10 Best Chest Exercises Without Equipment or Weight

A well-shaped chest is a sign of good physique; to build it, we need to train it from different angles.

However, many believe building a bigger chest requires going to the gym or using the equipment.

There are, in fact, many exercises that you can do at home or outside without weights or equipment. Your body weight is your equipment to train the chest.

This blog contains a detailed description of the best chest exercises without weight at home with pictures.

We also covered the details of the best exercises, muscle work during exercise, proper form, and the tip.

Best Chest Exercises That You Can Do Without Weight

Here are the 10 best chest exercises that you can do without equipment.

1. Push-Ups

Push-Ups are the best bodyweight calisthenics exercise to build your entire upper body, shoulders, chest, and arms. This is one of the classic chest exercises that you can do without weight.

It can be a real challenge if done in various forms. Intensity is the key here to build muscle and strength. This exercise is done on the floor, with or without push-up handles.

Check how to do them correctly and blast your muscles at home or gym.

How To Do

1. Lie down and keep your face toward the ground, with your legs straight.
2. Do not touch your knees to the ground.
3. Raise yourself off the ground; your elbows and your arms should be straightened.
4. Keep your elbows close to your body.
5. Raise until your elbows are locked. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
6. Now, lower your body in slow motion until your chest is very close to the ground.

Tips

• Exhale while you exert.
• For more variations, you can do incline push-ups and ups.

2. Decline Push-Ups

Decline Push-ups are similar to normal push-ups but with your legs on a bench. Although this is called the Decline push-up, it focuses more on the upper pecs.

It is the best Upper chest exercise that you can add to your chest exercises without a weight at-home workout regime.

Furthermore, because your lower body is raised from the floor, your body’s resistance increases compared to doing the push-up on the floor.

How To Do

1. Your hands are placed firmly on the floor and spaced slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Put legs on the bench or the pad roller.
3. Slowly lower your body by bending your elbows until your chest is just above the ground.
4. Keep your elbows at about a 45-degree angle to your body.
5. Press back up to the starting position by extending your arms fully.
6. Complete 3–4 sets of 8 to 20 repetitions.

Tips

• Vary the position of the bench to hit different angles of the upper chest.
• Your body should form a straight line from your heels to your head.
• Avoid letting your hips sag or stick up in the air.

3. Incline Push-Ups

The incline position reduces the amount of bodyweight you have to lift and puts less stress on your elbows. It’s perfect for beginners.

Incline Push-ups are similar to normal push-ups but with your hands on a bench/chair or an inclined surface. This push-up focuses more emphasis on the lower pecs.

It is the best lower chest exercise that you can do without a weight at home.

How To Do

1. Stand in front of the bench. Place the hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of the bench.
2. Adapt an incline plank position by extending the legs backward until the legs and back form a straight line.
3. Slowly bend the arms to lower the chest toward the bench.
4. Remember to keep the elbows and arms close to the body.
5. Slowly push the body away from the bench.

Tips

• Avoid letting the elbows flare out or point out to the side.
• Stand at a comfortable distance from the bench.

4. Narrow Grip Push-Ups

The close grip push-up is one of the best bodyweight exercises, focusing more on the inner chest and the triceps because it uses a close-hand position.

It is a variation of the standard push-up where you place your hands narrower than shoulder-width apart.

How To Do

1. Lie down with your face toward the ground, with your legs straight, palm near.
2. Take a narrower push-up stance than you normally would.
3. Now, raise yourself off the ground.
4. Raise your elbows until they’re locked, and stop at the movement’s top.
5. Slowly and steadily lower your body until your chest is close to the ground.

Tips

• Keeping the body in a straight line throughout the activity is important.
• Don’t lock your arms on the way up.
• Keep your elbows close to your body.
• Squeeze your glutes and engage your core before moving into the push-up.

5. Spiderman Push-Up

The Spiderman Push-up is a great type of push-up if you’re getting tired of the standard push-up and need a challenge.

This exercise is primarily chest and arm strengthening, but it also increases hip flexibility and really works your core, too.

How To Do

1. Start in a high plank position with your hands flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart, wrists under shoulders.
2. Keep your body in one long line, bend your arms, and lower yourself as close to the floor as possible.
3. As you lower your body, bend one leg out to the side and bring your knee toward the same-side arm.
4. Push back up to start, and straighten your leg back out.
5. Repeat alternating sides.

6. Diamond Push-Ups

If you’re looking for simple and good bodyweight chest and tricep exercise that you can easily do without weight at home, knee diamond push-ups are the best option.

It is an excellent beginner exercise for developing the triceps brachii and chest.

To do it, bring your hands too close together to form a diamond or triangle shape below your chest and put your knee on the floor.

Try the standard one once the diamond push-up on the knees becomes easy.

How To Do

1. Get into a push-up position.
2. Support your body on your hands and knees instead of on your hands and forefeet.
3. Your hands should be positioned in such a way as to form a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers.
4. Keep your body straight and rigid and your elbows close to your body.
5. Inhale as you lower your chest to the floor.
6. Exhale as you extend your elbows and push your body back up to the starting position.

