4 Simple Chest Exercises For Women
Have you been wanting to work your upper body but aren’t sure you know what you’re doing? If yes, you’ve come to the right place. Chest workouts for women are just as beneficial as those for men. They’re effective no matter your gender!
When you work your chest, you’ll also activate muscles in your back and shoulders, making it a multi-functional addition to your weekly workout. One of the most common exercises for the chest are push-ups, but we realize that not everyone can do them, so we’ve come up with a workout that’s effective for building chest muscles -- no push-ups required.
If you’re curious about how chest exercises can liven up your workout routine, keep reading, then give our four-part workout a shot!
Chest workouts for women: The benefits
You'll get a lot out of strengthening your upper torso, and no need to worry, strengthening those muscles won't result in Hulk-like chest:
Chest workouts for women can:
Improve posture: Your chest is lynchpin when it comes to stabilizing your body and maintaining an upright position.
Feel stronger: As your chest is recruited in many general movements ranging from pushing open a door to brushing your teeth, working these muscles out can make a big difference in your day-to-day strength.
Burn fat: The muscles in your chest are some of the biggest in your body, meaning when you work them, you’ll engage a lot of your body. The more muscle you build, the better your metabolism functions and the more efficient you are at burning fat over time (as long as your nutrition is on point at the same time).
A word about confidence
Some of the chest workouts we suggest in this article require weights, which means you may wish to visit a gym. As women, it can sometimes feel uncomfortable to carve out space for ourselves in ordinarily male-dominated weight rooms, especially if we've never done it before.
It may feel intimidating to pick up the free weights for the first time. You may think everyone is watching you or that they know what they’re doing more than you do. The truth is: they don’t. The only difference is that they're giving it a shot.
Even if you’re shaking in your boots, try to approach the situation with the mindset that you know what you’re doing (and you do), and just start working out. Before you know it, after the initial nervousness fades, you’ll feel like a pro in the weight room. Now that pep talk's over, check out our chest workout for women below.
8fit’s chest exercises for women
Follow this exercise sequence back-to-back for three rounds. Be sure to drink plenty of water before and after the workout, and remember to maintain proper form throughout!
Elbow squeeze and shoulder press (15 reps)
The embedded content cannot be displayed until consent to the required cookies is allowed.
Directions:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
With a dumbbell in each hand, lift your arms with a bend in your elbows to form a 90-degree angle around eye level.
Keeping your upper arms parallel to the floor, spread your arms out to each side.
From this position, straighten your arms to push the dumbbells directly above you.
Return to the starting position and continue for the indicated number of repetitions.
Lateral plank walk (5 reps)
The embedded content cannot be displayed until consent to the required cookies is allowed.
Directions:
Begin by getting into a high plank position, tensing your body to form a straight line and keeping your core engaged.
Step your left foot and your left hand simultaneously to the side, then step your right hand and left foot across to meet the other. Keep your core engaged and maintain proper plank form the entire time.
Continue walking your hands and feet another step to the left, then return to center and repeat the same movements but in the opposite direction (this time two steps to the right.)
Continue for the indicated number of repetitions.
Bridge and chest press (10 reps)
The embedded content cannot be displayed until consent to the required cookies is allowed.
Directions:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand.
Press your weight into your heels and raise your hips, until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders and hips to knees.
Squeeze glutes at the top of the movement.
Now lift the dumbbells in each hand straight above your head.
With a bend in each elbow, slowly lower your arms and repeat the movement while maintaining proper the bridge.
Dumbbell pullover (5 reps)
The embedded content cannot be displayed until consent to the required cookies is allowed.
Directions:
Lay flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
With a dumbbell in each hand, straighten and extend your arms straight above your shoulders.
Extend your arms behind your head until the weights nearly touch the floor. Be sure to keep your arms straight and rigid during the move.
With your arms still straight, return your arms straight above your shoulders.
Repeat for the indicated number of reps.
The best for your chest
For more chest workouts, full-body exercise routines, surf-style training and yoga sessions, subscribe to 8fit Pro. Even if you’re a complete beginner, we’ll show you the ropes so that you can reach your health and fitness goals.
