The barbell chest press is one of the most popular exercise for building pumped up pecs. But if you don't have access to the best barbell, this doesn't mean training your chest is off limits. While a pair of dumbbells is also a great alternative, using just your bodyweight is more than sufficient for helping you build a stronger chest, which is exactly what this five minute AMRAP workout intends to do.
AMRAP stands for 'as many reps/rounds as possible', where you sequence of exercises and have to try and complete as many reps/or rounds of those exercises in a set time frame. It's not only great when you're pushed for time, but increasing strength and muscle endurance, as well as your aerobic capacity. "I have prescribed the below home routine to a lot of my clients and it will give you a great chest ‘pump’, a burst of adrenaline, and get your heart racing," says Aroosha Nekonman, Senior Personal Trainer at Ultimate Performance.
Aroosha has been a certified personal trainer for more for than seven years and joined Ultimate Performance – the world’s only global personal training business - in 2007. She has worked with hundreds of U.P. clients to help them achieve their body composition goals.
Aroosha's chest workout
The workout focuses on the different variations of the push up – the best bodyweight you can do to build a strong chest with no equipment. "What I love about push up's is they don't just hit your chest, but also your biceps, triceps, shoulders, and your abdominals – provided you execute the move with correct form," says Aroosha. "There are ways to make the move progressively more difficult and if you find it too taxing you can make it easier by changing your position so that your knees are on the floor, making it perfect for beginners."
AMRAP workout
Perform each exercise below for 20 seconds, with no rest trying to do as many reps as you can. Once you've done this, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat this sequence two more times.
- Regular push ups
- Wide push ups
- Narrow push ups
If you have longer than five minutes to spare, then give this five-move chest workout a go - you will need a single dumbbell, but you could always use a kettlebell, or a big water bottle. Fancy another bodyweight workout? Give this 10 minute chest workout a go, or if you're heading to the gym, this dumbbell chest workout will beef up your pecs in no time.