Tips

• Keep your elbows tucked into your body.
• Keep your body straight and rigid.

7. Clapping Push-Up

Clapping Push-ups is an advanced variation of push-up exercise that works your chest, triceps, abs, and shoulders.

It can help burn fat and build muscle. Many athletes perform them to help improve their athletic performance by building strength, endurance, and speed.

How To Do

1. Start with a standard Push-Ups.
2. Start to lower your body as if you’re going to do a push until your chest is almost touching the floor.
3. Reverse the motion by pushing hard through the palms.
4. Pull your hands off the floor just as your arms extend.
5. Rapidly clap the hands together and place them back in the original position before your body falls to the ground.

8. Parallel Bar Dip (Chest Dip)

The dip is one of the most effective compound movements for the upper body. It mainly targets the chest and triceps.

This is one of my favorite exercises to train the lower chest.

How To Do

1. Hold on to the parallel bars and raise yourself at arm’s length.
2. Lower yourself as low as possible using your arms, feeling a good stretch in your chest muscles.
3. Press back up and feel a good chest contraction, in addition to your triceps, which are obviously contracting hard now.

Tips

• Go long-range in this exercise.
• Hold a dumbbell between your legs if you need additional resistance.
• A little forward body bend will hit the chest muscles harder.

9. Wide Push Up

If you’ve mastered regular pushups and want to target your muscles a little differently, Wide push ups are a good option.

By positioning your hands further apart, wide pushups target your chest and shoulder muscles more than standard pushups.

For an easier variation, you can try a wide-hand knee push-up, also known as a modified type push-up.

How To Do It Properly

1. Lay face down on the ground with your legs straight and arms supporting your upper body.
2. Slowly descend to the floor by retracting the shoulder blades and unlocking the elbows.
3. Push back to the starting point by extending the elbows and driving your palms into the floor.
4. Remember to keep your back straight.
5. Keep your chin down, and don’t look forward.

10. Shoulder Tap Push Up

The shoulder tap push-up is a variation of the push-up that challenges the core to a greater extent than its traditional counterpart.

It is a full-body strength move that focuses on your arms and chest while also strengthening your core.

How To Do It Properly

1. Start in a high plank position with your palms flat on the floor and hands shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower yourself by flexing your elbows so that your chest comes within a few inches of the floor.
3. Raise your body to the starting position by pushing up with your arms. Tap your left hand to your right shoulder.
4. Place it back on the floor and repeat your next push-up and shoulder tap with another hand.
5. Tighten your core, engage your glutes, and align your spine, head, and neck.

How To Build Bigger Chest Without Weight

• Gradually increase the difficulty of your exercises over time. This can be done by increasing the number of reps or sets, using a harder variation of an exercise, or adding resistance (such as using a resistance band).
• Doing higher reps and set ranges can help target different areas of the chest muscles and ensure you’re not overworking any area.
• Proper form and technique are essential for maximizing chest growth and avoiding mishaps. Less injury, More Gym time.
• Allow your chest to recover fast. Recovery is the key to muscle growth.
• Eat a sufficient protein-rich diet to support muscle growth and recovery.
• Ensure you consume enough carbohydrates and fat to fuel energy for an intense workout.
• Be Consistent. It is key when to build muscle and progress.

Chest Workout Routine You Can Do Without Equipment

FAQs

lower chest workout without weights

Here are some lower chest exercises that you can do without weights:

1.  Incline Push-Up
2. Chest Dips
3. Reverse Grip Push-Ups
4. Hindu Push-Up

Read For More Details: Best Push-Ups For Lower Chest That You Can Do At Home

Upper chest workout without weights

Here are some short upper chest exercises that you can do without weights:

1. Decline Push-Up
2. Feet On Stability Ball Push-Up
3. Pike Push Up
4. Archer Push-Up

Read For More Details: Best Push Ups For Upper Chest To Build Size And Strength

Inner chest workout without weights

1. Close-Grip Push-ups
2. Diamond Push Up
3. Dumbbell Push-Up

Read For More Details: Best Push Ups For Inner Chest To Build Size And Strength

Can you train the chest without weights?

Yes, it is possible to train the chest without weights. They can effectively build strength and definition in the chest muscles.

• Bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, dips, and wide grip push-ups.
• Resistance band chest exercises like chest press, chest fly, and pull-apart

How can I increase my chest size at home?

To increase your chest size at home, you can use progressive overload with bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, Chest dips, and plyometrics push up.

Conclusion

If you want to build a bigger and more impressive chest, this chest exercise without a weight at-home plan is highly recommended.

It not only allows for targeted muscle development but also provides an overall body workout.

It is easy to do and requires no more scientific details. If done consistently, the results will speak for themselves.

Thanks for reading; enjoy you workout.

Manish Kumar

Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.

Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.