by James - This article may contain affiliate links.
I have been doing calisthenics for almost two years, and the bodyweight chest workouts transform my pecs better than any other types of training before. Before calisthenics, I did weight training, and I did the well-known exercises such bench press with barbell and dumbbells, etc.
To tell the truth, at first I was a bit skeptic if doing only bodyweight exercises are efficient enough to build great looking and strong chest, but they truly work. They help to build strength, muscles mass, explosive power, and endurance.
In most of the cases, I only do bodyweight training, but sometimes I use weights as well. The funny thing is that now I can handle larger weights when I do bench press than ever before. It is a proof for me that weightless chest exercises are efficient.
Tip:Do you need a program to get strong and build muscles without going to the gym? Check this all in one program out!Contents
What you should focus on
- Firstly, you need to keep in mind that your chest has four parts. These are the upper, lower, inner and outer. Most of the chest exercises no weights work all these parts at once, but in order to get the best results, you should train these parts separately as well. You will see how.
- Another important factor is to always increase the resistance and the stress on the muscles. You can achieve these by altering and doing new types of exercises, increasing the reps and sets.
- You should also perform the moves correctly. I have seen so many people doing standard pushups badly. Focus on your pecs and do the full range of motion.
- Finally, do not forget to stretch regularly. It helps to avoid injuries, develop strength, as well as the size, and you will be able to perform the moves more correctly.
Beneficial equipment to boost your home chest training
What are the best bodyweight chest exercises?
Push ups and its variations, but there are some extras. I believe press up is the ultimate upper body move that strengthen and develop not only the all the chest muscles, but also shoulders, triceps, and even the core. It is an all in one move.
Hence, first learn how to do it correctly. The video below is an excellent tutorial.
Recommended: Top Push Up Equipment Reviews
How to work the different parts.
- For the upper chest, you need to raise your feet. For example, you put them on a chair. The lower the angle, the easier it is, but do not put your feet too high as it will put more tension on your shoulders.
- For the lower chest, you should the push ups in a decline position. This movement is not so hard so you may want to raise the number of sets and reps.
- For the outer part, you need to place your hands wider.
- For the inner part, you want to put your hands closer. We call this exercise the pyramid or diamond push up.
Push Up Variations
With the press up and its variations, you can work your entire chest and build strength and muscles mass. In the video below you can see a lot of variations. I believe the king is the one arm push up.
Recommended: Push up variations for strength
Other exercises?
Dips that is recommended for triceps, but if you lean forward a bit it works the pecs, especially the outer ones well. You can do it on parallel bars or rings.
Muscle up which is a compound move, but since you have to push yourself up it is excellent for the pecs as well.
Chest isometrics. At first I was skeptic if this move works, but the muscle strain I felt the next they proved that it works.
Watch the video below to learn these exercises.
Bodyweight chest workout routines
In the presentations and videos below you can find calisthenics chest workout programs at various level. Thanks for madbarz.com
Chest calisthenics plan
As you see, you can have efficient chest workouts at home without lifting weights. You do need any equipment at all, and you can do these routines and exercises whenever and wherever you want.
Did you like these chest workouts without weights? Share with your friends.
Last update on 2023-09-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Thanks for doing all the homework 😉
Your website is a great help man!
Peace 🙂
I’m happy that you liked it.
I have no time to go to the gym, so I was searching for chest exercises I can do at home. This is how I found this page. I like the workouts here. Unfortunately, I haven’t got a dip station yet, so I’ll do push up variations. Thanks for this workout collection.
I happy that you find this post useful. I recommend you to get a power tower, it has a dip station and you will be able to do other types of bodyweight exercises at home.
Actually this is good.. I am from Punjab, India and was searching for some good exercises to do at home. Initially, I used to go to gym but now a days I am not getting enough time to go.. So i was worried how to maintain my build.. I think this is gonna help me. Thnxx man 🙂
I’m happy that you found this guide useful. Thanks for your comment.
What a crock of shit. I swear no one knows anything about productive calisthenics training anymore.
There is no problem with your opinion at all. But, what are your suggestions? Please, share with us.
Whoever is the author of this website rocks. I’m legit thankful of you for compilung such great qork for us
Thanks buddy
Your welcome.
Great workout. Does bench dip works on vhest as well like machine dip.
Thanks
Muhammad
In my opinion bodyweight dip is far better than the exercise on the machine.
Thanks for this workout
do you think to do everyday 100 push up is good or not
Well, that will surely makes you strong chest, but I don’t think doing it every day is a good idea. Have 2 days rest at least and do other types of exercises as well.
I did over 33k pushups last year as a new year resolution. I’ve started with 30-50 first weeks. And then I was pushing them everyday in series of 25s, then 30-30-30-10 etc. I’ve ended the year with 40-30-30. The push ups was the only thing I was doing, and I did them quickly just for putting a tick in my habbit app. So,what I’ve learned from this year of pushups? Well, you progress pretty quickly at the beginning as I started doing 100 in two months or so. But then it’s harder to increase how much you can do at once – if you want to do 30 easily, you need to do 40 (but that never became easy for me). My muscles adapted pretty quickly and I didn’t gain a lot of increase on my chest and what I’ve got was stamina.
So, if your goal is to build up your chest – it’s not worth doing 100 pushups a day 365 days a year. But it was fun as I’ve started from zero and it helped to strengthen my body a bit, as well as formed a habit to workout (which is great to have).
This year I’ve started with a pull-up bar and a goal to do at least 20 pull ups a day (plus these 100 pushups a day), but very soon I figured that’s just too hard for me and not worth it, so I changed to 30 pull ups, 60 push ups and some excercises for abs every monday, wednesday and friday. I do 20 of pushups with 4 years old (that’s plus 19 kilos) on my shoulders, 20 diamond pushups and 20 regular ones in a slow/normal pace. For now I feel this is enough per workout. I also do brutal HIIT tuesdays and thursdays leaving weekend for rest. This is still beginng of the year, but I can already feel gains in strength. Not only because I started doing harder and proper pushups, but also because of adding other excersises and rest periods.
So the bottom line would be that it’s not worth it, unless you’re trying to prove it to yourself that you can do it, or you are set for a Guiness record. Otherwise – do proper excercises and variety of them and also get some rest for your muscles.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience! It is an excellent example that doing only one type of exercise is not enough for development. In this case, you did just push-ups without any modifications, so your body got used to it, and your chest stopped growing. It would have been better if you had used the progressive overload method. For example, you would have added extra resistance with the help of a weight vest or done push up variations like the single arm, diamond. (Here is a big list of push up types.) Also, we should not forget that you feel your endurance is far better which, in my point of view, is as essential (or even more beneficial) as having big muscles. Anyway, you are an excellent example of dedication.
I am so skinny i.e I weigh approximately 48 kgs,height 5’11 and my age is 16 …Can I build a good body with calisthenics?
Yes obviously. That’s what it is all about. But just remember to eat right. They help you gain mass and convert those mass to muscles. Be determined, stay strong. However stay away from junk foods. They give you unhealthy body.