This home chest workout will rip your pecs and build lean muscle. You will also increase your chest size, and do it all in under 30 minutes.
You might be someone who prefers to workout at home, or you need a back-up plan on occasion when you can’t get to the gym. And we all know those days will happen. But instead of missing your workout entirely, follow this home chest workout and you will get every bit as much of a workout as you would at the gym.
The chest is considered a major muscle group, so it’s simply a must to have a developed pecs if you want to have an overall lean, muscular build. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen if you focus on the right exercises.
These exercises are very simple…but very effective.
Table of Contents
Main Takeaways
Muscles Worked
Primary Muscles Worked 💪
- Chest (Pecs)
Secondary Muscles Worked 💪
- Triceps
- Anterior Deltoids (Front Shoulder Muscle)
Warm-up
Prior to any type of resistance training, you need to get in a quick warm-up session. This will not only improve the overall condition of your muscles, but will also help you to avoid injury.
Quick Warm-up:
- 2-3 minutes of light cardio (jogging in place, skipping rope, jumping jacks). This will get your blood flowing and warm your muscles.
- 2-3 minutes of dynamic stretching (arm rotations, simulate bench press, etc)
Workouts
Two variations for this home workout:
- No Dumbbells (bodyweight only)
- Dumbbells
As a general rule, if your home is your gym, then consider investing in a good range of dumbbells.
No Equipment (Push-up Workout)
If you don’t have dumbbells, you can still get a great chest workout using the cornerstone of all chest exercises…the push-up. Jack LaLanne was the Godfather of modern fitness, and he considered the push-up the foundation of any exercise program.
Push-up Workout
- 5-10 Decline Push-ups (feet up on a 1 – 2 foot table)
- 10-15 Wide-grip Push-ups (target the chest, minimize the triceps)
- 10-15 Classic Push-ups
- 5-10 Incline Push-ups (feet on ground, push-up on bench or table)
- 5-10 Counter Push-ups (feet on ground, push-up on kitchen counter)
Workout Highlights
- Perform the push-ups with no rest between exercises
- Perform 2 to 3 sets, resting 90 seconds between sets
- The variation of push-ups will work different angles and target different areas of the chest
- The push-ups get progressively easier as your pecs fatigue – the last one, the counter push-up, is a walk in the park but your pecs will be spent by that point
- The numbers can be adjusted up or down slightly based on your current fitness level
With Dumbbells
If you do home workouts more frequently, you might want to invest in some dumbbells.
- (2) 10 or 15# dumbbells (smaller muscles – triceps, biceps, shoulders)
- (2) 25 or 30# dumbbells (larger muscles – chest, back)
Workout
- 15 Flat Flyes with Dumbbells (laying on workout mat or carpeted floor)
- 15 Dumbbell Presses (laying on workout mat or carpeted floor)
- 10 Svend Press reps
- 10 Crush Press reps
- 15 Wide Push-ups (target the chest, minimize the triceps)
- 15 Regular Push-ups
- 15 Bench Push-ups
Workout Highlights
- Perform flyes and push-ups with no rest between exercises
- Perform 2 to 3 sets, resting 90 seconds between sets
- The push-ups get progressively easier as your pecs fatigue
- The numbers can be adjusted up or down slightly based on your current fitness level
Quick Workout
Looking for something quicker to work your chest on a tight schedule? No problem, see the pushup workout at the bottom of this page > Pushup Workout
Avoiding Injury
If you are over the age of 40, it would be wise to start to consider the value of proper warm-up and stretching when doing a home chest workout. If you have never had a workout injury, you still need to be cautious. As you hit middle age, workout injuries happen so easily.
Some common injuries that can happen in middle age without proper warm-up:
- Strained lower back doing back exercises
- Strained biceps trying to lift too heavy on curls
- Strained neck doing back or neck or arms
- Strained wrists using gym equipment
- Tennis elbow (tendon problems in elbow) is very common (1)
To avoid injury make sure you do proper warm-up and stretching. After your workout, do some static stretching of your chest muscles. This will improve your range of motion and elongate the pecs. (2)
Also, anytime you do exercises that involve your arms, do wrist stretches! Tendon problems can happen around the elbow (also known as “tennis elbow”).
Incorporating a cable chest workout into your routine can help target your chest from different angles, complementing exercises like dumbbell and bodyweight movements for balanced muscle development.
Of all of the workout injuries that you can have, the pesky tennis elbow is by far one of the most debilitating because it can linger for a year. And during this time, workouts are very difficult because a lack of grip strength.
Do yourself a huge favor…do proper warm-up and stretching.
Build strength and definition with this lean muscle workout plan, designed to complement your tricep, chest, superset, and 3-day split workouts.
Incorporating static stretching into your routine, as outlined in this guide on static stretching, can improve flexibility, reduce muscle tension, and enhance overall recovery.
The incline push-up is a great bodyweight exercise that reduces strain while effectively targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Build upper body strength with this Chest and Tricep Dumbbell Workout—a great addition to your home chest workout routine.
Dips are also a great chest workout. Click here to learn more about dips.Click here to learn how to work your lower chest at home. Click here to learn more about decline push-ups. Click to see other home workouts.
David Williams
A diet and fitness enthusiast, David is an ex-Army Airborne Ranger and Infantry soldier with decades of fitness and wellness experience. A West Point graduate with a degree in engineering, he focuses on technical research related to fitness, nutrition, and wellness. He loves the beach and working out, and spending time with his wife and daughters.
References
- WebMD. (n.d.). Tennis elbow treatments & remedies: Ice, rest, and more. WebMD.
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/take-care-tennis-elbow#1 - Contributors, W. M. D. E. (n.d.). Warm-up exercises: Do they improve performance and reduce injuries? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/benefits-of-warmup-exercises
