Looking for the best chest workouts at home? Look no further! This guide provides a variety of exercises that will target all areas of your chest muscles. No gym membership is required!
Your chest is one of the most important muscle groups in your upper body, and it’s also one of the most visible. A strong chest can improve your posture, athletic performance, and overall appearance.
The best news is that you don’t need a gym membership to build a powerful chest. There are many effective chest workouts at home that you can do with minimal equipment.
In this guide, we’ll introduce you to some of the best chest workouts at home that you can do, with and without weights. We’ll also provide tips on how to perform these exercises safely and effectively.
TOP 10 Chest Workouts at Home
When working on your chest muscles, you will primarily target your pectoralis major and minor muscles, as well as your deltoids. These are the muscles that go across your chest, beneath your armpits, and across your shoulders. Warming up properly is essential before beginning the major workouts in order to properly prepare yourself and avoid injury.
Start off with some stretches. For example, hook your fingers together behind your back and raise your arms up behind you. Keep them as straight as possible as you do so. Once you’ve stretched out, try doing some low-intensity dynamic movements. These can include things like gentle press-ups against the wall. Anything to get your muscles moving and warm, but without tiring yourself out.
1. Standard Push-ups
It’s a classic, but a nice one. The push-up (or press-up if you want) is an excellent chest exercise. Lie face down on the floor, with your hands in line with your shoulders, and your arms straight. Then, stand on your toes, maintaining a straight line from your heels to your neck. Take care not to twist your hips or curve your back. This reduces the efficiency of the push-up and puts you at risk of injuring yourself.
To do a single push-up, bend your elbows and get your chest as close to the floor as possible. Make sure to keep your back and legs in a straight line the whole time, or you won’t get the benefits. Do a set of 10 reps, take a 30-second break, and start again. Do three sets and that’s you done. Once this starts to get a little easier, start increasing the number of reps in each set. Add two reps to each set every time you want to push yourself further.
Each rep should be completed slowly and controlled if you want to get the most out of each push-up and retain your form. Don’t rush through them because this will cause you to lose shape and not get as much out of each push-up.
2. Decline Push-ups
These are, unsurprisingly, the inverse of the incline push-ups described above and are fantastic chest workouts at home. Push-ups will be more difficult if your feet are higher than your hands. This is due to the fact that you can lower your chest to the ground and truly work those pectoralis major and deltoid muscles. We recommend trying these only if you’re looking for a new challenge.
As before, keep your legs and back straight, with your hands on the floor and your feet raised. Resting them on a table, a garden bench, or even your sofa is a great idea.
3. Slightly Easier Push-ups
Bear with us, push-ups are going to be a consistent theme in this piece but trust us, it’s worth it. If you’re working out for the first time in a while, or are new to chest workouts at home, then it might be that standard push-ups are a little tricky to start off with. If this is the case, then there are ways to make them a little easier before you graduate to a full-on push-up.
To begin, instead of doing your push-ups on your toes, you can perform them on your knees. However, it is still critical to keep your back and legs straight all the way down to your knees. When these become a little too easy, you can progress to the next level.
Push-ups are easier if your hand position is higher than your foot position. With this in mind, get in a standard push-up position, but instead of having your hands on the floor, raise them slightly – on a sofa arm or chair seat. Everything else about the technique is the same. These are known as incline push-ups.
4. Wide Push-ups
This is an excellent addition to your at-home chest training. Instead of keeping your hands shoulder-width apart, consider spreading them a little wider. This will aid in the recruitment of your triceps, as well as your deltoids and pecs.
5. Plyometric Push-ups
The plyometric push-up is another advanced chest workout at home that adds extra intensity and kicks things up a level. Begin by assuming the typical push-up position and lowering yourself to the floor. The tough part comes next. You must truly explode into the next part, pushing yourself as high as you possibly can. Try pushing yourself so hard that your hands really leave the floor. If you really want to impress your friends, consider clapping your hands after each push-up.
This variant of the push-up adds intensity and explosive power to your chest workouts at home. This means you’ll be burning more calories, as well as boosting muscle stamina.
Keep in mind that before attempting any of these more difficult push-up variations, you must maintain your press-up form. Before moving on to these more difficult progressions, be sure your technique is sound.
6. Shuffle Push-ups
We know what you’re thinking: “Another push-up variant?!” and you’d be correct. However, it is still an excellent supplement to your chest workouts at home routine. Start in a conventional push-up stance, but instead of keeping both hands level, push one out in front of you and one behind you. Perform a push-up, then switch hands and attempt again. Perform at least 10 reps of this so that you have an even number of reps with your hands in each position.
7. Diamond Push-ups
Again, another progression from the standard push-up. With the diamond push-up, instead of having your hands shoulder-width apart, try having them underneath your chest, with your thumb and index finger touching. This is a superb addition to your home chest workout routine as it is also great for working your core alongside all the other chest and arm muscles we’re already recruiting.
8. Spider-Man Push-ups
Finally, this push-up variation is an excellent addition to any chest workout at-home routine. Begin in the conventional push-up position, but bend your elbows so that your chest is lower than theirs. As you do this, bring one of your knees up alongside you. Hold this position for a few seconds before returning to your starting position. Then repeat with the opposite leg. To work each side evenly, make sure you do an even number of these in each set.
As well as your chest, arm, and leg muscles, this version of the humble push-up is also fantastic for working your core.
9. One-leg Push-ups
To perform this home chest workout, you’ll need some serious chops. Begin in the usual push-up position and then elevate one leg. Complete your set of reps (aim to get to 10) while keeping your glutes tight. Alternatively, you could switch legs between reps. Just make sure you do an equal number of reps on each leg.
10. Off-set Push-ups
This is a difficult one. Begin in a regular push-up stance, but lift one hand to rest on a stable surface. This might be anything from a chair to a coffee table. So long as it is flat and strong. Then do a set of press-ups before switching arms. If you’re performing more than two sets, make sure you complete an even number of them to avoid overworking one side.
Adding off-set push-ups into your chest workouts at home routine has loads of benefits. As well as working your pecs and delts, it also puts more pressure on your triceps, helping you build arm muscle. It also requires some serious core control, meaning you’ll build up your abs too.