Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Health and Fitness

These are the best chest workouts for a toned body

BethAnn Mayer
By
a shirtless man standing on a rooftop in a city
James Barr/Unsplash / Unsplash

The biceps and triceps get tons of attention on arm day, but you also want to ensure you’re including chest workouts. The chest, which runs from the base of the neck to the bottom of your rib cage, plays a crucial role in posture. The muscles help keep the core, shoulders, and spine aligned so you sit upright instead of slouch (a common issue, especially if you have a desk job).

The chest muscles help you put some oomph into your throws during pick-up football or hoops games. You can’t lift something off a shelf daily without engaging the chest muscles. Can’t feel the chest working when you grab something off the top of your fridge? That’s likely because the muscles are functioning like a well-oiled machine.

Recommended Videos

Keeping them that way requires strength training. Don’t worry. You can do a pecs workout without bulking up — or a gym membership. Sculpt and strengthen these pivotal muscles using these seven at-home chest workouts.

two dumbells on a track
Alora Griffiths/Unsplash / Unsplash

Tips for getting a toned body and chest without bulking up

There is no precise definition of a ‘toned body’. Ultimately, the “ideal sculpted pecs” are a matter of personal opinion. That said, generally, people looking for tips for muscle toning want to look fit but not like a bodybuilder — not that there’s anything wrong with the latter. We all have our own goals. People striving for sculpted looks want to see some definition to muscles and less body fat. To achieve muscle definition in the chest, you’ll want to:

  • Do chest exercises with resistance training. You might be hesitant to lift weights, fearing too much “bulk.” Performing chest workouts during a full-body strength training regimen two to three times per week for about 30 minutes isn’t going to bulk you up. Instead, you’ll build functional strength. Choose a weight that has you feeling challenged without ruining your form toward the end of each set.
  • Cardio. Cardiovascular activity aids in fat burn. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week. You can split these workouts up into five 30-minute sessions weekly.
  • Diet. Abs were made in the kitchen, and so were pecs. As great as it would be to be able to work out and eat anything, that’s not the case. Though no food is ever completely off the table, prioritize consuming a regular diet of lean protein like fish or legumes, whole grains, fruits, and leafy green vegetables. Rocket science? No. Effective? Yes.
  • Manage expectations. Genetics and age can influence how your muscles respond to diet and exercise. Be kind to yourself, and work your chest muscles so you can do activities you need to do and enjoy rather than an optimal “look.”

man doing plank outside

The best check workouts for toning sans bulk

You don’t need a ton of fancy equipment to do chest exercises. To perform these at-home pec workouts exercises, you’ll need a:

Let’s get started.

Traditional push-up

Works: Chests, shoulders, core, and triceps

  1. Get on the floor on all fours in a plank position. (To modify, get on hands and knees like you were about to do a cat-cow).
  2. Engage the abs by drawing the navel into the spine.
  3. Bend your elbows to lower yourself to the floor. Keep the back straight.
  4. Stop when your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle.
  5. Push yourself back up to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for 10-20 reps. Do 3-5 sets.

Incline push-up

Works: Chest (The incline isolates the chest in a way even the burn of traditional push-ups can’t. This move also reduces the impact on other arm joints and muscles, making the incline push-up a good one for people cleared by their doctors to come back from injury)

  1. Stand one arms-length from the wall with feet slightly wider than hip-width distance apart.
  2.  Place hands on the wall with the fingers pointing up. Position them so they are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Bend the arms to move toward the wall.
  4. Stop just before your head hits the wall.
  5. Squeeze the chest muscles to engage them as you push yourself away from them.
  6. Repeat for 10-20 reps. Do 3-5 sets.

Plank to down dog

Works: Chest, shoulders, abs, glutes, and hamstrings

  1. Start in a plank position with your back straight.
  2. Squeeze the abs.
  3. Put your mind where your chest is, using the muscles to push your body away from the ground. Lift your hips to assume a down dog position.
  4. Hold for five seconds to feel a stretch.
  5. Slowly lower down.
  6. Repeat 10 times. Do 3-5 sets.

Plank-to-shoulder tap

Works: Core, shoulders, and chest

  1. Start in a plank position, ensuring wrists and shoulders are in one line.
  2. Pull your belly button into the spine.
  3. Keeping hips square to the ground, lift your right hand and tap your left shoulder.
  4. Return the right hand to start.
  5. Repeat on the opposite side for one rep.
  6. Repeat 10-20 times on each side. Do 3-5 sets.

