chest Workout at home

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to queue for your gym’s sole bench to build chest-cleavage worthy of a 1980s cartoon character. In fact, bench pressing isn’t even the best way to do it. First, some (bro-free) science: your pecs’ main function is moving your arms inward towards each other – since it’s literally impossible to do that while you’re holding a barbell, doing nothing but bench for your chest is going to leave you short-changed. 

The solution? Do your chest workout at home. This zero-kit home workout designed by strength and conditioning expert JC Santana and composed entirely of press-up variations hits the muscle fibres in your chest and arms from every direction and uses the optimal number of reps needed for growth. Better yet, you can do it in just a few minutes a day. Bonus tip: spend the time you’ve saved working on your pec-dance during your commute – there’s evidence that working on the mind-muscle connection will help you get on the grow.  

How to do it

• Do this workout once or twice a week.
• Do it 48 hours away from your regular bench day or your regular upper-body workout.
• Do all the reps of each move back to back (or with as little rest as possible), rest for two minutes, repeat, rest for two minutes and then repeat one last time.

The Workout

Rotational press-up – Reps 20

• Start in a press-up position and lower yourself to one side, twisting as you do so most of your weight is on one shoulder.
• Press up, then do the same on the other side. That’s two reps.

Shuffle press-up – Reps 20

• Get in a press-up position with one hand ahead of your shoulder and one behind. Lower yourself to the floor and press up. That’s one rep.
• At the top of the move, jump or walk your hands into the opposite position, then do the next rep. Continue alternating.

Diamond press-up – Reps 10

• For this triceps blaster, position your hands together under your chest so your index fingers and thumbs form a triangle, and lower yourself until your chest touches your hands.
• Press back up to the start.

Gorilla press-up – Reps 10

• Start in a standard press-up position, lower yourself to the floor and then press up quickly, launching yourself off the floor.
• Slap your chest quickly before returning your hands to the start position.

One-leg press-up – Reps 10

• Raise one leg, keeping your glutes tight, and do a press-up.
• Switch legs and repeat. That’s two reps. Now do the rest.

RECOMMENDED: How to get a bigger chest

More Home Workout Chest Moves

After a few weeks of doing that workout, add variety by switching out some of the moves with these ones. Even if it’s just a slight variation on the move it’s always good to hit your muscles in different ways and from different angles to ensure maximum growth. Some of the moves are performed with the use of a box, but if you don't have one at home just grab anything that will elevate your body when your arm(s) rests on it, a large thick book for example.

Corkscrew press-up

Start in a press-up position but with your hands in front of your shoulders. As you bend your elbows to lower your chest towards the floor, twist your hips to one side and then back the other way, keeping your core engaged throughout. Then press back to the start. Starting with your hands further forward works your shoulders harder, while adding a hip rotation with each rep recruits your core and lower abs muscles.

The Perfect Warm Up

Archer press-up

Start in a normal press-up position but as you lower yourself reach one arm out to the side, resting on your wrist. Return to the start. Repeat with your other arm. This variation tests those small but important stabilising muscles of the shoulder that must work hard to support your bodyweight as you lower then lift your torso repeatedly. It also works your core muscles, which are forced to maintain torso stability with each rep.

Divebomber press-up

Start in a press-up position then raise your hips and bend your elbows. Lower your head and chest down and forwards, moving your torso in a smooth arc to raise your head and chest. Reverse the movement to return to the start position. It works your shoulders hard, as well as your core to maintain torso stability.

Alternating shuffle press-up

Get yourself into the classic press-up position. Move your left hand to the right until both hands are next to each other. Then, slide your right hand further right until your hands are back in the original position (shoulder-width apart). At this point perform a press-up and then repeat the move in the opposite direction. That’s one rep.

Dynamic box press-up

Place both hands on a box in the diamond press-up position (outlined above). Lower your body and press as explosively as you can off the box, so your hands are able to land on the floor with the box placed between them. Immediately lower your body and press explosively up so that your hands land straight back on the box in the position that you started in. That counts as one rep. Watch your chin, though – people have been known to catch theirs on the box mid-rep. Not pretty.

One-arm press-up

Quite self-explanatory this one. Perform a press-up with your left hand on the floor and your right hand supported on the box. Switch over arms and then repeat. Remember that counts as one rep, not two.

Cross-over box press-up

Perform a one-arm press-up with your right hand on a box (or any other raised platform). From the starting position, lift your left hand to beside your right, then move your right hand down to the floor keeping your hands roughly shoulder-width apart. Perform a press-up. That counts as one rep.

Hands-on-box diamond press-up

Once again, fairly straightforward. Perform a diamond press-up but this time keep both hands planted on the box.