Chest Workout At Home, With Or Without Dumbbells

Building strong pecs is a common goal for many gym-goers. Not only can they look great, but a strong chest contributes to better posture and improved overall strength. You may have noticed that at home workouts focus more on the arms and legs, now it’s time to give your chest some love. Fortunately, you don’t need any special equipment to work out your pecs—bodyweight exercises are just as effective. And if you do have access to dumbbells, you can use them to take your chest workouts to the next level. Here are some of the best chest exercises you can do at home, with or without dumbbells.

Chest Workout At Home Without Equipment

One advantage at-home chest workouts without equipment have is that they are convenient and easy to do anywhere.

Push-Ups

The push-up is a classic chest exercise that requires no equipment. You can do them anywhere and they work your chest, shoulders, and triceps all at once.

The technique is fairly straightforward, and you can increase the difficulty by using a wider grip or putting your feet on an elevated surface.

To perform a classic push-up:

1. Start in a plank position, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your feet together.
2. Keeping your core tight and your back straight, slowly lower your body by bending your elbows until your chest just touches the floor.
3. Push yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for as many reps as desired.

There are many push-up variations that work just as well, such as:

• Diamond push-ups: Place your hands close together, forming a diamond shape with your index fingers and thumbs.
• Wide grip push-ups: Position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, which puts more emphasis on your pectoral muscles.
• Superman push-ups: Instead of placing your chest on the floor, you only lower your upper body so your chin is an inch or two away from the ground.
• Single-arm push-ups: Performing a push-up with only one arm not only challenges your chest muscles, but it also works your core, obliques, and back.
• Decline push-ups: Place your feet on an elevated surface like a chair, bench, or step and perform the exercise in the same way as a regular push-up.
• Plyometric push-ups: These are explosive push-ups in which you push yourself off the floor as quickly as possible and clap your hands before landing.
• Handstand push-ups: This version is performed upside down and requires a good foundation of strength.

Read More: Belly Breathing Vs Chest Breathing: Which Is Better?

Chest Dips

Chest dips are a great way to target your chest without the use of equipment. All you need is two chairs and enough room to fit your body between them.

To do a chest dip:

1. Place two chairs facing away from each other, separated by about a foot.
2. Sit on the edge of one chair and place your hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of the other chair.
3. Keeping your elbows close to your body, slowly lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel with the ground.
4. Push yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for as many reps desired.

Wall Angels

Wall angels are a great way to warm up your chest and shoulders before doing other exercises. It only requires a wall, so you can do them anywhere.

To perform a wall angel:

1. Stand with your back against a wall and raise your arms straight up so they’re in line with your ears.
2. Keeping your arms straight and elbows close to the wall, slowly lower your arms as if you were doing a snow angel.
3. Once your arms are in line with your chest, raise them back up to the starting position and repeat for as many reps as desired.

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Chest Workout At Home With Dumbbells

If you have a set of dumbbells at home, then there are plenty of exercises that you can do to target your chest. When choosing dumbbell weights, start light and gradually increase as you get stronger.

Dumbbell Chest Press

The chest press is a compound exercise that targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders.

To do a chest press:

1. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and hold two dumbbells above your chest.
2. Keeping your core tight and elbows close to your sides, slowly lower the weights until they are at chest level.
3. Push the weights back up to the starting position and repeat for as many reps desired.

Dumbbell Chest Flyes

Chest flyes are an isolation exercise that targets the chest muscles, and can be done with dumbbells or resistance bands.

To do a chest fly:

1. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and hold two dumbbells above your chest.
2. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, slowly open your arms in an arching motion until you feel a stretch across your chest.
3. Reverse the motion and bring the dumbbells back together, then repeat for as many reps desired. 

Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows

Bent-over rows are a great way to work the muscles in your chest and back simultaneously.

To do a bent-over row:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold two dumbbells in front of you.
2. With a slight bend in your knees, slowly lower your torso until it is almost parallel with the floor.
3. Keeping your arms close to your body, pull the dumbbells up towards your chest and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
4. Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position, then repeat for as many reps desired.

Dumbbell Pullovers

Pullovers are an isolation exercise that targets the chest, lats, and triceps.

To do a pullover:

1. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and hold two dumbbells above your chest.
2. Keeping your arms straight, slowly lower the weights behind your head until you feel a stretch in your chest. 
3. Reverse the motion and bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position, then repeat for as many reps desired. 

Dumbbell Push-Ups

Push-ups are a compound exercise that targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Dumbbells elevate the intensity of this exercise, making it more challenging.

To do a push-up with dumbbells: 

1. Place the dumbbells directly underneath your hands and get into a push-up position.
2. Keeping your core tight, slowly lower yourself until your chest is just above the dumbbells.
3. Push yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for as many reps desired.

Read More: Chest Superset Workout That Will Pump Up Your Pecs

Why You Should Do A Chest Workout At Home

A chest workout at home can be an efficient and effective way to target your muscle groups. With the right knowledge and equipment, you can easily create an effective workout routine that helps you reach your fitness goals. Some benefits of building your chest at home include: 

Better Body Composition

Chest exercises can help to build strength and muscle mass in the chest, which can improve your overall body composition (1). Having more muscle mass can help to create a more toned, sculpted look.

In addition, as muscle is metabolic tissue, it helps to burn more calories and fat, which can lead to a leaner physique. 

Functional Strength

Building strength in your chest can help to improve the overall movement of your body. This is especially helpful for daily activities such as lifting and carrying items, as it helps make everyday tasks easier. 

Better Posture

Slouching, sitting for long periods of time, and other poor posture habits can cause tightness in the chest muscles. Doing chest exercises can help open up and strengthen the chest muscles, which can improve your posture and help you stand taller (2). 

Increased Range Of Motion

Doing chest exercises can help to increase the range of motion in your shoulders, which can make them more flexible and less prone to injury (1). This increased range of motion can also help when performing other exercises, as you’ll be able to lift more and move more easily. 

Stronger Bones

Bone density decreases with age, which can lead to osteoporosis and other health issues (3).

A sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition can worsen this effect, but weight-bearing exercises such as chest workouts can help to strengthen your bones. This is especially true if you’re already at risk for developing osteoporosis (5).

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Overall Health Benefits

In addition to helping you look and feel better, chest exercises can also help improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Strength training helps raise the heart rate and burn calories, meaning you’ll be burning fat and building muscle at the same time. It can also reduce stress, improve mood, and help you sleep better (4). 

Tips For At Home Chest Workouts

In order to get the most out of your home chest workouts, there are a few important tips to keep in mind.

• Warm up before each workout to help get your body ready for the exercises.
• Make sure you have enough space to safely perform the exercises. 
• Start with lighter weights and slowly increase the weight as you get stronger. 
• Maintain good form when doing each exercise to get the most out of them and reduce the risk of injury. 
• Try to do a variety of exercises to target different muscles in the chest. 
• Monitor your progress and adjust your workout routine accordingly to continue making progress. 
• Make sure you rest in between sets and workouts to let your muscles recover.  
• Stretch after each workout session to help improve flexibility and reduce soreness. 
• Stay hydrated throughout your workouts to help keep your energy levels up. 
• Listen to your body and don’t push yourself too hard if you’re feeling fatigued or sore.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your home chest workouts are safe, effective, and enjoyable. 

The Bottom Line

All in all, chest exercises — when done safely and properly — can be an effective way to improve your overall health and wellbeing. With a few pieces of equipment, you can easily build a chest workout routine that helps you reach your fitness goals.