pecs

Muscles for push-ups

Pecs is the informal plural of pectoral muscles—the large chest muscles connecting the shoulder to the breastbone.

The word appears almost exclusively in fitness contexts: He's been working on his pecs at the gym.

Well-developed pecs are a standard marker of male physique in bodybuilding and popular culture.

bodybuilding

benchpress

Horizontal strength lift

dumbbellHandheld exercise weight
inclineAngled rising surface
declineDecrease or refuse

dips · pushups · hypertrophy · pump · definition · striation · mass · bulk · symmetry · reps

physique

chest

Ribcage region or strongbox

torsoBody without limbs
definedGiven exact meaning
chiseledSharply cut, well-defined

sculpted · ripped · toned · muscular · buff · built · jacked · swole · shredded · cut

fitness

pushups

Bodyweight chest exercise

workoutStructured physical exercise
exerciseActivity for fitness
calisthenicsEquipment-free resistance exercises

resistance · toning · conditioning · flexibility · stretch · warmup · cooldown · form · technique · routine

anatomy

sternum

Flat chest bone

clavicleHorizontal bone above ribs
ribcageBony chest enclosure
thoraxCentral body cavity

breastbone · collarbone · intercostal · deltoid · trapezius · latissimus · scapula · serratus · rhomboid · thoracic

slang

man-boobs

Enlarged male breast tissue

moobsGynecomastia, colloquially
gunsProjectile-launching weapons
platesFlat eating dishes

slabs · pillows · shelf

Categories

chest muscles
thoraxthorax, chest, ribcage, chest cavity, chest wall
body partsarm, leg, hand, back, chest
Gym Culturegym, lift, reps, rep, gains
musclesmuscle, biceps, triceps, abs, hamstrings
strengthstrength, might, brawn, power, muscle

Opposites

body region (front vs. back torso)

pecsback

Reverse side; support

lats · traps · upper back · back muscles · rhomboids

upper body muscle groups

pecsabs

Distance from zero

delts · biceps · triceps · core · glutes

Phrases

pectoral musclesChest wall musculature
pectoral finsFish steering appendages
pectoralis minorTriangular upper-chest muscle
pec deckChest isolation machine

Family

pectoral, pec, pectorals, pectoralis

Familiarity: Top 100,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G