The pectorals -- which are the muscles in your chest -- are considered one of the major muscle groups in the body because of its size. Building well-defined pecs can accentuate a physique and also improve your performance in sports and daily activities. The fastest way to achieve this goal is by following the right training protocols.
Dynamic Stretching
When you do chest exercises, you activate multiple joints and work more than just your pecs. The triceps and deltoids also get recruited. Before you do workouts, spend five minutes doing dynamic stretches to loosen these areas up. Dynamic stretches are performed in motion, and they help reduce the chances of muscle stiffness and tears, according to the Sports Fitness Advisor website. Perform stretches like alternating toe touches, shoulder shrugs, arm crossovers, spinal rotations and arm pendulums.
Types
The chest is considered one muscle group, but you need to work it from multiple angles to maximize gains. Perform exercises like bench presses, incline presses, decline presses and flys. Bench presses target the middle of the chest, incline presses target the upper chest, decline presses target the lower chest and flys target the inner part of the chest. Utilize free weights for all of these exercises. By using free weights, you are forced to recruit more muscle fibers than you would with machines. This in turn causes you to build your pecs faster.
Proper Form
Exercising with the right form is pivotal to building your pecs. Take the bench press, for example. This is performed from a face-up position on a flat bench. Reach up and grasp the bar with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart and push it off the supports. Hold it straight above your body for a second, then slowly lower it down. Once the bar lightly touches your chest, push it back up until your arms are fully extended, and repeat. Do not lock out your elbows when you push the bar up, and take two seconds to lower the bar. Follow these same points when you do incline and decline presses. Incline presses are performed on an incline bench and decline presses are performed on a decline bench. All of these exercises can be performed with a barbell or dumbbells. Flys require the use of dumbbells. To do these, lie face-up on a flat bench while holding the weights an inch apart above your chest with your palms facing forward. Keep a slight bend in your elbows as you lower the weights to your sides. Once your upper arms parallel the floor, push the weights back up and repeat.
Resistance
To maximize your results, utilize a resistance that allows you to do only eight to 12 repetitions with good form. Have a training partner on hand to make sure you can pull this off. Aim for four or five sets and work your chest every three days to allow for recovery.
Considerations
When you deprive yourself of sleep, you run the risk of feeling fatigued during your workouts, which can compromise your gains. During sleep, your body is releasing key hormones that help promote muscle recoveries. Make sure to follow the Center for Disease Control's recommendation of seven to nine hours of sleep a night to maximize your results.
Get the proper nutrients to build muscle by ensuring that your diet is a healthy one. Choose quality sources of protein, carbs and fat like chicken breasts, fish, lean beef, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans.
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