Exercises to Build Your Chest

dingdong

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hi,

what exercises can I do AT HOME (without weights, dumbells, benches etc), to build up my chest? :confused:

i've attached a picture of what I look like now.

i dont want to have a bodybuilder's chest, but just a softly defined one like this: dsb1j.JPG (image)

i don't really know anything about exercise (!), but i've heard push-ups can lead to building them? :confused:

any help appreciated, thanks guys! :smile:
 

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HamYai

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Chest is the hardest (and I DO mean the hardest of all) to build up - or even make firm.

Have done everything known to man to make it easier, for decades, but I can't.

Nothing but hard, sometimes painful, chest workouts will achive it ( that or surgery, I guess).

Chest followed by waist (midriff) is the hardes as you get older.

Biceps and Lats are a piece of piss, in comparison.
 

D_Selmus_Swallow

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The Legend

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yea push ups r about it but there r different kinds like ppl clap btw reps and adjust hand placement like a fist vs flat hand and add elevation to hands by putting blocks between hands and the floor so ur chest can go farther than normal and adjust how far apart ur hands are close together works triceps more while farther apart works pecs more hope it helps
 

HamYai

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yea push ups r about it but there r different kinds like ppl clap btw reps and adjust hand placement like a fist vs flat hand and add elevation to hands by putting blocks between hands and the floor so ur chest can go farther than normal and adjust how far apart ur hands are close together works triceps more while farther apart works pecs more hope it helps

I guess that's why chest is so hard.

there are so many muuscle-groups and indidual muscles and sub-goups to work.

Each don't take so much work to achieve a result. It's more a case of finding the fkn groups.


Only natural , really to find and even develop a push-up that we're comfortable with - and stick to it (human nature).

Bit all we do is work the same set of muscles that hav become used to (immune) to our excetions, anyway.

Chest IS HARD!!!

Don't become disillusioned if your pecs don't become pronounced at first. they will do so in time and given effort.
 

uncut1234

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incline bench, decline bench, flat bench, for starters, all work different parts of the chest, thats good for starters, but free weights , while they arent as impressive because u dont have a huge bar loaded with weight for eveyrone to see, work better in my opinion, you have to use alot more muslces in order to stabalize the weight, and one hand cant cheat for the other, everyone has their own excersizes they like, every body is different, the only thing everyone has in common, it takes HARD WORK, you cant just go bang out some pushups and a few sets on the bench press and think its gona do anything, you need to devote each night to a different body part, or in some cases 2 muscles in a night, and ones that dont work in conjunction with eachother, for instance if you wanted to work chest, your not gona do chest and triceps in the same night, or u arnt gona get shit in the way of a workout, when i would do chest, chest is all i would do, and then maybe throw in some legs or cardio , none of this 3 set total, BS like alot of people at the gym do,, if you want a good workout you gota work hard, 4 sets on incline, 4 sets on decline, 4 sets on flat, increasing weight as you go in each one, then move to 4 sets with some free weights, maybe 4 sets on the butterfly machine, it takes hard work, lke STD said its a hard one, its not like biceps where u can do curls 4 nights a week and have a tennis ball muscle in a few months, you gota work up to it, and of course work atoehr muscles that work in conjunction with chest excersizes, triceps, shoulders, ect. on other nights, remember its hard work, and if you arnt sore, you arnt doin it right!
 
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Jovial

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Without benches or weights you are pretty much stuck with push ups and dips (like in the video that was posted). They can get boring fast though. Try to get a cheap bench that you can at least use to bench press up to 100 pounds with.
 

eastbaydude

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Good luck in etting started.

First, some guys are genetically inclined to put on muscle faster and easier. If your'e not one of them, you're going to have to work harder.

If you're not interested in any equipment, you've heard the story. Does a pool count as equipment? Swimming is a really good exercise for chest (as well as shoulders and back).

You may wanat to rethink the idea of weights. You can start with a set of dumbells which you may be able to find them at the local Goodwill.
 

TheWB

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pushups and dips and find something to add weight to them like putting something heavy on your shoulders/back
 

Grindin

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Definately, the number 1 exercise is pushups. I do some every night when I wake up and before I go to bed. It's easy, and there are a variety of pushups you can do, not just the basic kind.
 

D_Geffarde Phartsmeller

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As has been stated by many, push-ups are your only option if you want to avoid the gym. BUT, what people aren't telling you is that push-ups come in a variety of flavors.

The most basic is the one where your body is parallel to the ground, hands placed about shoulder width apart, feet together.

Next, you can stay in the same position, body parallel to the ground, but place your hands far apart AND spread your legs to match your hands. This is called a "crab push-up". No idea why.

With body still parallel to the floor, you can next bring your hands together so that they're side-by-side, feet together once again. This will work your triceps, shoulders and the middle of your chest. For all of the push-ups in which your body is flat against the ground, you want your hands to be about mid-chest level. This ensures your chest is getting worked to the max.

If you have a chair or bench or picnic table outside, you can try an incline push-up. For this, you'll be putting your feet together on the chair (or bench or table), hands on the ground, shoulder width apart. It's a more difficult exercise because of the angle but it'll work your upper chest better than a flat push-up.

Those are the only 4, effective push-ups I can think of to work the chest. If you've got $10, get one of those colorful exercise bands that every fitness store sells. With that, you can wrap it on a high branch and do a cross-over type exercise that also works the chest good. What you'd want to do is pull the band towards the opposite side of your body in a downward diagonol motion. Or you can wrap it around something near your feet and pull in an upwards diagonol motion.

Ultimately, however, all of these exercises are best for giving definition. To get size, you need to hit the gym and try out the staples. Bench press, pec fly, etc. Muscle growth is a result of muscle tissue being broken down from the exercise and then repaired. When it's repaired, it's built-up bigger and stronger than before in response to the stimulus. Eventually, you'll hit a peak with the push-ups and your chest won't get any bigger without additional weight being put on it. For now, these will help you improve what you've got.
 
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Lex

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As others have said, push-ups (a wide variety) and dips are going to be the best bet if you do not have any weights (dumbells) at home.

Also, as a lean guy, you may have to drink a protein shake every now and then to help you put on more muscle mass.

The chest (like that arms) is actually one of the easier muscle groups to grow if you work it properly.