Chest Workout at Home Without Weights
When it comes to bodyweight workouts it’s fairly effortless to structure a leg workout or abdominal workout, with squats, lunges and leg raise variations being a dime a dozen.
You don’t need weights to hit a killer leg or abdominal workout… but the same opinion is reasonably uncommon when it comes to your chest workout.
“SJ, I don’t have access to a gym or weights and I’m struggling to figure out how to get in a chest workout… what do I do?”
Let it be known you can 100% train your chest at home, my chest workout at home without weights is enough to spark mass and strength gains for the newcomer, while also giving the seasoned athlete a workout to maintain their physique while they’re on the road.
You don’t need weights, you don’t need a bench.
All you need in order to smash this chest workout is your mental intensity.
The Exercises
Without a barbell, dumbbell or an adjustable bench for various pressing movements your home chest workout is going to be based off of push-up variations.
One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to bodyweight training is that there’s only one type of push-up – the standard shoulder width hand placement style, lowering down until your chest touches the floor before pressing back up.
This is the traditional push-up, yes.
Small changes equate to big results.
Here’s a look into the 3 push-up variations we’re going to be using:
Weighted Push-Ups
Position your hands on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder width.
Place a 45lb plate on your back (or wear a backpack loaded with books).
Straighten your arms while ensuring they remain perpendicular to your body, walk your feet backward.
Lower your chest down to the floor by flexing and bending your arms.
Once your chest has touched the ground proceed to drive your body back up until your arms are fully extended.
Plyometric Decline Push-Ups
Position your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder width.
Straighten your arms while ensuring they remain perpendicular to your body, walk your feet backward onto a raised surface (e.g. bench or box).
Lower your chest down to the floor by flexing and bending your arms.
Once your chest has touched the floor proceed to drive your body back up explosively until your hands are in the air, land with a slight bend in your arms at a shoulder-width distance apart.
Side to Side Push-Ups
Begin in the standard push-up position with your body straight and supported by your extended arms.
Flex your elbow as your lower your torso to one side.
Extend your elbow to return yourself to the central starting push-up position.
Repeat elbow flexion to lower your torso to the opposite side.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, alternating sides for each rep.
Chest Dips (Optional)
Raise yourself up onto a pair of parallel bars.
With your elbows slightly outward tilt your torso forward by looking ahead and bringing your legs up behind you.
From this position contract your arms while maintaining this slight angle in your torso, this ensures we’re targeting the chest and not the triceps as our primary muscle group.
Lower yourself down as far as possible, hold this contraction for 1 second.
Driving through your chest explode upward and extend your arms to return yourself to the starting position above your parallel bars.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, add a dumbbell between your legs or strap on a weight belt when possible.
My Chest Workout at Home Without Weights
H0me Chest Workout Variation 1
Weighted push-ups – 4 sets – 8 – 10 repetitions
Plyometric decline push-ups – 4 sets – ’till failure
Side to side push-ups – 4 sets ’till failure
Chest dips – 2 sets – 8 – 10 reps
Home Chest Workout Variation 2
Circuit style for 6 rounds (1 minute rest between rounds):
Weighted push-ups – 10 reps
Plyometric decline push-ups – 10 reps
Side to side push-ups – 5 reps (per side)
Chest dips – 6 reps
Home Chest Workout Variation 3
4 sets
Weighted push-ups – 10 reps
Superset
Side to side push-ups – 5 reps (per side)
4 sets
Plyometric decline push-ups -10 reps
Superset
Side to side push-ups -5 reps (per side)
3 sets
Chest dips – ’till failure
