Dips, standard pushups, incline pushups, and decline pushups are all fantastic exercises for building a broader chest—when performed with proper form.
In this article, I’ll show you how to effectively target your chest muscles using bodyweight exercises that can replace gym equipment.
Understanding the Chest Muscles:
Before we dive into the exercises, it’s essential to understand the three major areas of the chest:
- Upper Chest (Clavicular Head of the Pectoralis Major): This is the top portion of your chest. Building your upper chest gives you that full, shelf-like appearance.
- Middle Chest (Sternal Head of the Pectoralis Major): This is the middle section of your chest. It’s responsible for that broad, full-chest look.
- Lower Chest (Inferior Portion of the Pectoralis Major): This part is located under your pectorals. It adds depth and helps define the lower boundary of your chest.
To create a well-balanced chest, we need to target all three areas effectively. Let’s go through the best home exercises for each muscle group!
Dips – Targeting the Lower and Mid Chest:
Dips are one of the best exercises for targeting the lower chest and mid-chest. If you want to develop a broader, more defined chest, dips should be a staple in your routine.
How to Perform Dips at Home:
All you need is a sturdy surface like a chair, bench, or even the edge of a countertop.
Place your hands on the edge of the surface, keeping your arms shoulder-width apart. Position your feet forward and keep your legs straight (or slightly bent for easier variations).
Slowly lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground. Push yourself back up to the starting position.
Muscle Activation:
- Lower Chest: By leaning forward during the dip (about 15-20 degrees), you’ll place more emphasis on the lower chest.
- Mid Chest: Dips also work the middle chest, especially as you press back up.
To make dips more challenging, you can add a backpack or weighted vest as you progress. This increases the intensity and helps you build muscle faster.
Standard Pushups – Targeting the Middle Chest:
Pushups are an incredible bodyweight exercise for developing the middle chest. They replicate the flat bench press, which is the go-to gym exercise for targeting the mid-chest.
How to Perform Standard Pushups:
Get into a plank position with your hands placed just outside shoulder-width and your feet together.
Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them at a 45-degree angle to your body. Lower yourself until your chest nearly touches the ground, then push back up to the starting position.
Muscle Activation:
- Middle Chest: Keeping your hands placed just outside shoulder-width and your elbows closer to your body targets the middle chest most effectively.
If you’re a beginner or struggle to perform regular pushups, modify by doing knee pushups. This reduces the weight on your upper body, allowing you to focus on building strength in the chest.
Incline Pushups – Targeting the Upper Chest:
Incline pushups shift the focus to your upper chest (Clavicular head of the pectoralis major), similar to an decline bench press in the gym.
How to Perform Incline Pushups:
Place your hands on a surface like a chair, bench, or table, keeping your body at a 45-degree angle to the ground.
Lower your chest toward the inclined surface, keeping your elbows close to your body. Push back up, extending your arms fully.
Muscle Activation:
- Upper Chest: Elevating your feet helps shift the emphasis to your upper chest, just like an incline bench press would in the gym.
If you want to make incline pushups harder, use a higher surface to create a steeper incline. This will increase the difficulty and target your upper chest even more effectively.
Decline Pushups – Targeting the Lower Chest:
Decline pushups mimic the incline bench press, which is used to target the lower chest in the gym.
How to Perform Decline Pushups:
Place your feet on a bench or elevated surface and keep your hands on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Lower your chest toward the ground, keeping your body in a straight line, then push back up.
Muscle Activation:
- Lower Chest: With your feet elevated, you emphasize the lower chest, helping to define the bottom part of the pectoral muscles.
If you don’t have a bench, you can use stairs, a sturdy chair, or any elevated surface to perform the decline pushup.
Workout Plan & Progression:
Beginner Routine:
- Perform each exercise for 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- If you’re just starting, focus on form and gradual progression rather than speed or quantity.
Intermediate/Advanced Progression:
- As you get stronger, increase the sets to 4-5 sets.
- Add weighted pushups or a weighted vest to increase resistance and challenge your muscles.
- For more intensity, reduce your rest time between sets or perform drop sets (after doing normal pushups, immediately perform knee pushups until failure).