Your chest muscles — pectoralis major and pectoralis minor — allow you to rotate your shoulders and bring them in and forward. They also stabilize your shoulders, which allows you to move your arms up, down, in, and out. Your chest muscles are important for everyday activities such as pushing open a door, pushing a grocery cart, or lifting a child up from the floor. They’re also crucial for performing sports such as swimming, baseball, or tennis.

Like the back muscles, strong chest muscles are important for good posture. And building up your chest muscles can help improve shoulder stability and reduce your risk of shoulder injury.