chest muscles belong to a muscle group that should not be neglected in any exercise program. A muscular body that is not supported by the appropriate chest muscles will look strange and odd. For both men and women, strong chest muscles can make it easier to carry out daily tasks, such as pushing heavy objects such as lawn mowers. Most muscle groups, such as the thighs, calves, arms, and abs, can be trained easily without using weights or other equipment, but there are still many people who think that training the chest muscles can only be done in the gym. In fact, there are a variety of chest exercises that you can do without using any equipment, or you can do them using furniture at home.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Doing Push Ups
Step 1. Do basic push ups
There are many variations of push up exercises that can be done to build chest muscles, but for beginners, there is nothing wrong with starting the exercise by doing regular push ups.
- Face down with both hands holding the body on the floor, in a straight position with each shoulder. Straighten your back until it forms a straight, firm line from your shoulders to the soles of your feet.
- One repetition of the push-up requires you to lower your body until your arms are bent at a 90-degree angle, then straighten them again.
- Make sure that you raise and lower your body in a slow motion. Do push ups until you can't take it anymore!
- If you're a complete beginner at doing push-ups, you can start with your knees on the floor, but make sure that your pelvis and back are straight.
Step 2. Do incline push ups
Incline push ups are similar to regular push ups, but your body must be in a higher position, for example, assisted by furniture such as a bench, chair, or table as a surface to position your hands.
- Face down with both hands holding the surface of the bench. Keep your palms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and ensure that your feet are hip-width apart, with your big toes supporting the weight on the floor. Keep your back and legs as straight as possible.
- Then, lower your body slowly and evenly until the distance between your chest and the surface of the bench is no more than a few centimeters.
- Return to the starting position by straightening your arms, then repeat.
- The incline push up is an easy variation of the push up exercise, so it's suitable for beginners.
Step 3. Do elevated push ups
Find a chair that is strong and won't slide on the floor, and is also able to support your weight. After that, prepare yourself in the usual push-up position, but place your feet on the chair, not on the floor. Straighten your back so that your legs and body form a parallel line with the floor.
- Fix the chair to the wall for more stability.
- One repetition of the push-up requires you to lower yourself until your arms are bent at a 90-degree angle, then straighten them again.
Step 4. Do gorilla push ups
To do this exercise, start with a regular push-up position, with your body in a down position. Then, do push-ups quickly, and push your body up off the floor. Clap your chest, then return to the starting position.
Gorilla push ups are a more difficult variation of push ups. Don't try it until you can comfortably do regular push-ups
Step 5. Do single-leg push ups
Start in a regular push-up position, with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly more. Lift one leg so it's not touching the floor, then start completing the reps as you would in a regular push-up.
- After completing a few reps, use the other leg. For example, try doing five single leg push-ups with your left leg raised, then five more times with your right leg raised.
- Make sure that you keep your buttocks tight as you do this.
- If you want, you can work your leg muscles at the same time, by moving your leg toward your elbow while you do a push-up, then switching to the other leg after each rep. Some people refer to them as reptile or lizard push ups.
- The wider the distance between the soles of the feet, the harder it will be to do push-ups, because the body weight that one hand has to hold will increase.
- The single-leg push-up is the toughest variation of the push-up exercise. You will probably need to work up to these.
Step 6. Do push ups while wearing a backpack
If regular push ups and other variations of push ups are no longer difficult to do, you can increase the weight and pressure on the pushups to keep the workout strenuous. One way to do this is to do all the push up variations mentioned above while wearing a backpack.
You can gradually increase the weight in your backpack as your chest muscles develop by putting heavier items in your backpack
Method 2 of 3: Doing Dip. Exercises
Step 1. Find something to support the body
Dips can be done easily using parallel poles in the gym. However, you can improvise using two sturdy chairs of the same height.
- Make sure that the chair is firm and stable. If the chair breaks or shifts when you do the dip exercise, you may be injured.
- Do not perform this exercise on a hardwood floor or other slippery surface where the chair can slide easily.
Step 2. Start doing the dips
Place your hands on the nearest chair, then use your hands to support your body to stay upright, then bend your knees so your feet don't touch the floor. Lower your body until your arms form a 90-degree angle, then lift your body until your arms are straight again.
- If the chair sways and feels like it's leaning forward, apply a little back pressure with your arms to stabilize the chair.
- Dips are a great exercise for working deep chest muscles, which are usually not very well trained through push-ups.
- For beginners, you can do a dip with both hands resting on the surface of the chair, and legs extended forward, with the back of the heel resting on the floor.
Step 3. Do a dip with a backpack
When regular dips don't feel too heavy to do, you should increase the weight and pressure on the exercise. Wearing a backpack is a simple and easy way to do this, and you can increase the weight gradually according to your training needs.
Step 4. Change the position of the legs
You can increase the difficulty of this exercise by changing the position of your feet. One way to do this is to elevate your feet on a chair. You can also lift one leg off the floor as you practice.
Method 3 of 3: Doing Stretching Exercises
Step 1. Perform chest stretches
Stand with your hands stretched out in front of you and your palms together. After that, with both elbows in a straight position, open your hands as wide as possible, then return to the starting position.
- Do the exercise for ten repetitions, and do it faster with each subsequent repetition.
- This movement also trains the back muscles.
Step 2. Perform the elbow-back stretch
Stand up straight, and place your hands on your lower back. Point your fingers so they are facing down, and your elbows out. Then, move your elbows back until they are as far apart as possible, as if you wanted to make your elbows touch each other. Then, return to the starting position, then repeat.
This exercise also trains the shoulder muscles
Step 3. Perform the back of the head stretch
Sit upright on the floor, and ask a friend to stand behind you. Place your hands behind your head and push your elbows outward as much as possible. After that, ask a friend to hold your elbows, then try as hard as you can to pull your elbows forward, keeping both hands in position.
- Each repetition should be done for approximately 10 seconds.
- Your friend should keep your elbows from moving at all when you try to pull them forward.
- After each rep, relax for a moment, then ask your friend to pull your elbows as far as you can in a position that is still comfortable to do so that your chest muscles can be stretched.
- To avoid getting hurt, you should tell a friend when you can't stand it anymore and want them to stop pulling.
- The exercise also trains the shoulder muscles.
Tips
- Pay attention to body posture. Poor posture can gradually shorten the chest muscles as the shoulders slump forward.
- Chest muscles aren't just good to look at. Chest muscles can also make it easier for you to push a lawn mower, shopping basket, or stroller, and can also improve performance in sports that require you to throw a ball, as well as in swimming and tennis.
Warning
- Don't push yourself too hard. The above exercises may cause muscle soreness, but will not cause pain in your joints or other parts of your body. If you feel pain that does not go away due to these exercises, stop doing them and try to consult a doctor.
- When using a backpack or other weight gainer in your workout, start with the lightest weight possible, and work your way up. This means that you are advised to start with an empty backpack, then gradually increase the load. If you underestimate the difficulty created by light weights and immediately start with heavy weights, you may not be able to withstand the pressure generated, so you will get injured or your muscles will tear.
- Doing push-ups in an unnatural number, as well as too often, can cause injury to the wrist, especially if you have a disease such as carpal tunnel syndrome. If you feel pain when doing push-ups, you should seek medical attention, or you should try to do them with your fists clenched or using a push-up bar, so that your wrists are kept in a straight position.
