On gym floors, you may hear the pectorals muscles referred to as the "pecs." This chest muscle group consists of the pectoralis major and minor. Any time you move your upper arms inward or your shoulders forward, you're using your pecs. In conventional weight training, exercises like bench presses and flies work the pecs. Pushups achieve the same goal, using your body weight as resistance.
Perfect Form
For pushups to be beneficial for working the pecs, you need to use proper form. If you do not use a full range of motion and you allow your hips to sag, you will not fully work your muscles and you also run the risk of developing imbalances. To begin a pushup, lie on your stomach with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the floor and your fingers facing forward. Move your feet together and push yourself off the floor until your arms are fully extended. At this point, it is important to raise your hips and form a straight a line from your shoulders to your heels. Maintain this posture as you slowly lower yourself down. Once your chest is just above the floor, push yourself back to the starting point and repeat. Every time you come up, make sure to squeeze your pecs forcefully to enhance the contraction.
Variations of Pushups
The conventional pushup works effectively, but it primarily targets the middle section of the pecs. To fully develop your chest, you need to add variations to your regimen. For example, performing decline pushups with your feet elevated on a bench or chair will work the upper pecs. Reversing your body position and placing your hands on the bench will shift the emphasis to your lower chest. These are called incline pushups. Placing your hands on towels and sliding them together when you come up from a pushup will work the inner part of your pecs. This is similar to a dumbbell fly exercise performed on a bench. You need a slippery floor surface to do this variation.
Weighted Pushups
The weight of your body gives adequate resistance when you first start doing pushups. Eventually, however, your pecs will adapt to the stress of your body weight, and you will need more resistance. The easiest way to add weight is to wear a weighted backpack or weighted vest. Then you can continually add weight and make progress with your workouts.
Compound Exercise
Although pushups primarily work the pecs, they also work a number of other muscles. Exercises that work more than one muscle at a time are known as compound, or multi-joint, exercises. Because you bend the elbow, the triceps on the upper back arms are being recruited. You also work the deltoids on the outer shoulders and the abdominal muscles. Keeping your abs tight is called bracing and it helps you maintain a stable spine.
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