Whether it's for bodybuilding or just to look good with your shirt off, developing big pecs takes a lot of effort and even some weightlifting. The pectoral muscles are the major muscle group of the chest and can be targeted through weightlifting using a number of techniques and exercises.
Push-ups
For an easy workout that can be done anytime, push-ups are a way to lay the foundation for big pecs and can be done at home. To perform a push-up, lie on the floor on your stomach with your toes up on the ground. Extend your hands to either side flat on the floor. Use your chest muscles to push your body off the floor until your arms are fully extended. Bend your elbows and lower your body to the floor again. Repeat this motion 15 times for one set.
Bench Press
The bench press is one of the most popular pec exercises because it isolates the muscle and can be done with varying amounts of weight. Lie flat on your back on a weightlifting bench with a barbell on the rack. If you're new to weightlifting, start with the barbell empty to learn the bench press without any extra weight. Extend your arms and grip the barbell with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Take the barbell off the rack and bend your elbows to lower it to your chest slowly. Touch the bar lightly to your chest and then quickly lift the bar back to the starting position. Repeat this motion 10 times for one set. Have someone on hand to spot you in case the weight is too much for you to handle.
Incline Fliers
Your pecs consist of one large muscle, but you'll need different exercises to make sure you get definition all around the pectoral muscle. The incline flier is a way to get definition on the inside of the pectoral muscle. Lie flat on an inclined weight bench angled at about 45 degrees. Take dumbbells in either hand and extend them to your sides with your elbows bent at 90-degree angles. Slowly bring your arms in front of you until the dumbbells touch, then return them to the beginning position. Repeat this motion 10 times for one set. Focus on using your chest muscles rather than your biceps to power the dumbbells through the exercise.
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