In gyms across the nation, the word "pecs" is often thrown around. This is shorthand for the pectorals which are your chest muscles. In anatomical terms, the pecs contain two parts--the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. The way to make these muscles bigger is through lifting weights, but there are variables involved.
Identification
Weight lifting exercises target different parts of the body. General weight lifting will not cause your chest to become larger. For example, if you do triceps extensions, biceps curls and leg presses, your chest does not get worked at all. To increase the size of your chest, you need to do specific chest exercises.
Types
A bench press is a common chest exercise, but for full development, you need to work it from multiple angles. Incline presses, for example, target the upper part of the chest, decline presses target the lower chest and flyes target the inner part of the chest. If you perform a workout consisting of these exercises, then you will make your chest bigger. Your best bet is to use free weights like barbells and dumbbells. By using free weights, you are forced to recruit a high amount of muscle fibers to keep the weight stable.
Function
When doing chest exercises, good form is a major component of gaining size. If you do not move through a full range of motion and use momentum, you are going to shortchange your progress. Take the dumbbell bench press, for example. Lie face-up on a flat bench while holding the dumbbells an inch apart above you with your palms facing forward. Slowly lower the weights to your sides by bending your elbows and stop when your upper arms parallel the floor. Push the weights back to the starting position in a steady motion and repeat. Take a full two seconds to lower the weights and one second to raise them.
Size
The amount of weight you lift plays a role in your size gains. Aim for a resistance that you can only lift eight to 12 times with proper form. Lifting light weights will build some strength, but you will quickly adapt and not make sizable gains. Each week, aim to increase your resistance by five to 10 percent to continually make progress.
Considerations
Even though free weights are effective at building your chest, you can also use the weight of your body. Push-ups are performed from a face-down position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and feet together behind you. Steadily push your body off the floor and lift your hips to form a straight back. Lower yourself down by bending your elbows and push yourself back up. You can also do push-ups from different angles to maximize your workouts. Place your feet on a bench to do decline push-ups for your upper chest and place your hands on the bench to do incline push-ups for your lower chest. To increase your resistance, wear a weighted vest or have someone hold a weight plate on your back.
Potential
Even though regular exercises do not build the chest, there are some exceptions. Compound exercises work more than one muscle at a time. Even though the chest is not the focus muscle, it still gets worked to help stabilize the body. Shoulder presses, pull-ups and dips are examples of exercises that target other muscle groups, but still involve the chest. You will not add a lot of size by doing them, but you will get some recruitment.
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