It should be no surprise that calisthenics athletes have some of the best chest development in the fitness community. Chest calisthenics checks all boxes regarding chest hypertrophy: high volume, weighted stretching on muscles, and exercise are all cornerstones of chest calisthenics.
In this guide, we will go over the optimal calisthenics chest workout so that you can blow up your chest over the course of a few months. Aside from our detailed calisthenic chest workout, we will also go over some other calisthenics chest exercises that you can incorporate into your training routine as well.
Calisthenics Chest Workout: Exercise By Exercise
Our calisthenics chest workout focuses on compound exercises so that you get the most bang for your buck. If you cannot do some of these, consider swapping some exercises out for easier variations. Additionally, you may need some basic calisthenics equipment to do some of these exercises.
Archer Push-Ups
The first exercise is archer push-ups, which are a variation of the traditional push-up that allows for greater chest activation. This exercise requires you to shift your body weight to one side, allowing for a deeper stretch in the chest muscles.
3 x 8-10 reps
How to Do Archer Push-Ups:
Assume a push-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart.
Move your right hand towards your left hand and keep your left hand in its original position.
Lower yourself down towards the left side of your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body.
Push back up and return to the starting position.
Repeat for reps and then switch sides.
Dips
Dips are a classic exercise that effectively target the chest, triceps, and shoulders. This exercise requires a dip bar, parallel bars or other stable surface to perform.
3 x 10-12 reps
How To Do Dips:
Stand between the parallel bars or dip bars and grip each bar with your hands shoulder-width apart.
Lift yourself up and support your weight on your arms.
Lower yourself down slowly, bending your elbows until your shoulders are at the same height as your elbows.
Push yourself back up to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.
Wide-Grip Push-Ups
This exercise is similar to the traditional push-up, but with a wider hand placement that emphasizes the chest muscles.
3 x 12-15 reps
How To Do Wide-Grip Push-Ups:
Assume a push-up position with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
Lower yourself down towards the ground, keeping your elbows tucked in towards your sides.
Push back up to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.
Decline Push-Ups
Decline Push-Ups are a more advanced variation that requires an elevated surface, such as a bench or step. Be aware that the higher your feet are, the harder the movement will be. If you find yourself being able to do a high number of reps easily, consider raising the elevation of your feet.
3 x 10-12 reps
How To Do Decline Push-Ups:
Assume a push-up position with your feet elevated on a bench or step.
Lower yourself down towards the ground, keeping your elbows tucked in towards your sides.
Push back up to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.
Plyometric Push-Ups
Plyometric push-ups are an explosive variation of the traditional push-up that require you to push yourself up explosively and catch yourself on the way down.
3 x 6-8 reps
How To Do Plyometric Push-Ups:
Assume a push-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart.
Lower yourself down towards the ground, then explosively push yourself up so that your hands leave the ground.
Catch yourself on the way back down and lower yourself back down into a push-up.
Repeat for reps.
The Full Calisthenic Chest Workout
Now that you know how to do each exercise, we can put it all together and do the full routine. This routine can be done once or twice a week or even be incorporated into your regular upper body routine. As with any workout, you should listen to your body and warm up before you get started.
Archer push-ups: 3 x 8-10 reps
Dips: 3 x 10-12 reps
Wide-grip push-ups: 3 x 12-15 reps
Decline push-ups: 3 x 10-12 reps
Plyometric push-ups: 3 x 6-8 reps
Other Best Calisthenics Chest Exercises
While the routine we developed should cover all the bases, there are tons of exercises that you can do that will work your chest as well. Feel free to include some of these in your workouts or swap them in for other exercises as needed.
Straight Bar Dips
Straight bar dips are a great exercise to target your chest and triceps. The straight bar setup allows you to engage your chest muscles more than parallel bars. If you are not used to doing dip with a straight bar, just be aware that the form is slightly different.
How To Do Straight Bar Dips:
Find a straight bar that is at chest level or slightly higher.
Grasp the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward.
Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
Push yourself back up to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.
