This post will cover the best chest exercises for beginners with no equipment and also at the end with some basic equipment. When someone asks which bodyweight exercises are good for improving chest, I hope right away they are talking about either improving size or strength. If not then I’m going to have to tell them sprinting, wait for the confused look and start the explanation I’m about to go into now.
The reason I say that I hope they mean improving size or power is because that is actually a direct result of the bodyweight exercises where as if they mean improving chest by getting rid of fat that has been added over time, it’s a different story. Because if it’s fat they need to get rid of to improve their chest then it’s a matter of burning a ton of calories and eating a very clean diet.
So let’s assume that you’re not talking about losing fat. If that’s the case you only need to know the function of the chest, pectorals or pecs as they are often referred to and then select bodyweight exercises that perform that function.
The Chest Muscle’s Major Functions
The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the chest (anterior) of the body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female. Underneath the pectoralis major is the pectoralis minor, a thin, triangular muscle.
The “chest” has four actions, which are primarily responsible for movement of the shoulder joint. The first action is flexion of the humerus, as in throwing a ball side-arm, and in lifting a child. Secondly, it adducts the humerus, as when flapping the arms. Thirdly, it rotates the humerus medially, as occurs when arm-wrestling. Finally it aids in deep inspiration, as in taking a deep breath before jumping in a pool.
So what bodyweight exercises hit all these actions for the pecs?
Bodyweight Exercises For Improving Chest Muscles
I think the biggest bang for your buck would come with gymnastic ring movements. But we will get to that in a second because we first have to go to the most basic bodyweight exercise for a beginner, which is the pushup and it’s variations.
Take a look at this video here (and below) where I take you right from square one all the way to archer pushups. When I say square one beginner, I mean it. This is where I started after tearing my bicep right off the bone.
Ok. Now that the basic pushup exercise is covered, let’s get back to the rings. Doing dips on them while rotating the palms forward at the top of the movement and starting to raise the hips to get into a Planche type position.
However if you cannot get access to a set of rings or do not want to order them online then you could go with regular bar dips as well in combination with pushups using different pushup positions. Throw in a few wide grip, fingers pointing out shifting pushups and you’ve nailed the “flapping” function as well.
Further to the above, here’s another no equipment option. Do your dips using the kitchen counter. Right where two counter tops meet in a corner. The corner will allow room for the body to move up and down and one hand goes on each adjoining counter top.
If you decide to get a set of rings for dips then here is a helpful tip. If you lack the strength or stability to do ring dips, you can start by keeping your toes on the ground like in this video. It like using your toes for training wheels.
Unlock YOUR Best Bodyweight Chest Exercise
The real point I want to get across though is that once you understand the function of a muscle you know how to work it. Sometimes the very best exercises to hit a muscle group, don’t look a thing like anything you’ll see in the bodybuilding magazines or in the gym because nobody wants to look up and understand muscle function.
Now if you understand loading parameters and the set and repetition model that will produce the desired result, then you’re ahead of 98% of the other trainers out there.
So go get a bigger chest and do some Bulgarian XR Ring Dips with a little hip lift for 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions, 2-3 times a week. Watch what happens.
If you have any questions about this or any other bodyweight chest exercises for beginners with no equipment, just ask below.
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