Push-Ups
One of the most common chest exercises is the push-up. The push-up is an excellent way to work the chest without equipment. It's also a favorite because it's a compound movement that involves multiple muscles and joints. That means it doesn't just work the chest, it also involves the arms, shoulders, core, and legs.
For working the chest muscles as well as the arms and core, there's nothing like a good old-fashioned push-up. This traditional version is a great way to work the upper body without equipment.
Get down on the hands and knees, positioning the hands a bit wider than the shoulders.
Push the knees up so that you're resting on the hands and toes. Keep the abs engaged and make sure your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
Bend the elbows and lower into a push-up until your elbows are at about 90 degrees.
Press back to start and repeat for 1–3 sets of 10–16 reps.
Push-ups on an Exercise Ball
An exercise ball can add a different element to traditional push-ups, making them easier or harder, depending on where you position it. For instance, you could prop your feet up on the ball, which is a more advanced push-up.
If you need a modification, make this move easier by moving the ball up (so that the shins or thighs are resting on the ball).
Kneel on the floor with the ball in front of you and roll forward on it, walking the hands out to where you can comfortably support your body with the abs in, shoulders retracted and the body in a straight line.
Place the hands a bit wider than your shoulders and check to make sure you're not sagging in the middle. If you are, try rolling back a bit for more support.
Bend the elbows and lower down until your elbows are at about 90 degrees.
Press back to start and repeat for 1– 3 sets of 10–16 reps.
Push-up with a Medicine Ball
The nice thing about push-ups, besides all the muscles they work, is that there are so many variations that you can always find a version that works for you. This exercise is great for the upper body, but it's also great for the core.
Elevating one hand on a medicine ball adds a new challenge, and rolling the ball from hand to hand engages the abs and adds a dynamic element you don't often get with traditional push-ups.
Get into a push-up position on the knees (easier) or the toes (more difficult). Make sure the body is in a straight line with the abs in and the back straight.
Place one hand on a medicine ball and keep the other on the floor. Get your balance and then lower into a push-up.
Push back up and roll the ball across the floor to the other hand and lower into a push-up.
Continue rolling the ball back and forth for each push-up for 1–3 sets of 10–16 reps.
Barbell Bench Press
The bench press is another great standard move for the large muscles of the chest. The shoulders and triceps are also involved in this exercise, making this a compound movement. For a variation, try this on an incline bench, which will target the upper part of the chest.
Lie down on a bench, step, or the floor. Begin with the barbell hovering just over the chest with your elbows bent. Place your hands on the bar a bit wider than your shoulders.
Contract the chest and push the weight straight up over the chest until the arms are fully extended and elbows are locked.
Bending the elbows, lower the weight down until the barbell touches your chest. Usually, this will mean your elbows are just below the level of the chest.
Repeat for 1–3 sets of 8–16 reps.
Dumbbell Chest Press
Doing a chest press with dumbbells instead of a barbell can add a different element to your chest exercises since both arms now have to work independently from one another. This is great for working both sides of the body, and the dumbbell chest press makes a nice complement to the barbell exercise.
Lie down on a bench or step and begin with the weights in each hand straight up over the chest. Hold the dumbbells as if they are one barbell (in a straight line perpendicular to the body). Or use a neutral grip, where the palms are facing one another.
Bend the elbows and lower the arms down until the elbows are just below the chest (arms should look like goal posts).
Press the weights back up, completely extending the arms, and bring the weights closer together.
Repeat for 1–3 sets of 8–16 reps.
Standing Chest Press with Resistance Bands
Using a resistance band is a great way to target the chest in a different way and change things up when the usual exercises get a little dull. The band can actually make this exercise feel tougher, but you always have control over the level of tension by standing closer or further away from the center of the band.
Wrap the band around something stable behind you and hold handles in both hands so that the bands run along the inside of the arms.
Position yourself far enough away so that you have tension on the bands.
Begin the movement with the arms bent, palms facing down.
Squeeze your chest muscles and press your arms straight out in front of you, keeping the band stable.
Repeat for 1–3 sets of 8–16 reps.
Chest Fly with Dumbbells
The chest fly is another way to work the major muscles of the chest with a focus on the outer part of the chest. Flies make a nice complement to both chest presses and push-ups because those moves are compound; the fly is an isolation movement.
Lie on the floor, bench, or step. Hold weights over the chest with the palms facing each other.
Keeping the elbows slightly bent, lower the arms out to the sides and down until they're level with the chest.
Keep the elbows in a fixed position and avoid lowering the weights too low.
Squeeze your chest to bring the arms back up as though you're hugging a tree.
Repeat for 1–3 sets of 8–16 reps.
Chest Squeeze with a Medicine Ball
The chest squeeze is a subtle move and more of an isometric exercise that works the chest and shoulder muscles. While this isn't the most intense exercise, it's a great way to warm up the chest before other exercises.
Sit up straight on an exercise ball or chair with your back straight and abs pulled in.
Hold a medicine ball at chest level with your arms bent at 90 degrees and squeeze the ball to contract the chest.
While continuing to squeeze the ball, slowly extend the arms, pushing the ball out in front of you until the arms are straight.
Keep steady pressure on the ball throughout the movement.
Bring the ball back toward the chest and repeat for 1-3 sets of 10-16 reps.