5 Bodyweight Exercises To Build A Ripped Chest

bodyweight exercises

Build a shredded chest with these bodyweight exercises.

A broad and muscular chest has been the symbol of masculinity for a long time. Most people think benching heavy weights is the only way to build a chiseled chest. This is as far away from the truth as it can be. There are those exercises out there that don’t require you to lift absolutely massive weight to build a shredded chest. Plus, these can slide into your chest day routine with no problem.

Your body doesn’t know how much weight you’ve loaded onto the bar. All it knows is the amount of muscle fiber recruitment and tension placed upon it. Calisthenics athletes are a great example of using your own bodyweight to build a ripped chest. Bodyweight exercises allow you to really focus on form and still build muscle. So, you don’t need crazy weight to see huge gains.

Let’s take a look at these 5 bodyweight exercises to build a ripped chest. With no need for equipment, you can do these whenever and wherever you want so you always see gains. The benefit to bodyweight exercises is that once you nail down form, you can better work to add weight for that increased muscle. The versatility of these exercises are hard to ignore and you won’t be disappointed by the results once you see what they can do for you.

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Benefits Of A Strong Chest

The benefits of having a strong chest go far beyond looking lean and shredded. A strong chest will work to help you improve strength in your back muscles while also ensuring good posture. Lifting big weight or performing bodyweight exercises requires you to have only the best posture. Great for increasing your ability for those pushing movements, a strong chest will offer better support and breathing ability. The added bonus is the shredded aesthetic that comes along with it.

5 Bodyweight Exercises For A Ripped Chest

These 5 bodyweight exercises are perfect for helping you get a shredded aesthetic. With the right exercises and performed the right way, you are on your way to seeing only the best gains around.

1. Parallel Bar Dips

Parallel bar dips are a bad-ass exercise and will fill up your pecs with blood and lactic acid. We prefer the parallel bar dips over the bench dips as your lower body weight adds resistance in the bar dips whereas the bench dips take it off.

While performing the parallel bar dips make sure you bend forward a little as it will put more tension on your pectoral muscles and will eliminate the recruitment of the triceps. Maintaining a full range of motion in the bodyweight exercises is critical for the development of the muscles.

2. Barbell Rollout Flyes

Barbell rollout flyes aren’t for the faint-hearted. The rollout flyes are for the advanced lifters and include the use of a couple of barbells and weight plates. Don’t worry, you won’t have to lift any of it.

Get into the push-up position and place a barbell at each side, so one end of the barbells are next to your feet and the other is next to your shoulders. Grab the barbells at the start of the grip area and push them apart so your chest is almost touching the floor. Pull the barbells to the starting position where they should be under your shoulders and squeeze your pecs.

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3. Push-Ups (Different Variations)

There are enough pushup variations that you can try a new one in every workout for months. Pushups are one of the basic functional exercises and are one of the first exercises people learn to perform.

You can perform the incline pushups if you want to train your upper pecs, decline pushups for the lower chest, normal pushups for the middle and overall chest mass. Advance forms include superman pushups, clap pushups, one-hand pushups etc.

4. Resistance Bands Or TRX Flyes/Presses

TRX and resistance band flyes and presses are isolation exercises which can target the pecs from specific angles. Resistance bands are incredibly portable and can be taken along in a backpack or a suitcase while you’re traveling.

You can decrease the resistance on the bands by holding them close to the bottom or add resistance by grabbing the bands farther away from the ends. Tie the bands to a straight pole or hang them from a bar near the ceiling if you don’t have an access to a gym.

5. Isometric Exercises

Isometric exercises are one of the most underutilized exercises and don’t get their fair share of credit when it comes to building muscle mass and definition. The isometric exercises are a great way of building a mind-muscle connection. If done at the end of a workout isometric exercises can give you a muscle-ripping pump.

Isometric exercises are a type of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length don’t change during contraction. Isometrics are done in static positions, rather than being dynamic through a range of motion.

Best Equipment To Add To These Workouts

While these bodyweight exercises are great without equipment, adding free weights or resistance bands can add even more strength once you establish the movement. The nice part about these exercises is that you can still see huge gains with or without weight and either way, they will slide into your routine nicely. Whether they be dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells, the right approach to these exercises can be a game changer for all your goals.

Wrap Up

These 5 bodyweight exercises are great for helping you see huge gains. Whether you are looking to absolutely shred or build more functional muscle, these exercises are perfect to add into your routine. The right approach to any workout can make or break those gains and you will only see the best results when you put your mind to it. Give these bodyweight exercises a try and see what these can do for all your gains today.


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*Images courtesy of Envato

Vidur Saini
Vidur is a fitness junky who likes staying up to date with the fitness industry and loves publishing his opinions for everyone to see. Subscribe to his YouTube Channel.