Diamond Push-Ups
Diamond push-ups are a push-up variation that focuses on the inner chest and triceps. By bringing your hands close together, you shift the emphasis of the exercise to these muscles. While these are usually seen as tricep builders, you will still get plenty of chest activation.
How To Do Diamond Push-Ups:
Get into a push-up position with your hands close together, forming a diamond shape with your fingers.
Lower your chest to the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body.
Push back up to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.
Gymnastic Ring Flys
Gymnastic ring flys are an advanced chest exercise that requires stability and control. This exercise helps develop the chest, shoulders, and core. For calisthenics athletes, it is the closest thing you will get to a cable machine or dumbbell fly.
How To Do Gymnastic Ring Flys:
Adjust the gymnastic rings to be chest height and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Grasp the rings with your palms facing each other.
Lean forward with your arms extended, keeping your body straight and feet together.
Lower your chest towards the ground by spreading your arms wide and maintaining control.
Squeeze your chest and bring your hands back together to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.
One Arm Knee Push-Ups
One arm knee push-ups are a challenging variation that targets one side of the chest at a time, helping to develop strength and balance. That can also serve as a good progression exercise as you gain the strength to do a one-arm push-up.
How To Do One Arm Knee Push-Ups:
Get into a push-up position on your knees, with one hand on the ground and the other behind your back.
Lower your chest to the ground by bending your elbow, keeping your core tight and maintaining a straight body.
Push back up to the starting position.
Repeat for reps on one side, then switch to the other side.
Regular Push-Ups
Regular push-ups are a staple in any chest workout, targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Even if you are a complete beginner, you should be able to bang out sets of 15+ after a few months of dedicated training. That being said, the regular push-up can still be a great exercise to include in any routine as long as your pushing yourself to failure.
How To Do Regular Push-Ups:
Get into a push-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart and feet together.
Lower your chest to the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body.
Push back up to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.
Incline Push-Ups
Incline push-ups target the lower chest and shoulders, providing a different stimulus compared to other push-up variations. Be aware that the lower an incline you use, the easier this exercise will be. These can be particularly useful for lower chest calisthenics.
How To Do Incline Push-Ups:
Find an elevated surface, such as a bench or step.
Get into a push-up position with your hands on the elevated surface, shoulder-width apart, and feet on the ground.
Lower your chest to the surface by bending your elbows.
Push back up to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.
How To Big A Build Chest Wih Calisthenics
Often in this space, I see many beginner athletes or even beginner coaches overcomplicate things. The truth is that if you want to build a big chest with calisthenics you just need to follow a few key principles:
Focus On Hard Compound Lifts
If you want to grow, you need to be focusing on exercises that activate the most muscles and are the most challenging. For the chest, this will mean that you will be focusing hard on dips and push-ups.
Moreover, once you can easily do 10-12 reps of an exercise for a few sets with good form, find a way to make it more challenging. This could mean trying a harder variation or just adding weight through a dip belt, weighted vest, or weighted backpack. Whatever method you chose, the important thing is that you are constantly pushing yourself near failure.
Get Plenty Of Rest
Another mistake beginners make is thinking that they have to slam their bodies every day to see results. You will be better off putting in 3-4 solid sessions per week than burning yourself out.
Fuel Your Body Properly
Just because you are doing bodyweight training, does not mean you can bend the rules of thermodynamics. If you want to pack on mass on your chest, you will need to be eating enough food to support your training and muscle growth.
Again, there is no need to overcomplicate things here, a good metric to gauge whether you are eating enough is your strength. Getting weaker? Feeling tired during workouts? Add more food!
During the beginning of your calisthenics journey, you should be making rapid progress. Do not artificially limit yourself by not eating enough food.
Final Thoughts On Chest Calisthenics
As long as you train hard and follow a proper routine like the one we have outlined here, you will have no issues with gaining chest mass. In fact, most calisthenics athletes find that their chest is one of their best body parts.
Check Out Some Of Our Other Calisthenics Routines:
FAQs
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Daniel Mesa, CPT, is a trusted fitness expert and founder of FitDominium. With his extensive experience and commitment to helping others, Daniel is the go-to source for reliable fitness advice and recommendations.