Resistance bands are more useful than you might think. And if you’re looking for more ways you can target your chest to build chest muscle and pushing strength, it’s time to get bands involved in your workouts.
Resistance bands offer a host of benefits. You can use them to make exercises harder, or even as a means to build strength for advanced bodyweight exercises.
On top of that, resistance bands can also offer an effective home workout.
So if you’re someone who doesn’t have time to hit the gym, or lives far from the gym, it’s worth knowing how you can use bands to your advantage!
This guide will tell you how with the 10 best resistance band chest exercises for muscle gain and fat loss.
Grab some resistance bands and add these chest exercises to your workout routine today!
1. Resistance Band Push Up
Find push ups too easy? Then you haven’t tried resistance band push ups. Like regular push ups, this exercise can be done anywhere as long as you have the floor space.
The resistance band adds more resistance to the push up, requiring you to push harder on the concentric phase of the exercise – improving chest strength and muscle in the process.
How to do a resistance band push up:
- Place your hands inside the resistance band at both ends
- Lift the band over your head and behind you
- Position the band so that it is resting on your shoulder blades
- Get into a push up position on the floor
- Perform a push up as normal
2. Resistance Band Wide Push Up
Wide push ups are an effective push up variation that targets the outer chest muscles. They’re much harder than regular push ups, and even harder when you throw a resistance band into the mix.
If you want to build outer chest muscle or challenge yourself to a harder push up variation, this is the exercise for you.
How to do a resistance band wide push up:
- Place your hands inside the resistance band at both ends
- Lift the band over your head and behind you
- Position the band so that it is resting on your shoulder blades
- Get into a push up position on the floor, but place your hands wider than shoulder width apart
- Perform the push up
3. Resistance Band Incline Push Up
Incline push ups are the bodyweight version of the decline bench press. They target the lower chest and are sometimes used to build strength for regular push ups.
But for a pushing exercise that’s harder than a regular incline push up, yet easier than a regular push up, the resistance band incline push up is one to include in your workout!
How to do a resistance band incline push up:
- Place your hands inside the resistance band at both ends
- Lift the band over your head and behind you
- Position the band so that it is resting on your shoulder blades
- Get into a push up position but with your hands placed on an elevated surface, such as a table or bench
- Perform the push up
4. Resistance Band Decline Push Up
Decline push ups are the bodyweight version of the incline bench press, which hits the upper chest muscles.
It’s the opposite of an incline push up, but is considered harder, since elevating your feet will increase the overall weight load.
How to do a resistance band decline push up:
- Place your hands inside the resistance band at both ends
- Lift the band over your head and behind you
- Position the band so that it is resting on your shoulder blades
- Get into a push up position but with your feet placed on an elevated surface, such as a bench or bed
- Perform the push up
5. Resistance Band Chest Fly
Cable chest flys are one of the most popular chest exercises at the gym. But did you know you can do them with resistance bands?
Resistance band chest flys can be done at home by either looping the band around your back or securing the band to a pull up bar or door (if you have a resistance band anchor).
How to do a resistance band chest fly:
- Tie the band to a pull up bar or secure it to a door using a resistance band anchor
- Get inside the band
- Grab the band with two hands, wider than shoulder width apart
- Arch your back, then place one foot in front
- Perform a chest fly by pushing the band forward from a wide-arm position
6. Resistance Band Bench Press
Yep, you can also do bench presses with a resistance band!
The resistance band bench press mimics the resistance band push up, except that the exercise is performed lying down – on a bench or even lying on the floor.
As a result, it’s an easy way to build practice bench press form, as well as build pushing strength.
How to do a resistance band bench press:
- Place your hands inside the resistance band at both ends
- Lift the band over your head and behind you
- Position the band so that it is resting on your shoulder blades
- Lie down on a bench or on the floor (on a soft surface)
- Push the band up as if performing a bench press
Note: You can also do a resistance band bench press by securing the band to the feet of the bench.
7. Resistance Band Incline Bench Press
Like a regular incline bench press, resistance band incline bench presses target your upper chest muscles and front deltoids.
These can be done as long as you have access to a gym bench that can be adjusted into an incline position.
How to do a resistance band incline bench press:
- Place your hands inside the resistance band at both ends
- Lift the band over your head and behind you
- Position the band so that it is resting on your shoulder blades
- Sit on a gym bench that you have adjusted to an incline position
- Push the band up as if performing a bench press
Note: You can also do a resistance band incline bench press by securing the band to the feet of the bench.
8. Resistance Band Decline Bench Press
Yep, the resistance band decline bench press is equivalent to a decline bench press, targeting the lower chest muscles. This effective exercise can be performed as long as you have access to a gym bench that can be adjusted into a decline position.
How to do a resistance band decline bench press:
- Place your hands inside the resistance band at both ends
- Lift the band over your head and behind you
- Position the band so that it is resting on your shoulder blades
- Sit on a gym bench that you have adjusted to a decline position
- Push the band up as if performing a bench press
Note: You can also do a resistance band decline bench press by securing the band to the feet of the bench.
9. Resistance Band Assisted Chest Dip
When it comes to the best chest exercises, chest dips are up there with bench presses and push ups.
The exercise is almost a bodyweight version of the incline bench press, performed on a dip station, or set of parallel bars, to target the upper chest and front delt muscles.
Chest dips can be hard for beginners, but that’s where resistance bands can help!
How to a resistance band assisted chest dip:
- Take the resistance band at either end
- Grab the handles of a dip station or set of parallel bars with the resistance band underneath your palms
- Lift yourself up into a dip position
- Position your knees so that they are resting on the resistance band
- Perform the chest dip
10. Resistance Band Weighted Chest Dip
The resistance band weighted chest dip is the opposite of the band-assisted chest dip, as it uses the resistance band to make the exercise harder instead of easier!
In this exercise, the band is resting on the shoulders, increasing the resistance on the concentric phase of the exercise, similar to a weighted chest dip.
How to do a resistance band weighted chest dip:
- Place your hands inside the resistance band at both ends
- Lift the band over your head and behind you
- Position the band so that it is resting on your shoulders
- Grab the handles of a dip station or set of parallel bars with the resistance band underneath your palms
- Lift yourself up and perform the chest dip
Conclusion
And there you have it, the 10 best resistance band chest exercises you need to start doing. These exercises can build chest muscle and help fat loss by helping you to burn more calories.
The best thing? Many of them can also be done at home!
So what are you waiting for? Pick up some resistance bands and add the above exercises to your next chest day workout.
