Best exercise to build pectoral muscles

[Ranger X]

What is the best exercise to build pectoral muscles? I know the incline bench is used to build them as well as the fly machine (butterfly) but are there any other methods? I'm looking for a way to get definition rather than beef up there.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

What do you mean "defined"? Presses (flat and incline) give your pecs more volume (ie, makes em bigger), with the incline concentrating on your upper pecs. Butterflys, or if you use dumbbells (called dumbbell flyes) work the outside pec region - the area on the sides of the pecs, leading up to your armpits. If you want really defined pecs, you have to lose some bf or else no matter what you do they'll look "sloppy" so to speak.

 

[RegaPlanet]

for definition I'd go with flat, incline, decline flys, dumbell presses and dips

 

[Nitemare]

Slow reps and a mixture..personally i like the butterfly, reverse butterfly, and the military press

 

[StageLeft]

Probably dumbell press on a slight incline.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

<< Slow reps and a mixture..personally i like the butterfly, reverse butterfly, and the military press >>



Um, the military press is a shoulder excercise

 

[KevinMU1]

My advice would be to be sure that you work both your pecs and upper pecs, otherwise they start to look really weird and malformed. Inclines help target the upper pecs.

 

[RobHW]

Definitely flys, but not machine flys, dumbbell freeweight flys.

Do incline flys, flatbench flys and decline flys. Do all three, three sets of each, 12 reps per set. Vary weight, speed of movement and number of reps (8 to 20) over sessions. Work pecs twice a week, tops. Different things work for different people, so note your results, use your judgement and try variations.

 

[classy]

The quickest excercise to build pecs is Dips. But they also require a person to have good strength. The second best is bench pressses.

 

[Nitemare]

<<

<< Slow reps and a mixture..personally i like the butterfly, reverse butterfly, and the military press >>



Um, the military press is a shoulder excercise >>



It also works your upper pecs especially if you incline the seat some. I don't isolate the pecs specifically..i normally exercise them with my quads as well

 

[SpecialEd]

the good old fashioned Bench Press is the base exercise to building chest muscles.

if you looking for tone and definition.... all you got to do is low weight, high reps. Most importantly, you must have good form!!! not only is it safer, its better for your muscles.

all the exercises mentioned are fine... just remember controled, fluid motion... if you don't want to use machines... push ups, pull ups and situps are all you need to build upper body strength.

 

[Antoneo]

Anyone else find dips hard to do (non assisted)? I feel like my chest is getting ripped apart everytime I do them. But it feels good in the end.

 

[Rudee]

Definition is related to diet - not any particular exercise. The best exercises for the chest are barbell and dumbell benchpress, wide grip dips and heavy flys.

 

[AndrewR]

Anyone else find dips hard to do (non assisted)?

Yes, but it isn't my chest that hurts when doing them, it's my elbows. Always feels like I'm tearing something. :frown:

 

[Ranger X]

What about lower pecs? Is decline benching the best way? Running and doing other cardio activities are probably for burning the layer of fat for definition.

 

[Looney]

Like RagingBITCH said, military press are for shoulders.

But if you want nice defined pecs, you'll need to do all those exercises. Incline for the upper pecs, flat bench for size, close grip to help the center of your chest, and decline to work the bottom of it (believe me, you'll want this if you want square pecs). The difference between bulking up and definition isn't the exercise, it's the repetition. So if you're going for definition, i would do about 12-15 reps each set. And if you're going for size, go for about 8-10reps each set.