How to Work Out Chest Muscles without Weights

Co-authored by Laila Ajani

Last Updated: October 8, 2024 Approved

You can totally work out your chest muscles at home without any weights, whether the gym is closed or you’re not trying to drop money on a new weight set. There are a variety of bodyweight exercises you can do that will work out your chest and show results, and most of them don’t require any equipment whatsoever. If you’re looking for a stronger workout, you can use chairs and a heavy backpack to make things more challenging.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Doing Pushups

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1
Perform basic pushups.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Laila Ajani
Fitness Trainer

Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.} There are many variations of pushups that can help you build your chest muscles, but for beginners, there's nothing wrong with basic, ordinary pushups.^{[2]
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Research source} That said, when starting push ups, avoid lowering your chest too close to the ground. Lowering yourself too close to the floor can tear tissues in the shoulder. Gradually work your way to lowering yourself slightly closer to the floor over time.
- Lie face down with your hands on the floor directly under their respective shoulders. Straighten your back so that your feet and your shoulders create a straight, rigid line.
- One repetition consists of bending your arms down to a 90 degree angle and straightening them out again.
- Raise and lower your body in a slow, steady motion. Do as many of these as you can!
- If you are an absolute beginner, you may need to start out doing pushups with your knees on the floor, but your hips and back straight.
2
Perform incline pushups. These are similar to basic pushups, but your body is elevated by a piece of furniture such as a bench, chair, or desk that you rest your hands against.^{[3]
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- Lie face down with you hands on the bench. Position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and your feet about hip-width apart, with your toes on the floor. Keep your back and legs as straight as you can.
- Then, slowly and steadily lower your body so that your chest is just a few inches from the bench.
- Return to the starting position by straightening your arms, and repeat.
- Incline pushups are an easy variation, making them great for beginners.^{[4]
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3
Perform elevated pushups. Find a sturdy chair or bench that won't slide across the ground and is able to hold your weight. Then, get into the basic pushup position, but place your feet on the chair rather than on the ground. Straighten your back so that your feet and your body creates a horizontal line parallel with the floor.
- Place the chair up against the wall for extra stability.
- One repetition consists of bending your arms down to a 90 degree angle and straightening them out again.
4
Perform gorilla pushups. To perform gorilla pushups, start as if you were doing basic pushups, with your body in the down position. Then, rapidly push up, launching yourself off the ground. Slap your chest or clap, then rapidly return your hands to the starting position.
- Gorilla pushups are a more advanced pushup variation. Don't try these until you can comfortably do lots of basic pushups.
5
Perform single-leg pushups. Start in the basic pushup position, with your feet spread to shoulder width or wider. Lift one foot so that it is hovering off of the ground and then complete each repetition just as you would with a basic pushup.^{[5]
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- After doing a few repetitions, switch legs. For example, try to do five single-leg pushups with your left leg raised, then do another five with the right raised.
- Keep your glutes tight while doing these.
- If you want to, you can exercise your legs at the same time by moving the knee of the raised leg toward your elbow as you push up, and switching legs with each repetition. Some people call these, "reptile" or "lizard" pushups.
- The wider apart your feet are, the harder the push up will be, because it will shift more of your weight to one arm.^{[6]
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- Single-leg pushups are among the most challenging variations.^{[7]
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  Research source} You will probably need to work up to these.
6
Perform backpack pushups. If normal pushups and pushup variations begin to grow too easy, you can increase the weight and stress of the pushups to keep your workout rigorous. One easy way to do that is to perform any of the above pushup variations while wearing a backpack.^{[8]
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- You can steadily increase the weight as your muscles develop by placing heavier objects in the backpack.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Doing Dips

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1
Find something to support your body. Dips are most easily performed on parallel bars in a gym. However, you can improvise using a very sturdy chair. Stairs or the edge of a bathtub may also work.^{[9]
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- Make sure the chair is sturdy and stable. If it breaks or moves while doing this exercise, you may be injured.
- Do not attempt this on hardwood floors or other smooth surfaces that might allow the chair to slide easily.
2
Start doing dips. Sit on the edge of your chair or other support. Place the heel of your palm on either side of your seat, with the fingers curved over the edge. Lower yourself until your arms are at a 90 degree angle, then raise yourself up until your arms are straight again.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Laila Ajani
Fitness Trainer

Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.}
- Dips are a great way to work out the inner chest muscles, which are often under-exercised with pushups.
- For beginners, you can actually do dips with your hands on the seat and your legs stretched out in front of you and the backs of your heels touching the floor.^{[11]
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- When beginning dips, be careful with how far you lower yourself. Slowly increase your range until you can lower your torso to a 90-degree bend in the elbow. The elbow should never bend more than 90 degrees, or else a shoulder injury can occur.
When normal dips become too easy, you will need to increase the weight and stress of the dips. Wearing a backpack is a simple and easy way to do that, and you'll be able to gradually add weight to the backpack to suit your workout needs.
You can increase the difficulty of dips by changing the position of your feet. One way to do this is to elevate the feet by placing them on a chair. You can also lift one leg off the ground while doing the dips.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Doing Stretching Exercises

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1
Do chest stretches. Stand with your arms extended in front of you and your palms together. Then, keeping your elbows straight, quickly move your arms back as far as possible and then back in again to the starting position.^{[12]
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- Do ten of these, and increase your speed with each repetition.
- This exercise also works your back.
2
Do elbows-back repetitions. Stand up straight, placing both hands on your lower back. Point your fingers downward and elbows out. Then, gently move your elbows back and inward as far as you can, as if to touch them together. Then, return to the starting position, and repeat.^{[13]
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- This exercise also works your shoulders.
3
Do behind-the-head stretches. Sit upright on the floor with a partner standing behind you. Put your hands behind your head, and push your elbows back as far as you are able to. Then, have your partner hold your elbows while you gently attempt to pull your elbows forward, keeping your hands in place.^{[14]
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- Each repetition of this should be about 10 seconds.
- Your partner should not allow your elbows to move while you are pulling them forward.
- After each repetition, relax, and have your partner pull your elbows back as far as is comfortable to stretch the chest muscles.
- To avoid injury, be sure to let your partner know when to stop pulling.
- This exercise also works the shoulders.

How Do You Work Out Chest Muscles Without Weights?

Sample Exercises

Chest Workout Routine (No Weights)

Weight Free Exercises for Chest Muscles

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Question

What is a good eating plan for a 12 year old female bodybuilder?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Body building at the age of 12 is not highly recommended since your bones are still growing. Eat a healthy diet of whole natural foods like vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean protein. Avoid sugar and drink lots of water. Consider discussing your bodybuilding plans with a doctor to be sure that this is a safe choice for you and your body.

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Question

What are some bicep exercises that won't strain the back?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Concentration curls put no strain on the back. From a seated position, holding a dumbbell in one hand, lean forward resting the elbow on a padded surface. For instance, sit on a stool at a kitchen table or desk. Place a rolled up towel under the elbow. Lower and raise the dumbbell just like in a standard bicep curl. If you are tall, then this might work better just seated in a regular chair with the elbow resting on a table or desk.

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What workouts make your chest bigger?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

The bench press, dumbbell pec flye and push ups all work the pectoral muscles of the chest. It requires heavy resistance to build muscle size.

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Pay attention to your posture. Bad posture can cause chest muscles to shorten over time as your shoulders slump forward.^{[15]
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Strong chest muscles benefit more than just the look of your chest. They can help get rid of underarm fat and also make it easier to push a lawn mower, shopping cart, or baby carriage, and can heighten your performance in any sport in which you throw a ball, as well as swimming and tennis.^{[16]
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Do not overdo it. Work out about 3-5 days and rest the rest. Your body needs rest to build muscles.

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Warnings

When using a backpack or any other source of extra weight in a workout, always start with as little weight as possible and work your way up. This means starting with an empty backpack and adding weight gradually. If you underestimate the difficulty and start out with too much weight, you may not be able to handle the pressure, resulting in injured or torn muscles.

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Increase chest work slowly to prevent injury. The shoulders are easily injured, and they can be very slow to heal.

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Do not overexert yourself. These exercises may cause some soreness in your muscles, but they should not cause pain in your joints or other parts of your body. If persistent pain results from these exercises, stop doing them and consult a physician.

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Frequently doing a lot of pushups can result in wrist injury, especially if you have an underlying condition such as carpal tunnel syndrome. If you experience pain while doing pushups, seek medical advice, or do them on your fists or pushup bars that allow you to keep your wrist straight.

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