If you already have a whole gym setup at home, good for you—but what if the only thing that you’ve got lying around is one measly resistance band?
Don’t despair!
It might not immediately occur to you that a single piece of equipment could provide so much variety to your fitness routine, but it’s true.
Here are some effective resistance band chest exercises using just your trusty elastic friend.
Not only will these moves target all aspects of the chest muscles and level up your strength training game; they’ll also give you an accessible new way to work out even if space is limited or access to a full gym isn’t easy.
So grab your band and get ready for some serious sculpting!
Chest Muscle Anatomy
The chest muscle anatomy is complex but can be broken down into three basic parts:
- Pectoralis major
- Pectoralis minor
- Serratus anterior
The pectoralis major is a large fan-shaped muscle located in the upper chest area.
It is responsible for adduction, flexion, internal rotation, and medially rotating of the arm.
It also assists with stabilizing the shoulder joint.
This muscle connects from the sternum to your humerus (upper arm bone) and is used when doing upper body exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, and planks.
The pectoralis minor lies underneath the larger pectoralis major muscle.
This smaller muscle connects from ribs 3 through 5 to your scapula (shoulder blade).
The main action of this muscle is protraction of the shoulder blade, which helps you reach overhead or across your body towards your opposite shoulder.
Activation of this muscle helps you stabilize your shoulder joint when performing compound exercises like bench press and bent over rows.
Finally, there’s the serratus anterior, a thin fan-like muscle located under your armpit that wraps around onto your ribcage.
This muscle helps you rotate and move your shoulder blade forward during punching motions or other arm movements which involve abduction of the arm (such as reaching towards an object in front of you).
Additionally, it aids in stabilizing your scapula for movements like push-ups or bench presses.
The Best Resistance Band Chest Exercises
Chest Press
Begin by standing on the resistance band with feet shoulder-width apart, gripping the handles with arms outstretched in front of you and palms facing up.
From this position, press your arms outward until elbows are fully extended, squeezing your chest muscles at the top of each rep.
Slowly return to starting position to complete one repetition.
Chest Fly
Secure one end of a resistance band to a sturdy anchor point such as a door handle or furniture leg before gripping the handles and taking a few steps back until there is tension in the band.
Stand with feet hip-width apart and arms extended out wide at chest level, palms facing each other.
Maintaining tension on the band throughout, slowly bring your hands together in front of your body so they meet above your torso while contracting your chest muscles.
Release back to starting position to complete one repetition.
Push-Ups Plus
This exercise combines both a standard push-up with an additional chest press movement made possible with the use of a resistance band looped around both wrists for added resistance.
Place the middle of the looped resistant band around both wrists and begin in standard push-up position with hands directly beneath shoulders and toes resting on floor or mat.
Lower into regular push up lowering body towards ground before pressing upward through hands as you squeeze chest muscles until arms are almost straight again – then perform additional press outward movement using elasticity of band for added resistance before releasing back to starting point for one complete repetition.
Pull Aparts
With feet positioned hip-width apart, stand facing away from an anchor point such as a doorknob.
Hold either end of a resistance band firmly in each hand stretched outwards so that it is taut against skin between hands.
Anchor point when arms are extended away from body parallel to floor at shoulder height or slightly lower depending on comfort level/tension desired in bands during exercise movement itself.
Pull both sides towards torso until hands meet near center line of body while simultaneously squeezing chest muscles before returning arms back to start position in slow smooth motion for one full repetition.
Y’s
Stand upright holding a resistance band firmly between both hands just below shoulders.
Then draw arms upwards forming letter Y shape above head (ie; elbows bent outward like wings).
Keep your core tight and abs engaged throughout entire range of motion before returning them (and tube) back into original starting position for one full repetition.
Resistance Band Chest Exercises Benefits
Resistance band chest exercises are an excellent way to build strength and muscle in the chest.
This research paper published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) focuses on the use of resistance bands to complete various chest exercises.
According to the study, these exercises are an effective training tool and are a great alternative to weighted chest work.
The research examines the impact of adding resistance bands to a training routine and how they can be used to build functional strength in the chest muscles.
The authors conducted a series of tests on athletes performing a variety of different exercises with bands attached to their upper bodies.
As expected, those who incorporated banded exercises into their routine displayed more significant improvements in muscular endurance, vascularity, and hypertrophy compared to those who didn’t use bands.
It was also noted that there is little risk of injury due to the low forces associated with band-resisted work, making it suitable for experienced lifters as well as beginners.
This article supports that resistance band chest exercises are an effective way to increase strength in this area and should be included in any comprehensive fitness program.
Key Tips
1. Start with low resistance bands and increase the resistance as your chest muscles become stronger.
As you progress, change up the types of exercises you do to keep challenging your muscles.
2. Before beginning any exercise, make sure to safely secure the band around an object or a door handle to ensure it won’t snap back towards you.
3. When doing chest exercises with a band, control the movement by using slow and steady motions rather than jerking or bouncing.
This will ensure that you’re targeting your chest muscles correctly and avoiding injury.
4. For maximum effect, focus on contracting your chest muscles while pushing outwards against the resistance band’s tension throughout each rep of an exercise.
5. Make sure to use full range of motion when stretching with a resistance band for best results; this will help maximize muscle activation in the chest area.
6. To avoid overworking one side more than another, perform equal reps for both arms when doing any type of exercise that involves two sides of the body together (i.e., alternating flys).
Conclusion
Using resistance bands to build chest muscles is a simple way to add on muscle definition and size without having to buy expensive equipment.
With the guidance of a few key points and some helpful exercises, you can easily incorporate resistance band chest exercises into your everyday workouts.
Developing strength in these muscles, from the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major down through the costal fibres of the serratus anterior, can help improve your posture and give definition to your arms and torso.
Using a combination of different expanses of bands for varying levels of intensity and exercise rotation is a great way to keep things interesting while maximising muscle growth potential.
When it comes to resistance band chest exercises, if done correctly can provide amazing results that will benefit your overall fitness.