The chest is a very important body part that defines your overall strength and fitness. You need to perform dedicated exercises as a part of an isolated chest workout for better growth and shape. The chest is not only important for strength but also enhances your looks. A bigger and strong chest compliments your biceps and provides your body asymmetry. This is why most people put their maximum focus on chest workout in the gym. Apart from the right weight, proper equipment, and correct form are vital for the growth of the chest.
But, the problem is the limited number of equipments. You walk inside the gym on your chest day and see all the benches occupied as most of the people hit their chest either on Monday or Tuesday. In this case, you are either forced to delay the workout or cancel it. But what if someone told you that you can build your chest without a bench? With the current situation, it is even tougher to go to a gym. Plus, everyone is not so rich to have a personal gym at home. In such cases, you need to resort to a no-bench workout. There are several chest exercises that can be performed without a bench. Here’s a list of 5 such chest exercises that you can perform without a bench.
1. Cable Crossover: Cable crossover is one of the most useful exercises for the chest. The good thing with the cable crossover is that you can adjust the cables at different positions to hit your chest from different angles. Cable crossovers help in defining your inner chest and also helps in mass gain. This exercise involves making an X shape as you bring the cables on either side close. You can either fix the cable at your shoulder level and pull it down or can fix it at the ground level to pull it upwards. You need to bring your hands together without bending the elbow.
2. Pushups: Probably the most versatile exercise, nothing will activate your chest muscles as a pushup does. You need no equipment to perform a pushup and hence, you can perform it anywhere. From beginners to military personnel, pushups are a part of the workout regime almost everywhere. You simply need to get down on your palms and toes without your belly touching the floor. Place your arms slightly wider than the shoulder in such a way that your triceps are parallel to the ground. Push yourself up with the full extension and come back to the initial position. You can make this exercise more complex by placing your hands over an elevated platform or by changing the position of your palms.
3. Floor Press: Floor press is not an exercise that finds a mention in the fitness books but it is still a very popular exercise. Simply put, it is a bench press without a bench. Just lie down on the ground on your back with your knees bent and extend your arms over your chest with a barbell in your hands just like in a bench press. The only difference between a bench press and a floor press is that your hands stop while coming down once your triceps hit the ground. This is a perfect exercise for your upper chest. However, it stimulates the entire chest.
4. Pec Fly: You can consider this exercise as a sitting version of the cable crossover. It is one of the most effective and oldest exercises for the chest. You need to stand straight on the pec fly machine’s bench with your spine straight and your arms extended on either side slightly below the shoulder level to hold the grip of the handles. Now pull the handles inwards to move the hands together. Your hands should meet in front of the center of the chest. Do not bend your elbows. Squeeze your chest while moving the handles inwards. Now take the handles back to their initial position and repeat the movement. You can also do this exercise at home with dumbbells while sitting on a bench.
5. Dips: Dating back to the times of Rocky Balboa, a dip is one of the oldest and most useful exercises. This exercise targets your chest, triceps, and your back. Just like a pushup, a dip is very useful in activating your entire chest muscles. Hold the grips of the dip handles in such a way that your biceps and forearms make a 90 degrees angle. Bend a little forward with your legs crossed. Push yourself up while putting the tension on your chest muscles. Come down in the same motion without touching your feet on the ground. This exercise will activate every portion of your pec.
