Chest workouts are very popular ones, especially among the male population. But that doesn’t mean a female doesn’t need to workout and perform chest exercises. They are essential for both males and females. There are various kinds of chest exercises that can be performed with and without weights. Chest exercises are usually divided into lower chest and upper chest exercises on the basis of chest muscles which have two main sections, upper and lower pectoral muscles.
To enhance the power and bulk of your lower chest muscles you can perform the lower chest exercises even in the comfort of your home without any additional weights. A well-worked out lower chest creates a fuller upper body look and also has functional benefits too. But many people ask how without any added weights lower chest workout is effective. Well, the answer lies in the fact that if you choose the right exercises and intensity, it removes the need of weights. That means the lower chest workout at home involves your body weight.
What are the benefits of the lower chest workout at home(body weight)?
- It helps in strengthening the muscles as well as bones too.
- It increases muscular endurance within the upper body.
- These lower chest bodyweight exercises are functional in nature and thus helps in making your joints stronger.
- These exercises or lower chest workout also helps in tightening the core (abdomen/abs).
- The bodyweight exercises burn more calories and usually involve a full body workout.
- The benefit of these bodyweight exercises in the long term is shown by the improvement in Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). An improved BMR means that you can burn more fat and lose weight effectively.
Lower Chest Workout at Home with Bodyweight
1. Incline Push-up
An incline pushup is an excellent bodyweight exercise that helps in building your pectorals (chest muscles). It can be performed by a beginner as well as by a professional with variations and modifications to achieve upper body strength. The other main advantage of the incline push up is that it can be performed at any place be it your gym, home, park, etc. til you have an object to push yourself off from.
If you are at home and performing this exercise then you can use a chair, a bench, a sofa, a box, a table or anything else. Just remember that the more upright you are when performing incline push-ups, the easier it will be (that means less resistance). Also, remember that the motion needs to be controlled, slow for the best result.
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The muscles which are targeted in the incline push-up include – Chest muscles (these are the primary muscles that are worked upon) then shoulder and triceps are the secondary muscles that are worked upon during an incline push-up.
2. Reverse Grip Push-up – Lower Chest Workout At Home
It is a variation of the classic push-up and is performed with your fingers facing your feet. Many fitness enthusiasts also refer to it as a “bicep push-up” due to the positioning of the hands in which the biceps are more involved than a classic push-up. It is an amazing exercise for chest and upper body workouts. Reverse grip push-up targets mainly the pectoralis major and minor muscles which are the chest muscles, with deltoid major and minor (shoulder muscles), triceps and biceps. The secondary muscles involved in reverse grip push-up are abdominal muscles, forearms, and back muscles (upper and lateral back).
3. Hindu Push-up
Well, Hindu push-up is a compound exercise and the primary muscles involved in it are the chest and shoulder. Whereas the secondary muscles involved are arms, legs, core, hips and back muscles. The other great advantage of performing the Hindu push-up is that it can be performed in a small area, be it your room, balcony, gym or terrace, etc and doesn’t need any equipment.
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As Hindu push-up is a compound exercise so it helps in improving your flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, and body balance.
4. Pseudo Planche Push-up – Lower Chest Workout At Home
Well, it’s a great upper body workout that mainly involves the chest, shoulders, with triceps and biceps. This is the pre-stage exercise of planche push-up in which the whole body weight is on arms and legs are extended above the ground in the air. But to reach the planche push-up you should be able to perform a pseudo planche in which your toes are on ground. Again it is a compound exercise which is excellent for stability and balance of the body with strengthening.
5. Chest Dips
Chest dips as the name suggests are specifically curated for chest muscles. You can perform chest dips at home if you have your own dip station but if you are not that wealthy or a fitness freak who wants to spend thousands on gym equipment then you can use any parallel objects which are firmly grounded like countertops, two chairs placed parallel to each other, or sofa, etc.
The benefits of chest dips are most visible if performed well when compared to any other chest exercises. It stimulates the chest muscles with the triceps and works on a wide range of chest musculature. But one caution, dips are not easy to perform especially for beginners.
As chest dips need strong muscle stabilization via shoulder muscles, upper back and core (all these help in maintaining the right position for chest dip). It is always advised by the fitness experts that one should perform a minimum of 10 push-ups before starting chest dips.
So, after reading the above guidelines and information. Now, you must be aware that even in the premises of your own home, big or small, you can easily carry out the lower chest workout without the presence of any bulky machines or weights. A workout at home can provide amazing results if you perform these exercises with proper positioning and technique.
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One more important thing is that along with correct exercise you also need to be regular (you can repeat the lower chest workout at home twice or thrice a day). Along with exercise proper diet and sleep are also essential for any workout to show its result on the human body be it chest, abs, shoulders, legs, etc. So, take out time and focus on precision and see the changes within 8 – 12 weeks.