The "pecs" are showcase muscles that round out the upper body. Known in full anatomical notation as the pectoralis major and minor, the pecs respond to pushing exercises. If you want to build your pecs fast, be patient. Trying to do too much too fast can lead to carelessness and the risk of taking steps backward.
Exercise Types
Weight machines and free weights are both good options for building the pecs, but you get an advantage with free weights. According to Rice University, free weights cause greater gains in strength than machines because of greater specificity of movement specificity. Use dumbbells and barbells for all your exercises.
Different Angles
To maximize pec development, you need to work your chest from multiple angles. A standard bench press, for example, places all the emphasis on your middle chest. Include this exercise with your workouts, along with incline presses, decline presses and flys. Incline presses target the upper pecs, decline presses target the lower pecs and flys target the inner pecs.
Heavy Resistance
The amount of resistance you lift is going to be the difference maker with your pec development. If you lift light weights, you will not make much progress. The goal is to tax your muscles with heavy resistance to cause micro tears in your muscles. To achieve this, use a resistance that you can lift only eight to 12 times. Aim for three or four sets with each exercise, and work out with a spotter who can assist you.
Full Range of Motion
Range of motion is the movement pattern in which you raise and lower a weight. If you do not use a full range of motion and have sloppy form, your pec muscle development will be put on hold. With each of your exercises, move through a full range of motion and move the weights in a controlled fashion. Take dumbbell bench presses, for example. Lie face up on a weight bench and hold the weights straight above your body with your palms facing forward. The dumbbells should be an inch apart at this point, and your abs should be tight. Slowly lower the weights down to your sides by bending your elbows. Take a full two seconds to lower the dumbbells and stop when you feel a good stretch in your chest. After holding for a second, push the weights back up and squeeze your pecs forcefully for a second. Once you have done that, begin your next repetition.
Rest Your Chest
Working your chest every day is not going to get you results any faster. Actually, it will set you back and possibly cause you injury. Take at least one day off in between your workouts to allow for recovery time.
Body Weight
If you do not have access to a gym or free weights, you are in luck. You can still build your pecs with the help of push-ups. These body weight exercises can be performed from multiple angles to ensure you fully tax your pecs. Standard push-ups, which are performed on the floor, target the middle part of the chest. Decline push-ups with your feet elevated on a chair, target the upper pecs. Incline push-ups with your hands placed on a chair, target your lower chest.
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