Tricep dips on the floor

Works: Triceps and chest

  1. Sit with feet flat on the ground, slightly bent arms behind you, and fingers facing the opposite wall.
  2. Lift your hips off the ground to assume a modified reverse-plank position.
  3.  Straighten your arms and lift your hips off the ground.
  4. Slowly return to start.
  5. Do 20 reps 3-5 times.

Dumbbell bench press

Works: Chest, triceps, and shoulders

  1. Lie flat on a mat with legs outstretched and a pair of dumbbells in either hand.
  2. Place the dumbbells at your chest.
  3. Slowly lift them, keeping the back straight, on the ground, and in a neutral position.
  4. Lower the dumbbells to start.
  5. Repeat 20 times. Perform 3-5 sets.

Dumbbell fly

Works: Chest, shoulders, triceps, and biceps

  1. Lie flat on your back with legs outstretched and a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Lift the dumbbells straight overhead. Do not lock elbows.
  3. Slowly lower dumbbells toward your spine in an arched or curve-like formation.
  4. Stop before the arms get lower than the shoulders.
  5. Return to start in the same curved motion.
  6. Repeat 10 times for 3-5 sets.

Good form is critical. These moves should be challenging, but you shouldn’t be in great pain. Discuss any issues with a healthcare provider and personal trainer who can give personalized advice.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
BethAnn Mayer
BethAnn Mayer
Contributor
Beth Ann's work has appeared on healthline.com and parents.com. In her spare time, you can find her running (either marathons…
The best exercise for weight loss: Cardio vs. strength training
Make the most of your workout with the best exercise to lose weight
Man doing tricep dips.

Events and celebrations that seem to just keep coming up may make it difficult for you to stick to your weight loss goals. However, employing new techniques just might be the perfect solution to guide you on your journey. Consider your diet, lifestyle habits, and exercise regimen the magic combination to lose weight.

When you take a closer look at your physical activity, you may wonder what type of workout is best suited for you. You can better achieve your goals by deciding between cardio or strength training for your workout routine. 

Read more
Short on time? The best running workouts for when you only have 20 minutes
Don't have much time but still want to get a run in? Here are some top options for you
Man running on street by a body of water.

There are many benefits of long endurance runs. Long runs burn calories and help you manage your weight, improve the efficiency of your aerobic system, increase mitochondrial density, and improve fat oxidation capacity in your muscles. Running can also help build your mental strength. 

However, we don’t always have an hour or more to run; sometimes, we don't even have the 30 to 45 minutes ideal for a solid workout. On busy days, it can be a miracle just to get in exercise, but it’s almost always better to do something rather than nothing unless your body needs a rest day to recover.

Read more
Bouldering: A beginner’s guide to this full-body workout
Bouldering is a great way to get some exercise and build strength. Here's what you need to know
A man bouldering.

Rock climbing can be a little intimidating, with all the steep inclines, ropes, and requisite knots. But we’re not all trying to free solo El Capitan like Alex Honnold. Many of us just want to get some quality exercise somewhere other than the weight room.
Bouldering is a tremendous full-body workout that’s fun, improves balance and agility, and requires relatively little in terms of gear. It’s a type of rock climbing, but is generally rope-free, meaning you don’t have to learn how to belay. As such, there’s often more lateral movement than vertical, but it’s wonderfully demanding all the same. Keep reading to learn how to boulder.

How to boulder as a beginner
Find a route: Start easy if you’ve never climbed before. At the bouldering gym, getting started is as easy as finding a route. At most bouldering centers, the routes are color-coded by level of difficulty. The easier routes will have larger holds and less demanding aspects. As you work your way up, you’ll notice the holds get smaller, more spread out, and tend to cover trickier rock faces and inclines.
Chalk up: Get comfortable chalking while you’re climbing as you’ll want to keep your palms as blister-free as possible. Practice dunking each hand into the bag, leaving the other hand available for stability.
Rest: Rest is key, especially when you start to take on longer routes that involve 30, 50, or 100 or more holds. Take advantage of spots on said routes where you can relax at least most of your body either by balancing or wedging yourself in position.
Practice routes: Going through a route mentally is a great way to plan your attack at the gym. Imagine where your major limbs will go as you move from hold to hold. Soon, your trained eyes will see the smallest of outcroppings and dents in the rock as places you could clasp onto. And nobody is going to dock you points early on if you don't stick fully to the route map. Use all the holds you need early on until you get a feel for it.

Read more