A chest protector includes a structure for protecting at least a portion of a cardiac silhouette of a user. The structure may include a base assembly, a pivot plate assembly, and a fulcrum block positioned between the pivot plate assembly and the base assembly. The pivot plate assembly is positioned to pivot on the fulcrum block. In some embodiments, the pivot plate assembly and the fulcrum block may include compressible and resilient material. The structure may be shaped, sized, and positioned to coextend with a region of the user's cardiac silhouette. In some embodiments, the pivot plate assembly includes two pivot plate portions oriented at an angle relative to one another. The pivot plate portions may be connected with a flexible hinge, such as a living hinge.