The pectoralis muscle, more commonly known in the lifting community as “pecs”, makes up the bulk of the chest. The muscle consists of four parts - the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior and subclavius. Together they connect the front of the chest with the upper arm and shoulder and their primary functions are rotating the humerus, abduction and flexion. In simpler terms - the pecs are a noticeable part of the upper body; so building pumped pecs is CRUCIAL in the pursuit to look sculpted for summer.
In order to efficiently build a big chest, strict dedication to pec-focused lifting in the weight room is key. But first things first - the warm up. If you intend on cutting your pump session short, do NOT cut out the warm up. Warming up gets the blood flowing and prepares the muscles to take on heavy weights. The most commonly used and encouraged forms of warming up for weight lifting are foam rolling and light cardio. Try 5-10 minutes on a stationary bike or an inclined speed walk on the treadmill to start off.
While it may seem like the quick road to noticeable pecs is to make every day chest day, it is actually recommended to have rest days in between each chest day to let your muscles recover properly. We advise training the chest every other day - about 2-3 days per week. Twice per week for twice the gains! The chest should also be trained in three different parts - upper, middle, and lower portions to stimulate each section efficiently.
In addition to exhausting the pecs, the shoulders and arms are also involved in any type of chest-dense lift; resulting in an extra beneficial pump session. Pumped pecs encourage better posture and contribute to overall upper body strength… what more could you ask for?! Evidence has shown that including a combination of the lifts listed below into a consistent routine results in especially ripped pecs.
Lastly - stretching. Stretching is extremely important for more reasons that just increased flexibility. It helps your body to recover! Focused static stretching after each workout tones muscles, improves range of motion, encourages better blood flow, and significantly reduces the risk of injury. Properly combining a solid warm up, pec-focused weight lifting, and 5-10 minutes of stretching could jump start your journey to pumped pecs!
Barbell Chest Press
Seated Machine Chest Press
Incline Dumbbell Press
Pec-Deck Machine
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
