Build your chest at home with body weight, bands or dumbbells

You want to build your chest for a functional, strong and sculpted upper body, but you can’t get to the gym. Can an at-home chest workout get the same results? There’s no need to queue for the squat racks, Chris Hemsworth’s team of fitness experts on Centr has got you covered.

Using only bodyweight, dumbbells and resistance bands – plus a barbell and bench if you’ve got them – we’ll help you put together the best workout at home for chest gains.

Ready to build a seriously strong chest – and beyond – at home? Centr Power at Home is the definitive 13-week muscle-building program designed by Chris Hemsworth and Luke Zocchi to get real results using minimal equipment. Kickstart your gains today with a free trial at Centr.com.

What muscles make up the chest?

At its most basic, the chest is the part of your body between your neck and stomach. In workout and muscle-building terms, we’re talking about your pectoral region – or pecs. As well as protecting all the important organs underneath this region, the pectoral muscles (pectoralis major and minor) are essential to functional arm and shoulder movement.

The benefits of chest workouts at home

Giving your chest a full workout at home using minimal equipment is not just convenient and cost effective. It can get real results, well beyond the aesthetics of sculpted pecs sitting atop six-pack abs.

• Increased upper-body strength overall, as well as improved functional mobility in any action that requires pushing, swinging, throwing, carrying or picking things up.

• Improved performance in sports such as tennis, basketball, swimming and baseball, thanks to all the functional benefits mentioned above.

• A strong chest in combination with a strong back will also improve posture and stability, helping you to stand tall.

• The pectoral muscles play a big part in shoulder movement, so strengthening them will boost shoulder stability and reduce injury risk.

The best bodyweight exercise for your home chest workout

Looking for exercises for your chest with no equipment? You’ve come to the right place! Bodyweight exercises use your own body as resistance, so you can start strengthening your chest from the comfort of your own home.

How to do a classic push-up
For a bodyweight chest workout at home, you can’t go past this classic move. If you’re a beginner or just starting to build up strength, you can also do push-ups on your knees. Here's how to do it:

• Place your hands shoulder-width apart, lined up directly under your shoulders.

• Extend your legs behind you, propping on your toes with feet close together.

• Push your shoulder blades back and make sure your elbows are not flared out to the side.

• Activate your core.

• Keep your head neutral (that means in line with your spine).

• Lower your chest toward the ground, then push back up until your arms are fully extended to complete a rep. (You don’t need to lower your body all the way to the floor – imagine a can of drink under your chest and only go that far.)

Push-ups are great for working other upper-body muscle groups too, including your triceps, shoulders and core. Check out our ultimate push-up workout guide to master this bodyweight classic and add variations to your home training arsenal.

The best dumbbell exercises for your chest workout at home

Now you’ve tried a bodyweight classic, let’s take a look at what you can do for your chest with minimal weights at home.

How to do dumbbell chest flys
All you need to do a chest fly at home is a pair of dumbbells. This exercise will strengthen and shape your chest and shoulders. Here’s how to do it:

• Lie on your back, with knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

• Hold the dumbbells in a neutral position, then push up into starting position – arms above your chest and hands facing each other.

• Slowly lower the weights at the same time toward the floor, keeping your arms straight.

• Lower your arms only to where you’re comfortable, then pause slightly before engaging your chest muscles to bring the weights back up to starting position.

How to do a dumbbell floor chest press
It’s usually done on a bench, but you can still work your upper body with this chest press at home on the floor. Here’s how to do it correctly:

• Lie on your back, with knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

• Hold the dumbbells directly above your chest with straight arms, the ends of each dumbbell facing each other.

• Stay strong through your wrists as you lower your elbows down to bring the weights to either side of your chest, then push them back up.

• To keep your chest engaged, make sure you don’t completely lock out your arms when lifting above your chest – just pause slowly at the top before lowering the weights again.

