Strong Women ambassador Emma Obayuvana demonstrates how to build stronger chest muscles in this quick ten minute workout – no weights required.
Is the queue for the bench at your gym longer than the one at Dishoom? Luckily, you’re privy to the fact that chest-presses aren’t the only way to build stronger chest muscles – and you don’t need to rely on heavy dumbbells either.
Press-ups are the unsung hero of chest exercises (think of it as the Darjeeling Express of workouts). We’re remixing the press-up three different ways in this chest-strengthening circuit.
Just grab yourself an empty corner, a yoga block and get to work. Go on, grab that post-workout curry too.
SINGLE ARM BIAS PRESS-UP
- Come into a plank position on your knees or your toes, with your hands under your shoulders.
- Place one hand onto a medicine ball, yoga block or a thick book so that your hand is slightly raised off the floor.
- Bend both arms to lower yourself towards the ground, while keeping the core muscles engaged and your back flat.
- Move slowly on the way down and press back up to plank quickly.
Do 5 reps each side
PAUSED PRESS-UP
- Come back into a plank position on your knees or toes.
- Bend the arms to lower yourself slowly towards the floor.
- Go all the way down so that your chest touches the ground. Remember to keep your neck neutral and not to arch through the spine.
- Lift your hands completely off of the floor.
- Place your palms back onto the ground.
- Press through the palms to lift your entire body back up into a high plank position – keeping your back straight.
Do 10 reps
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WIDE PRESS-UP WITH PULSE
- Come into your high-plank position on your knees or toes, but take your hands out wider than shoulder-width apart. You might find it easier to slightly rotate the hands outwards.
- Keeping the body in a straight line, slowly lower yourself towards the ground.
- When you reach the lowest part of your press-up, press through the palms three times to slightly lift your body up by a few inches (not all the way up to high plank). These are your three pulses.
- Lower yourself back down to the lowest part of your press-up.
- Push through the palms to press your body up to the starting high-plank position.
Do 10 reps
Rest for 60 seconds. Do the entire set for a total of 3 rounds.
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