When it comes to the chest muscles, many people think that in order to build them you need a lot of equipment and/or weights. However, that is not the case!
There are enough home chest workouts available for building muscle mass and the workout plan you get from us will get you to your goal.
In this article, we will show you how to build a massive chest using only bodyweight exercises.
We will also provide a five-week home chest workout plan to help increase your chest strength and muscle mass.
So whether you are just starting out or have been working out for years, this blog post has something for everyone!
Which muscle groups and chest muscles are we targeting
Our goal is to build the pectoralis major (sternal and clavicular) and the pectoralis minor, but we will also hit the deltoids in our shoulders and some exercises will also activate our abs, obliques, and arm muscles.
You get all these additional “byproducts” for free.
The exercises
For our at-home chest workout plan, we will use no weights at all – it´s going to be a bodyweight chest workout only.
The base exercise we are going to use is the standard push up obviously, but thank god there are so many push-up variations that we will have enough diversity in our workout.
It will not get boring – believe me 😉
Exercise Categories
We have split all exercises that we are going to use in our at-home chest workouts into three categories: light, medium, and heavy.
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Light Category
- Start in the push-up starting position with your legs spread just as wide as necessary to have a stable stand.
- Tap your left side shoulder with your right hand - then tap your right side shoulder with your left hand - repeat
- Start in the elbow plank position
- Extend your right arm, followed by your left arm so that you end up in the push-up position.
- Lower your right arm down onto the right elbow, followed by your left arm - repeat
Note: in order to spread the workout load evenly onto both arms, switch direction after finishing each exercise.
- Start in the push-up position
- Lower your chest to the ground
- Lift both hands off the ground
- Push-up into the starting position
- Use a box or some other device and make sure the box rests on a stable surface and can not slide away.
- Do your push-ups on the box
Note: the incline push-up is just a less challenging variation of the normal push-up.
- Lay on the floor - hands shoulder-width apart - knees bent
- Make a push-up with your knees being the pivot point
- Lay on the floor - hands more than shoulder wide apart - knees bent
- Make a push-up with your knees being the pivot point
- Lay on the floor - hands shoulder-width apart - knees bent
- Make a push-up with your knees being the pivot point
- Pull one hand back and up to the chest level
- Repeat and now pull your other hand back
- Start with the upper push-up position
- Slowly lower your chest down
- Get on your knees
- Move back into the initial push-up position - repeat
- Lean against the wall in the push-up position
- Make a push-up against the wall
Note: this is a super easy variation of the pushup for absolute beginners or as a warm-up exercise.
- Lean against the wall with one arm in the push-up position
- Make a one-arm push-up against the wall
Medium Category
- Start in the upper push-up position
- Lower your chest until you touch the ground
- Push back up
- Start in the "downward facing dog" position
- Bend your elbows and move your forehead towards the ground
- Don´t touch the ground - stop an inch or two above the ground
- Push back up
Note: the further back you move your hands, the harder the pike push-up gets.
- Start in the standard push-up position with your arms extended
- Perform one normal push-up and as you get back up, perform one shoulder tap
- Repeat, but now tap the opposite shoulder
- Start in the push-up position with your arms straight as far outside your shoulders as possible
- Lower your chest by bending just one arm - the other arm stays extended all the time. You will end up in the "archer position".
- Move your chest laterally to the other side.
- Push back up - repeat in the other direction
- Make one standard push-up
- Perform one "step" to the side
- Make one standard push-up
- Perform one "step" back to the other side
Make a push-up with one hand resting on a medicine ball
- Lay on the floor - hands shoulder-width apart - knees bent
- Place one arm behind your back
- Perform the push-up with the other arm only
- Start in the standard position with your hands more than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your chest down and let your chest touch the ground
- Push back up
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55 Best Crossfit Bodyweight WorkoutsHeavy Category
- Start in the push-up position with your arms straight as far outside your shoulders as possible
- Lower your chest by bending just one arm - the other arm stays extended all the time. You will end up in the "archer position".
- Push yourself back up with the same arm - do not laterally move over to the other arm.
- Perform a standard push-up
- Once back up in the start position, lift your right leg off the ground and extend your left arm straight out at the same time
- Perform a standard push-up
- Same as under 2. but now switch to the left leg and the right arm
- You start out with your feet placed elevated onto a bench or a box
- Perform a standard push-up
- The hand position for this variation is very close together under your chest
- Lower your chest until your sternum touches your hands
- Push back up
- The hand position for this variation is very close together under your chest and your feet are placed elevated onto a bench or a box
- Lower your chest until your sternum touches your hands
- Push back up
- Place your hands onto weight plates, books, bricks or something similar - leave space for your chest between the weight plates
- Lower your chest as far as possible between your hands. Try to achieve maximum range of motion.
