we move, we are making a positive difference to our muscles, our blood vessels and our overall health, and regular exercise can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to a third.”
To build the muscles in your chest and back, the following exercises should do the job. For each one, perform three to four sets of 12-15 reps, taking a 30-60 second rest in between sets.
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