The best resistance band chest exercises at home

Resistance bands are an inexpensive and portable piece of equipment, and most chest-building moves you do with dumbbells or a barbell can be mimicked with a heavy band. While banded chest exercises such as a banded chest press or chest fly mimic the weighted lifts, adding a band to a bodyweight exercise increases the resistance and the challenge.

How to do a band-resisted push-up
To get more from your time on the mat, add a band to increase the resistance you’re working against. Here’s how to do it:

• Place a resistance band around your back, just below your armpits. The ends of the band should be hooked around each hand so that when you take the push-up position on the floor, the band is anchored underneath your hands.

• You can increase resistance by shortening the band (wrapping more of it around your hands).

• Place your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart and come up onto your toes.

• Keep your core tight and your neck in a neutral position while you bend through the elbows to lower your body toward the ground then push back up.

• Your body should stay straight (no bending at the hips) as you lower up and down.

• Given the added resistance of the band, you may want to start with fewer reps, then build with each workout.

How to do an anchored standing chest fly
For a chest fly alternative at home to work those pecs, grab a resistance band. Just make sure it is anchored to something extremely sturdy. You don’t want to fall flat on your face or tear your downpipes off the wall. Here’s how to perform an anchored standing chest fly correctly:

• Anchor your band safely at around shoulder height.

• Grip the band in your left hand and step forward to the point you start to feel tension in the band.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, a slight bend in your knees and your torso leaning slightly forward (while keeping your back straight).

• With your fist facing forward at around shoulder height, pull the band forward until your arm is pointing almost straight out in front of you, then let your arm travel back behind your torso – as you feel the tension release, pull forward again.

• Make sure your stance is solid to ensure the band doesn’t pull you back with it.

• Do a set amount of reps on your left arm (until you’re struggling to maintain good form) then switch to your right.

How to do an anchored standing chest press
No bench? No problems. You can use a band to mimic a cable machine and perform a standing band chest press. Again, make sure your band is anchored around something that won’t break or send you flying when you start pressing. Let’s look at how to do it:

• Your band should be firmly anchored at a good height and centered (i.e. not closer to your left or right arm).

• With the ends of the band held in each fist, fix your stance with one leg back and one forward (whichever way feels natural) and a slight bend in the front knee.

• Lean your torso slightly forward – maintaining a straight angle down to your back foot.

• Leading with your fists, press your arms forward until both are almost straight out in front of you, then let your elbows travel back.

• As your elbows return to just behind your back, press forward again and repeat.

Bonus barbell and bench chest exercises for your home gym

If you have access to a bench and barbell at home, or you split your workouts between home and the gym, don’t sleep on these chest-building moves.

Barbell bench press
Also called a chest press, this is a must for building a seriously powerful chest. Follow these steps to press like a pro:

• Lay on your back on the bench, with knees bent and feet on the floor, then grip the bar – your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

• De-rack the bar so you are holding it with your arms straight above your chest. Press your shoulder blades back into the bench, then lower your elbows down at a 45 degree angle to your body – controlling the bar all the way down – until the bar just lightly touches your chest.

• Press the bar back up until you lock your arms out straight.

Incline bench press

Adjusting your bench to an incline for this variation shifts the focus to your upper pecs, while also activating your shoulders more than a regular bench press. Don’t have a barbell? No problems, you can perform this exercise at home using dumbbells instead. Here’s how to do it:

• Set the top of your bench at a 30-degree incline, so you’re slightly sitting up as you lay back on it.

• With your knees bent and feet on the floor, grip the bar – your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

• De-rack so you are holding the bar with your arms straight above your chest. Press your shoulder blades back into the bench, then lower your elbows down at a 45 degree angle to your body – controlling the bar all the way down – until the bar just lightly touches your chest.

• Press the bar back up until you lock your arms out straight.

Tip: Using dumbbells rather than a barbell for bench presses can be a good tactic to build up stabilizing muscles and to balance out your strength if you have a weaker side.