- Push back up
- Start in the standard push-up position
- While lowering your chest, move your right knee towards your right elbow
- Push back up
- Repeat but now move your left knee towards your left elbow
- Start in the push-up position, hands shoulder-width apart
- Slowly lower your chest to the ground
- Push yourself explosively off the ground and during your "flying phase" off the ground clap your chest with both hands
Note: if you feel uncomfortable clapping your chest, then just clap your hands
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23 Hardcore Upper Body CrossFit WorkoutsHow the Home Chest Workout Plan Works
We have already listed the exercises that we are going to use above.
Have a close look at the instructions – in order to get the most out of your at-home chest workouts and build a muscular chest, it is really important to apply a proper technique to all exercises.
If you feel that you are not able to perform the required exercise with good technique, then switch over to the downscaled version of that exercise.
You will find the downscaled version listed next to the unscaled version of the exercise.
Let us recall the proper form for push-ups once again:
…push-up starting position correct vs incorrect form
…push-up end position correct vs incorrect form
The at-home chest workout plan extends over a period of five weeks.
The first week is meant to build basic strength and also train proper technique.
Remember: correct form always comes first!
You will work out two days in a row, have one rest day, work out two days, and have two rest days.
So this sums up to four workout days per week. Stay committed and push through! The results are absolutely worth it!
Eccentric movements
We will perform our at-home chest exercises for a large portion using eccentric movements. This means we want to apply a lot of movements under tension.
The reason why we do this is simply the effect of eccentric movement patterns.
You will build more muscle and thus increase your upper body muscle power by the use of movements under tension.
What are “movements under tension”?
How eccentric movements work
Eccentric movement patterns – or movements under tension – when doing push-ups would look like this:
We are positioned in the push-up starting position. Now – instead of quickly dropping to the ground – we slowly lower our body down.
We slowly count “21,22,23” while doing so.
Once we have reached the lowest position, we explosively push ourselves back up into the starting position.
This video here explains it really good:
What is the benefit?
Studies have shown that we build muscle much faster by stressing our muscle fibers with eccentric movement patterns.
The benefit is quite clear: More muscles – pectoral muscles in our case – more power in less time!
And finally, we will get a stronger and better-looking upper body. Goal achieved!
Another benefit of eccentric movement patterns is that pure body-weight exercises are more than enough. It´s not like a normal push-up performed in good form would be an easy exercise, but the eccentric movement will give us even more results!
No need for extra weights or bench press equipment at all…
Our 5-Week Chest Workout Plan for an Impressive Upper Body
Always warm up before starting any workout! For our purpose Jumping Jacks, Circling your Arms, and Wall Push-Ups will be good choices for a warm-up program.
Notes:
- “Finisher” is one single exercise performed once at the end of a complete workout – not after each round!
- “Push-Up” or “Push-Ups” will from now on be written as “P-U”
The Test
Before we start with our chest workout plan, you will have to find out about your current performance. In order to do so, perform as many push-ups within two minutes and write down the result.
At the end of our chest workout plan, you will repeat the same test again and I am 100% sure that you will be amazed about your own performance!
Let´s get started! It´s not chest day – it´s gonna be chest weeks!
Week 1
Rest Day!
Same as Standard Version
Rest Days!
Same as Standard Version
Week 2
Rest Day!
Same as Standard Version
Rest Days!
Same as Standard Version
Week 3
Rest Day!
Same as Standard Version
Rest Days!
Same as Standard Version
Week 4
Rest Day!
Same as Standard Version
Rest Days!
Same as Standard Version
Week 5
Rest Day!
Same as Standard Version
Congratulations – you finished our 5-week chest workout plan!
If you can push through this mother of ultimate at home chest workouts you can be very proud of yourself!
You will feel overwhelmed sometimes by the sheer amount of repetitions you have to perform and you will feel sore muscles. That´s for sure!
But always keep in mind: the old saying “No Pain No Gain” is still one of the most valid sayings to date!
The next step would be to take a week off of intense chest training and then repeat the push-up test. How many repetitions in two minutes can you do now?
We would be very keen in learning how much you could improve your performance. Let us know in the comments below!
If you liked the article – and especially our 5 Week at home chest workout plan – then please like, share and comment 🙂
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